NourishingWhole

Budget: August, a Review

Well, August has come to a close, we stuck to budgeting.

We did not stick to our agreed upon budget.

Life happens, and I was shocked when come the middle of the month, and our budget was no longer fitting.

Dave Ramsey’s budget tools were not working for us and so we switched to YNAB, click here for a short review of why we like YNAB better.

I wanted to give a summary of what we learned in our first month of budgeting.

Gazelle Intensity is not for us.
1. while we REALLY want to get out of debt, we are not ready to give up the few extras we have.
Saying “NO!” is really really really hard.
1. Saying it to your two year old at the grocery store, “No, I am sorry you can’t have crackers, we can’t afford them this week.” Made me want to cry, and I felt like the meanest mother in the ENTIRE world.
Pray before a Budget Meeting
1. Dave closes his radio show saying something like, “You can’t reach financial peace without walking daily with the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.”
2. Praying together, just made our budget meeting go smoothly, we will be doing this always before our bi-weekly budget meeting.
Have a budget meeting at every pack check
1. We started just me figuring it out and Mr. Wonderful looking it over and approving it. It worked, but having a meeting, where WE BOTH sat down to hash out what went where made it easier to say NO!, later.
2. Mr. Wonderful gets paid every other week, so we hold bi-week sit down budget meetings. Any other income, if under $1,000 we just have a quick verbal confirmation on where it goes.
Share!
1. I want to tell everyone, we are being weird and trying this budgeting thing. Hey, this crazy thing is happening while we do it, I like my husband more!
Increase Intimacy
1. And no I am not talking sex
2. I am talking about mental intimacy.
  1. I am an analytical thinker and so is Mr. Wonderful, so talking numbers and trying to find extra money has brought us closer. I like it.
Make Mistakes and have fun.
1. We did not give each other any spending money in August, MISTAKE. It just made it miserable. This month we have decided fun money needs to be included.

After this first month, and looking at where all the money went we have decided some budget line items that need to be tightened. Number one on our list to get reduced is how much we spend on food.

We spent almost $600 just on food. Not just groceries. On groceries we spent over $400, on eating out including dates we spent over $150. This does not need to be this outrageous. Our goal for September spent half of this!

It wont be easy, and telling Mr. Z that our grocery shopping lunch dates of Mac ‘N Cheese from the co-op deli are over is going to result in some serious tears. Hopefully, he will understand.

Whole: Cleaning and Decluttering with FlyLady

When I feel like life is running me over, I always revert back to what basics am I not doing.

Lately, I feel like the chaos in my house is controlling me, not me control it. So, back to a daily routine I go. I have this vision, of what I want my routines to be, but it doesn’t happen. Because of life, toddler meltdowns, or my own laziness.

Years ago, a friend told me about FlyLady. I have started and stopped, flapped and crashed. I really like FlyLady and her baby steps.

Especially, step one, which some days is all I can do.

Shine your sink.

Seriously, I am lazy. I don’t want to be. I would love to have a spotless house, and not have to look for random things.

Now that my methylated B Vitamins are starting to kick in, I am feeling so energized. I am jumping in and starting FlyLady again! Here is my email I sent as part of my Babystep Day 2!

Dear FlyLady,

I don’t know how many times I have started your baby steps. But recently I have been feeling overwhelmed, and I was cleaning out my email, and I found a folder of saved emails from you. And I thought, why not. 15 minutes, and maybe in a few weeks we might be actually eating dinner at the table. Low expectations I know, but every month I tell myself this month, we will be eating dinner at the table before the month is over. I hope by Sept 13th, I can tell you we are!

Here is my shining sink. Plus, for the first time since elementary school I have tomorrows outfit picked out.

Whole: Budgeting with Dave Ramsey

This blog isn’t all about me losing weight, it is about better my whole self. Budgeting is one thing, we really want to reign in.

One thing my husband and I have been horrible at our whole marriage is budgeting. So far it hasn’t caused any issues, but we know we can not continue to just fly by the seat of our pants when it comes to a budget.

Now we, have tried, and never stuck to it. Mainly because I can’t seem to find the perfect budget software/notebook/system.

For years we have had Dave Ramsey’s book Total Money Makeover sitting on our shelf. A few months ago, I picked it up, read it, and said lets do this! We crashed and burned, but this month we picked ourselves up and started again.

We set up a budget on Everydollar.com, and I have talked to a few friends that I know budget and are a little eccentric about their budgeting. And all of them used Dave Ramsey’s philosophies, maybe not perfectly, but they started out following them.

Another thing they all said is that they listened to his daily radio show.

