Why I love Kroger

Last Friday night, I realized we needed milk and pull-ups from the store, or I would be cooking breakfast and washing sheets in the morning. I jetted out the door without thought toward my appearance, because, after all, it was just a quick trip. Turns out, in Arkansas, you will see every one of your Facebook friends at the store on a Friday night.

When it comes to grocery stores, we all have our preferences. I, personally, am not hard to please--I just want a store with the least expensive prices, the best quality, loads of customer service, a quick check-out, polite clientele, and a babysitter or two.

I used to shop at a particular store. This being Arkansas, you can guess which store it was. You can also see why I switched.

I now shop at Kroger. I "heart" Kroger because:

1. The cashiers unload the cart for me. There's not a conveyor belt in sight.
2. The cashiers bag the groceries for me. That leaves me free to chase down my kids. Or watch the prices. Or both.
3. The manager once gave me a $25 gift card while I was corralling my kids at the checkout line, just because he appreciated my business. He told me so.
4. The cashiers always push the grocery cart out for me. This is huge, because I am inevitably pushing a cart full of children out as well. (At "the other store," I often have to push a cart of kids and pull a cart of groceries.)
5. The store is often less crowded than others, as is the parking lot.
6. If three people are standing in one line waiting to check out, they will open another one. (Seriously! I thought I was in trouble the first time they pulled me out of my line to start a new one!)
7. The managers mark down products frequently for quick sale.
8. The employees can point you in the right direction when you ask where a certain item is. (I asked for granola once at "the other store," and the guy said, "I've never heard of granola. You mean, like, granola bars?" Sigh.)
9. The people who shop there tend to be, well, normal. More normal than "the other store." I mean, I've never seen a "PeopleOfKroger.com."
10. I can load coupons directly onto my Kroger card at Kroger.com. I've never been much of a couponer, but it's a lot easier when you don't have to fiddle with all those little squares fluttering down to the floor every time you pull out your list.

And finally, I "heart" Kroger because I can often go there without my makeup on and not see one person I know... even on a Friday night.

Real-life weight loss

My brother eats meat. Lots of it. And vegetables. They call it the Paleo diet or the Caveman Diet. The Hunter/Gatherer diet.

And he's lost 30 pounds.

My husband's parents are on the HcG Diet. They can eat 500 calories per day. (In case you forgot, the average recommended intake is 2,000 calories per day.)

My mother-in-law has lost 20 pounds.

But the Caveman Diet and the HcG Diet really cramp your social life. Dinner parties are out, unless you bring your own food. Your time and energy is spent on menu planning and food preparation. And if you're cooking for your family, you have to just cook a separate meal for yourself. Three times a day.

Who has time for that?

Over the past eight years and five pregnancies (one of which was a twin pregnancy), I have managed to lose the same 30 pounds after each baby and keep it off, maintaining a social life and feeding my family at the same time. The trick is to focus on a healthy lifestyle over a short-term fad.

I've listed some tips I've learned that I want to share for those of you in the same situation.

