Birthday Week Success

Even though there have been a few bumps in the road, I'm definitely going to count our new journey as a success so far. We have not really begun our budget which is disappointing but it was too much to do all at once. The whole point of all this is to healthier and happier. Trying to stick to a budget when we were buying a gym membership and totally different food was stressing us out. So we'll wait until next month to start our budget, and I'm okay with that. We said that our new goals are not allowed to make us feel inadequate or guilty. Everything else has been fantastic!

It's amazing how different the structure of our meals were by simply requiring that there be two vegetables or two fruits. Instead of eggs with cheese on top for breakfast I would have cheerios with bananas on top and a handful of grapes. Instead of stopping to grab a grilled cheese sandwich and fries for lunch, I would have carrots dipped in a hummus and sandwich made of whole wheat bread, organic peanut butter, and blackberry preserves. This change has been so beneficial, in fact, that we have decided to keep this rule. We bumped it down to one fruit or veggie per meal as an absolute minimum but we strive for more than that. This week is our beverage week which is very easy for me. I rarely drink anything other than water or tea anyway (and it's not a huge change to switch from sugar to honey to sweeten it). Rush, on the other hand, is so ready for this week to be over. I'm happy to report that, despite his loathing, my brave husband is sticking to our crazy food challenge.

In the past 2 weeks, Rush and I have gone to the gym 5 times (and we're going tonight!). It's not a lot but we scheduled ourselves for only 3 times a week and I'm proud to say we've met our goal. That's three times the amount we used to exercise! We spend a minimum of 30 minutes on the treadmills and then we move to the weight machines. Still trying to get on a good cycle for those, but right now we're trying to do 50 reps on 5 different machines: abs, 2 arms, and 2 legs. When that's over, we get on the ellipticals for as long as we I can stand, minimum of 5 minutes. Hey, we're tired by then!

The cleaning schedule is hard. I hate to clean. Hate it hate it hate it. And of course, this being my birthday week, I feel entitled to do nothing. BUT we're still trying. Our apartment is way less dirty than it was and I'm proud of the progress we've made. For the most part, we've stuck to the cleaning schedule. Rush has been a hero in this department. If it weren't for him, I'm not sure any cleaning would have gotten done at all.

So reports are good! I already feel more energized and confident. It's hard work but I know we can do it. This is the best birthday present I could ever give myself! Of course, Rush's and my trip to the cabin on the lake this weekend will be quite a nice gift as well. Wishing you all healthy, happy, successful lives :D