I am officially 15 days in, and I have to say, even without much exercise I am definitely starting to see results. My goal has been to give myself some time to adjust to completely revamping my cooking and eating habits (bringing with that an overhaul of our shopping and spending habits, and household chore habits) before really getting regular about working in some serious exercise. Now that I see how I am feeling just a couple of weeks in, I am pleased with this decision. I’ve given my body time to adjust to weight loss, and all of the repercussions/results that come with that. I can feel my chemistry shifting, my body feeling more energetic, my sleeping more sound, and my hunger satiated.
I still have some work to do. Snacking has become an issue, and I think that it is because work has gotten a bit more stressful as more and more job orders pour in, it becomes difficult balancing all of them. You don’t want to lose momentum recruiting for one job before it is filled to completely focus on another, but you don’t want to forget to build momentum on the newer jobs either. Either way, without mastering the art of balancing, you’re prime to lose money. It has been mentally exhausting, and I’ve definitely noticed that I’ve been crankier this week.
I definitely need to focus on being consistent with my water intake. The issue is not that I’m choosing other drinks in place of water, I’m just not drinking enough overall. I really consider this to be a vital part of my success, especially as I begin incorporating a full exercise routine staying hydrated is so important. My interim goal is to be have 5-10 more healthy recipes in my cookbook by the end of January, and be consistent with drinking 8 glasses of water throughout the day. February 1st I add regular exercise with my beginning of the 30 Day Shred. For 30 days I plan to work my way through the workouts, recording progress along the way (both measurements, and actual improvements in stamina, strength, etc.)
So now that I’ve laid out my next, immediate goals, it’s time to also celebrate some successes. As you can probably tell if you’ve visited my Where I’m Coming From and What I Won’t Miss pages, before beginning this journey my shape could be described as round at best. My arms rested on my stomach while at my sides, my pants cut into my waistline all day, and I had to adjust my bra 10 times a day to keep the girls strapped in. Since removing most* sweets, salty/carby snacks, soft drinks, processed foods and fatty meats and adding in a healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, vitamins and nutrients, lean meats, protein, fiber, water and portion control, my body is shifting.
Where my stomach once curved out and cushioned my arms, there is now a gap between my arms and torso. I feel the slight inward curve as I try to press my arms in against my body, and it feels so good. None of my pants cut in anymore, and some are even too loose. I’ve been able to add one more pair of jeans back into my wardrobe, a pair that I hadn’t buttoned in over 2 months. My face is slimming slightly, both in my chin and in my cheeks. And the girls, they stay where they belong.
I have a bit more pep in my step, and I’ve got to be honest, it’s as much from real energy as it is being proud and thankful for the journey that I am on. Thankful for all it is teaching me, thankful for all of the support both from loved ones and strangers, and thankful for the already experienced health improvements. Proud of myself for really taking charge of the things that I put into my body. Proud of myself for sticking to it every single day, since the first day. Tracking my food, my activity, my nutrients. Getting more sleep, taking more time for me. For keeping a promise to myself, and my family that I would teach myself how to love myself, to be around to live the life that I deserve, and to be able to love them all for years to come.
firstdayoftherestofdays 