Kitchen Cleanout!

 

First Step...Kitchen Clean Out!

In order to start their healthy, new lifestyle on the right track, we had to clean out their refrigerator and cabinets! By saying goodbye to mayo, white bread, and butter, we are leaving room for the healthy, new options! In order to start off your healthy, new lifestyle, don't keep unhealthy options in your home! If they are there, you will eat them!!! Way to go Kathleen and Dave, you are off to a great start!


                      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNqrrIsqhk&feature=channel

This is Kathleen's view of the Day-

The morning of this video, I had shows all morning.  I was CoCo the Clown.  I did not have time for breakfast since I left late that morning.  After much deliberation ...I pulled into McDonalds (this is after Fawn said "NO eating out").  I thought I was being good by ordering 2 grilled chicken snack wraps, a fruit smoothie, and of course, my large ice tea.  I proudly only put in seven Splenda's (instead of the usual eight!)  I was exhausted by the time I pulled into my driveway.  I had been up until 11:30 the night before and was up by 7 the next morning.  I groaned as I pulled in the driveway and say Fawn's car.  I did not want talk to anyone.  I wanted to take a nap!  As I came up the stairs of my house, out came Fawn's smiley face, with the camera, saying "Aunt Kathleen...say hello!!!".   The last thing I wanted to do is be cheerful.  It was a good thing my smile was painted on my face, because I was not a very cheerful clown.  As I walked in, she was interviewing my girls asking them what they felt about us doing this program. 

Dave was joking around. Everyone was laughing and having a good time.  I felt very out of place in my clown outfit.  I ran up stairs and took a long shower.  I hoped  everyone would be gone by the time I got done....but no!  When I came down I could not believe what they were doing!  Fawn and Dave and my girls  (traitors) were cleaning out my refrigerator, my cupboards, and my freezer.  They were putting all of my precious foods that I had just bought into garbage bags!  I did not know what to do.  The first thing I said was..."You can't throw that all out!".  She was taking all of my comfort foods...my French vanilla creamer for my tea, my mayo for my tuna sandwiches, my butter for my toast, my frozen pizzas and chicken patties for when I was too lazy to make super!  She wanted to take my splenda, but I held on to them tight.  Fawn said, "We will work on those later!". Then my daughter had the nerve to say "you forgot this freezer!". (so cheerful I could strangle her!!!) Out marched Fawn.  Out marched my girls with the box of garbage bags.  I had to leave the room and pretend I was ok with all this.  My sister in law looked at me and said, "Are you ready for this?".  I joked like everything was fine.  Sure I was ok with this, I had made a commitment didn't I.  My girls then, always willing to help, loaded the bags in the van. Once everyone left I immediately went to my now empty cupboards. (3 boxes of wheat noodles, 2 cans of tuna and spices left).  I felt violated, empty, scared.... I knew I had made a commitment but I did not realize it would mean this.  For the first time in my married life...I had empty cupboards.  It scared me.  I almost felt panicked.  I was lost.  My security was gone.  I felt striped bare and did not know what to do.

As I drove to my friends house, the question kept coming back to me... "Are you ready for this?". I told the girls to stay in the car and I walked up alone to my friends house.  (She has 3 of her own and 3 foster children)  The driveway seemed endless.  I walked in Rachael's house and said "I have food for you!" and burst into tears.  She had not seen me in a while and she had no idea what was going on.  I started to explain and she hugged me and told me I could do it.  She even offered to walk with me every night!  I had my girls bring in the bags for her to look through.  It was an eye opener when I heard her say, "We don't use mayo, we don't use this kind of oil, we don't use..."  It made me realize that maybe Fawn did know what she was talking about.  What was left (about 3 bags full now) I dropped off at one of my friends that is a single mom. We had been bringing her two girls to church for the past 3 years. She was so glad that we had brought her food.  She was almost out of foodstamps and did not know how she would make it through the month!  As she thanked me and hugged  me I realized that good had come from our loss.  Was it easy, no way.  It was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done.  But as I went shopping and filled my house with good foods, I realized that it needed to be done.  The "life change" would never have taken place if that was not done.  It would have been too easy for me to fall back on my old habits when I was tired. I needed to make the healthy change.  It opened my eyes to see just how much food meant to me.  I was using it as my comfort.  When I felt bad, I would eat.  When I was tired, I would eat.  When I was sad, I would eat.  It was a hard lesson to learn, but one that I needed to go through.

If Dave and I want to lead a healthy life, and be there for our children, we need to make changes in our life.  I thank God that Fawn had the strength to do it.  It could not have been easy coming into someone's home and emptying there cupboards. I think it would be even harder to do that to a family member.   It was needed for me to take this seriously and realize that changes needed to be made.