It's already one week into the second month of the new year. I've been debating whether or not to even write this post for a while, considering my long absence from the blogging scene. But I guess I couldn't stay away forever, so here I am.
I won't go into much detail about what's happened since my last post, because not a whole lot has really happened. Holidays, work stress and general end/beginning of the year busyness caught up with me and I couldn't devote much attention to writing. I was frustrated with not following through with some of the plans I'd claimed in previous posts, so I didn't want to feel like I was documenting my failure. I also had gotten to a place where I wasn't sure how comfortable I felt revealing so much of myself in a public blog.
With a new year comes new changes, though, and I'm hoping that putting some effort back into this creative space will help me achieve some of my other goals. Namely, weight loss ... but this time it's different.
At the end of January, Chris and I embarked on a journey to a healthier lifestyle due to a weight loss initiative through his dad's company. This isn't just any pound plunge though. (Not to be confused with the St. Joe Pound Plunge, either.) It's a nationwide contest to see which team of five from the company can lose the most weight, and the top prize is a VERY large sum of cash. We're competing with his parents and sister against about 20 other teams. I hate to say that money has been the most effective motivator to lose weight I've ever had, but it's true. I don't want to reveal too much, but should we even place among the top three teams, it would be enough to really turn some things in our life around. (Like, maybe someday I could actually drive somewhere without my squeaky embarrassment of a car causing a scene? Please, that's all I ask!)
So far we're doing really well in meeting our diet and fitness goals. We kicked around a few ideas that might help us lose a lot of weight really rapidly, like juicing or Whole30 or going vegan again. But ultimately we decided we didn't want to do anything too drastic and end up failing. The contest lasts 12 weeks, so I want the changes we make to be sustainable for the long haul. Plus I want to be able to continue these habits after the 12 weeks are over. So instead we're doing what every doctor says is the best way to lose weight: less calories, more exercise, and better food choices. Seems obvious, huh?
I've grumbled about My Fitness Pal in the past, but now I'm dedicated to using it every day and being truthful in the foods I put into the program, even if they're just estimates. I've already felt a change in my hunger levels and the types of foods I'm putting into my body. We're cutting out all alcohol and most dairy, red meat, added sugars, and bad-for-you carbs. We're focusing a lot more on veggies, fruit, and lean proteins. We still allow some treats because, well, we deserve it.
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| Spinach, chicken, BBQ sauce and a little cheese on 50-calorie lavash bread makes guilt-free pizza. Soooo good. |
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| I'm trying to drink more smoothies. My combinations still need a little work so they don't look so barfy. |
To compensate, we're being much more active. Walking, jogging (for Chris, anyway), free weights, and best of all, yoga.
I know, I know, you've heard me rave about yoga before, but I'm convinced it's the single best decision I've ever made for my health. I'm still very much a beginner, but I really love it. And now, Chris loves it too! His work schedule doesn't allow him to attend classes, so we've been practicing at home almost every day with videos from a website called www.doyogawithme.com. I've known for months now how challenging yoga can be and how much better I feel when I do it, so I'm really happy that now he can experience it for himself. Not only does he benefit from the stretches and postures, but it also relaxes him and relieves him of the stress and anxiety he sometimes has from work. It's a fun activity for us to do as a couple, even if it's just for 20 minutes at midnight on a Tuesday.
As of January 31, I've already lost about 5 pounds, which I'm pretty proud of. I've never seen it come off this quickly before. Who knows what the next couple months will bring, but I'm facing it all with a clean slate and a clear head. Mostly because I really, really want that money!!
In other news, Chris is working on breaking into some different career opportunities. More on that later, once there's anything to tell, but for now I'm just happy that his job search led him to get an awesome new haircut. I loved his man bun, but the time had come for it to go. I'm sure I'll see it again someday ;)
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| Lookit how cute! Both of them!! |
Please feel free to follow along as we continue to see where this weight loss initiative takes us. Whatever happens, I'm just glad we're finally following through with the plans we've wanted for ourselves for a long time! I anticipate 2015 to be a year full of much-needed positive change.
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