SAHM 12/7--12/13/2009

staceyw37

as many of you know--i don't enjoy cooking dinner on a regular basis. holidays yes. night after night no.
deb and trish--thanks for the reminder to get something going. but here's what happens often--forgot to take out anything to defrost. so i have rock solid frozen chkn breasts and frozen ground beef.
ground beef will probably defrost enuf to pan fry--but what to make? i don't want taco meat again. too much salt. and they don't like my meat marinara sauce. i would like to make sweet and sour meatballs but the meat won't be done enuf by then. plus something that's better started earlier in the day.

soooo suggestions?? EASY as for sides and veges we have many options: lima beans, canned beans (variety), rice, pasta, tortillas, green beans, corn, canned whole white potatoes
please help me girls thanks!

staceyw37

trish--sorry about your car. yet, you always seem to turn that frown upside down. impressive

shera426

you guys keep a lady on her toes. Lots of posts to read in just the one day I haven't been on.. i've got to run but I will post later, I didnt' think it would take me that long to go through all the posts!! HAHA have a great day, talk to you soon!

staceyw37

shera, and all the other sahm's that join in--don't worry about keeping up. read what you read, comment where you want and add your own bit as desired.

i don't want this to feel like another chore or worse, time sucker. kwim?

just use this as it suits you to keep you on target with your goals.

DrBorkBork

Stacey, own a microwave? Frozen critter solved! If I forget to take something out in the morning, I just use the microwave to defrost. I usually start cooking about an hour before hubs gets home (that's including defrost time, if any). If you've got ground beef, hamburger helper is the traditional standby for us. You can always add lots of veggies & fun, healthy stuff to it to help make it big enough to feed the whole family.
Also keep some stir fry frozen veggies on hand, along with a jar/packet of sauce. Those 2 ingredients, mixed with just about any critter, will make a very tasty, filling meal!
Don't forget sloppy joes for ground beef either, or chili. If you ever want to tap me for some ideas, just drop a line. We have a calendar on our kitchen wall that we fill out what we're having every night for the next 2 weeks (as well as any events/activities going on).
Anyway, got some more cals to burn for my workout, and some chug-a-lugging to do!
TTY'all Later!

debnu1

Hmmm, just so happens I have the cookbook by the computer today. I started a cooking blog after I quit my job as all my coworkers wanted recipes. You can check it out if you like. http://debscooking.blogspot.com/

As for dinner tonight, I always forget to defrost, I had to nuke the stew meat a little, but I actually have hamburger defrosting for tomorrows dinner already...:noway: Try this recipe:

Jack Pot Casserole.

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup catsup
1 can diced tomatoes
3 cups uncooked noodles
1 can whole kernel corn
1 cup grated cheese

Brown meat, season to taste. Add onion, soup, water and noodles. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until noodles are tender, stir frequently. Add corn and cheese. Heat until cheese is melted. You may need to add a half can of water depending on how juicy the tomatoes are.

nicolee516

Stacey- can you soak your chicken in water to soften it up enough to break them apart? If you can, then throw them in the oven with some bbq sauce on them for 1 1/2 hours. Sometimes I bump up the temp to 400. Can you tell that I do this alot?!:blushing:

jrbowers83

as many of you know--i don't enjoy cooking dinner on a regular basis. holidays yes. night after night no.
deb and trish--thanks for the reminder to get something going. but here's what happens often--forgot to take out anything to defrost. so i have rock solid frozen chkn breasts and frozen ground beef.
ground beef will probably defrost enuf to pan fry--but what to make? i don't want taco meat again. too much salt. and they don't like my meat marinara sauce. i would like to make sweet and sour meatballs but the meat won't be done enuf by then. plus something that's better started earlier in the day.

soooo suggestions?? EASY as for sides and veges we have many options: lima beans, canned beans (variety), rice, pasta, tortillas, green beans, corn, canned whole white potatoes
please help me girls thanks!

I love to cook, but I rarely have the time to really enjoy it. Unfortunately I do alot of my cooking with ground beef....trying to get away from that. You can try my meat and potatoes recipe. Here's the link
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/72442-edit-my-recipe

I am finally doing better today after my bout with food poisoning over the weekend. Only had 700 cals yesterday and that included soda and Gatorade to replenish fluids. But today is pretty normal. And I still lost the 4 lbs. so I guess I'm trying to look at the positive side of things. Today has been exhausting catching up on all the laundry. My 6yo also had it, and so we did 2 sets of bedding, several pjs, towels, etc. and then I spent 2.5 days in bed, so that was alot of house chores piling up as well. Ah, tomorrow will be a better day I hope-wanting to get back into cardio, and start some of the strength stuff.

Trish, I hope Grace is doing better. I bet your laundry was about like mine huh? It's so hard when they're that little, but the cuddle time is nice.

