Healthy Living Update

I am starting my 5th week of Weight Watchers. So far, so good. I have notice the weight is not coming off as fast anymore, but that is to be expected. I have hit a pretty steady weight loss. That is a much healthier approach, and I believe what will make the difference in this being a lifestyle change.

As far as meals go, I have been cooking a LOT of fresh, seasonal vegetables. My Dad has a garden, and right now zucchini, squash, cucumbers and okra are in full season, so we eat a combination of those almost every day! I roast, grill, saute. Whatever sounds good for the night. We have been using a lot of the Mrs. Dash salt-free seasoning blends to change up the flavors. Amazingly, I think our grocery bill has actually decreased. Because we are not buying hardly anything that is processed or frozen, and trying to eat fresh, seasonal produce. Also, I have been putting more thought into meals so that we aren't as wasteful. I eat a lot of leftovers for lunches, too. For examples, when I make turkey burgers, I will put the extras in a container in the fridge. Then at lunch I can pop one in the toaster oven with a slice of reduced-fat cheese, and serve it over a bed of greens, topped with tomatoes and onion. YUM!

I have also been trying to increase my weekly workouts. My goal has been to "work-out" at least four times a week. Whether this is in the gym or by riding our bikes, I want to get some type of physical activity where I am out of breath and sweating. I also have some videos that I can do at home. I recently bought a new yoga mat, block and strap so I can start working on my stretching. Yoga was a great way for me to change my body, in that it helped elongate my muscles and give me that "lean" look I am striving for. So my goal is to get back into that, although there are not any classes offered around here. I guess I am on my own!

It helps greatly that I have a wonderful support system at home. Jay has made a drastic change in his lifestyle. I am so unbelievably proud of him! He has made some serious changes, and the difference in his body is already amazing. We both decided this was something we wanted to do for not only ourselves, but our future children. I don't want to be so tired and sluggish that when I do get pregnant I am miserable. We also both want to be able to run around and play with our kids, not just come home and plop down on the couch because we are tired.

So here is to the next few weeks, I guess. I still would like to lose about 15 more pounds, give or take. Once I get to that point, I would like to go into maintenance and see where my body "naturally" falls within a few pound range.