Exercise

I had read while researching about Denver, that it is one of the healthiest cities in the US. It is very outdoor oriented with walking trails everywhere and so family friendly. Like most things I read, I take it with a grain of salt, figuring that they will write a lot of things to make the area look good. Well, it is proving to be true. We are lucky to live in an apartment complex that butts right up to a major trail. I ventured out on a sunny day and took a walk with the kids to see where it might lead us. I found a portion of the trail that took us on a large loop and back around to our apartments. I'm estimating that round trip it is about 2 miles. Just perfect for someone needing to walk but not so overwhelming that I would quit within the first day or two. By the end of the walk, I was begging and literally dragging the kids back to the house. 2 miles is just a little far for their little bodies. My kids had outgrown the strollers I had for them so when we moved I got rid of them. I had been eyeballing a wagon for a while now that I thought would work great for pulling the kids but still allow them easy access to get in and out as they wanted. This past weekend I made it a priority to get one before the money was spent elsewhere. Monday, I went and bought some new walking shoes and yesterday I ventured out with all these tools. It worked out great! I feel so motivated to walk more often. We have more days of sunshine than not, the whole culture here is centered around outdoor life and getting out, and I now have the tools to walk as I want to. I didn't realize how much overcast skies kept me in the habit of staying inside. We have also not lived in an area that was convenient or condusive to walking. I was always afraid that someone would run me or the kids over.

I've also decided that next week I'm going to start this family on a diet and eat healthier. I'm feeling motivated and so far have been following through so I'm going to run with the motivation. Please pray that I stay committed and continue on the right path. I found a website (SparkPeople) that has weekly menus all ready to go. What is great is that if there is a food that you don't like or a meal you know you won't eat, you can easily click on it to substitue something else before printing it out. It is a healthy diet plan in that it is heavy on fruits and vegetables and good for you, lean meat options. It isn't a crash diet where you barely eat anything. It helps you stay at a healthy goal which for me is 1700-1800 calories a day. So you aren't starving yourself. Most of the foods are things that I think the kids will eat so I am going to have them join me for the most part so they get used to eating more fruits and vegetables and get them in the habit of healthy eating early in life. Being the age they are, I am definately not going to put them on a "diet", just try to change their eating habits to something more healthy. They love things like yogurt, wheat bread, and cheese anyway so I don't think it will be hard.

I'm not sure what it is, but I feel this time will be different for me. I don't think this new motivation is going to be a fad. I think God is really changing my heart to help me get off my butt and get moving. I think location has a lot to do with it too. Sunshine is really a great thing and a wonderful motivator. I love that we get all the sunshine but not the heat. (At least not yet, we'll have to see how the summer turns out.) I don't spend half as much time on the computer as I used to and my housekeeping has improved tremendously. I'll keep you all posted on my health and *crosses fingers* weight loss. Keep us in your prayers!