Well, off to play with kids and tackle mountain of laundry. I'll catch up later!

Silver_Dream

Trish, hope gracie's feeling better!

Well, all I have had 6 cups of water so far today! wow! I havent' been drinking much water lately! So I'm really proud of myself!

DrBorkBork

WTG, Silver! It's not easy getting all that water in.

nicolee516

Jr- I am glad you are feeling better!

Trish- way to keep positive!

Silver- AWESOME with the water!!!!!:flowerforyou:

staceyw37

thanks for the many good ideas! a version of chili could work. we have the beans and the kids usually like that. thank you!

DrBorkBork

I have something called Tired Wife Chili. I just use ground beef, a can of pork & beans, and BBQ sauce. It's for the nights you want chili, but are too tired/lazy to really cook it up, lol.

Silver_Dream

Wow, Trish, that chili sounds like heartburn in a pan! lol

Right now i"m watching Sharlotte try to put her cuppy in her shirt pocket. It was cute.

staceyw37

chili was yummy! (hubby will say it's bland but i don't care. he can add more spice to his)
thanks!

shera426

Stacey- no worries I wouldn't read through them if I really didn't want to. Its just nice to see what you ladies have been talking about and so I go read them all. Call me OCD but I enjoy it and you guys are just awsome anyway.

My day was eventful to say the least, I went on a 8.5 mile bike ride, baked cookies for our ladies night out with the coastie wives, watched a bunch of guys cut down our neighbors tree, then went and caught myself a rooster! yeah,, I know, your jealous!
This things was just struttin around in our yard so my dh and I finally caught it and went looking for it's home LOL Fun times!

Great ideas for dinners, I might just do chilli tomorrow that sounds quick and easy. Off to go chug some water, I haven't had hardly any today i've been to busy out and about.
Night

DrBorkBork

So yesterday I had an amazing sodium day! It was hard to stick to my plan as I was hungry after dinner, but I did it. And it paid off! Got on the scale this morning and dropped another 2 lbs.

Now to give you something to laugh about. I was combing my hair yesterday when I noticed something about my arms. I turned one way, then another, thinking maybe it was the light. Nope. My right arm is skinnier than my left. Think about it. I'm right handed. Guess which arm I use the most when working out on Wii?
Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny. Time to get my left side caught up.

Today I will be way over on sodium, but tomorrow I'll be under again. Go figure.

tazzy

Hi everyone I have been away for sometime now but am still on the wagon was doing great though oct finally broke none losing streak and dropped 14lbs then disaster struck I was rushed to hospital with an ectopic pregnancy and had to have part of my tube removed and lost 3l of blood and had to have a transfusion this was 7 weeks ago and so far havent weighed myself still really tired from the anemia getting blood work done next week so will see what that says but between xmas plays at the school and parties next week and just general getting everything in order for xmas that takes all my energy and then some need to get re focused again and start working out. Also not got any appetite so really not eating a great deal but dont think lost any weight too scared to weigh in self esteem at a low anyway a big gain would destroy me. Very bloated at the moment also suppose it is all the hormones settling down.
I have had the all clear to workout from hosp but how do I get my energy levels up I feel I have none spare.

Any advice please????
For those new people I am a SAHM with 3 kids 8 4 and 3 youngest in part time school and I have three lovely dogs who I have a ball with doing agility flyball and ringcraft (big show with puppy this weekend to add to my already hectic life will be away from home for 4 days)

nicolee516

Gm!
Hi Tazzy! maybe by starting to exercise, somthing light, like walking, will increase your energy. Hang in there!


Trish- That is funny about your arm! It sounds like something I would do! And congrats on the 2lbs! I have been better with my sodium. but not my fat. ugh!

So yesterday I had to take back my exercise videos to the library and take rental movies back to another place. We went to put in a movie last night and we found the workout dvd in the player! Oops. Then that got me thinking that I put one of the movies into the exercise case. So I was calling all over making sure that they had the right dvd's. It ends up I just have the exercise video and I need to take it back to the library. Silly me!:huh: :laugh:

staceyw37

Silly me!:huh: :laugh:

:laugh: :laugh: happens to me often! i get calls from the library telling me i returned the case w/o the dvd.

have a good AM all! my oldest has a choir performance this am and another at 2 so i won't be on much today.
met my water goal yesterday. not my calorie tho.

and def not my bejeweled. def addicted. and don't feel like giving it up yet.

good day! and welcome back tazzy!

