Mavens New Groove

I spent a lot of my sick time thinking about what it means to be healthy and have a healthy lifestyle. Obviously some of my healthy habits are sticking, everyday one of the first things I considered was "do I feel good enough to work out?" For four days the answer was not just no but, hell no! Yesterday though I asked the question and decided yeah, I was ready to go, first I hopped out of bed and signed up for today's cycling class so I didn't end up on the waiting list. I went for a good 30 min run yesterday afternoon. I could have done more but I kept telling myself that I needed to ease back into things and not push it. The really cold wind didn't hurt that decision making process either. This morning I made it to that cycling class and again held back just a little bit, having to dig out a tissue halfway through was a good reminder. And tomorrow morning I'll be back in the pool at oh-dark-thirty for my first swim since being sick.

Although my exercise routine has been great for the past several months the pounds are not disappearing. Four days in bed did get me a 10 pound weight loss. That weight loss has really inspired me to try harder in the food department.

For the four days that I laid in bed I watched a lot of TV, much of it either on FitTV or Discovery Health. Sunday I caught quite a bit of Dr. Oz and Dr. Rosen talking about healthy eating and exercise. Watching them make house calls and throw out 90% of the stuff in people's pantry and explain how easy it is to do a makeover of your eating habits. Eliminate things with refined ingredients, sugar in the first 4 ingredients, hydrogenated oils and you are well on your way. The other thing was eating food in a more natural state gets you the most bang for the buck. So I am reading more labels and traded my Weight Watchers bagels for some smaller but whole wheat ones for about the same calories. I have stocked up on more fruits and veggies.

Last night my TV orgy continued with The Biggest Loser Couples. They got to go home for a visit and the show followed what they did while they were there. Watching them back with their families in the real world was interesting. Two of the guys were freaking out a bit over things their kids were eating. One little boy kept finding the donuts no matter how many they took away from them. In another family they found healthy options for the adults and then when the food came and they realized they had huge plates of fried foods for the kids they felt bad. I know that I fall into that trap as well. Gman and I have really tried to start moving the kids to healthier habits--less dessert, more fruit, more veggies, and trying to understand what is acutal hunger rather than just wanting to eat.

All of those things lead me to one conclusion, I need to be more intentional about my food and exercise choices. I need to remember that my choices extend to the health of my family. I hope the changes I am making will help us all be happier and healthier. When the weather is warmer I hope we can all spend more time outside in physical activities rather than at home in front of the tube. So to help me with those goals I have joined the Healthy Lifestyle Bloggers over at IowaAvenue. Another site that I found recently and love is Half of Me, which chronicles a 2+ year journey to lose half her body weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle. I love her quirky style and her honesty, good week or bad she reported her weight loss through it all. Now that she is closer to her goal she shares her new exercise and food experiences. Finally, I have been visiting Sparkpeople again to account for my food and exercise (and its free!).

Here's to healthy choices!