Just a little update.

[Sheila Octaviano]

My life has been a whirlwind of activity lately and I feel as if I just need time to slow down and stop for awhile. It makes me realize, however, that the only one who can make time for me is me. I'm working on a time management schedule to help me with my projects and keep me focused so that I can actually FINISH some things and have my house in a condition to where I have more time for sewing, reading, blogging and artistic pursuits and less time keeping up with projects and housework. The areas that I have finished are an inspiration to me because they are the areas that require very little housework, now that they are done. Living in a fixer has never been a problem for me, before. I am so used to inconveniences and things being moved out of place to do this or that because that is how I've lived for a long time. I have always had fixers, whether renting or buying. I have loved working on houses, but I'm getting tired now and older and want a finished product for once. In addition to that I want to have the house be mine for a change. I've always had kids around and people moving back home, then moving back out, someone else moving back home, then moving out, and on and on. Finally, I think that has stabilized and now it's just two of my sons and I. They both pay rent and buy groceries and we are working on being just roommates, but it is much easier said than done. I will always be the mom and sometimes it is hard for them to make the distinction between the mom in me and the roommate in me. For the past few years I felt like I was the guest to a frat house full of boys because my boys and their friends are always around. I haven't decorated or made the house my own because between my working all the time, the projects and the boys, it's just been too much. I used to have a nicely decorated home with everything in its place and everything dusted and clean and done. I used to be the adult in a home full of children that followed the rules, did homework, kept their rooms clean and really didn't mess up the main areas of the house. Now that they are "adults" they use more of the house and make more messes and clean up after themselves less. They are now in the process of learning to KEEP THINGS CLEAN!
Now that I have certain areas done, they are having to keep things organized. For instance if I go in the bathroom and a toothbrush is out of place, I immediately holler for the offending party to come put it away. It annoys them, but in the past I would have just picked it up and put it back and that does not make them responsible for their actions and keeping the house in order. They are going to have to get used to living with a GIRL. haha.
All of this has made me extremely busy because I'm working on getting everything done so that it actually looks like my home used to look, with window treatments and doilies and flowers. I want to have MY house back. The kids have had it long enough.
So what does this have to do with my health goals?
Well, I am finding it is impacting them. I have a horrible habit of going all day without eating if I'm busy. This is not good, for several reasons. First of all, I find it zaps my energy level and even though I might get a lot done, I feel really tired later when I am at work. Second of all, it does NOT help in the goal of keeping my blood sugars level. For level blood sugars I need to eat small meals more frequently, instead of a couple of big meals. Thirdly, I do not eat as healthily when I eat after going all day without eating because I get nauseous and so nothing sounds good and then I eat the first thing that does sound good, which sometimes is toast and jelly. While there is nothing really wrong with a piece of toast with butter and jelly, it is not a well-balanced meal and hardly enough food to satisfy me after a day of working hard on the house and the yard. So then I go to work and I'm hungry and my hypo-glycemia kicks in and I get shaky. I, then go out to the break room and have a boiled egg and a little milk with a piece of toast to kick the shakes. Then, I eat my dinner at work and usually eat a little more than normal because I'm so hungry. Not the best diet plan even for a non-dieter like me.
I'm not eating nearly as healthy as I was a month ago and not feeling nearly as good. I'm alright, but have noticed changes in my stamina and endurance. I am in a period where I don't like anything. I get this way every now and then and I'm never sure why. Food just doesn't interest me, very few things sound appetizing to me and it's hard for me to eat at all, much less to eat the best things. I'm ok if someone else cooks for me, or if I go out, but I don't like to eat out much. Fast food is ok, but I don't like most of it and besides it's mostly not good for you. Restaurants have better selections, but you have to actually go in and spend time and it always takes longer than you think it will. So mostly I'm just not eating as well, picky about everything and if anything I'm eating starts to gag me, then I'm done and can't finish it.
I feel like I'm pregnant, although, of course, that would be impossible. When I was pregnant I was always nauseous(the whole nine months, five times). I couldn't eat much meat, if any. I couldn't eat food that I prepared, most of the time. I coudn't eat any hamburger, soggy foods, foods with strange textures, smells, or flavors. I ate a mostly bland diet and tried to fit whatever nutrition I could into whatever I could stomach to eat. I always lost weight when I was pregnant, which, of course, always caused my doctors and midwives some stress. My babies were all born really healthy, though, even though they were small. My children were all healthy babies and all healthy children, only seeing the doctor for their well-baby checks and the occasional injury.
Anyway, this is a long blog, but I just wanted to update a little, since I've been kind of absent around here for awhile, now. One thing that I know I need to do to is to get groceries. I hate shopping and so I haven't gone to get groceries for awhile and I need to go get some fresh veggies, onions, potatoes and nuts. I will try to make myself do that tonight after work. I want to look for some lean or lowfat ready made dinners and entrees (frozen dinner stuff). That's what I do sometimes when I get in these slumps. It helps to give me a more balanced diet. If I buy potatoes I will nuke a potato, put some tuna on top and make some broccoli to go with it and have a fairly good meal that I know I will eat. So I guess this ramble at least helped me figure something out. I know now what I need to do is just FORCE myself to go to the grocery store and get things that I know I will eat.

