Monday Fitness: Is it normal to crave weird things while on your nutrition plan?

Happy Monday, All! It is much later in the day than I would normally post but I could not let the day get by without checking in with everyone.

In the past week, I have been consistent with my walking but very inconsistent with my eating habits. I have been craving more and more salt and things completely off of my nutrition plan.

I am not sure if I am feeling stress or what but I have been making very poor decisions with my diet. I did not realize until this evening that I am also craving odd things from what I normally eat. This evening, I thought it would be a great idea to eat a peanut butter and pickle sandwich and it was epic! (I found this picture online when I searched peanut butter and pickles to see if anyone else eats it)

I have not had cravings like that in years. The last time I craved this things, I was pregnant and I would eat peanut butter, jelly, pickles, and potato chip sandwiches....LOL

Since then, due to tumors in my uterus and on my ovaries, I have had a total hysterectomy, so it is very safe to say I am not pregnant.

However, I have allowed my cravings to get the best of me and I am concerned about losing all of the progress I have made over the last several months.

Has this happened to any of you? I have come too far to be derailed but admit I need help getting refocused. I will happily take your advice.

Blogger's Huddle and Beta Project

Hey Everyone! Happy Sunday.

I have two exciting things to announce.

The first is I have created a Facebook page called Blogger's Huddle. It is a hub for all of us who love to blog, want to blog, or like to read blogs.

The page is here. I invite you to visit this page, post links to your blog, comment on other blogs, and give your feedback on what you consider to be a successful blog.

The second thing I am announcing is a beta project I am working on that I am calling Blogger's Monthly Plan. Over the brief time that I have been blogging I have encountered many people who have expressed their interest in blogging but struggle with what to write about.

Blogger's Monthly Plan is a subscription product available for $5 per month, with an option to cancel at any time. This plan is designed to get your feedback on what you want to discuss, then provide you with a weekly plan on topics to blog about and also recommendations on products to market in your blog posts.

Interested in being one of my clients during this beta project? Are you ready to share your knowledge, opinions, and insight with the world? Start your monthly subscription today and allow me to assist you with the tools needed to focus on your writing without worrying about what to write about.

The form to begin your subscription is here. Email me at michaidanawrites@gmail.com with any questions. I look forward to serving you through this project, and seeing your blog posts on the Blogger's Huddle Facebook page.

It is time for your voice to be heard. No fear. Written words have power. It is time to tap into yours.

Rant Wednesday: Why are you mad about Jay-Z and Beyonce's matching suits?

This morning, as my teenagers and I were flipping through radio stations, we paused on a local station that was discussing matching suits that Jay-Z and Beyonce wore to Usher's movie premiere.

The radio hosts were saying that many people have responded harshly to this. They were taking calls getting opinions from listeners. After the very first call, I turned the station. The caller was saying it was horrible for them to do this.

My first thought was "Why in the world would people have a negative opinion about this?" Once I had a break at work today I went online to see the picture that had everyone commenting.

I found this picture on the Vanity Fair website. Check out the article here. I think it is a beautiful picture. They look lovely. The suits are nice. Beyonce's is a pin-striped grey suit and Jay-Z's is solid grey. They look like a strong couple, in love and enjoying life.

I think it bothered me that people were reacting negatively because I have seen people say negative things about couples before and seen it cause trouble. When couples decide to wear matching outfits, get joint email accounts, joint Facebook accounts, etc, why is that a negative for you?

I will admit that I have this perception that the only people that get mad about these things are people who are dissatisfied with their own relationships, or are perhaps, lonely.

In either case, let couples be who they are. If they are not harming anyone and want to show their unity by wearing matching outfits then be happy for them and root for their relationship to remain strong and successful.

In the meantime, spend more time either grooming your own relationship in the way that works for you and your mate, or just work on yourself so you are ready when the right person comes along.

Thoughts on this?

Monday Fitness: Public Weightloss Journal - Entry #15

Happy Monday, Everyone! Not sure what happened but somehow I went back up a little over 1lb. My weigh-in this morning is 160.8.

For those of you that have been following my weightloss journey, you know my goal has been to get away from 160 and not see it again :)

While it is a bit too soon for me to see the scale under 160, consistently, I am determined to get there. I was a little discouraged to see 160.8 this morning as I was hoping to have dropped another lb or 2.

Not to worry though. You can't keep a determined girl down long....LOL

I have one question that I need to ask today. I have noticed that I have lost weight everywhere except my mid-section. For a while I thought I gained weight back because I thought my mid-section got bigger when actually everything around it got smaller.

Is that something where I just need to wait and eventually it will start to catch up? Judging by the way my clothes fit, my mid-section has decreased some as well but it clearly is much slower than the rest of me :)

Thoughts?

Rant Wednesday: Just Drive

Today, I was almost run off of the road due to a woman too consumed in her cell phone to pay attention to the road. I was coming off of the freeway and the traffic was merging with drivers coming from the side street and preparing to turn right.

Typically, everyone lets in every other car, or so, to ensure traffic continues to move and no one is in danger. Today, I found myself in a situation where I could not possibly stop without causing an accident and was about to be run off of the road because I could not safely merge in.

I had to blow my horn to get her to look up. Drives me nuts that she then had the nerve to get upset and start yelling.

While I could go on about this, I honestly just want to make a simple appeal that we all Just Drive. We have all been guilty, at some point or another, of trying to multi-task while driving and that simply is not the time to do it.

Lives are at stake. My children were in the car with me this morning and that is honestly what made me more upset than anything. In my eyes, this woman was endangering my children.

Driving is not the time for any of us to look at our phones, put on makeup, eat, look for the things in the car, etc. When we are on the road we owe it to ourselves and to each other to Just Drive.

Thoughts?

Monday Fitness: Public Weightloss Journal - Entry #14

Happy Monday, Everyone!

It has been a couple of weeks since I posted an update so I will get straight to the point :)

I am holding steady. My weigh-in this morning is 159.6!

Last weekend I celebrated my 37th birthday, which I am so grateful for. Admittedly, over the last couple of weeks I have slipped in my eating.

I have been craving salty things and have indulged in nachos and various fried foods. Thankfully, I think I am coming out of that because I haven't craved it as much over the last few days.

I actually went back up about 3lbs but then it came right back off. I think I have Pokemon Go to thank for getting it back off right away. :)

It is fun and great exercise to walk around the park with my family. It is also great to see all of the exercise that many others are getting. I see people of various ages, shapes, and sizes, all out in the park getting exercise.

My goals this week are to refocus on my eating habits and get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise every single day.

What are your health goals this week? How can we reach out and keep one another motivated?