Gallup Poll about Stay Home Moms

Recently I read a few blogs about the latest Gallup poll   This was interesting to me especially considering I am a stay home mom.

 I always wonder about the procedures for conducting these Gallup polls.  Do they call people at night?  How do they get a balance of people?  If these people call at dinner time and try to talk to many stay-home-moms that would be the worst time for them.  I am always skeptical for these kinds of reasons.

Many of the bloggers wanted to try explain why stay-at-home moms (SAHM) would have more of these negative emotions.  I personally have a hard time believing this, but I guess that is because I know so many happy SAHMs who wouldn't change a thing!


Then I began to look more closely at this portion of the poll.  Worry, sadness, stress, anger, and depression are the categories they somehow examined.  Again, I wonder what the question was or how was it phrased. Since I can't seem to find that information, I began thinking about each of these categories from a Biblical perspective.  What does God say about each of these emotions?  Do I experience these emotions more so because I stay home?


Worry-  I don't tend to think of myself as a worrier, but I am sure that I worry more than I should.  Jesus told us not to worry so if I am worrying I am actually sinning.  It is something I need to confess and repent for committing. Did I worry more as a working mom or now as a SAHM?  I think partly I worry less now because most of what I worried about before was missing out on my children's lives.  Do I never worry now?  I try not to.  I keep reminding myself that God is in control and all I have to do is stay close to Him (ie, read Bible and obey it) and all will work together for good.  No matter my circumstances I know the One who can take care of it.  I believe in His omnipotence and faithfulness.


Sadness-  I think they are times when sadness is a fact of this sin- cursed world.  But our sadness should be tempered with the knowledge that this is only for a short time.  At the same time that I am sad about a situation, I can find comfort and even joy from God's word.  Here are some wonderful scriptures about joy.  Again, it can be sinful to dwell on sadness, if I am not reminding myself about the joy of the Lord.  Am I more sad now than when I was a working (outside of house) mom?  No.


Anger-Again, if you are a Christian you know this is another area of sin.  We are called to avoid anger, to prevent anger, if possible, in others, and to repent of anger toward others.  Here are just a few Biblical quotes on anger.  Am I more angry as a SAHM?  Well, I have to admit that my frustration level is tested every day at least once a day.  I think this is one area I feel more tempted than the others.  Thankfully I have learned that it really is possible to avoid this if we all get proper rest, food, and exercise we need.  It also helps to notice ahead of time the things that get us pulled into habits of anger and prevent these triggers if possible.  Some of my favorite bloggers are blogging today about what to do if you need to home school on a day when you have a rotten temper.

Depression-  The word depression might not be in the Bible directly, but I think everyone would agree that is the feeling of total hopelessness.  Christians again are in sin, if we are letting ourselves dwell on depressing thoughts and attitudes.  We need to repent and then constantly remind ourselves of the hope that is within us.  This is one area I am not tempted with thankfully.  I tend to be a half-full kind of person.  I don't think I suffer any more since I started staying home, either.


Stress- This one is also not directly quoted in the Bible.  Again, I think this site that have been linking to for Bible verse collections has some great verses for this topic.  I know we all suffer from stress.  I do not think my stress levels have been increased because of being home.  


Ultimately, I know that I have been much happier since I have chosen to stay home.  I feel sorry for the moms who have so many of these negative emotions, stay home or working.  I pray that they will find conviction, comfort and strength in God's Word.  This was a good reminder to me as well.

With All My Heart~

Biggest Loser Year Update: Week 19 or so :)

Well, I am still moving right along on my Biggest Loser year.  When I went to the gym tonight I realized I had reached another milestone!  Woohoo!


Since I started this year, I have lost 30 pounds! That is about 1.5 pounds per week.  To look at the weekly accomplishment seems like so little, but it really does add up!  I feel really good about my new eating lifestyle and I feel I can keep this going for the rest of my life!  That is what is the most wonderful feeling!


I don't seem to feel or see the weight loss as much as I think I should, but something helped me really see it.  I have a lovely blue jacket that I wore in January to an interview at school.  I was a bit self conscious about how it looked because it was pretty tight.  Early this month, one chilly day, I pulled out the coat to wear.  Not only did it fit easily to zip but I could wrap it past itself.  It actually felt a bit large.  That was thrilling.