1. Fad diets will tell you otherwise, but keep it simple: Calories in verses calories out. Eat less, exercise more.
2. Eat healthy foods. Fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy are much better choices than bagels, muffins, and cookies. Try to fill half your plate with fruits and veggies.
3. GET THIS: Pay attention to your portion size. Pull out your measuring cups for a week or two until you get comfortable eye-balling your portions. Did you know a portion of meat, for example, is roughly the size of the palm of your hand? That's HALF a chicken breast. A bowl of cereal should be less than a cup, but most cereal bowls hold two or three cups. Get smaller dishes, if you have to, to make you more satisfied with your smaller portion sizes.
4. If you get hungry between meals, eat a 50-calorie snack. A piece of fruit. A 1/2 cup of yogurt. A 1/4 cup of walnuts. (That's not very much. See number 3!)
5. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables for snacking. Clean, peel, and chop them when you get home from the store, and keep them handy for snacks throughout the week. When you have the munchies, the last thing you want to do is spend 15 minutes preparing a snack. That's why we often reach for the prepackaged, high-calorie convenience foods.
6. Don't deny yourself goodies. I had a 1,200 calorie/day diet and reserved 100 calories each night for a 1/2 cup of sugar-free ice cream. The promise of that treat everyday kept me away from indulgence the rest of the day.
7. Eat something healthy before you go out to dinner or social engagements. An empty stomach is much more likely to indulge.
8. When you get the munchies, find a distraction. In the past, I have planned several different strategies for my 3pm munchies--go for a walk, get out of the house, chew sugar-free gum, have a cup of coffee.
9. Shop on a full stomach. You are less likely to buy yummies if you're not hungry. And if it's not in the house, you won't reach for it when you want a snack.
10. Don't eat for the last three hours before you go to bed. If you're desperately hungry, have some vegetable juice.
11. If you want to jump-start your weight loss, a short program like Slim in 6 (6 weeks) or P90X (90 days) works wonders. But stick to moderation and healthy eating in the long run. I have found that I just cannot maintain an ongoing lifestyle that dedicates more than an hour each day to exercise, as well as lots of time and energy on menu planning and food prep. I do have a passel of kids to care for, after all. Oh, and a husband, too.
12. If you have trouble fitting exercise into your life, try finding ways to incorporate it with your family. I took the kids to a playground with a walking track--they played while I walked for 30 minutes. I lost 9 pounds in 2 weeks just by adding a 30-minute walk to my day. Try a home-video that incorporates both cardio and sculpting. I used Slim-in-6 and Power-90 for years. I also like the SELF series. I once joined a gym that had childcare included for 2 hours each day.
13. Set realistic goals. You do NOT need to look like anyone you see on a billboard, on television, on movies, or in magazines. Accept the shape of your body, enjoy your build, and appreciate your curves. Focus on health rather than form.
14. Reward yourself. I bought a new outfit every time I dropped 5 pounds.
15. PRAY for help! Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit for a reason--we humans don't naturally tend that way.

Find something that works for you. Avoid temptation. Pray for help.

You don't have to be a Caveman to lose weight and keep it off. If you adopt a healthy lifestyle, you'll probably live longer than any Caveman ever did. And look good doing it. ;-)

The Howl that Never Ends

Parents, have you ever heard the "howl that never ends?" You know what I'm talking about--some catastrophe has occurred in the life of your three-year-old, and he gets so worked up with whining that he forgets what he's howling about or how you can fix it.



My day started with one of those yesterday.



Whining, crying, howling, all-out weeping, all day long.



Brothers and sisters irritating each other, picking on each other, purposely inciting the howl that never ends.



It was not fun.



I told the kids to pile in the van because we were going to the playground. This was not for their good, mind you, but for mine. I fully intended to pop in my earbuds and enjoy a full 30-minute walk, uninterrupted, around the walking track while they played on the nearby playground. For the first time that day, I heard rejoicing. Finally.



So I turned the keys to crank the car and be on our way.



Nothing.



I sighed. Really, God? Really? Do you think this is funny??



I dragged my husband out of his office to help me jump off the battery. (It was, after all, his fault--he left the lights on in the van last night.) I knew from sad experience that I needed to drive for 10 minutes or so to give the battery adequate time to charge before I cut the engine, which meant I had to take the long way--the really long way--to the neighborhood playground.



The howl that never ends is even less pleasant in the car. I rolled down the window and let the wind deafen me. "Mama! Mama! Mama!" I could hear in the background. I sighed and rolled up the window, ready to respond.



What I heard delighted me. My three-year-old son, Tobias, sat, buckled in (a miracle in and of itself), singing at the top of his lungs, a song he learned at Bible school, "Where is Jesus, Where is Jesus?" His twin brother, Tyler, answered in tune, "In my heart! In my heart!"



I smiled a genuine, refreshing smile. In the middle of the howl that never ends, God had sent a song to my heart.



Don't be misled, the howl didn't end. (That's why it's called the howl that never ends!) But that one shining moment strengthened me and renewed my patience, reminding me that God expects me to teach, train, and love these children of mine in patience and joy.

War of the Wasps

I lived in the same house my entire childhood, and I remember being stung by a wasp one time. One time in 20 years!

Now we live next door to my childhood home. I have been stung twice in the last month.

Twice.

In two weeks.

Additionally, two of my children (and a cousin) have been stung. This month!

I officially declare war on the wasps--especially the red wasps. Ten minutes ago, I felt the agonizing pain that I am experiencing far too often these days in my ankle. Now my entire leg is numb, and I have pain shimmying up and down my spine.

Yes, I put baking soda on the site of the sting. But the venom is already doing its work.

I am open to suggestions, short of nuclear devices, on how to win this war. I considered hiring soldiers, but we are trying to reduce our budget deficit. ;-)

For now, my dad takes his perch on the deck, armed with a can or two of wasp and hornet spray, and he hunts them down.

Just like he's done for 20 years.