I’m happy to say I’m still going strong with my healthy challenge and new “healthy brain shift!” It’s great and has been so life-changing for me. I think I’ve finally found the “perfect” long-term healthy diet and mindset for me!
In regards to healthy eating, I’m an “all or nothing” kind of person. When I eat well, I…EAT…WELL. Period. End of story. I read every label, stay away from every bad thing in sight, stick to my guns and I….don’t….budge.
However, when I’m done with a “healthy challenge” or if I indulge in one of my favorite junk foods, I really struggle to get back to healthy eating! It seems like chocolate and healthy eating cannot co-exist for me! It’s tough for me to “just have a little” or to stay motivated unless I have very specific, strict goals and keep myself on a very short leash.
It is frustrating and it’s a constant struggle to find a happy medium in my life! I really love healthy eating and definitely feel my best when I eat well, BUT I do love to indulge once in a while. My very favorite indulgences are probably chocolate chip cookies, brownies, donuts, pizza, burgers and fries. That pretty much sums it up. I can do without ice cream, chips, candy, soda, processed foods and all of the other junk out there.
Just give me my cookies and I am happy. 😉 Ha ha.
But, I LOVE the healthy diet and life I’m living right now. It is mostly healthy, with just enough “wiggle room” to keep me from feeling deprived and to keep the diet interesting. I’m of course eating lots of fruits, veggies, eggs, lean meats, healthy grains (mostly oats and brown rice), beans and some dairy products (a little cottage cheese and plain Greek yogurt), but I’m also eating other things that are a little bit in the “gray” category. However, they are what make this “diet” long-term and lifestyle-ish. Here are some of those “gray” things…
- A little bit of ranch dressing here and there to make my veggies and salads interesting!
- A little cheese sprinkled on my eggs or salads….YUM!
- I’ve been loving the occasional Flatout made into a taco, egg sandwich or Peanut Butter and banana sandwich
- I’ve snagged a few chips or a couple fries from time to time. Yes, they’re not good for me, but I also know they’re not addicting to me either. I can have a few and feel satisfied.
- Most nights I’ve been trying to stop eating by 7:00-8:00, but there are some nights I just don’t!
- I’ve decided that when I’m on vacation or when we’re visiting Kev’s parent’s, I will be a little more lax. I won’t get crazy, but I’ll just go with the flow.
I really only have THREE major rules that I’m strictly enforcing. I’m staying away from sugary treats, most breads (only allowing Flatouts and Ezekiel bread) and cereal because I know they are addicting to me and set off a crazy cycle inside my body!
I feel really really good physically AND mentally! I’m also seeing and feeling results! I’ve been steadily losing weight. It’s definitely slow, but at least it’s progress! I’m about six pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. It seems like it always takes me about a year to lose all of my baby weight, no matter how much weight I gain! I don’t know if it has something to do with my hormones because I nurse all of my babies for a year, but it seems like I finally lose all of my baby weight about the time I ween my babies.
Before I got pregnant, I still wanted to lose 10 pounds though, so I know I still have my work cut out for me. I really try not to obsess about the scale though. I know it’s only one way to measure health. I’m going to focus on sticking with my healthy diet, keep on exercising and I know my body will find it’s “happy place.”
I am energized by challenges though and I have a new challenge I’m seriously considering! My favorite magazine, Oxygen Magazine is doing an “Ultimate Oxygen Challenge” that looks amazing!
I’m thinking about signing up for #TeamErin! I’m a lot more motivated when someone ELSE tells me exactly what to eat and how to workout. It keeps it interesting and fresh. I’m a little worried about how intense the workouts might be since I have such a hectic baby life right now, but I’m willing to give it a shot! I’m hoping I can do some of the workouts at home. We’ll see.
I’ll keep y’all posted.
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We had a fun “Father’s Day weekend” last week. I tell Kev that he gets to celebrate all weekend long (the same goes for Mother’s Day and birthdays!) Kev LOVES movies, so we went to several!
Kev and I went to see Jurassic World on Friday night.
It was good, but pretty predictable. Ha ha. I mean, there’s only so much you can do with a dinosaur movie! We bought dinner at the theater. It’s not the best food on the planet, but it’s fun to bring food into the theater. I got a “Cowboy Salad” and it was decent.
We had a fun night! The next night, we took the kids to the Dollar Theater to see McFarland USA.
It was very well done and is such a good movie! All of my kids loved it, except my five year old fell asleep, lol. I love Kevin Costner and I’m glad he’s been in so many movies lately. He really doesn’t seem to age.
On Tuesday, we decided to take the family to see Inside Out because our theater does $5 Tuesdays with $1 popcorn!
We all LOVED the movie. It was so well done, creative, unpredictable and funny. It was great and I want to see it again!
We hardly ever never see that many movies in such a short amount of time, but it was fun!
Kev also loves to eat at Texas Roadhouse. It’s his very favorite restaurant, so on Saturday night he and I (and the baby!) slipped away for a bit to go out to dinner.
