Cereal Solution

I follow a blog called Been There, Learned That. It’s a compilation of random tips to make life easier and better. I just learned a tip that is perfect for my blog. Thanks, Sara!

Two years ago, I literally had a mental breakdown in the cereal aisle. There were so many choices. I knew I needed to buy a healthy one, but if I did the kids wouldn’t eat it. If I bought a sugary one, it was just empty calories that wouldn’t make us feel full. I was completely overwhelmed. I left my cart and walked out of the store. 

Sara’s tip would have saved my sanity. She came up with the idea of using a healthy cereal as a base every time and then using sugary cereals as toppings. She says that most of the time the whole bowl takes on the taste of the sugary ones. So make the bowl ¾ healthy and ¼ yummy and fun!

In Kids or Trash?

I can’t even tell you how much sugar I’ve thrown away in the past few days. And we aren’t even a family that purposely keeps cookies and candies around. But somehow it just sneaks in and accumulates. There were treats from school, leftover church snacks, gifts from family members, etc. To keep our family from mindlessly eating it I decided to be ruthless and just trash it. It was really hard since it wasn’t expired and was technically still “good” to eat. What helped was repeatedly asking, “Do I want this in my kids or in the trash?”

Beautiful & Healthy...Not Skinny

Let’s get one thing clear, even though I’m the FFM I have no interest in eventually becoming “skinny.” I think that's a terrible goal for any female to set for herself. Just look around, it’s obvious we were made to be all different shapes and sizes. What makes a woman truly beautiful has NOTHING to do with her appearance.

Instead, my focus is on being more active and not limited from doing the things I love because of my size. I want more options when buying clothes. I want to improve my health to extend my life. If you’re focused on getting to a certain number or certain size I challenge you to reconsider. You’re already beautiful and perfect. Now let’s just work on getting healthy!

Protein Power

I could eat carbs all day long. Seriously. I never reach the point of feeling “full.” I could eat an entire bag of chips and follow it with a box of crackers. It’s the most ridiculous thing ever! To feel full, TT6 and I have to have protein and a little fat in our meals/snacks. My new rule is that if a snack has carbs, it must have protein too.

Protein bars (not chocolate chip granola bars) in the car are a must! These brownie bars are yummy. I'm not saying they're totally "healthy," but they're better than a candy bar. They help me feel full for a while. They have 170 calories 7g protein. The kids only get half.

Side Note: SB3 can eat 5 baby carrots (with no ranch) and feel full. I don’t know the science behind what makes us different, but it’s totally frustrating! Sorry just had to vent. J

100% Delicious!

Today we visited my Aunt who is famous for her chocolate covered strawberries. They’re requested at every family event and for lots of weddings. Yum! This is a fabulous treat when you’re really craving chocolate. After all, if the chocolate is pretty thin then they’re 75% good for you and only 25% bad. Bonus points for using dark chocolate. Mark these down as another great idea to take to kid events!

2 Reviews- one good, one bad

We needed something fun to keep us moving on days we can’t go out for our walk/run. We bought The Biggest Loser Challenge for Wii from Sam’s Club for $20. I’ve only done the workout twice, but so far it’s a winner. As a significantly overweight person, I find comfort in knowing that it was designed to accommodate people my size. It gives you a fitness test at the beginning and then recommends a program and intensity for you. If you’re already pretty fit, don’t dismiss it. It has levels that I’m scared to even watch. One note: it shows your weight right on the screen for everyone in the room to see. But it’s not a big deal. Your friends and family love you regardless of some dumb number. 

I love Crayola products. When we visited the Crayola Factory in Pennsylvania I was in heaven. Our family loves getting messy so their washable products are perfect for us. This week I bought a small bottle of pink Crayola Colored Bubbles for $3 at Walmart. How much fun would it be to have PINK bubbles floating around?! I’m sad to report- they’re awful. It’s hard to get bubbles to form, and it splashes colored liquid ALL over the place. It says washable so we’re hoping it comes out of GBD’s new shirt. I still can’t believe Crayola put their name on this product.

Butterflies vs. Cupcakes

TT6 wanted to take a snack for her cheerleading squad. She thought about it and decided on either goodie bags of candy or cupcakes. FFM had other plans. I’ve found that as long as snacks look cute kids are excited about them.

I found directions for these butterflies online. We used Cap’n Crunch Berries. Each butterfly is only 65 calories. They were really easy to do and inexpensive. TT6 did everything, except the hot gluing, herself. Take THAT, cupcake!

*Visit Upward.org for an amazing sports program. I love it!

One Mad Mother

“A winner is just a loser who got mad.”

I read this quote on FB a couple of weeks ago, and it sparked something inside me. I’ve been trying to lose weight for a long time, but I think it took getting mad at it for it to finally click. I’m tired of carrying all this fat around and it dictating what I can and can’t do with my life. Think about everything your extra weight is stealing from you. Use that anger to fuel your workouts, to provide raw determination when facing the dessert table, and to require your kids to choose a healthy snack from the convenience store. (Of course, small exceptions can be made. We might be mad, but we ain’t crazy!)

Play Park Surprise

After I picked TT6 up from school, I silently drove both kids to the local park. I didn’t tell them where we were going. As we got closer they started getting squirmy and asking “Where are we going?!” over and over. They were excited when we pulled into the parking lot and realized where we were.

We hopped out, and they played for 45 minutes at the play park. Then they each chose a walking stick (this really raises the fun factor) and we followed a trail for a nature hike. This was my favorite part. I enjoyed the peacefulness, and they enjoyed picking up leaves, acorns, and rocks. By the time we made it back to our car we had been active for 70 minutes and had a lot of fun! 

Valentine's Swap

Valentine’s is great because we don’t have to compete with a jolly man in a red suit, a littering bunny, or random fairy. Our kids know we are the ones who give them gifts just because we think they’re great.

Next year, instead of loading your kids up with a large heart filled with chocolate try this tip: Increase the size of the non-edible items and decrease the amount of candy. They won’t even notice they didn’t get a lot of candy. Don't go crazy on me and start giving out carrots. Keep the joy, just decrease the damage.

Great to include- a balloon, medium-sized stuffed animal, toy, flowers, cool clothes, or new craft supplies

Meet My Family

FFM: Fat Fighting Mom

Happily passing her great childhood memories onto her kids.

Loves running but trapped in a (shrinking) overweight body.

Virtual School Teacher.

GBD: Goofball Dad

Husband and best friend of FFM.

Silliest Dad you’ll meet.

Pediatric Nurse.

TT6: Tater Tot 6-year-old girl

Cute as a button with freckles on her nose.

Very smart with more common sense than both parents.

Never met a sweet she didn’t like.

SB3: String Bean 3-year-old boy

One handsome little dude.

Loves cars, trains, bugs, and soccer balls.

Naturally a very healthy eater.