DrBorkBork

Tazzy, nice to meet you. I had huge fatigue issues too before I started exercising. By the time my 17 mo old went down for a nap, I needed one too! One day, I forced myself to start walking. You know what? Within a few days I noticed a huge increase in energy. I didn't need a 3 hour nap anymore, some days just 1 hr, and within a few weeks, I wanted to do MORE exercising. It just felt so good. So the best way to get energy for working out is, well, to start working out! Even if you'd rather just curl up in a ball and disappear, working out instead is going to make you feel 10x better, both physically and emotionally.
We're all here for you!

tazzy

Hiya I should have been more clear the lack of energy is more than just sleep my last bloods showed that I was still badly anemic Hb8.4 compared to my normal of 14.1 (it was a very dangerous 6 seven weeks ago the docs said this can take 3 mnths to recover) it is a complete physical exhaustion. I do walk everyday for over an hour with the dogs cant really push myself without getting short of breath again caused by the anemia (this exercise alone does not help me lose weight I have done this for 3 years solid it is the joys of dog ownership) I really want to exercise but I get short of breath so easily at the moment I am scared to do anything intensive. When I workout it is always a good really intense workout and I am actually scared that stomach exercises are going to damage my insides more I still feel like I am recovering internally get these weird aches on the side that the removed my tube its like the outside has healed but the inside is still doing so. I think that until I am able to walk my normal hour without feeling totally washed out afterwards I could be pushing too hard I have a crosstrainer and I am thinking maybe once the kids parties are done next week I may try that as it is quite gentle but I guess I am impatient and until the anemia is better lack of red blood cells is probably slowing me down.

I had quite a scare and I am struggling still to get my head around how close I came to not being around for my kids a friend thinks it could be depression especially as I have no appetite I am not convinced always saw myself as a strong woman and this experience has shown me otherwise that I am vulnerable and not indestructable

My situation should I give in rest up and get back to normal sooner (impossible to rest while playing supermum over xmas cookies cupcakes cakes kids school parties) walking dogs taking care of house etc etc etc. or

Do I continue trying to push myself and hope that eventually my walks get easier energy levels returns this maybe taking longer to get back on form. I am a very active person and I dont stop most days but I am physically exhausted every night I am taking supplements plus iron etc Just want to get back to how things were.

Sorry for the long post. I am frightened that this recovery is taking too long.

staceyw37

tazzy---YOU NEED TO LET UP ON YOURSELF!! i'm yelling this b/c i "know" you from months ago. you always go full throttle. your body is telling you that it can't do that. you absolutely need to listen this time and take it easy. just the 1 hr walks with dogs. NO FLYBALL. NO COMPETITIONS. these things continue to take up energy you don't have and that should be reserved for you and your kids.

don't mean to be a meanie or soapbox sally--but seriously, why are you testing your endurance? who will be the winner? it's pretty clear who will be the loser--you and YOUR KIDS.

maybe in a month you'll be better maybe in a year. it dsn't matter...life is not a sprint it's a marathon and rt now you have to stop at the gatorade refueling station.
if you're really concerned about how long it's taking, see your dr and get facts.

as for xmas cookies etc---CUT BACK. vicky, i know how you love to bake and the pride you take in your creations, but again, your body just can't support you through all your wants right now. you don't NEED to do that baking, you WANT to.
sit down with the fam and come up with a new way to do xmas this year. which things can be store bought? which things can just go away? and don't tell me it's ALL important! of course it is, but that's not the issue. you simply CAN'T do it right now.

if you give yourself the proper recovery--and i'm telling you the dog shows need to be put on hold too--you will be able to resume your fully active life.

vicky, i've had a surgery every nov/dec for the last 3 years. i always plan for a worst-case recovery and put in place the things to help me--whether it's sitters or messy house or crappy takeout for kids for meals. dsn't matter. it's temporary and my eventual recovery will leave me more whole and capable of taking care of my family and myself. with the first surgery, the dr was amazed at how great i was healing--likely due to following his orders directly and not doing the no-no's.

as far as depression--see your dr. that needs to be evaluated by professional only. it could all be hormones or it could be other kind of chemical imbalance. see the professionals and thus stop worrying about doing an accurate self-diagnosis.

so again--YOU NEED TO TAKE A BREAK. MORE TEA. MORE SLEEP. MORE FRUITS AND VEGES. MORE HUGS. AND MORE KISSES.
you will get better following this rx

jrbowers83

Trish, congrats on your continuing success. You have so much enthusiasm for all of this, and I think that that definitely contributes to your continued loss! I'm laughing a little about the arm thing. This may be TMI, but I've noticed a similar thing with myself... one of bosoms is smaller than the other ever since I had my 6 yo. I realize that it's because I carry my kids on the left side, and do everything else with my right, and that takes alot of pec muscles apparently lol.:laugh:

