note: jimmy’s comment on this photo in my instagram feed…”how long did it take you to line all of those rocks up?”HA!
We have been saying for a while that this is the year. The year to exercise as a family.
The year to cook more, eat healthy whole foods and be conscientious about what we are putting into our mouths.
Don’t worry. This isn’t going to turn into a running blog. Or a diet blog.
But this is a part of my life,y’all. And I’m really serious about it.
I want to set a good example for my girls. Teach them to take care of themselves and to love themselves. To respect themselves.
Your body is a temple.
So, I’ve been trying harder. Trying to cook more. Avoid those drive throughs. I have been running a bit. Getting outside more. We take walks/bike rides as a family. This morning I ran with Jimmy. I am thinking about what I put in my mouth.
Because you see…I have no excuse. If I am unhappy with the way I look it is in my power to change it.And it’s in my power to show the girls how to live a healthy life.
I’m not staring at numbers on the scale every morning,because I refuse to get obsessed. It’s a slippery slope. I’m not going down that road. The number game.
I am just concentrating on living in a healthy way. Not hard when you are married to the paragon of good health and good shape. Maybe intimidating…but it definitely encourages me. 🙂
No magic pills, no trend diets. Just the good life.
One foot in front of the other, slowly but surely. My goal in the end is to do a Color Run. Oh, and to be able to touch my toes when I stretch. Not even joking. 🙂
Happy Tuesday,y’all.
Such an inspiring thing to do! You are such a great role model for your girls!!
way to go!!! sounds like you have a fun year ahead of you!!
I am sure the Color Run will be a blast!! 🙂
cheering you on! xo
Go Steph!! Exercising with the family is one of the best things you
can do together!! Running with our boys through their teens was a
great bonding experience for us as a family. I started running at 38,
and other than marrying my amazing hubby and having our boys it’s the
best thing I have ever done for myself. I feel so lucky that I found
this passion for running, it has got me through a lot of stressfull
times in the last 12 years without medication!LOL
Getting older does not mean you have to give up on fitness and in
particular running. I am 50 now and two weeks ago did Half Marathon #23
and full marathon #5 is coming in 4 weeks. Not everyone wants to race or
run long distance, I totally get that. Just saying this to show you
that fitness can be achieve and maintained as we get older and you can
do it too!!
Such a great thing you are doing!! I am making all of my baby’s food and trying to eat more fruits and veggies with her. Having good habits starts early and at home! You are doing a fantastic job and after 4 kids, you girl look fabulous!
I just started C to 5K yesterday. If my 55 year old mother can do it, my 35 year old self can do it too.:) I am so tired of feeling crappy about myself. Time to change! 🙂
Good for you!!! I am cheering for you. (and too funny about J’s comment!!)
I have those shoes but in grey and a bright orange! LOL Can I say I miss the ruffled socks my girls used to wear.
you are a badass. end of story.xoxo
Go for it… I went for 10 weeks walking program.. now I’m on 2nd round of 10 weeks walking program.
Did 5K walking.. with happy results, end up running at end to finish.
Keep it up!
Forgot to add.. Seen the Dr yesterday… she noticed I had a great weight loss at this time!!
She said heard about walking and running programs, sound great for people to get start on moving..
Which is great..
that’s awesome! You are such a good example to your girls!! 🙂 And for the toe touch comment…try YOGA! Very quickly you’ll be able to do that! And your girls would love it too 🙂
That’s so great that you’ve decided to do this! My boyfriend and I have transitioned to a “real food” way of eating since March, and it has gone even better than I’d hoped. No “Points”, calorie counting, or forbidden foods, we eat versions of all our favorites made the most healthy way we can. Here are a few of the blogs that have really helped me:
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/start-here/ (This is what started it all for us)
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/ (For healthy desserts)
http://deliciouslyorganic.net/#s.abjsljbfibaaa (I look at these for base recipes – we don’t do all organic at this point, and we aren’t on Paleo or GAPS)
http://www.freshstartnutrition.com/blog/
http://gnowfglins.com/blog/#
http://onceamonthmom.com/ (This one’s great for busy moms like you!)
http://www.simplebites.net/
http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/
http://thehealthyfoodie.com/
http://thishomemadelife.com/farm-to-table-project-looking-forward?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thishomemadelife%2FGYjt+%28thishomemadelife%29
I hope this provides you with some good resources, I know they’ve helped me a ton. I think the hardest part is making the time to cook most things from scratch… when you go from processed foods and swinging through the drive-through in the way home, it’s a big change! Good luck with everything!
I need to get in a routine again! WTG. Thanks for inspiration!
love this, steph. on the same page with you…and i love the idea of a color run!
also, may favorite part about that picture? the frilly socks. love. totally reminds me of my little sister who played basketball for years in frilly socks. 🙂
sounds good to me, I am on the ball too, not running, but doing step aerobics, hate it, maybe when the little starts preschool I’ll switch to walking, love being outside more than in the house, good luck!!!
Good for you!! Whole foods does make the difference! I try my best to make everything from scratch so I know what’s in our food..My downfall is the exercise..I have fibromyalgia which makes it difficult to exercise..I know I need to get outside more, now that it’s cooler I hope to do just that!
bummer…that will put a downer on the lobster roll count! I am attempting the same thing and it is hard…especially during a deployment 🙂
I started running in April – and have run a 5K each month since then. The key? To run even when I know I am slow and won’t win a race. Just keep running. Oh, and I don’t let myself walk. Sometimes I am ‘running’ so slow that it LOOKS like I am walking, but I am not. We call it the ‘granny run’ cause I am sure Grannys can run faster!
I ran in my first color run this past weekend. Amazing. But really, its hard to run there cause there are so many people. Its more like a walog (walk/jog). My advice? Wear a costume and take the girls. They will love it )the bigs, anyway!). I will be posting photos of the albuquerque new mexico race later today on my blog.
In all honesty, running as made me like myself so much more than I ever thought possible. I am taking control of ME, losing weight (28 pounds so far since April) and a bucketload of inches off my waist. I am so proud of myself (and that isn’t something that happens too often).
Keep it up. You can do this.
So proud of you! I just made the switch to a healthier lifestyle about two weeks ago to get rid of this baby weight I still have since my baby is almost one, LOL! I’ll be right with ya!
um, lobster rolls are the exception.:) 🙂
This is awesome! I recently completed the C25K program (app) and I loved it. The day I ran for 30 minutes straight?? I was so proud of myself. I ran my first 5K a couple of weeks ago – slow and steady – it felt great (at the end, the whole time it just felt hard, I can’t lie). Anyway, go you! You’re being such an awesome example for your girls!!
Girl, the only time I could touch my toes was in the 5 weeks after I had the baby. I’m happy to report I can no longer touch my toes again. LOL
LOL! not even close Steph!! You have 4 little girls, twins to boot, move often, manage the house/family on your own for long stretches of time and do all of that with style and grace…..that is badass my friend.
Re: running….#1 piece of advice I can give you is start slow and easy and be consistent. I’m thinking a double jogging stroller would be a good purchase for you!
I started running in May. I did a 5k in June and one in July. I love running and I love that I actually can get out and do it … see, I am 103lbs. {Don’t kill me.} But I had no energy, no “health” … I was {naturally}skinny, but I was not strong. It’s been a year this week that I got off of all sugar. I didn’t substitute with honey or artifical stuff. I just started eating real FOOD. Touching my toes was an actualy goal for me. It took one month off of sugar to see a difference, two months to be hooked. And it took a little while for me to step at and push my body with the running. {Before I would get ill if I pushed myself too hard.} I feel worlds better. I’m still skinny as a pole, but I’m strong and I’m happy! 🙂 I run with my mom, by the way! So good luck on your adventures!!