At first thought that was really crazy. But then, I thought, why not. Maybe that daily reminder to follow the rule, would be helpful.

So, I dusted off my iPod (I am pretty sure, I haven’t used it in a few years…), and downloaded and subscribed to his podcasts.

Mr. Wonderful listens when we are in the car, and I listen, when Mr. Z is either asleep, or not being a typical toddler.

While, we might not agree with everything he says, we are getting our life and money under our control.

Feeling overwhelmed

I have been feeling run down the last few days, and trying to get figure out what is my deal. I am an emotional person, and bad news, especially, when I have been working so hard, just devastates me.

I have been kicking against the pricks of genetics for years, and now that I know what the answer is I just feel like I can’t fix it.

I have been trying to do everything at once, lose weight, increase muscle mass, become a runner, clean my house, become organized.

And I am expecting this over night… It doesn’t work that way. We all know it.

I need to take a step back for a bit. I am going to focus on just eating controlled portions and training for my half marathon. No 21-Day fix workouts on top over everything, no beating myself up because it took me a week to fold the laundry (and then another to put it away…).

I need to be gentle to myself, I am not super woman.

August 8, 2015

Yesterday, I had a follow up with my Functional Medicine Doctor. I have SIBO, the antibiotics have really helped that. And even though I feel great, I can not eat whatever I want. SIBO can be caused by the bodies inability to digest FODMAPs.

Well, as if the list of foods I can’t/shouldn’t eat could get any longer…

Years ago, I did the FODMAP thing, it helped a little, but not really. Now, I have to retest them ALL, especially because I wasn’t avoiding them while I was taking my SIBO antibiotics. Now, 6 weeks of don’t eat anything…

I don’t even know where to start, the list of Paleo FODMAPs isn’t very long, and onions and garlic are big no-no’s for FODMAPs. Also, almonds (most nuts actually).

When this happens, that list of “don’t eat”, grows, I just want to give up. What did I do to get a screwed up gut?!

Genetics, is the answer actually. Turns out I have a genetic mutation that predisposes me to gut issues.

My husband has it too, our kids are just screwed.

What does this mean? I need to be Gluten free, I need to avoid all legumes, I need to hire a personal chef. Any takers, I can pay $5 a week. (man, being poor sucks!)

I mean, I just finished Whole30, life is supposed to be full of “food freedom” not food jail.

I just ordered from the Monsah University in Australia the FODMAP booklet, cause the interweb lies. Every site you look at will tell you different foods are safe. Monash University is the leading source, the do the testing, so in about two weeks, I will jump into that. As for now, I am going to just eat those apples and sweet potatoes, so they don’t go back while I wait.

21 Day Fix Day 3:

Day three is coming to a close, and things are going well. Surprisingly, I am staying under my calorie goal, tally chart thingy. Last time I did a round of 21 day fix, I was going over fruits, veggies, fats, everything. This time around, I am staying within the containers, and actually having a hard time finding a way to fit them all in!

Also, Half Marathon training is going well. Already got 2 runs in, and tomorrow is a rest day for runs, and Pilates for 21 day fix.

I have a couple of recipes I want to share, but since I personally, like recipes with pictures, it is taking a me some time. I guess, I should just accept that I don’t have a fancy camera, so the recipes will be having crappy cell phone pictures.

I am hopeful to have the first one out this weekend.

So here is a little teaser for what is could be…

What do I want from this blog?

I started this blog as a way to talk my way through Whole30, without the “tough love”.

I dislike that term, by the way. Love isn’t tough. It is kind and patient, gentle and inviting. It shouldn’t make you feel like everything you have done is worthless. Which is how I felt using the forum.

But now I am done with Whole30, But I don’t want to be done blogging.

I don’t want to be another “mommy blogger” or another “mommy food blogger” or another “paleo food blogger”. But I think it is a little inevitable, I am a mom, I LOVE food, and I am paleo.

I am not the type to develop a new recipe weekly for you.

I think I will take this blog in a weight loss and health improvement blog. That is my goal in life, to nourish my body to be healthy and whole. With a little parenting, little spirituality, a little of this and a little of that, all mixed it. It is my blog. I titled it with the word, WHOLE because, I wanted it to be about, the whole of my life.

So with that, it is August. Whole30 is done. And I am on to the next thing. This month, I am working on a couple of things, half marathon training, doing the 21-Day Fix, and I want to improve my scripture study.

Half Marathon Training: I found a training calendar, and I need to just do it. I also recruited a friend to do it with me!

21-Day Fix: I know I posted I was going to do the 21-Day Fix Extreme, but I want to do that half marathon, so I thought I should cut back a little.