I got my typical 6 oz Sirloin steak, a side salad and sweet potato. It’s always good! It was nice to get away with my “main man” for a bit too.
On Sunday (actual Father’s Day), I made Kev his favorite breakfast and the kids and I brought to him in bed! An omelet full of lots of good stuff and some sausage patties on the side (his fav.)
I was actually happy and surprised that my omelet actually turned out for once! Wahoo.
Later on, we went up to visit my parents. I took a picture with my sister and my cute Dad!
I love my family and my sweet, sweet dad. He is such a good, kind, brilliant man who has taught me so much! I’m so grateful.
I also took a picture with my favorite husband/father of my kidlets…
I can sincerely say that Kev is one of the most amazing people I know, and certainly my favorite. He is such a wonderful man and is so hard-working, kind, loving and and just plain GOOD. He really does not have a mean, negative or judgmental bone in his body. He takes such great care of our family and makes me feel loved, cherished and safe.
I thank my Heavenly Father every single day for that incredible man of mine!
I think I’ll also mention that I am in dire need of a haircut! Ha. It’s pretty bad. Just thought I’d mention that.
I need to wrap this up, but I have just a couple more pics to share….
Ummmmm, I love this picture!
And the level of cute in this picture is off the charts!
Oh that belly, those chubby hands, fuzzy hair and those two little teeth are just TOOO much! Auuughh! I love this little baby so much! He’s growing up too darn fast and I’m not a fan. Boo.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend! Love you all! Mwah. xoxo
Sounds like a great Father’s day weekend. You are lucky to have such a wonderful husband and family, but I am sure you deserve it ! Hang in there with your healthy eating, there will be ups and downs but it sounds like there are a lot of ups at the moment !
Thanks so much Karen! You are sweet. So far, I’m loving this “healthy plan” and hope it can become my new normal….long term!
I’m so impressed that you two make quality time for each other, even with six kids. Love the pics.
Thanks so much! The “quality time together” is what gives me the boost and energy to handle the 6 kids! Ha ha ha.
Mel you are the coolest person I wouldn’t mind a bit if I were a little more like you! I am curious what you mean when you say breads and sugary treats “set off all kinds of crazy cycles in your body.”
What would you use as a definition for “crazy cycles in your body?”
Thanks I just like learning about these kinds of things even tho I am not yet at a place where I can honestly commit to anything but I hope my future holds a time and season for becoming a healthy person. Love ha. Laurie
Oh Laurie, you are the sweetest! When I eat well, my body seems to “work” better; I sleep better, my appetite is under control, I don’t have a lot of cravings, I have more energy, etc….BUT when I start to eat sugar and other junk foods, my appetite gets all out of whack, I’m more hungry, I have TONS of cravings, I’m more tired and so I want to eat more sugar to get energy and it’s a hard “cycle” to stop! When I first start to eat well after eating crappy for a while, I seriously experiment withdrawal symptoms! I always think the first week of healthy eating is the hardest and then it gets easier after that.
I’m sure you could be a healthy person! Ha ha. Just start with small changes and then build on that. Eventually you’ll make some new healthy habits that become second nature. I wish you all the best! I miss seein’ you and love you lots!!
Mel you sound so happy and upbeat! The challenge sounds awesome. #crushit
Thanks so much Jill! I’m so excited to start this challenge. I think it’s just the “kick in the pants” I need!
I saw the Oxygen challenge and am contemplating signing up for both just to have that extra boost and extra set of workouts to switch off with. Especially since it’s just a tiny bit more to sign up for both.
I seriously considered signing up for both too! I would just like to see both plans and compare them. I ended up just signing up for Erin though. It will be FUN!
I signed up for Team Erin! Can’t wait!
Oh YAY! I’m officially signed up for #TeamErin too! I can’t wait. I wish you all the best!!!
Glad that Kev enjoyed his Father’s Day. That challenge sounds interesting. Can’t wait to read about it if you decide to try it.
Yes, we BOTH had a fun Father’s Day! Ha. I’m really excited for that Oxygen Magazine challenge and I’m officially signed up. I can’t wait to start, but I’m a little scared!
Sounds like the perfect father’s day! Always keeping it positive!
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Thanks so much! We had a fantastic weekend.
I’m glad you had a great father’s day with your beautiful family. I think your set of rules are not that bad to follow, I should make my own rules so I can actually loose some weight. For on my list would be to stay away from ice lattes, I just love it! You look great by the way..keep it up!
Thanks so much Ros Emely! So far, I’m really loving my challenge and the rules. It’s tough, but not too tough.
Getting and staying healthy is a challenge. Always seems to be something that I struggle with. Thanks for sharing how you are managing to succeed. Inspiring.
Thanks so much Suzanne! I struggle all the time too! I just keep pluggin’ along, finding things that work for me, tweaking my diet and exercise regimen and try not to get discouraged. I wish you all the best!