[Lisa Newton]

From the sound of it, you're in for a long haul with the boys, but I'm sure they'll learn. Hey, send them to the grocery store, with a detailed list. Did you get to the grocery store?

BTW, it's good to see a blog from you again..........................:)

[Sheila Octaviano]

Yes, about the boys. David actually does pretty good. He's lived away from home and came back. He understands the cost of living out on his own and sharing a house with roommates because he lived in roommate situations. Jeren has only lived at home, so he is just not getting it. In addition to that he is the youngest and a little bit spoiled. Because he is so much younger than the rest, he was still home when they all left and got used to it just being him and I. I still got child support for him, then, so I didn't require him to chip in on anything.
I did get to the grocery store. I still need to make myself get over to the Asian market because I buy most of my fresh produce there.
I'm still working on recipes and hope to become regular here again, soon. I'm working on recovering lost time increments and putting more time in my day for leisurely pursuits. I can clean house in an hour or less, but I'm really determined to get rid of a lot of stuff, finish most of my half-done projects and get a 'family room' out in the garage before August. I'm actually probably about half-way there. It's probably the reason my weight isn't affected by my weird eating patterns of late. I'm getting plenty of exercise with everything I have to do. haha.

[Ask The Dietitian]

I know you didn't ask for my opinion but here's the first step:
Breakfast And be sure to join in on the breakfast discussion.

[Christine Braun]

Hahahaha! I could see that comment coming! It only takes a few minutes to cook up some porridge. :)

[Sheila Octaviano]

@ATD....yes, yes, I know. That was the first step I took when I changed my eating habits. I added breakfast. I've always been a breakfast skipper. Well, not really a skipper, but have to wait at least an hour before I can eat after getting up. I almost always wake up nauseous, for as long as I can remember. This is why I've never been much of a napper. When I take a nap I wake up shaky, nauseous and disoriented. They've never figured out why. If I really, really need a nap, I try to fall asleep sitting up because the effect is not as bad for some reason. I've only met one or two other people with this problem.
Back to the breakfast thing...what I did when I was pregnant was to wait an hour and then have two poached eggs and an English muffin. For all of my pregnancies that was my only hope for breakfast. It never got monotonous, though. It's the one thing I can cook myself and eat when I feel that way. Weird, I know. haha.
@Christine Yeah, it doesn't take long to cook, but I can't stomach it when i get in those weird nauseous states. I love oatmeal any other time.

[Christine Braun]

Oh...I'm not judging. I am the same way. I don't like to eat until I have been up two hours. I feel nauseous as well. I don't have breakfast until 9:00 A.M. and I have been up since 6:00 A.M. (that is when I am working)