New year, New goals, LENT!!

Here we are on February 18, and I'm starting the blog world over with a clean slate. Today is the second day of Lent this year, and to be honest, the effects of what I've given up truly haven't started to hit me yet. Of course it's easy the first few days and I think "Oh, I can do this! Piece of cake!" I can get over the nagging little headache that reminds me I've not had caffeine in over 39 hours, I'm still energized to do my run each day, and the other commitments I've made. However, I can't help but acknowledge that thought that keeps coming up and telling me, 'Just you wait...'
SO, the trials and triumphs during this season of learning to turn my "vices" over to God and turn to Him to help me relieve and avoid temptation, will all be put here. I can vent and unload the stresses in those moments of despair. It may sound dramatic and a little extreme, but if you even knew the amount of coke I drank in one day, you'd be amazed I'm even trying to cut it out. See, I don't drink water. In fact, I can NOT stand water! It even makes me nauseous when I drink it. On a very rare basis do I actually crave water, and in those moments it must be ice cold (and these moments typically occur only after working out or getting really hot during summer). I actually asked my OB about this during my pregnancy with Ellie, because Kevin thought I was lying when I told him it made my sick to my stomach to drink water. Guess what? Dr. Huff said it was completely common, especially for people who have very acidic stomachs. Well, due to the fact that I have no gall bladder, all that acid just sits in my stomach waiting to be used up. When I drink water, it just washes the acid up higher into my stomach, causing acid reflux and nausea. HA. Told ya so, Kevin. Anyway, the entire point of mentioning all that is to say, "WHAT CAN I DRINK?!" These fruited waters that everyone raves about also make me nauseous. And if a drink has even a hint of artificial sweetener in it (don't get me started on those things!) I can detect it and absolutely can't stand the stuff. So, with coke/carbonated beverages being out, water out, anything with artificial sweetener (Nutrasweet, Splenda, etc) is out, I'm left with a rather limited list of beverages. I LOVE milk, and could drink a gallon a day probably, but that would get expensive fast and I'd probably develop kidney stones pretty quickly. We'll see where this all takes me...
I'm ready to use this "no cokes" as a jumping off point to revitalize the way my whole family eats and looks at nutrition. The career field I'm going in to gives me the opportunity to be an example of a healthy lifestyle and the benefits it can provide. So why would I want to waste that opportunity?! Plus, aside from all the internal health benefits of eating better and being health conscious. well, I miss my old body! I know I've had two kids, but I mean, come on...that should never be an excuse to let myself get out of shape and be miserable with the way I look. As a wife and mother, this should be the time of my life! And I should have a body that reflects the joy and excitement and energy I have about this wonderful life I've been given. But, that brings forth another issue- where in this ridiculously large city are we to go when searching for truly organic and healthy foods?! I'm looking forward to tackling this challenge over the next several weeks, and will hopefully be able to report that OKC has a lot more to offer than what I've known in regards to natural, healthy foods. My poor kids...they are having to bid farewell to their beloved McDonald's chicken nuggets and fries (maybe they will be able to get it as a 'treat' every once in a while), but I'd rather them be asking for carrots and other vegetables, and I want to expand their 'fruit palate' to include more than just bananas, apples, and strawberries! Fortunately, I don't think our family is predisposed to obesity, but just because we don't fall into that category, doesn't mean our bodies aren't suffering from the bad choices we make in regards to what goes into them.
Today for lunch the kids each had a ham and cheese sandwich on dry whole grain white bread, a dill pickle spear, and organic yogurt. Organic apple juice to drink. Thanks, Panera :) (And guess what?? They actually ate it and enjoyed it all!!)
I had a jamba juice smoothie, then a turkey & cheese panini, and...wait for it....water to drink (ice cold, of course).
It's going to be fun (hopefully not too expensive) to find new recipes and try new techniques in the kitchen- and at the end of it all, perhaps I'll find a skinny, fit, more energetic mommy :)

So, what's for dinner??