Aug 7th...motivation

There were a lot of motivating things this past weekend that kept me relatively on track - comfort on the rides, pushing a double stroller in 90 degree heat, seeing all the other heavy people and realizing I don't want to be in that category anymore. However, the biggest motivator is my kids. Of course, I want to be healthy for my kids, and I want my kids to be proud of me and not embarrassed by me. However, in all honesty, the real motivator is in the things they say.  Now I know that they are completely innocent and only curious. But all the same, the truth hurts! They are at the age now (5 1/2 and 3) where they notice and question differences.  They ask why my belly (& butt) are so big. Like I hadn't noticed! We have been talking a lot lately about getting healthy and exercising - so "your belly will be smaller, Mommy?" Yes, sweetie!  We are now having lessons in what is appropriate to say, but really do I want to be the subject of these lessons? Not so much. Is that fair to them? It's not.  So my motivation is that I want to change that! I want the lesson to be if you put your mind to something, you can achieve anything.  Good news - even after a long weekend away, when I weighed myself Monday morning I was down 3 lbs. Let the life lessons begin!

Aug 3rd - Storyland

So only 4 days in I face my first big challenge -Storyland!! We are headed there for a 3 day weekend. Yup. Nothing like adding an amusement park and all the delious food that comes with eating out. I'm sure I won't be perfect, but being prepared should help quite a bit. I have packed tons of snacks - orange slices, grapes, granola bars, etc. I'm excited for the challenge, and I'm sure the ride seats will keep me motivated. I just need to make as many good choices as I can. I'll celebrate those and forgive myself for the rest. After all there is always Monday, and this is a journey that is not going to be defined by a 3 day weekend! 

Aug 1st...the weigh in

So as luck would have it, I had a doctor's appointment this morning, so I was able to have an "official" weight check.  Was it good news, no! Am I going to share the #, absolutely not. Not yet anyway. I haven't decided yet how much of that I will publicly share.  What I will share is that I was horrified and it confirmed that something really does need to be done. NOW! I am lucky that I don't have any medical issues as a result of my weight, but why wait until that happens.  They are right around the corner just waiting to complicate my life. Did I mention that I am a busy mom of 3 kids who works full-time? I don't need medical complications that's for sure.

My goal today was to just make a few better choices and accept victory at making those choices. So here's what I chose - a banana for breakfast instead of a bagel or nothing. I won't give up my coffee, but I did choose to not stop for a 2nd cup when I got to work. For lunch, I went to Chipolte because it's my favorite and there is one next door to the doctor. I got my usual salad, but asked for super light on the sour cream and cheese. I think I got a tablespoon of each instead of the cup or so they usually pile on. And you know what, it was still really good.  I'll have to check on the calories and fat in the dressing, so next time maybe I'll 1/2 that too. Then, I buckled and had a handful of sunflower seeds, but stopped at a handful and chose grapes instead. 

So my journey today is about choices. Everything I eat and drink is a choice. I just have to keep making the right ones and the balance my body craves will soon follow. I truly believe that!

Jul 31st...getting started

As a busy mom, I find it incredibly difficult to eat healthy much less exercise. It is so much easier and tastier to choose the crap! However, I am going to attempt to lose weight and get healthy for myself and for my family.  I have been listening to a podcast about being a busy mom and the importance of taking care of myself first and foremost. Because let's face it, being able to be good mom, wife, daughter, employee, etc stems from how you feel about yourself, how much energy you have, and how much patience you have. And, trust me, being overweight is not helping one bit.  We all know that there are many many benefits to building and maintaining a healthy life.  I have done Jenny Craig with decent success (pre-twins I'll add) and while that is good and well and something I could do, I really want to change the way I think, feel, and react to food. I really want to teach my children the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  So, while I can diet, I have been choosing not to. So while I can find time to exercise, I have been choosing not to. I am not sure why I am struggling with it so much this time, but I am.  I really don't want to do it, but I want it more than anything. So here I am, starting a blog-per-say to document my journey, track my success, and share my failures. But at the end of the day, I really want to be able to look back and see what it took to believe in myself and to remember the long journey, so I never get back to where I am today. And, fitting into a much smaller pair of jeans is a great side benefit! I want my kids, my husband, and my family to be proud of me. I want to be that woman on the beach where people comment, "I can't believe she has 3 kids!" instead of "When are you due?"