Checking in...

So, thought I'd just give a public update on my whole"plan" for getting back in shape and shedding some of the flubber that has somehow collected on my body since John took this assignment. This pic of me sitting at our confrence feast seemed appropriate as so much of my life revolves around remembering what I should NOT eat (I don't mean that in a self-pitiful way, just stating fact). Some things have gone well, some things have gone poorly. Let me elaborate.

Good news first: I have been stellar at laying off the sweet stuff accept for one day a week. My kids and husband know when "it is not my free day" and they have been encouraging and supportive. John has even joined it a bit, but I assure him regularly that he has no need. Madi has even adopted the concept, and we are together embracing healthful eating and moderation. I have had a little bit of a hard time with the "eat all foods by 7p.m." because, well, some nights we eat a little later so that we can enjoy our last few bites of dinner with John sitting at the table. But I'm working on that part, and I think I'll be able to continue to do better and better about being "food disciplined"

(of course, I just finished eating a square of chocolate and a rolo or two because for us it is Halloween. But I think part of all this is learning to be moderate and not eccentric so no guilt, k?)

Bad news next: exercising here completely stinks. My running has been highly sporadic and my alternatives are pretty lame. I have indeed lifted weights with the water filled bottles, still haven't graduated to sand filled bottles but I think I'll be there soon. John does have some kind of super fit circuit he tries to do, and I lamely try to follow along. I even purchased some pretty top of the line jump ropes (one is for the kids...) so I could use that along with John on days we don't run. The pits is that the terrain here is so full of hills; good for training the race I've chosen (Robie Creek) but terrible for building a base. Every time I get a few runs in and get a little stronger the kids stay up all night or I have to stay up getting school ready and I don't get my fanny out of bed to keep up the momentum. The "walk for 30 minutes each day" is pretty near impossible unless I walk in circles around our 300 yard subdivision. No chance of taking the kids on a leisurely walk out in the neighborhood, security is an outrageous issue in this city. So that part has pretty much stunk, I've desperately even considered a treadmill (out of the question for sure, but walking from my front door to the security gate takes like 3 minutes, I'd have to do that 10 different times to equal the 30 required minutes and by the time I'd reached the gate for say the third or fourth go the security guard would call the police on me for weird behavior-not that running around this place with 6 kids isn't weird behavior to begin with :0)

Needless to say I've not donned the super-cool reward jacket I was supposed to have triumphantly sported this week.

Guess I'll have to give it another go.

Are you in? Have you been working at this with me? How is it going for you? I'd love to hear. I figure tomorrow is November 1st, no time like the month of gratitude and super large servings to stay in control and improve my physical fitness and health. Take a look through this blog archive and find "the plan". Then print it out and stick it on your fridge, in your brain and into your life. Let's do this thing.

Join me, we'll make Thanksgiving a free day for sure.