OH MY GOSH!

one of my friends has had a weight loss of FIFTY pounds.  yes, i said fifty.  i am so proud of you, suzy.
another friend has decided to get healthy with her husband.  and, yet another friend, has decided to make healthy lifestyle changes when she found out she was headed towards diabetes.  i admire them because i know how difficult it is to stop being complacent and make an effort to change.

this morning i was thinking of how i could make some healthy changes in our lives.  i can't put the whole family on the diet suzy was on, nor can all of my children do weight watchers, which another friend is doing.
i decided that we're going to start eating serving sizes and i'll check the calories of each meal to see where we can make healthier changes.

this is where the "OH MY GOSH" comes in.
when my children were taken one thing cps (child protective services)  tried to pick apart was how my kids were fed.  one thing everyone that knows anything about me understands is that my children do not go hungry!  while in foster care one of my sons was asked if he ever went without eating.  he said "heck, no.  i get seconds and even thirds, if i want them."  this child was very short and thin for his age.  he ate like a grown man.  we could see him growing but he was never overweight.

this morning i checked the calories the kids ate at breakfast.  when i was done i was sick to my stomach and immediately wanted to take back all i had just given them! 
1sausage patty             200 calories
1 hash brown              140 calories
3 eggs (approx.)          210 calories
1 1/2 milk                    120 calories
2tsp. chocolate              33 calories

this was a grand total of 703 calories and did not include one fruit or veggie. 

i'm a big woman.  i honestly don't eat much in quantity.  never could figure out how i got so fat.  i also never stopped to check the calories of what i was putting in my mouth.
several of my kids are overweight, as is dale.  it is so obvious why, and it starts with me.
i love to cook.  it's a hobby and a way to show love to my family.  now i realize i'm loving them to death.

cps turned their noses up when we told them our kids ate cereal, yogurt, fruit, and had juice for breakfast.  of course, they had milk in their cereal. 
i haven't added up those calories yet but even if they total what we had this morning i know they'll be far healthier.

wow. i'm still in shock.

so starts a new journey in the lives of the matthews family.