I have no idea how this post will look when it gets published. I usually write on my phone and then go to the desktop to edit font size and spacing, but we're having technical difficulties in the Cook home this morning, so that's a no go. So, I'm sorry if it looks a little... off.
Anyways, good morning, friends! I hope this week is treating you well so far. I just wanted to give a little update to those who don't follow me on Facebook about the goings on around here.
Last week, Josh and I decided to do a life overhaul. It started when we quit smoking. In the past, we've replaced cigarettes with poor eating habits. It's pretty normal for that to happen, but we decided the key to quitting both habits for the long term was to completely change all aspects of our health. We know what good things should go in our bodies, and what bad things to keep out, but knowledge and practice are two completely different things.
This time is different. We aren't getting younger and our bodies are feeling and showing the effects of the abuse we've done to ourselves. For me personally, my weight has yo-yo'd up and down 20 pounds for years and I have stretch marks to prove it. Years of tanning and smoking has left me with questionable freckles and wrinkles. My skin is constantly dry and flaking from drinking too much coffee and not enough water. My blood sugars are all over the place which causes epic mood meltdowns and overeating when they get too low. But the biggest blow is my self esteem.
We went bra shopping a couple of months ago and my band size had ballooned into the special section of the lengerie where you're forced to buy bras that look like they should hold potatoes instead of your chest, and have a broad and fun range of only 3 colors. I was devastated and I had a breakdown in the middle of Target. Needless to say, our fun date had turned into a disaster and I made the decision that we should invest in a treadmill. That ended up being our next stop.
I've been running at least 4 days a week, but I knew that wasn't enough. I needed to be able to breathe while I ran, so we ditched the smoking. My biggest change though is our diet. We've always sort of eaten healthy, but I knew we could up our game by a lot. Fortunately we had a bare fridge and pantry, so it was easy to restock with our new diet. We bought as much organic as we could afford (Aldi makes that much easier to do), we bought seafood and chicken for our meats (we prefer those meats anyways), we bought tons of fruits and veggies, cut down our carbs because many carbs carry hidden sugars, and we stocked up on smoothie ingridients.
We put the groceries in the car and Josh looked at me and said, "We bought chia seeds and ground flax. We've gone full on crunchy. We're really doing this."
Yup, we sure are.
And I'm excited.
Here's a peek into my workout schedule and my daily diet as of right now.
Workout:
Monday I work my arms.
Wednesday I work my core.
Friday I work my legs.
Tuesday and Thursday I do a 20 minute run.
Saturday I run sprints.
Sunday I rest.
I have this schedule and the times I'm going to do these written on a calendar by the treadmill to hold myself accountable and to make sure I don't get overwhelmed when I think long term. It's one day at a time.
I also try to do as many activities that I can in the yard that don't seem like a workout but are. Gardening, mowing, jumping on the trampoline, etc...
Y'all, yard work is TOUGH. I made new flowerbeds yesterday and my arms ache so much today.
Diet: This really varies day-to-day and I've already explained what foods we've chosen to eat. On top of this, I drink water.
So. Much. Water.
I'm peeing constantly.
I also add chia seeds to as many recipes as possible because they expand when wet, so they're a good filler to help you not eat too much. We've tried to do smoothies for breakfast as often as possible because it helps us to detox.
It's only been one week, so weight loss hasn't happened for me yet. I have PCOS, and it makes losing weight so much harder than it should be. I'm not too worried about weight though. I'm more focused on gaining muscle and losing inches. For my body type, I gain muscle pretty easily and I lose inches easily, so I'm seeing some of that already. My neck, arms, shoulders, and legs are already toning up. My midsection is the tortoise in this race though, and that's the area I'm most self concious about, so that's kind of a bummer. But it'll happen one day. I have so much more energy now. The chores aren't as daunting because I actually feel like doing them and honestly, when I have a good workout in the A.M., I kind of have this I-am-woman-hear-me-roar attitude the rest of the day. I've also noticed that my eyes are brighter and my skin is more glowing. I don't know if it's because I'm hydrated, or if it's the diet or exercise. But I do know it makes me happy when I look in the mirror.
If you decide to start this journey, please remember that every little change is a good thing. You don't have to go balls-to-the-wall like we did. Also, your body is different than mine. You may need a different routine or diet. Do research and listen to your body. Note what works and what doesn't.
Thanks for going on this journey with me. You guys are part of my accountability and I'll post more updates later!
Love,
Heather
