Ok, I'll admit it. I just ate a few dill pickle potato chips. And I had pancakes for breakfast. And I skipped yesterday's workout because I wasn't feeling well and had a cheeseburger for dinner.
I am not perfect. I don't eat perfectly. I don't workout perfectly. But something I am learning as I recommit myself to healthier habits (not indicated above...but everything in moderation right?!) is that even small steps are worth it.
What's not worth it? Sacrificing health for the sake of saving a few calories and trying to look like a magazine's description of beauty rather than focusing on healthy living.
Special K and their marketing is really troubling me right now. The idea of replacing two meals a day with processed cereal or cereal bars in the name of quickly losing a few inches frustrates me.
When we focus so much on shape and size rather than the actual health of our bodies we are doing ourselves a disservice. We are endangering our health and well being. We are not teaching our children that health trumps size or shape. That what is on the "inside" matters far more than what is on the outside. Unfortunately so much about our society looks only at the outside to make judgments. Commercials speak to our desire to look great for an upcoming reunion or vacation rather than learning how to develop a lifetime of healthy living.
I wrote about my imperfections above to show that I am vulnerable. I know how to make better choices but I don't always do so. Making those choices is hard, especially when it's the end of a long work week and takeout burgers sounds way better than prepping, cooking and cleaning up after a meal.
No matter your imperfections or how many times you fall off the proverbial wagon, remember this: a cereal bar is not going to get you back on track.
Try an apple. Or a handful of raw nuts. Or a glass of water when you don't know if you're hungry or just bored.
And set your sights higher than that next big event. Be proud of your body each and every day. And work to honor it each and every day with good, moderate choices. Choose whole foods (nuts, fruit, veggies) when you can. Focus on how you feel rather than the number of inches.
Add activity to your day, and eat the foods that will give you the energy for that activity. Whole foods and whole grains are much better for that than anything processed.
Be mindful of your body and how you feel...not how our society tells you you should feel. Slimmer is not necessarily healthier.
Be kind to yourself.
1.19.2013
1.05.2013
thirteen goals for 2013
It's 6:20 am on a Saturday morning. In this relatively new world of mom-dom, I am happily awake while husband and baby snooze away, enjoying some much needed quiet "me" time with my coffee and a hilarious book.
We are five days into the new year, and I wanted to write out some of my goals (not resolutions- I hate resolutions) for the new year. A few of my friends have posted these on their blogs, and I would much rather see my list in my favorite Georgia font than scribbled out on the sheet of notebook paper currently wadded up in my purse.
Here goes. In 2013, my goals are as follows (and lets make 13 of them. Why not?):
1. Set (attainable) goals for the new year (check!)
2. Complete my Facebook workout challenges- 2 girlfriends I met while on the board of Girls on the Run (both mommas themselves) started a monthly workout challenge FB group recently. I just joined this week. They are "kick your butt" workouts, and my goal is to do them each week- no matter the time. I will make the time. They can be done in my home so no excuse about not having time to actually make it out to the gym.
3. Register for a 10K race in the Spring. I have never run a 10K. 5K,7 miler, 5 miler, half marathon, even a sprint triathlon have all been in my running repertoire, but never a 10K. I really, really wanted to run the Nashville Women's Half this year, but working + baby juggling has hampered the whole get up and run 10 miles on a Saturday morning bit. I'll get there- maybe in 2014. For this year, a 10K is where I will re-join the running world.
4. Train for said 10K. Thankful for our baby jogger- a wonderful Christmas gift!
5. Change my attitude- I will make the most of my time at home rather than wishing I had more of said time at home.
6. Go to bed no later than 10 pm each week night. Yes, I will do this. If dishes lie in the sink over night, so be it. I will be in bed by 10 pm to hopefully get at least 7 full hours of sleep each night (barring the occasional wake up from baby C).
7. Give myself a break. Ha! Perhaps the hardest one on here. I am not perfect.
8. Read (for fun!) at least 5 days per week. Let's be real, I should be doing this 7 days per week, but starting with at least 5, I know I can do it.
9. Read to baby C every single night. This is hard as he would rather chew books than be read to. But, I want to do this. I love reading aloud and snuggling with my little guy. In my next life, I will be a children's librarian.
10. Turn OFF the TV (or at least enter a room in my house while my husband watches it) at least one hour before bed (so, at 9 pm most nights). I want to use the final hour before bed for reading, meditating, writing, thinking, just being- unplugged.
11. Get OFF the computer, iPhone, iPad at least TWO hours before bedtime each night.
12. Create a monthly household cleaning schedule. One that is simple, easy to follow, and one that does not make me feel like all I do on the weekends is clean. I am looking to Pinterest for the inspiration.
13. Go meat-less at least one day per week. I have heard of others doing this. I want to start doing this- for my health, my family's health, and for our environment. Thank you, Peas and Thank You, for recipes that will make this more enjoyable.
14. BONUS goal: Continue to do THIS....
We are five days into the new year, and I wanted to write out some of my goals (not resolutions- I hate resolutions) for the new year. A few of my friends have posted these on their blogs, and I would much rather see my list in my favorite Georgia font than scribbled out on the sheet of notebook paper currently wadded up in my purse.
Here goes. In 2013, my goals are as follows (and lets make 13 of them. Why not?):
1. Set (attainable) goals for the new year (check!)
2. Complete my Facebook workout challenges- 2 girlfriends I met while on the board of Girls on the Run (both mommas themselves) started a monthly workout challenge FB group recently. I just joined this week. They are "kick your butt" workouts, and my goal is to do them each week- no matter the time. I will make the time. They can be done in my home so no excuse about not having time to actually make it out to the gym.
3. Register for a 10K race in the Spring. I have never run a 10K. 5K,7 miler, 5 miler, half marathon, even a sprint triathlon have all been in my running repertoire, but never a 10K. I really, really wanted to run the Nashville Women's Half this year, but working + baby juggling has hampered the whole get up and run 10 miles on a Saturday morning bit. I'll get there- maybe in 2014. For this year, a 10K is where I will re-join the running world.
4. Train for said 10K. Thankful for our baby jogger- a wonderful Christmas gift!
5. Change my attitude- I will make the most of my time at home rather than wishing I had more of said time at home.
6. Go to bed no later than 10 pm each week night. Yes, I will do this. If dishes lie in the sink over night, so be it. I will be in bed by 10 pm to hopefully get at least 7 full hours of sleep each night (barring the occasional wake up from baby C).
7. Give myself a break. Ha! Perhaps the hardest one on here. I am not perfect.
8. Read (for fun!) at least 5 days per week. Let's be real, I should be doing this 7 days per week, but starting with at least 5, I know I can do it.
9. Read to baby C every single night. This is hard as he would rather chew books than be read to. But, I want to do this. I love reading aloud and snuggling with my little guy. In my next life, I will be a children's librarian.
10. Turn OFF the TV (or at least enter a room in my house while my husband watches it) at least one hour before bed (so, at 9 pm most nights). I want to use the final hour before bed for reading, meditating, writing, thinking, just being- unplugged.
11. Get OFF the computer, iPhone, iPad at least TWO hours before bedtime each night.
12. Create a monthly household cleaning schedule. One that is simple, easy to follow, and one that does not make me feel like all I do on the weekends is clean. I am looking to Pinterest for the inspiration.
13. Go meat-less at least one day per week. I have heard of others doing this. I want to start doing this- for my health, my family's health, and for our environment. Thank you, Peas and Thank You, for recipes that will make this more enjoyable.
14. BONUS goal: Continue to do THIS....
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