Our insurance company is AWESOME. They have a fitness program that issues challenges every 2 months. If you and your spouse complete each challenge for the entire year then they will SEND YOU A CHECK FOR $400!!! Okay I'm not a very good new years resolution keeper - being fit has never been something I'm motivated to do - I love to sleep! But if FITNESS isn't enough of a motivator, $400 IS!! BUT this first challenge has been a DOOZY. EXERCISE 30 MIN A DAY FOR 5 DAYS A WEEK - AND - NO SUGAR. PERIOD. We can eat things like jam and honey - but we can't have dessert things. We have to replace soda with water and we have to replace things like candy, cookies, and other sweet things with fruit and vegetables. I can't believe how ADDICTED to sugar I had become - especially over the holidays! The first week nearly did me in - but now 1 month into the challenge - I really don't crave the sweet stuff anymore. Oh sure there is a night here and there when we've put the kids to bed and would LOVE to reach for a bowl of chocolate ice cream or cookies and milk. But instead we've had fresh fruit smoothies or a small bowl of wheat chex. Amazingly enough neither Paul nor I have missed sugar as much as we thought we would and we both feel SO MUCH BETTER!!
The second part of the challenge - exercise - really HAS been a challenge for me. Unfortunately running after a 3 yr. old and a 1 yr. old doesn't count as exercise (I beg to differ). I really thought I didn't have enough energy to workout after taking care of the kids and the house - but I was wrong. Working out has helped me to feel SO MUCH BETTER. I'm less sore and stiff at the end of the day. I feel better about myself. I really hated working out before. I hate going to the gym. I can't run on our elyptical when the kids are awake because of little fingers, but when they sleep (which is rarely at the same time) I want to sleep too!
I found that by breaking up the routine and doing new things each day - it's doable. I started recording aerobics and yoga on TV and doing them with the kids. THEY LOVE IT! Rachel jumps up and down in jumping jacks with me when I'm doing aerobics and Ben climbs on me when I'm trying to fold myself into a pretzel during yoga - not much of a help but hilariously funny. Every day Rachel wakes up and says, "C'mon Mom time to exercise!"
What more motivation could you ask for? ($400 helps too.)
2 comments:
About freaking time....I have been wondering what the crap y'all were doing....I have missed your blogs. Primary, and babies and healthy...oh my! You are amazing getting all healthy and doing yoga. That is awesome. I love you soooooooooo much! Talk soon.
Hey Nat. I was wondering where you guys had gone. I really need to cut out sugar too. I love this new exercise plan that you have going. Thanks for the motivation. I wish I had $400 behind mine too. :)
We really need to get together next time you're in town. Any ideas on when that will be?
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