Here are some before pictures.

Christmas 2011

This was Resurrection Sunday 2011

Here is 2012

I don't know if you can really tell or not.  I certainly have much farther to go, but I feel so much better already!  If I can keep this up I will be down 60 pounds by my wedding anniversary in October!


Thank you again, dear friends for encouraging me and praying for me.  I am still praying for you too!


With All My Heart~

Eva's Biggest Loser Year: Week 8

 
Goals

drink 60 oz of water daily (all but one day)

continue to record nutrition goals (I did)

for exercise I plan to do the gym plan from before 3 times per week and also the Jillian Shred 2 times a week. I don't think I can handle it daily right now. (I did!  I am even able to jog/run farther around the track!)

bed at 11:30PM and waking up at 7:30AM  (fail again on going to bed consistently, but I am going to keep working on it!)

 Another pound down this week.  I was really hoping to lose more.  I have been very faithful to my eating plan, and I am doing more exercise than before.  I can only say that either my metabolism is so slow it doesn't matter what I do, or maybe I am building muscle which weighs more than fat. 

Either way I can't be too disappointed.  I am losing and I am controling my food instead of giving in to temptation.  I went through my closet last night preparing for more out of the home work.  I was able to wear a couple of things that had been to small and am closer to other things.  I probably should do that at least once a week.  It really reminds me to keep going!  I have one dress that I haven't worn since Sarah was an infant.  I can't wait to get back in that dress! I will definitely post a picture when I fit that dress!

I also had a major success today.  We took the girls to ChuckECheese for Lydia and Mary's birthdays.  I wanted the pizza so bad.  It smelled sooooo good.  I ate the topping but not the bread part.  Mine was supreme so it had some yummy veggies and meat!  I also had no cake.  I was running the video camera and that helped. LOL 

Goals for this week:

• work on bedtimes again
• try to run the mile in 14min. 
• Jillian Shred 3 days this week
• 65 oz. of water daily

This week may be harder than previous.  I am hoping to be doing some substitute teaching and will need to be prepared to take lunch/snacks with me!  Carrying my water bottle helps!

***************Successes************************
I know that one of my partners lost 2 pounds this week!  Kudos to Leah for reaching 5lbs. lost!  Please be praying for her as she has surgery on the 6th.

Kena and LeeAnn, let us know how you are doing!  Do you like the new tickers I made for you?  If you don't, I can change them! :)

Keeping the other ladies that I know are trying to eat healthier and lose weight in my prayers!

With All My Heart~

Eva's Biggest Loser Year: Week 4

 

      Goals for Week 4

• Drink at least 80 oz of water/clear liquids per day. Record food and keep calories @ 1,200.
• This week is crazy with doctor's appointments, 2 nursing home music sessions, and a birthday party for my mom, so I am not making an exercise goal except to do it as possible.
• Go to bed by 11PM each night.
• Lose 3 lbs. I am hoping to lose the 2 I gained plus at least 1 more.

This has been one of the those weeks.  I did drink at least 70 oz for the first 4 days of the week.  As for the rest, it was around 50.  I also didn't keep my food calories.  I really need to enter it on the website before I eat it.  I always think, "Oh, I will enter this in a few minutes.  Several hours later I am having a hard time remembering what I ate, or regetting eating something unplanned.  Bed time has also been hard.  I am such a night person.  I have been able to sleep in though so I have gotten at least 7hours sleep. So are you wondering how I did on the scale?

I met my goal! Woohoo! I lost the 2 I had gained and 1 more!  I know this seems kind of trivial to celebrate, but I am looking at the big picture.  Even if I gain 2 and lose 3 every other week, in a year I will have lost 26 pounds! LOL  I haven't lost that much in several years.  Also I know that many weeks I will do better than that. 

One of my down falls with eating has been emotional eating.  I want to eat when I am happy or something particulary nice is happening, and I want to eat when life is stressful or sad.  Learning to control those urges and pray, read my Bible, play piano or just talk about the emotions with someone are some of  the ways I break the snacking habit.

This week has been one of those weeks.  My mom had a birthday party on Friday and we had a wonderful day celebrating with her.  I did pretty well curbing my appetite, but I was sure glad I didn't bring home any of that butterfinger cake. I would have continued a party of one!

Then on Saturday I get a notice in the mail about substituting for the local schools.  We have been seeking God over our finances and feel that now is the time for me to go back to work outside the home in order to get out of our debt, but it has been stressful waiting for all the events to unfold.  Now I have a list of items I have to complete and more forms to fill out and the stress of it makes me want to calm myself with food. 

Typing here or writing in my journal helps me get a better grip on those urges, but I can't always write when I have the urge to eat.  I find that at least thinking about writing this down helps me fight those urges. Praying has also been so helpful.  I know that it sounds cliche but God does want me to remember to lean on His strength for all things.  The girls and I are reading Hinds Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard.  One of the parts that resonates with me is how long Much-Afraid suffers from her fears and those trying to lead her away from the Good Shepherd before she finally calls on him.  She knows He will come immediately.  She has called on Him before, but she always waits longer than she should to call him.  She begins to be plagued with her doubts and fears.  I relate to that.  When I am tempted to eat or skip exercise,  I often try to rationalize it.  Really, I just need to immediately seek God's help in prayer.  I am too weak.  I fail to easily.  I need the One who is so much greater than I am.

So my goals for Week 5:

• Pray every time I have the urge to eat. Ask for guidance and help.  Pray for help to mortify my fleshly desires.  Pray for peace to enjoy that which is good for me.  Food is not bad.  Eating to take away fear or even to make the joyful feelings of a celebration last longer is wrong.  My peace and joy must come from God.  Anything else is just false, won't last, and has terrible side effects!
• Write down my food before eating.
• Drink 80-96 oz of clear liquids.

Eva's Biggest Loser Year: Week 3

Eva's Biggest Loser Year: Week 3

Goals for Week 3:

Drink more water and measure it for an average of 40 oz. per day.
Walk 2.5mi each day and bike 5 mi on 2 of the 4 days.
Go to bed by 11PM each night.
Lose 3lbs.

I did well on the first two goals.  I also made it to bed by 12AM at the latest.  However, I certainly did not make the 3lb loss.  As a matter of fact, I gained 2 pounds this week.  That really stinks.  I don't know if it was from the medicine from the kidney stones or not.  I hope so.  I didn't even eat for nearly 24 hours and have been trying to eat less all week.  I didn't take the time to record it though.

Goals for Week 4:
Drink at least 80 oz of water/clear liquids per day. Record food and keep calories @ 1,200.
This week is crazy with doctor's appointments, 2 nursing home music sessions, and a birthday party for my mom, so I am not making an exercise goal except to do it as possible.
Go to bed by 11PM each night.
Lose 3 lbs.  I am hoping to lose the 2 I gained plus at least 1 more.

I appreciate your prayers for me.  I know stress can make you gain weight or at least not lose it.  I am just trying to remember that this is only 1 week out of a entire year.  It will get better!

Congrats to Leah for losing 2 pounds this week!  I haven't heard from partner 3 and 4 this week!  Let me know how you are doing ladies and I will update your ticker! :)
 
With All My Heart~

Eva's Biggest Loser Year: Week 2

My motivations for this week are God, my family and friends encouraging me, and a special little encouragement from my baby girl, Lydia.  She brought me a note on a hello kitty paper that Memaw wrote as she dictated it.  This is what it said:

Welcome

to Biggest Loser!

You can get your hair fixed.

To get your hair fixed

you have to go the room

with the door with the castle on it, Eva

Lydia

She said I could turn it in whenever I was ready!  I told her Makeover week is usually week 12 or so! :)

Goal:  Average of 1,100 calories per day
Tuesday = 1503
Wednesday = 1161
Thursday= 1258
Friday= 1544
Saturday= 1423
Sunday= 1466
Monday=1455
Average per day = 1,401

I feel better about this after I read an article on finding your Active Metabolic Rate.  An average of 1300 calories per day should result in 2lbs. lost a week, at least.  I am happy with this for this week.  I am setting my goal for next week at 1300 and want to be more consistent. 

I also did better with exercising this week.  I am able to walk longer and faster and I even biked 5 miles one day when I had already walked 2mi.  This is what I was hoping to do after I got my cast off!  I am so thankful that God has helped me to heal and get better day. 

So I was very pleased when I lost 3 pounds this week! 

Goals for Week 3: 
Drink more water and measure it for an average of 40 oz. per day. 
Walk 2.5mi each day and bike 5 mi on 2 of the 4 days.
Go to bed by 11PM each night.
Lose 3lbs.

Eva's Biggest Loser Year: Week 1

I had some specific goals for this week.
* No soda at home. 
* 50% of my plate at church dinner would be vegetables
* Exercise at least 4 days of the week. 
* Spend more time standing and walking around during the day.

So how did I do?
* I only had 12 oz one day while we were out running errands.
*I did eat small servings of everything that wasn't vegetable and I had a large salad. 
  I also only ate half servings of dessert, though I did have two types. 
* Walked 1.8 miles on Tuesday and Wednesday, pool on Thursday, and walked 2 mi on Monday
* I made at least twice as many trips up the stairs per day and am trying to do more housework and standing during school time as well.
* I lost 5 lbs. this week !!!




My sister-in-law, Leah, is working on things with me.  She has agreed to a weight loss tracking ticker on my sidebar.  Maybe she will let me put an update picture with it in a month or so!  Also working on some others to join me!  If you want to be a part of my Biggest Loser Circle just let me know your stats and I will be happy to celebrate with you!


Next week I plan to record what I eat and the calories.  My goal is an average of 1,100 calories per day.
http://www.sparkpeople.com
This is where I can record and calculate certain factors.  This should result in at least a 2 pound loss this week.  Hoping I can burn more off since I am getting better with my walking.  On Tuesday when I walked it took me an hour to limp around the track for 1.8 miles.  Monday I did the whole 2 mi. in 50 minutes.  Hoping to go longer this week!

Thanks for reading my blog to help hold me accountable.  If you want to leave a message for me here I would appreciate the encouragement!  I thank God and all my family and friends for helping me!

With All My Heart~

Homeschool Lesson Today: Perseverance with a side of PE

Here is Mary happily riding her bike with training wheels.  On the right is Sarah struggling to persevere as she learns to ride without them.  This is actually her second time learning.  How can that be? Well her first time was late last fall and sad to say, we hadn't gone since.  There is no where near our home to ride and so we must hook up the trailer to Mater (Daddy's work truck) and I have to take the passengers in the van, so it is a two parent operation.  We are going to be more diligent in getting Sarah the practice she needs to keep her skills this time.

It hurts me when my kids struggle to learn things, and in this area I feel particularly helpless.  For those who may not know, I never learned to ride a two-wheeler myself.  Similar situation - our home for most of my life was not conducive to beginning riders, especially if they were timid.  If you enjoying learning to ride by the roll yourself down this grassy hill method, then you, like my twin brother, would have learned at my house.  I didn't.  Anyhow,  I leave these lessons to my darling husband and he is a very good teacher, thankfully. 

Today was hard for Sarah though.  She was struggling.  She had moments of tears and frustration and wanting to quit.  But Daddy and I team tagged, giving encouragement and helpful hints, and just waiting patiently while she fought to rule her fear and try again.  In the end she did persevere.  In these last shots you will see much smiling and happiness.  Her perseverance paid off!  Our perseverance as her guides and teachers paid off.  It would have seemed easier to let her just wait until she was "ready" and not push her to try again, but I know that is only a temporary pause before the task must be faced again.  It was a good lesson for everyone.  Mary saw that once Sarah faced her fear she was able to accomplish her goal.  Mary also saw that when it is her turn, Mommy and Daddy will do all we can to help her not give up! 

Sarah trying again!

 Looking more relaxed and starting to like it!

Daddy giving Mary a ride

 Lydia's turn now - hold on girl!

Sarah is picking up speed and has come over to join us because she is not so scared now.

Lydia was having a ball and giggling!

Loved watching all the girls having fun!

 Daddy coming around again with Lydia!

Getting ready for the high five!

High Five!  So glad I got the shot! :)

 This girl gets an A today! :)

 Keep smiling girl - you're next! :)

 Daddy coming down the hill with Lydia - she giggled and  laughed the entire way!

Once you have learned how to ride, the Virginia hills can be fun!

Btw, I rode a three wheeler when I wasn't taking pictures.  Lydia rode in the basket in the back!