....then do it again.

I walk the mall a lot these days.

I can't stand the treadmill and I need A/C.

I walked past this window display this morning.  I repeated the message a few times in my head, then turned around, walked back, and snapped this photo.

I think this has been my mantra for the last 30 weeks.  Yep, I have been on my new healthy living lifestyle for 7 months this week.

Guess what, some days I'm just not feeling it.

But I just get up and do it.

Again.

And again.

And again.

And I haven't regretted a single day.

Happy Monday everyone!

Day 9: Another Warrior Moment

Sometimes, when I get to sleep at night (rather than work), my husband's alarm wakes me up 2 hours before my alarm is set to go off.

Grrrrrr.

Today was one of those days.

I laid in bed playing on my phone for a bit, feeling sorry for myself.

But then, a warrior moment kicked in.

I got up, got dressed, put on my work out shoes, put on my ear buds, and walked out the door.

At 5:45 am.

I chose to head to the gym rather than relax in bed.

(I know, who is this crazy lady?)

Then, I walked to the gym.

(usually the car takes me)

The gym is 0.83 miles away.

I learned that today.

The walk there was a bit on the slow side.

And I wondered if I was overdoing it, since I had to drive my girls to school at 7am.

But it was too late to turn back.

And I made it there.

20 min of weights, then back home.

And the walk home?

It was faster.

I had a bit of bounce in my step.

I was proud of myself.

And I made it home just in time.

And, I've logged in 1.7 miles today.

And it's only 7am.

That, my friends, is called a warrior moment.

Day 8: Trying New Things

Trying new things is good.

Bet you think this will be something healthy living related.

Nope.

I went morning drinking for the first time in my life.

Now, it's not as bad as it sounds.

The fam woke up super early (5 am) to go hiking with me.

Then we went out to breakfast, something we rarely do.

(we are not a family of early risers, plus, I do that work at night thing)

So, we went to Oink Cafe and I really wanted to try the mimosa flight.

You pick 4 flavors to try, and they are probably about 4 oz each.

Left to right flavors:  orange, grapefruit, peach/mango, and strawberry/banana.

I didn't love them. But I couldn't waste them.

That would just be irresponsible.

I also tried Eggs Benedict for the first time.

Eh.

But I'm glad I tried.

Now, the big question.

How does this fit into the healthy living?

I only ate 1/2 my food. And only 1/4 of the hash browns.

( side note: it's crazy how good some things taste when you don't overindulge anymore. crispy shredded potatoes, I'm talking about you)

I still ended up using 16 of my 33 points on that breakfast, but I just ate super low points the rest of the day. I even ended up with 2 leftover points.

Splurges can be done.

That is the pure beauty of this program.

Ok, so here are a few more photos from the morning.

photos taken 4/2018.  Papago Park. Phoenix. Arizona.

Day 5: My Reason Why

Everyone says you need a reason why to help you reach a specific goal.

That reason why will help you stay the course when times get tough and you just want to give up.

Your goal might be to pay off debt, or finish college, or be a better parent.

Or your goal might be to embrace a healthy lifestyle.

That's my current focus right now.

Because I want to have many more years, and many more adventures with this guy.

And I want to walk up a boat ramp without being out of breath.

Progress had been made these last 7 weeks.

And I will continue to hold my "why" close to my heart, allowing progress to continue.

"Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see life with a clearer view again."
     -Alex Tan

photo taken 2/2018. right before that momentous walk up a boat ramp. out of breath. and just sick of living this way. canyon lake dinner cruise. apache junction. arizona.

Day 4: Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

I'm going to let you in on a secret.

I ate one of these yesterday.

An entire lemon poppy seed muffin.

And it was not ridiculously unhealthy.

And it was gooooood.

But that's not the secret.

The secret is how easy they were to make.

Ready for this?

Open a box of lemon poppy seed muffin mix.

Ignore the directions on the box regarding ingredients to add.

Pour the mix in a bowl.

Add 1 cup of water.

Add 1 container (6 oz) of greek yogurt (fat free,  <100 calories).

Stir.

Now, go back to following the box directions.

This mix said the yield was 12 muffins, so that is how many muffin spots I filled.

Bake according to directions.

Now, once they cool down (yes, let them cool before you burn yourself).

Now wait another minute to make sure they really are cool.

Eat.

You're welcome.

(anyone else hear The Rock singing this song from Moana right now?)

6 SP per muffin.

(I also made lemon muffins. same idea. lemon cake mix. 1 cup of water. 1 container of greek yogurt [fat free/<100 calories].  these were only 3 SP each, but the yield was 24 muffins, so they were slightly smaller.)

Next up?

Chocolate muffins.

I'll let you know if I hear the angels sing when I take my first bite!

Have any yummy low calories recipes?  Do share!

Day 3: Pieces

Eggs.

It's what I eat almost every morning.

Scrambled.  Over Easy.  Hard boiled.

Add salt and pepper.

Maybe cheese if I'm feeling extravagant.

Simple.

Filling.

No thought needed.

One small, but very important, piece of this new healthy lifestyle journey.

"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art"
     -Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Day 1: A Mighty Warrior

Outdoors.

Not a place where I tend to wander.

I tend to hit the coffee shop for reading, or trip planning, or budget making.

Outdoors makes me sweat.

Outdoors makes me breathe hard.

Outdoors makes me interact with other people. Or animals. Or insects.

But I'm going through a bit of a change right now.

Working on a new and improved me.

A healthier version of me.

Eating better.

Moving my body more.

So, this is where I spent Sunday morning from 6 to 6:30 am.

By myself.

Breathing hard going up that hill.

Sweating.

But feeling like a mighty warrior.

And next weekend, I will go up that hill again.

And again.

And again.

Until it gets easier.

Then, I can move on to a bigger hill.

Because, I am a mighty warrior.

photo taken 4/8/18. Hole in the Rock. Papago Park. Phoenix. Arizona.