Scripture Study: It seems like every Fast Sunday, at least one person gets up and says “Hey you! Why aren’t you reading and studying the scriptures? It is promised that you will have more time, more energy, more everything, if you just devote that time every morning to your Heavenly Father.” And then I go, “Crap, they are talking right to me, I should do that.”

Sometimes I am great at it. But most of the time, It never crosses my mind to even crack those suckers open.

This month, I am going to read daily. There is a couple of great places to get a daily verse set and question. This year, I wanted to finish the Book of Mormon again, since I haven’t do that since high school… I am in Alma, two months behind of BofM365 instagram feed… time to double up!

Day 31–Now what?

The good:
I get to step on that scale!!
Start: 208
Day 31: 199.2 WHAT! WHAT!!

Sleep?
Meh, I have a toddler who joins us almost nightly

Energy?
Ebbs and flows, but it mostly up

digestion?
I do not believe Whole30 helped it, especially since I had more occurrences of flares toward the end.

Reintroduction plan (5 days between new foods):
Day 1: CHEESE
Day 2 through 6: Whole30
Day 7: Peanut butter and beans
Day 8 through 12: Whole30
Day 13: Rice and corn
Day 14 through 18: Whole30
Day 19: Gluten

So far dairy has been fine. I had straight cheese, pizza (paleo with cheese) and frozen yogurt!

I did also have some popcorn at the movie in the park, and some potato chips at the park with some friends tonight.

Over all I am feeling good. A little sluggish, but over all fine.

So now that Whole30 is “done”, I am going to start the 21 Day Fix Extreme, while finishing up the reintroduction phase.

Also, I think I want to do a local half-marathon in October. So, need to start training for that if I really do want to do that.

Whole30, will I do it again?

Probably not.

I like sugar, and sweets, and for the love of food, I just want to eat when and what everyone else is.

Maybe if my family, in-laws included, ate more closer to a paleo diet, I would do this again. Right now, I just feel like I have missed out of actually being a part of things.

I am present, and participating, but I am not enjoying that cake, or dinner that everyone else is. I had to bring my own dinner, so that it was safe.

I guess it comes down to feeling judged about my food choices.

I have been seeing a few changes. I was talking to a friend the other day about choices and self-control. She is a dietitian and I mentioned how I passed up a cookie or 2 for 3 BANANAS! She said:

“that while sometimes the “healthier” choice isn’t always the better choice, if you are going to follow moderation. Sometimes, being able to have that cookie, and not denying yourself, keeps you within you goals.”

I need to work on moderation and developing self-control.

I wasn’t pain free during it either. On Day 22, I had a pains like I had eaten foods I know not to eat. Not fun, when you are working so hard.

Working with my doctor and not getting the answers we all want, and then still having issues while on this super clean diet, is frustrating. And day 22 wasn’t the only day of pain.

I have decided to continue some of these principles in daily life. Mainly the added sugar. And to really keep track of what my gut and body does after eating.

One thing I learned, was how added sugars are in EVERYTHING!! Seriously, this is something is something that really should be addressed. Why does sugar need to be in everything?

Now that the 30 day strict period is over, I am going relax a bit. LIke pepperoni, I couldn’t find a sugar free pepperoni, but in things we eat daily, I will keep sugar free.

The SWYPO food rule, that’s one that I can not continue. I am a lazy eater. I hate eating a salad daily, a sandwich, or even a wrap would be nice.

Other than that, I think this is something that I could do indefinitely. On to the reintroduction phase. Hopefully, I don’t react too badly. Starting with some cheese tomorrow (and corn, I am really looking forward to popcorn at our Friday night movie!)

July 30th– And I am DONE!

For having “dieted” as long as I have, I am always surprised when I finish a program. Whole30 isn’t really a program, but you know what I mean. Whole30 has been an interesting experiment for me. I went through the typical, I HATE THIS phase, and now I am kind of content.

Am I going to keep going, sure, but with some changes.

I am really looking forward to tomorrow, PIZZA! Oh, and I get to see if I dropped any weight. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised it I was up from the start. My body hates me.

Food Log:

Wednesday:
Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs, blueberries and cucumbers
Lunch: Leftover taco salad
Dinner: Curried chicken with zoddles and carrot noodles
Snack: Apple and sunbutter

Thursday:
Breakfast: GGS and a hard boiled egg
Lunch: Leftover taco salad
Snack: Banana
Dinner: Sloppy joes over sweet potato fries and cucumbers and ranch

Coming soon a post on my over whole30 feelings and what is next.