Mamavation Monday – Changes

Since the beginning of the year, I have been making changes. We started eating more organic, and more local foods thanks to a new food co-op in our town. This allowed us to have access to organic milk, cheese, beef, chicken, eggs, and produce. We stopped buying Pepsi and Mountain Dew and started drinking more water. We stopped buying candy and snack cakes and ice cream, and instead have air-popped popcorn, rice cakes, popcicles (real fruit), chewing gum, fruits, and veggies. We replaced white bread with whole wheat or whole grain (and the same for bagels and muffins, and even get bagel thins and sandwich thins for less calories and fat).

At the beginning of the year, we purchased a recumbent exercise bike. At first, it was the coolest thing. I used it everyday, and was getting a feel for it. Then it just became a big piece of furniture that coats got thrown onto. I hated it. I didn’t spent $150 on a piece of black and orange furniture. So we cleaned it off, and it started getting more use.

When the end of March rolled around, I signed up for Weight Watchers. I immediately went through and found the point values for my favorite foods, and the fast food choices I was previously making. It shocked me. The numbers were scary. The amount of calories, fat, and sodium in those choices was just ridiculous. I started calculating for healthier choices, and when I got my BlackBerry, I was able to calculate right at the grocery store. Now that I’ve found some new favorites, I no longer need to calculate, I just know. I know right where to go in the store to find the “good stuff”, the whole grains, the produce, the skim milk, the cheeses, and the treats like popcicles, pudding, jello, or Weight Watchers products.

I have always loved walking, but I can’t stand umbrella strollers. Our had this wheel problem, where everytime I stopped, turned, and started to push again (imagine shopping, and all the stopping, turning, and starting you do). The wheel would get turned sideways and wouldn’t correct itself. It was a pain in the ass. There were so many times I wanted to lay it down on the street and run it over with the car. I complained a lot, and finally made the decision to get a jogging stroller. I knew I wasn’t going to just go out and start jogging right away, but now I have the right tools. I love our stroller now. Our walks are smoother, and our jogs (yep, we’ve done them!) are so much fun. You can only go so far with what you have, sometimes you have to allow yourself more resources to get where you want. This stroller was a huge investment, and since April when we bought it have probably logged 200 some miles already!

As a family, we have started to take part in more physical activities. Walking, of course, but also signing up for 5K races. Our first one was incredible. We know the second one we want to register for, and will be doing that in July! I love having Chubbs involved. While he doesn’t walk much (or at all, I think he prefers to sleep through them!), I love knowing that he’s seeing his parents active and taking care of themselves. We try so hard to be good role models for him, and this is one huge thing we can do.

When it comes to weight loss, I’ve changed the way I think about it. I used to be so gung-ho about losing 50 or 60 pounds. Well, you don’t lose that in a week. In a week you can lose 1 or 2. And that’s fine with me. So it might take 50 weeks to lose 50 pounds (meaning a 1 pound loss every week), but that gives me 50 weeks to be a better person, to take care of myself, to slow down when I need to, to educate myself. Maybe it will take 60 weeks, or 70 weeks, it’s not about that big number. The small losses keep me motivated.

Another change is not beating myself up. Gains happen. I gained a pound from last week. But you know what? I know why. I went away for the weekend with my husband, and just had fun. Sure, I should have done better with my food choices, but I also can’t restrict myself. I didn’t go overboard, I didn’t gorge myself on candy and cake and pie all weekend. I LIVED. I’m sure someone will say it doesn’t matter if I was enjoying my weekend, I should have been better, but you know what? I know that, I agree with that 100%. I should have. But I’m not perfect, and I never will be. My choices are mine alone. If I want to continue this eating pattern that I had this weekend, then forget it. I won’t be losing, I won’t be getting a healthy mind and body. I know what I have to change. It all started the beginning of this year, and more seriously in March. Since March, it’s a whole new story.