To Sum Up

This morning as I was walking my dog, I took some time to evaluate my progress so far. I thought I would first address the areas in which I have been least successful.

It comes to no surprise to me that food would be my weakest area. I am eating better than I was previously, but there is significant room for improvement both in the quantity and quality of food I consume. Today is grocery day which gives me the opportunity to make some better decisions regarding the meals and snacks I will be consuming next week. If anyone out there has some good recipes that incorporate veggies I would love to have them. I am not a big fan of veggies on their own, so any help I can get for creative preparation would be greatly appreciated.

As far as exercise is concerned, I am happy with where I am for a starting point. I was doing nothing other than walking my dog a relatively short distance before. I have doubled the distance we walk and increased our speed (happy dog!). Some days I do his evening walk as well and others my husband takes him. I have been doing daily yoga exercises and pilates hundreds. This has really made a huge difference. I have had an impressive reduction in back pain, especially if I do yoga in the evening. I have also noticed that I am sleeping better and just feeling better in general. If you have Comcast I have found some really good yoga and aerobic programs on On Demand that are not too difficult for beginners.

My goals from this point are to make improvements in my eating habits, especially upping the veggie consumption in the house, and increase the amount of aerobic activity (in addition to walking) to at least 3 times weekly. I need a swift kick in the pants on occasion to stay focused, so I welcome you to check up on me to make sure I'm not slacking. Just don't kick too hard, please:)

Little Debbie--The Secret Behind The Smile

This resolution for healthier living has had me thinking about food and my relationship with it and how there are certain foods with which I have issues, particularly sweets. I can't have a paltry bite or two and be satisfied, and once I start there is no stopping. I know I am not alone in my compulsive eating, and I am quite sure that Little Debbie knows it. Oh, you may think she is wholesome and innocent, what with her adorable dimples and sassy little hat as she smiles benignly (ha!) down at you from the shelf, but I know better. She is selling the confectionary equivalent of crystal meth and don't think she doesn't know. Yes, I am aware that the Fudge Rounds are packaged individually because they are intended to be a single serving snack, but how can I stop at one? Mere plastic will not keep me from experiencing its fudgy deliciousness. A few years back a friend and I consumed an entire box of Star Crunch between the 2 of us within an hour. I have vague recollections of a box of Fudge Rounds being involved as well, but it is entirely possible that could have been a chemical and sugar induced hallucination after polishing off the Star Crunch. Good times. And don't even get me started on Suzy Q's. I'm not sure if they are produced by Little Debbie or Hostess, but either way I develop an eye twitch just thinking about them. Oh cursed processed snack cakes of inconceivably long shelf life!

So far I have managed to keep them out of the house, but I hope my loved ones will recognize the signs if I fall off the wagon. Hopefully they will stage an intervention before I end up living in a van down by the river living off of Zebra Cakes and Nutty Bars donated by charitable passersby.

Or maybe I just won't buy any. Yeah, I think might be easier. And less dramatic.

Goal #1 - Check!

Hey girls, I knew you were sitting on the edge of your seats wondering if I ever mustered up the energy to pick up the phone. Well, I wanted to make sure your quickened heartbeat returned to normal, so I thought I'd let you know that I called and am due at the Y at 4:00 tomorrow. I'm (once again) on my way!

Stress is SO tiring!

Ok, so here I am making my first blog entry. It's basically just to make Dacia happy; to let her know I value her and this blog. Ok, so I value her WAY more than the blog, but I thought it sounded nice to throw that in. I really don't have anything to say, because I haven't done anything yet. I went out-of-town to a friend's for a few days, and now am left to de-Christmas my house this second week of January. I came back to town to learn I am having company in two days; so this de-Christmasing is of utmost importance. Thus, my title of stress being so tiring. Who can possibly pack away Christmas and think about exercise at the same time? It causes small tears in the time-space continuum...or at least in my brain. So, anyway, the biggest goal I have set for myself this week is to exercise my fingers by calling the Y to schedule an appointment and get re-set-up on the machines. Last fall, they got all new machines that you must get "programmed on". And, since I haven't set foot in the place since last September.... well, you get the point. So, girls, the most encouragement you can throw this way for now is that I'll put down the garland long enough to let my fingers do the walking.

The Saga Begins

Let's face it, starting a new exercise and diet regime--it ain't easy, so my friends (Kelly and Michelle) and I (Dacia) decided to start a blog where we could come to encourage and support each other, as well as vent when we need to. In all honesty (and I don't think the girls will mind me saying so), we are not the most internally motivated people on the planet. That being said, we need all support/accountability partners we can get. It is our hope that others will stumble upon our humble blog and join us.

Kelly is a dietitian and mother of 3 children under the age of 7. Michelle is a homeschooling mother of 4 between the ages of 8 and 12. I am a stay-at-home mom of 3 kindergartners. I am also working on completing a transcription training course from home. We all struggle with finding time to exercise, plan and cook healthy meals, and the motivation to do so. Some of our goals for this blog are to share tips, encouragement, healthy recipes, and friendship of course. We would love to hear from all you out there who are in the same boat.

So without further ado, I submit my initial posting.
This morning I awoke while it was still dark. I glanced at the clock which read 6:30, half an hour before I have to be out of bed to get the kids ready for school. Instead of rolling over and drifting back to sleep, I hauled my stiff, tired carcass out of my oh-so-comfy bed and worked out! I hate getting up before the sun, but Kelly has been checking up on me and I needed something better to tell her than "Well, I walked the dog." I did about 10 minutes of yoga to get rid of the stiffness so I could actually move, pilates hundreds, and alternated jogging and fast walking the dog, much to his joy. Alas, it is not all accolades for me. I had some chocolate, less than usual, but still. I did have cabbage soup for lunch though, and it is a scientific fact that cabbage soup counteracts any chocolate consumption. Not really, but justification and I go waaayy back.

How did you do today?