I am trying to do the same with my girls, they swim at the Y while I workout,
they can attend Zumba and other classes with me as well!
we also do family walks and we need to get ava a new bike so she can ride again, the little
stinker is now 5ft 1/2″ so she outgrew her tiny bike!
we love to do hikes, but unfortunately no place for hikes here, which is a bummer, because it’s such a pretty area!
xoxo keep going girl!
tara
I *never* thought I would be a runner (I started running when I was 42), but now it is key to keeping my sanity when life gets overwhelming. It is so calming and peaceful sometimes (I know, hard to believe! But true, especially on long training runs). A great resource is the Run Like a Mother blog, as well as their Facebook page. The book is excellent, too. I’m excited to read about your progress!
melissa priest, this is the most inspiring thing ive read in a LONG time. thank you so much…and a huge CONGRATULATIONS! xoxo
awesome.thank you SO much for all of these resources!
Love the ‘rock’ comment and those shoes.
I too am married to someone in the military and he’s fit and healthy. So you’d think it would be easy to want to work out and stuff 😀
OK, that makes me feel better about your plan :))
Signed up for the Color Run in Nov here in Hawaii. It’s my first 5K and I’m super excited and nervous! We’ve been trying to eat more ‘real’ food, I try to avoid the middle aisles in the grocery store and shop meat, produce, dairy. We make a lot of our own snacks now, fruit leather and granola bites. Less waste and better food!
Good for you, Stephanie!! We too are determined to change our habits for the better. My hubby had a heart attack last month, at 42. FORTY-TWO! We’ve been saying all along that we need to start setting better examples and taking better care of ourselves… nothing like FEAR to get you motivated! We’ve been doing the clean eating, low sodium, etc for about a month now and trying to incorporate more movement into our lives! Move more, eat less – never a better philosophy! Good luck to you (and me!) and if you ever need someone to commiserate – give me a call! 🙂
Love this! That’s how hubby and I are. We don’t have kids yet, but want to eat healthy just for us. Not lose pounds. Not be obsessed. Just be healthy! Good luck!
The day I started seeing weight loss as a healthy life style rather than a number on the scale was the day I began my 70lb journey. Yep, lost 70 lbs the old fashioned way (without surgery)….I run about 10 miles a week and do various other things, too. Happy, healthy, and not obsessed by the numbers anymore. Okay, maybe I am obsessed with the number of how far I have run but I think it’s a better obsession. 😉
thanks, heather, checking them all out!
Hi Steph!
I too am commited to clean-eating and living a healthy fit life.. I have been following this blog alot as she cooks for four kids and I am cooking for five..
http://fitnessfoodandstyle.blogspot.com.au/
I also love the recipes found here:
http://www.thehealthychef.com/category/recipes/
I too am not up for turning my blog into a ‘diet blog’..But am starting to share some of my new goals and fitness achievements now and then…
GOOD LUCK!
YOU GO GIRL!!!!!! Proud of you!!!!!
Sounds perfect 🙂
Wonderful blog post! I recently decided I needed to get off my butt and start exercising. I had a baby 9+ months ago, and am still wearing sweatpants and loose shirts because I haven’t put in the effort to lose the last 15 pounds of baby weight. I have so many excuses– it’s difficult with a baby, can’t afford gym membership, rain, etc. Throw in several house hunting trips, packing, a move across several states, and unpacking, and you could fill a book with my excuses! I signed up for a local couch to 10k program and am on week 2. Our goals are a 5k in October, and a 10k in November. I love the idea of a color run– I’ve been looking into that myself and it sounds so fun! I feel good about myself for starting a program, and am excited for the results I hope to have. Plus it’s giving me an opportunity to meet people (I’ve only lived here a couple of months). Your post is inspiring me to also include food in this journey– I need to change the way I eat and make it habit because I want to live a long healthy life for my son, and need to set an example for him.