Sudden Review of Raising Financially Confident Kids

I just read Raising Financially Confident Kids by Mary Hunt, and--oh my god--is it good! Few books are so good that I feel the need to review it. To tell others so publicly. 

I was not raised with any money sense. My parents would say otherwise because they are proud, but I was told the same phrases many kids: "We cannot afford it" instead of "That is not how we spend our money."

Honestly, this is how I will raise my children when I have them. I will give them a monthly budget when they enter middle school and teach them how to budget. While I don't believe in giving an allowance, I do admit that I will bend to my kids' wants. It will be much easier to let them hold that money.

I even found quotes to live by, and I'm barely still a child. More young adult. More almost adult. 

"A true need is never realized while you are in a store. If you really needed it, you knew that before you left home."

Crash Diet: Day 5

This is the end. Not because the diet isn't working, but because I saw this picture of me and I don't look bad!

I don't know what is going on with my body. I will still continue small portions and drinking more water. I also like playing tennis so I am doing that every week. 

The important thing is to be happy the way I look. Yes, I ate too much yesterday (according to sparkpeople) because I went out with friends. Yes, I am also thinking of food during sexy time and that is not okay with me. 

Final Thoughts: I still will continue with tracking my diet because it helps me eat healthy, but I am no longer going to get down on myself about not being exactly on target. I look good. I am happy. 

Crash Diet: Day Four Update

Guess what happened? It was bad, really bad. I gave in last night. Not only did I end up drinking, but I sat in a hot tub instead of running. 

I got down on myself. When I stepped on the scale last night, it didn't read 135, and it certainly didn't read anything less.

Despite my efforts over the last couple days and the small portions the weeks before, I have gained weight! And not muscle! Even if the scale was wrong, I still at least weigh 137 if not 139. 

I am not giving up on my diet though. I'm not giving up on the exercise either. I can't let this get me down like last night when I went over my calorie limit by 2000.

Crash Diet: Day Four

My self-control is horrible. Honestly.

I started well with toast for breakfast and tea as a snack before lunch. But damn visitors! Damn my weakness for food!

We had a potluck. I tried to do small portions and I excercised while I was there. Play exercise, you know? Like running around and swimming. I drank a lot of water and brought my own bottle to remind me.

Still...

Afterward, I went out again! And to a bar this time. I didn't drink, which is good for the calories part, and not so good for my friends. I ate loaded fries with cheese and bacon.

Sigh. Get it together Aja. You want to lose this weight? No one's fault but mine.

I plan to force myself to go out for a night run or a bit of indoor cardio before I sit down tonight.

Crash Diet: Day 3

I went to a restaurant. Oh! I made all sorts of excuses to go:

• I had friends over and I wanted to feed them well.
• I wanted more protein than I had at home.
• I wouldn't eat very much and stop when full.
• I would order healthy.

In the end, I ended up going over my limit again. Sigh. I ate until I was full. I ordered shrimp and chicken but it was breaded.

However, I did excercise (God, how I missed tennis!) and I only went over by 50 calories. My next weigh in comes soon. I was 135. My goal is 110.

We will see how I am doing. I will get ya'll a picture soon!

Crash Diet: Day Two

I broke down just a little bit. I wanted cheeses and sweets so I snacked.

To my surpise, I didn't actually go over my calorie limit! So snacking as long as it is minimal portions is good.

I still can't tell if I have lost any weight but I am feeling better about myself and this diet. At least I didn't go to bed hungry!

Key Points Today:

Big Breakfast
Small lunch and/or snacks until the evening
Tea as a snack

Crash Diet: Day One

I gained some weight over the holidays, which is a polite way to say I got fat. I gained 10 pounds at least. At LEAST!

I can feel it in my middle: in my stomach, breasts, hips, and thighs. What! WHAT!

It's my fault. It is. I was the one that ate six packages of dinner rolls and four apple pies in one month. Just because it was "the holidays" and I could. My pants got tight. My dresses bulged at the stomach where they used to be smooth. 

Sigh. I cut my meals down, shrunk my portions, and began to exercise a bit everyday. I put alarms on to remind me to drink more water and to not eat after 7:30. 

When I was in high school, this worked. This worked always and immediately! Instead of losing the pounds, on the eve of my twenty-fourth birthday, I found I have been gaining weight. GAINING!

WHAT THE HOLY HELL IS THIS?!

It wasn't until I saw this picture that I realized I needed to take immediate action. I am muffin-topping all over the place. 

Today, I started a free account on sparkpeople.com so I can track my exercise, calories, and weight. It calculates my BMI or me and tells me the amount I should eat everyday in order to lose the weight I want to.

My "normal" body

This is great! This is awesome! I feel accomplished when I record something. I can see my progress!

Except, now it is 8:30PM, I am 100 calories over my daily intake, and I am starving.

:(

1st Publication Tour Stop at Kealakehe High School

Happy New Year!

Despite setbacks, I think the year is started wonderfully. I bought a new phone and a new car (a hyundai Elantra). I also did my 1st publication tour at Kealakehe High School!

Today, I talked to nearly 50 students about how to start getting their work out there, and the different pathways. I used the prezi or the presentation and you can see it at the link above.

If you would like me to stop at your school, contact me at my email address aja.hannah90@gmail.com