So we all know that having a baby can do a number of things to our bodies. But having a baby can also do a number on our minds, too. It makes you think about the kind of example your setting for your kid, even if they are too young to recognize it just yet. With those two things in mind, Iv’e been thinking quite a bit lately about how I am living out certain parts of my life and the tone I am setting for our home as a Mommy. And I’m also wanting to really, for the first time in a long time, feel really good about the way I look, eat and exercise. So I decided that after getting back from all of our vacations this past month that I was going to sit down and really commit to making some changes. I have tried to do this before, but have had no accountability; I’m hoping that posting updates and progress on the old blog will be a good kick in the pants. So with that being said, here we go….

Eating Habits:

As of today, the clean eating has started. I am really going to try and cut out as much processed foods for our family as I can. Luckily for me, we hardly EVER eat out, so skipping fast food won’t be too much of an issue. Now I’m not saying that I’m never going to use canned goods again, but if I can help it, we are going to be trying to do as fresh as possible.

Portions, portions, portions….I think this is where it is going to be hard for me. It’s small portions and no seconds from here on out. Dinner is probably going to be the most difficult meal, as I normally make a pretty large dinner for Eric. Plus, because of Eric’s work, he has a HUGE caloric need and enjoys a lot of rich/creamy foods. What’s worse is that I LOVE cooking that kind of stuff. I am hoping that I can find some good compromises with out jipping him out too much, and that might mean making myself a separate meal some nights.

Today, I got rid of pretty much all of the junk that I like/crave. I was sad to see the ice cream and Oreos go, but it had to be done. The only snack-type food that is left are whole grain chips for a few new salsa recipes I have to try out. I did still keep Eric’s cupboard of sweets stocked for him,  but most of it is stuff I don’t care for. I have never met anyone who has more of a sweet tooth than my husband.

I did decide to give myself one “free meal” a week if I’ve maintained my goals. This doesn’t mean to pig out by any means, but if I want something from Oklahoma Joes, then I can get it. I hope that my “free meal” will be a good incentive to keep on the right track.

Water:

My goal is to drink half of my weight in ounces every day and cut out all other drinks except for coffee, so right now that’s about 66 ounces a day. Yep, that’s right dear friends…I’m cutting out the Coke, and have been over the past month or so. I don’t think that one or two a month is a bad thing, but I really feel like cutting Coke out and replacing it with water is going to do WONDERS for numerous aspects of my body. I’ve heard that cucumber and mint in water tastes great and is a lovely detox for your skin, so I’m planning on trying that this week.

Exercise:

This is going to be my down fall. Since having Nora, I have not consistently worked out. I’ve done Jillian Michaels here and there, ran a little bit, walking every morning, etc, but I haven’t done anything consistent or hard enough to make a real difference. Sometimes doing things with/around Nora can be a bit of a challenge, so I figured out something we can do together-running. My goal is to work up to a 5K that is here in Olathe in October. So today we started the “training process.” I will be honest, I don’t enjoy running all that much. But I do think that if I can keep with it for this training period that there is a potential for me to enjoy it. I’m using this training model to get started and will be using the Jillian Michaels DVD (love this!) for cross-training.

Recipes:

One fun goal for me through all of this is to try two new recipes per week – one new meal, and one new snack. Not only will I be eating healthier, but I will also be able to have some fun bringing new meals into our home for everyone to enjoy. So if anyone has any great, clean recipes out there, I’m all ears!

So there is the plan. I’m starting out with the above guidelines with the additional goals of loosing a bit of weight and toning my body over the next couple of months. And by loose weight, I mean like 5-7 pounds, so not a lot. This is more about making some positive changes to better my body, improve my family’s health habits and to start out early in setting a good example for Nora. I’m going to try and post my progress and numbers every Friday for the accountability portion, so hopefully this Friday I will have some good news to report 🙂