Oct 03 2006
Surely I should be in a ‘Got Milk’ ad, right?
Have I told you about my “small changes” campaign? I know it’s the hip thing to do - there are small changes websites going up all over. My friend recently linked me to one in Kansas and there is another one sponsored by the US Government as well. Probably dozens more, who knows.
They all stole the idea from me. Yes, it’s true. Bastards. I could have been rich. I should have been rich!! WHY AM I NOT RICH????
My improvement campaign started a few years ago. We did a few things - switched to whole grain bread, eliminated sugared breakfast cereals. When those things didn’t make me a size 4 (shock! surprise!) we started with more changes. And nearly a year ago, when I became concerned about my preschooler’s weight, we turned the volume way up on this little program.
I was making a mental list of all the changes the other night during sex. No, wait, we’re not having sex this week, because - did you read this? More on all that business later (sigh). So I was making a mental list at some point - maybe during a staff meeting or a gynecological exam or something, who knows. And, well, it’s kind of impressive (the list, not the staff meeting or the subject of the gynecological exam)! Really - it is!
I felt compelled to share (in no particular order)…
- Switch from white bread to whole grain
- Eliminate sugared cereals
- Turkey dogs instead of mystery meat
- Transitioned kids to skim milk (I have been drinking skim for years)
- Kids serve themselves at dinner (smaller portions)
- Reduction or elimination of a bread component at dinner
- Everyone eats from 8″ salad plates
- Veggie sausage with scrambled eggs instead of pork
- Switch to whole grain pastas
- Introduce more kinds of veggies, new veggies, more veggies
- Weekly menu planning
- No eating in front of TV (we rarely did, but now not at all)
- Ice creams or desserts served in small pudding cups
- Offer the kids choice: water or skim milk with dinner
- Switched from margarine to butter
- Even hamburger/hot-dog buns are whole grain
- When making muffins, make one per person only
- Always fruit out at dinner
- Thin-sliced cheese instead of normal thickness
- Fast foods only very rarely
- No soda when we’re out (we already don’t do soda at home)
- Whole grain pizza crust
- Healthier choices when we eat out
- Buy single-serving treats to control portions
- Broke up with the pizza delivery guy (he’s suing for palimony)
- Reading labels to avoid ‘partially hydrogenated…’ products
- Reading labels to avoid ‘high fructose corn syrup’ products
- Cooking only with extra virgin olive oil
- Smaller portions in general
- Fewer meals out overall
- Now I’m just trying to make the list longer
- I absolutely know I’m forgetting stuff
- As if anyone is still reading this list anyway
- I think Simon Cowell is sexy
- Oh, my - you were reading, weren’t you?
Wow! Sheesh, you’d think I’d be wearing my Ms America Crown stacked on top my Mom of the Year Tiara right now as I sit and type all this wholesome goodness out. But, no… (I figure crowns and tiaras will only make the scale hate more more). The truth is I haven’t really felt any big impact from these changes. I’m sure they are still the right things to do, but I don’t believe they have (yet) made much of a different in how I feel or the numbers on the scale. I do believe they are starting to have a positive impact on my girls, though. Time will tell. No regrets because this isn’t just about the evil scale and its evil mean numbers.
We’re also stepping up activity as best we can. I’ve been back on the treadmill regularly (except? not right now, and I should be there… you people should be ashamed of yourselves keeping me from my exercise routine like this!) and I’ve been trying to do these 15 minute DVD routines with the girls each night. We’re trying to keep busier on weekends and I absolutely know that the littlest two are very active during the week in their preschool. Lastly, once the current session of gymnastics ends (December?) we’re going to join the YMCA. Then I might even buy a MINIVAN! Oh, wait - I already have one of those.
I’m finding that it’s pretty easy to integrate these little changes and I get excited each time I come up with the next little thing.
That’s where you come in — give me your ideas! Nothing crazy-like because - HA - you’d be setting me up to fail. But the little stuff, the easy stuff, the stuff I can dooooo…. And feel free to use any of my ideas (just mail a certified check for $100,000 per idea to license your right to use my ideas to JustLinda in Boulder, Colorado… {why the hell is everything in Boulder, CO anyway??})
Watcha got for me, peeps? What works in your family? What healthy things do your kids love? What healthy stuff do you sneak feed them wrapped in deep fried whatever goodness? For the love of all that is holy, how do I get myself on one of them there GOT MILK ads? Huh?? It’s about damn time I got rich…
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