Tazzy, it is good to meet you. Sorry that it is at such an awful time for yourself. I think I get into that supermom mode sometimes, and I feel exhausted, too. I have chronic anemia despite taking supplements, and no known medical reason for it. I also have situational depression, but diet and exercise is helping most days. At least you do know that there is a reason for the exhaustion, and that you should be able to recover. I can only offer you the same advice that the other moms have said... slow down, take time for yourself, and get plenty of rest. One thing I've started doing is dividing my days... I can't do everything for everyone every day. So some days I'm a fantastic in -tune mom, sometimes I'm the Betty Crocker doing baking, hosting parties, etc. Sometimes I'm all about my husband, and try to realize that letting the kids have independent play is GOOD for them. Just know that even if you are not accomplishing everything that you have scheduled... you are still SUPERMOM. Because being a SAHM is the hardest (but best) job in the world! Just an additional tip nutrition-wise, and if you're already doing this then sorry to be redundant, but make sure to have Vitamin C rich foods or juice when you take your supplements and when having your most iron-rich meal. Calcium blocks iron absorption and can lead to continued anemia, and the Vitamin C helps your body to absorb it. Hope that things get better for you soon.

Well, I finally got back into cardio today after recovering from the weekend. It was so hard! I was up half the night with my teething daughter, so didn't get up at 5 like I usually do. So I had to work my cardio in after lunch when baby was napping. I'm not doing it nearly as intense as I want to do. But I'm not going to give up! Thanks for everyone's support. Please continue to kick me in the butt to continue the exercise because I feel so much better on the days that I workout.

staceyw37

jr--good for you for pushing thru! maybe you didn't do it as intense b/c that time of day your body didn't have the energy. what i mean is that some parts of the day give me a better workout than others. the mental stamina as well as the physical.
glad you're feeling better. keep it up!

and trish--more #s gone! woohoo!!

nicolee516

I am frustrated to the max today! I am trying to sew the pants for my daughter...didn't even get that far yet! I can't get the sewing machine to work!!! I am trying to talk to my mom on the phone and another sewing guru...and bless them, they are trying their hardest, but I can't get the dumb thing to work!!!!! The stitches are all messed up.ARRRGH!:grumble: :noway: :frown: :mad: :explode: I sure hope I can figure this out so I can make them for her for Christmas!

Thanks for listening to me vent!

tazzy

HI Stacey I do understand what you are saying but it is so hard to take a back seat in my life my hubby is pretty useless and as much as friends like to help it is so hard for me to accept it is like I am usually the strong one I dont know how to slow down anymore I am working on it. The only cakes I am making is for my kids nobody else turning people down is hard but I had too make excuses to be honest those that know me just dont ask I wish my mother could have the same respect she went on holiday a week after surgery and left me taking care of her 2 dogs as well as my own and it was crappy I felt like what happened was just an inconvenience to them.
I carry on with the dog training coz it gives me focus and clears my head I do take it easy there though Jordan my eldest does most of the training.
I have one dog show this weekend and it is a biggy been booked since aug and has cost a lot with the ferry and everything and I have been looking forward to it all year it would be so upsetting not to go I would sacrifice almost anything I will get a break from daily chores and the kids I will get to spend some time with my nana and aunts and uncles and family I dont see and get to do some retail therapy but after that all that training stops til the new year which is probably a good thing I can spend the weekends chilling out a bit more. Its like I live so busy that I dont know how not to its my own downfall but its just me I have always been like this.

The docs said everything was ok and I could resume normal activity which I have with the walks and we have a dvd night once a week with the kids. Its so hard to explain my mind needs the activity otherwise I get upset this year has been crap the miscarrage in may then my daughter nearly drowning on holiday and the ectopic and they say the risk of future ectopics are so high that it scares me as I didnt know I was PG no symptoms at all and they say I was 8 - 9 weeks plus my mum is a huge drain too she is still very down I feel like everyone takes a piece of me and now I need to heal myself and take time for me but keeping busy has always been my way I have tried reading but my mind wonders same with my knitting havent picked it up since this.

I think I will just stick with the walking for a while longer until I get decent blood results then I will reintroduce more serious exercise later.

jrbowers83 thanks for the tip I have been taking my iron with a yoghurt so maybe thats why it is not working I will try taking it juice never even thought about that. I have to take it three times a day they are talking about giving me an injection instead if its not up more by next week.

So sorry to moan I just want to get back on track and coming on here makes me feel like I am taking a step forward toward getting back to how I was I think its just going to take time.....

Silver_Dream

Tazzy, i think you should take it easy until you are feeling better. Good luck!

staceyw37

man, when i go over i GO OVER! i'm over by like 1300--it's like i ate 2 days in one!!

this is what happens when i don't eat enuf before dinner time. man oh man!!

i think i'll be up for walking tomorrow so that will help to erase the damage. and still need 3 more glasses of water today. wish me luck!

Silver_Dream

Stacey, it'll be ok, just try to do better tomorrow! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: