Friday, November 21, 2014

Lesson 332: I Lived


Greetings, Readers from the snowy north!
We got hit with an early season snowstorm,
but I Lived!


If you stop by the Lamp Post this weekend though, duck.
If one of these puppies lets go, you are toast.


Erie is used to long winters, but even for the snow-seasoned
this was an extra-early start.

The week's weather even brought the Today Show's Dylan Dreyer back to Erie.



Dylan broadcast the weather from my own city this week.
Erie anticipated the dump that the Buffalo area received ,
and the NBC weather team sent Dylan back to us.

Albeit a bust, Dylan returned home.
She got her start in Erie on WSEE!
If Dylan looked familiar to you Erieites, see the link below.


So what do we do when we get a foot and a half of snow in a two day period?


We make snowballs in the playground instead of playing soccer at recess.


And when we need to warm up,
we head to Movie Night at the local elementary school.



It's not every night of the week you get to hang out with an evil bitch.
(Let's be clear Teacher Peeps--the villain, NOT my boss).
Maleficent is definitely worth of a selfie.
Her crow nearly pecked me to death,
but I Lived.


During the winter, some of us take photos.
Stormy winter skies make for some interesting color combinations.



And as for me and my friends--
we like to play outside.


I'm trying to build a strong foundation


through


and


Eloise is finishing up the 58 Day Challenge provided by
Erie Chiropractor, Dr. Steven Krauza.

Participants followed diet and fitness recommendations for 58 days this fall.
Along with overall wellness, 
we attempted to increase arm strength

and reduce waist circumference.


For fun we all tossed in some cash,
and the winners take it all!


meant


174 meals equals this many paper plates.



This is how many I have left until this challenge is over.


My goal was to put healthy choices on those plates,
3 times a day,
for 58 straight days.

Eloise is always a healthy eater.  
During challenges though, I am more conscious of putting greens into my diet.
The Lamp Post has been averaging per week:
3 bags of spinach
&
3 heads of broccoli!

At non-challenge times, I know we don't eat that much.

I like challenges a lot because they are known for 
bringing bad habits to light.


I've discovered my biggest diet obstacle is not sitting down to eat.

Eloise is a multi-tasker when it comes to eating:
I can hold a straightener to my hair and eat a hard boiled egg in the morning.
I much an apple at red lights while in transit during the work week.
Yes, I eat out of pots with a fork and take a swig out of the drink container for dinner.

Poor manners or merely a measure of survival?
You decide, 
but don't judge me unless you are a working mother, too.

The problem with habits is that they set an example for others.
They set the tone of what is acceptable in a home.


I have some work to do to make mealtime special as it is meant to be.

Over the last 58 days I found myself walking around my kitchen after school, 
with a baked chicken tenderloin between my fingers, 
packing lunches,
and 
going over homework.

After I'd take the last swallow, I'd remember my promise to eat off a plate.
Whoops, too late!  I forgot!
I'd rehearse my usual mental mantra.
But as a penalty, on meals I'd slip,
or simply run out of time to dine by candelabra,
I'd toss the plate aside, and save it for a tally in the end.

Here are the meals I missed eating sitting down:


It's quite a stack.
When I counted them tonight,
there were 59 altogether.


I've been chipping away at mathematics on the Khan Academy.


I figured out with the help of a youtube tutorial 
that 59 meals was a third of my meals eaten on the fly!

33%!!!

Eloise knows that I have some more work to do.
My bad habits are like Whack a Mole.


The second I beat one down,
another pops up.

Get rid of the sugar,
turn to the coffee.

Get rid of the coffee,
crawl onto the couch under a blanket and hide.

I got a hold of WHAT I should be eating,
but I don't have control of WHEN and HOW.

Because Eloise considers life an on-going improvement project,
I'll keep at it.


By the spring I hope to gain victory over my haphazard eating,


and revisit the mealtimes of June Cleaver more often than just Sundays after church.


My final measurements are scheduled for Monday.
I've given it my all and I am in for the win.
But even if Eloise falls short of the cash prize this time,
I've learned many valuable lessons.
For just 43 cents a day, 
I was careful to stay mindful of health at a time of year 
chock filled with temptations:



For 58 days I lived my life as healthy as I could.
For 58 days,
I Lived.

It is only fitting that I chose One Republic's new release, I Lived for my photo story this week.  The song is so powerful that it's jumped ahead of Handsome's Keep On Tuckin' and Taylor Swift's Blank Space on Eloise's Current Favorite Songs List.

The song, just out this past September, was written as a tribute to a teenaged fan living with Cystic Fibrosis.

Meet Bryan Warnecke from Colorado.

Bryan-Warnecke

He is an all state goalie and avid cyclist.
Bryan also has cystic fibrosis.

Eloise is asking you to take 5 minutes out of your day and watch the One Republic video.  
If you don't, I will eventually find out,
and will have to call you a LOSER.
Don't make me do that.

For One Republic's Video CLICK HERE and PLEASE WATCH


After you are touched by the music and the photos, 
click this link to find out more about Cystic Fibrosis.
Consider donating to this cause.
You all help Natalie and Autism.
Natalie asks you to give some attention,
even just one dollar,
to Cystic Fibrosis.

Be thankful you have lungs.

To find out more about Cystic Fibrosis, click here

Enjoy the photos from the 58 Day Challenge. Participants, find yourselves!  It sure was fun participating in this Wellness Challenge with you.  I can't wait for the next one.  Rumors are there will be one in January to start 2015 off right.  Thanks again, Doc, for helping us live a healthy fall season.

With Thanks and Gratitude,
ELOISE






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