Exploring My Relationship with Food

After 9 days on the Ideal Protein weight loss protocol, I have lost 8.5 pounds. Can't complain about that! I can say this experience is changing me. I am looking at food and its purpose in a different way. The diet has forced me to eat less. My ability to comply has made me feel empowered. And I'm motivated to continue.

In the past, I think I've had a very emotional relationship with food. Eat a hot fudge sunday if I feel upset, etc... This protocol has forced me to question why I want to eat and whether it's a good reason or not. REALLY, the only reason we should eat is because we are hungry. If I had a nickel for every time I ate when I was not hungry, I'd be a millionaire!

It also begs the question, what is the purpose of non-nutritive foods. Some would argue (my old college professor specifically) that some foods are just good for your soul. BUT, if they're not good for your wasteline, your heart, your muscles, your bones, or some other part of your physical being... WHY eat them?

I'm definitely looking at food differently. I know I would enjoy a potato chip or a piece of chocolate if it were presented to me but I now look at those things and think "What have you done for ME lately?"

It's liberating.

Epiphany!

Since the last time I wrote here, a lot has happened. I basically had an emotional melt-down. I mean, I didn't go crazy or anything I just had a grande realization: I do not want to teach elementary school. I don't want to teach children how to do math, learn history, etc. I disagree with the way so many teachers take advantage of the power of the position and use it to teach only what they deem relevant. There is a lot I disagree with about the practice. I would bore you or anger you if I went on pontificating about the meaning of "being a teacher", what it should be v.s. what it really is in the year 2009. Bleh. It nauseates me to think about. So I quit.

I quit my masters program with what? maybe two classes left? I don't care. I refuse to come home from work and make my son sit in front of the tv while I grade papers. That's not quality time. So I quit.

I have wanted to go into a medical profession since my fourth semester of college. Now I am. 2 years away from a Masters in Physician's Assistant. That excites me. That ignites a passion in me that hasn't be there since I was dissecting sheep brains in anatomy while 6 months pregnant! Ha!

Toward the end of the fall semester in 2008, I had been loading myself with so much stress that I became quite ill. I had a severe flare up of ulcerative colitis (which I've had since I was 19 years old)... I was very sick over Christmas, was put on steroids and other meds (to the tune of over $500/month)... I knew something had to change. I prayed. I prayed for healing, for a new job, for guidance about my food choice, my life choices... I quit teaching. I found a replacement teacher for my HHP 314 class (even though I loved teaching it). It was a great stress relief to be free of lesson planning and paper grading. But, my stress compounded in other ways (needing money). I prayed for a door to open. I prayed for God to help me get rid of my damn prednisone chin! BLEH!

God opened a door. My chiropractor called me to come in for a meeting-offered to start me on a diet protocol designed for diabetics and individuals with high cholesterol. He's letting me be the guinea pig so he's graciously paying for my program. I've already lost over 6 pounds in 6 days and I feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally. I even think my prednisone chin has gone down! Yay!

This protocol has caused me to think more about my relationship with food and what it is vs. what I want it to be. I am now exploring that and how to change it. I am open to suggestions, advice, or links to information that might guide me on this new quest!

My blessings to you who read this~
Kim

Wedding and whatnot

Well, it's been so busy around here with the fall semester of teaching and my masters and family etc I've not had time to post anything. I've got lots of thoughts about school but I'll spare you right now. I'd like to show you a pic from our wedding, Sept. 13th. Check it out!

Summer is rolling by...

We've had a busy and wonderful summer. Lots of firsts for our son. His first roller coasters, first camping trip, first sparklers & fireecrackers, he learned our phone number (safety, safety-you know). It's been amazing. In the midst of the craziness of Rob taking on a new direction in his career, we've still managed to maintain a very happy little family. Pretty awesome.

Backtracking to the "Me to We" discussion I started in an earlier post, I moved to a new house in a new neighborhood (very different from my old neighborhood) and decided to have a community garage sale. This was my attempt at having the "Me to We" outlook and trying to benefit my community. I made fliers to advertise the event and request donations to the cost of a newspaper ad. I did get a few donations and several neighbors participated. In fact, I had several neighbors who did not participate come by my garage sale simply to introduce themselves and say what a nice idea they thought the garage sale was. I met neighbors, their families, and even some extended families and neighbors from several blocks away. How does this relate to the betterment of my community? Well, what do you think? I think that now I have fostered some trust among some of my neighbors and that, overall, we are a somewhat safer community (even if it's just our little block) because of that. That, at least, is my hope.

I think with the "Me to We" philosophy, it's easy to get taken advantage of. I'd like to talk more about that concept and how to walk that line without crossing it but, for me, it's bed time.

Love and Peace,

Kim

This is the first of many pictures to come from our recent trip (still in progress) to Cleveland and Cedar Point.

Me to We

If you haven't yet picked up a copy of "Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World" I'd say it's worth taking a look. The book discussing many personal causes and the idea that building your family, your local community, and your global community through small steps (smiling at neighbors) or big steps (starting a not-for-profit organization to benefit your cause) can provide a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that cannot be found through wealth or the gain of "things".

I would love to talk more about my thoughts on this and how it relates to teaching and the classroom culture as well as my new little community (we've recently relocated). However, I am late for a road trip to Big Sky. I will share my thoughts on community-building next time I check in.

Peace to all!

Learning as I go...

I am learning as I go here. I NEVER thought I'd ever have a blog. I don't know yet how I intend to use this blog. This whole technology journey began with an online class at MSU-Billings and a teacher whose assignments are more interactive than I ever knew an internet class could be. So here I am trying out a blog as part of an assignment for my class on technology for teachers.

As I don't yet know what to say or what purpose I should use this space for, I'll share with you what I saw today. I went to www.youtube.com and searched for "Free Hugs Campaign" because I saw on Good Morning America that the Free Hugs video on youtube was "sweeping the nation" and causing lots of people to hug. Well, I am a bit of a cryer, and the tears poured as I watched Juan Mann share free hugs in New York City. Some people needed a hug so badly that they ran to him even though he was a total stranger to them. I thought it was beautiful. It made me want to start carrying a sign that says Free Hugs, too. Generally, my hands are full, though, so I'm considering just making a T-Shirt that says that and wearing it regularly. What do you think?