I think I can, I think I can! Just like the little choo-choo who had to climb up that hill, my family and I keep repeating this chant. I think I can, I think I can!
Well, this week has been a breeze for me. My exercise routines and eating habits have begun to become a part of my lifestyle. I can't even be naughty when I want to! I walked to Dairy Queen last night and ordered a medium twist ice cream in a cup. I took a few bites and had had enough. I realized that my goal was to walk the 1.3 miles to the ice cream shop - not eat the ice cream. Sadly though, this has not been an easy week for the rest of my team. My daughter struggled at the beginning, but she recovered thanks to her newfound love for organic red raspberries. I might need to take out a second mortgage to buy enough for her, but at least she's discovered a treat that is healthy and most importantly - the she loves. She no longer feels deprived when she looks in the pantry or the fridge. It's my husband who is really starting to lose steam. He started the week by making a trek to Chick-Fil-A on his way to work. I had to chuckle when I received his guilt-filled email on Monday morning. I assured him that it was okay. I mean, geesh, didn't he see me wolf down those Peeps the week before?! It doesn't make you a bad person to say 'yes' once in a while. Unfortunately though, my husband doesn't quite get that. He seems to feel that failure is a domino effect. One downfall leads to another and then another ... This is a hard mentality to break, but I think it's an important one to work on. We all have moments of weakness be it food, clothing, books, what have you. I think it's healthier to focus on the recovery rather than the failure.
Overall, this has been a week with lots of reflection. After much discussion, my family and I have decided to begin eliminating meat from our diet. We all recognized that for the most part, we don't actually like meat. Well, most meat! I love beef. I always have and probably always will. However, I don't like what beef does to my body. I also have great love for cows - which being a rare beef lover ... well, the two don't mix. My grandfather raised cattle when I was a child. They were the most gorgeous Angus. I remember falling in love with one of them, naming it, feeding it, petting it - only to discover several months later that George was on my dinner plate! The rest of the family has willingly embraced the idea of going vegetarian. I realize that it will be a slow transition, but I think that it will be a good change. Thankfully, I have a number of friends who are vegetarian and willing to share their wisdom with me. When I was a vegetarian in college, I was pretty much all on my own. There wasn't an array of meat substitutes. Times have changed. Today, loads of folks are meat-free for a myriad of reasons. Best of all, there are lots of options for meatless dining.
I've also amped up the exercise this week. I did something I hadn't done in a very long time. I walked over a mile to the shops. Now, I've walked over a mile on the treadmill, but walking with my daughter and pup in tow was a great experience. First of all, it's been ages since I've been able to walk like that. Again, I credit my fab Naturopath for getting me started on some super effective supplements. Secondly, it gave me some super one-on-one time with my kiddo. We homeschool and we're together all the time, but going on this walk gave us uninterrupted time to talk. And good lord almighty, did she talk! I swear that the child didn't draw breath the entire time. It was great though. I loved every second of it, and I intend to make it a weekly event. Cedric enjoyed it, too. He's never sniffed such a variety of smells in his life. Plus, he LOVED the attention once we got to the shopping centre.
In addition to the outdoor walks, I've started doing an exercise video. I had to chuckle when I first started using it because I had flashbacks of working out to Jane Fonda tapes in my youth. Well, I stopped into Ross the other day and came across a 5 mile walk kit from Leslie Sansone that included the DVD, weights, and a couple of bands. I'll confess that I feel like a total dweeb doing the workouts, especially when I really start to get into it and clap along with them. But you know what? It's fun! And the workout is great! I'm totally beat up after doing it. It's turned out to be one of the best $7 investments I've ever made.
So ... tomorrow is the moment of truth. Will I lose weight and/or inches? Don't tell anybody in my family, but I really don't care. I feel better. I move better. My clothes fit better. I don't need numbers to dictate how I'm doing. I know that I'm doing good things for my family and for my body. That's all that matters!
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