So it is now April of 2018. I had stopped the Keto Diet back in the middle of October for two reasons: 1. I was not keen on trying to buy new clothes at the point in time, since I had just rediscovered clothes I could now fit into. 2. I was going to be miserable trying to save money through the holidays and maintain Keto Diet. I know others have reported otherwise, but for me, buying Keto groceries was not cheap. I was buying a lot more meats and trying to avoid processed foods. Trying to buy fresh whenever possible is a challenge, especially in the Winter months. The price tends to go up because we can't buy local this time of year. It also didn't help that due to weather and current working conditions, we were not able to get to the grocery store as often. This made it a little more tricky to buy foods that were not preserved in some fashion or that were not easy and quick to prepare.
Since, I had gained back all of the weight I had worked to lose. One odd side effect however is that I didn't gain it back in the same places. For instance, I had started losing inches around my waist and thighs when I went on Keto back in July '17. As I have gained the weight back, I am still able to wear many of the clothes that I did back when I completed the diet. It was very odd. I seem to have gained more in my midsection this time. With that, I started again in April to do the Keto Diet. I have already started to lose again, but I have found that it is not as quickly as I saw results before the first time I was on this diet. I have heard that this can sometimes happen. So with that, I am attempting to increase my activity level. I have been working out at home every other evening with weights. I have also been using my child kinda like a medicine ball. He loves being picked up and jostled around which also allows me to spend time with him and play with him while taking care of my own body at the same time. Win win!
Something else to reports is that my family is moving from our current home into a house closer to our jobs. Our current commute is 32 minutes for me (minus the time to drop off and check my son into daycare) and is 40 minutes for my wife depending on traffic. We have been very fortunate to be able to car pool a lot so that we can save on wear and tear as well as fuel for one of our vehicles. We have found a place near to our works. This will allow us to save a lot on our vehicles. I will have a 3 minute commute and my wife will have a 10 minute commute. I am also considering walking most days, which will help me to get my exercise in while commuting to work. We have found that the amount of money we will save on gas will be significant. Not to mention that my son will start Kindergarten this fall, so as of June we will be saving the monthly cost of daycare for my son, which runs us about the same as we are currently paying in rent. So in terms of our financial goals, it looks like we should be able to really start paying down debt and saving some money. I am excited but moving is going to be such a chore. This is the longest my wife and I have loved together in one location, so it has been a while since we have moved, and it will be the first time doing so with a child. Wish us luck as we continue to attempt to improve.
Friday, April 27, 2018
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
A hard look inward
I would like to dedicate this post to my friends; both those from my youth as well as the ones I have made recently. Please read through this post, I will try to keep it concise and not to ramble.
After starting this improvement kick back in July, I have been looking at myself and trying to see what works and what about me needs improvement. In a recent conversation with my closest friend, my wife, we started discussing our family, friends, and support network. It is at this point that we made the realization that my wife and I, each in our different ways, push people away from us. At the very least, we isolate ourselves. Sometimes we do this on purpose, but most often we would do it without even realizing we do it. So as the conversation continued, we realized that if truth be told, we are not really good friends (to other people), and we are not sure how to be really good friends (to others). So here goes nothing.
As Lucy once told Charlie Brown "the fact that you are aware that you have a problem means you are not too far gone." I have realize that I am not a good friend to those I would consider my friend. I am VERY sorry! Not only am I not (and have not been) a good friend.but I don't know how to do it either. This is a bit embarrassing because I have been a counselor and have a degree in psychology. Yet this particular seemingly simple social construct gives me a lot of trouble. I have tried to be a good friend to others, but I feel that I have failed in how to do that. Now when I examine myself and my relationships, it is clear that I have messed up and not been successful in fostering relationships.
To those who are close to me and my family, I would like to take this time to say THANK YOU. I am not an easy person to get to know, even harder to get close to. To all of those who consider me a close friend, I am sorry I have made it difficult but I am very thankful for your friendship. Especially to those who have maintained this friendship even when you were no physically located close by. I do not deserve you but I am thankful for you.
With that being said, I am going to try to be a better friend and will do what I can to learn what I need to be closer. Since the conversation, we have been trying to be better friends and do things that would bring us closer to others.
After starting this improvement kick back in July, I have been looking at myself and trying to see what works and what about me needs improvement. In a recent conversation with my closest friend, my wife, we started discussing our family, friends, and support network. It is at this point that we made the realization that my wife and I, each in our different ways, push people away from us. At the very least, we isolate ourselves. Sometimes we do this on purpose, but most often we would do it without even realizing we do it. So as the conversation continued, we realized that if truth be told, we are not really good friends (to other people), and we are not sure how to be really good friends (to others). So here goes nothing.
As Lucy once told Charlie Brown "the fact that you are aware that you have a problem means you are not too far gone." I have realize that I am not a good friend to those I would consider my friend. I am VERY sorry! Not only am I not (and have not been) a good friend.but I don't know how to do it either. This is a bit embarrassing because I have been a counselor and have a degree in psychology. Yet this particular seemingly simple social construct gives me a lot of trouble. I have tried to be a good friend to others, but I feel that I have failed in how to do that. Now when I examine myself and my relationships, it is clear that I have messed up and not been successful in fostering relationships.
To those who are close to me and my family, I would like to take this time to say THANK YOU. I am not an easy person to get to know, even harder to get close to. To all of those who consider me a close friend, I am sorry I have made it difficult but I am very thankful for your friendship. Especially to those who have maintained this friendship even when you were no physically located close by. I do not deserve you but I am thankful for you.
With that being said, I am going to try to be a better friend and will do what I can to learn what I need to be closer. Since the conversation, we have been trying to be better friends and do things that would bring us closer to others.
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