“One small change can lead to another,

forming a spiral of success.”

Leo Babauta {Zen Habits}

I have a confession to make…

I am a chubby vegan.

Okay, just kidding!

I’m not 100% vegan anymore,

but I do try to eat as vegan as possible when home.

Who would have thought you could cut out all meat, eggs and dairy and still have weight issues?

Hmm…

guess what?

That’s me!

Yes, I LOVE vegetables…

I LOVE  lentils,

I LOVE beans…

I like fruit….

but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE sweets!!

I LOVE Starbucks,

I LOVE cookies and cake and brownies…

Eating sweets have become my vice.

We all have one, right?!!

I have had four kids.

I have never struggled with my weight like this until after baby #4

{although mr. amazing was worth every extra pound – wink, wink}!  

Something tells me that it’s just this vicious cycle

in my life right now of being stressed out

{just like all mothers are}

and not finding enough time in the day to make myself a decent healthy meal,

but instead feeding my body with leftover bits of food on the kids plates…

or worse yet…

going through much of the day on a cup of coffee and not much else.

3 p.m. rolls around and I am ravenous…

therefore gorging on whatever food I can get my hands on

to banish the shakiness that comes from low-blood sugar.

I also tend to go to bed really late.

I love that mommy time when the kids go to bed and the house is finally quiet.

I either work on our blog,

rummage through the web,

or settle on the couch for some t.v. time that doesn’t require any mental effort.

It is on these couch nights…

{especially when Husby is at work for a few days},

that I find a large bowl of ice cream in my hands.

Without any thought I dig in,

and before long,

find myself scraping the sides of the bowl with my spoon…

finished.

It’s a dreadful cycle…

really.

One that I have known for sometime now that I needed to break.

 ***********************************

About eight months ago,

I stopped nursing Finn.

I seriously gained more than ten pounds in the two months thereafter.

I knew that I needed to pick up the exercise,

{because this had happened to me in the past},

but clearly I didn’t.

Now…

with my 35^th birthday approaching,

I decided the time is now to focus on implementing some small healthy habits.

Taking the advice of some of my dearest friends,

I arranged to have a physical and have blood work done.

Honestly…

between you and me…

I was praying for a thyroid issue to explain my weight gain

{surely it wasn’t the extra coffee and sweets I had been eating!!}.

I know it’s horrible to silently pray that you have a thyroid issue…

but come on girls…

don’t we all secretly think that could be our issue and explanation for those love handles??

Well…

as you may have guessed…

it wasn’t mine

{*sigh*}.

It must be the cookies… cake… brownies… ice cream….chocolate…. and coffee.

I have 20 pounds to lose.

{perhaps I shouldn’t focus on the number}….

I have some extra heaviness to lose

{especially in my mid-section},

that’s been a bit of a struggle to deal with when doing certain yoga positions.

I don’t feel as light on my feet as I should.

I’m lacking some energy in the mid-afternoon,

and get a bit out of breath when carrying Finn up our three flights of stairs.

It’s time for a change.

Instead of doing anything too crazy drastic,

I am going to focus on a few babysteps.

I’ve always been a bit obsessed with nutrition books,

and have even spent some time with a wonderful nutritionist

who taught me lots of valuable information.

I know what works for my body,

so really it’s just making the hard commitment

and putting a little more focus and time into myself.

Small changes = Big Results {over time}…

so here is my plan for better health:

**Note: click on the bolded, all capitalized words for more detailed research/information**

1. Increase my water consumption

2. Work on getting more sleep

3. Incorporate stress relief

 {massage, yoga, meditation, breathing techniques}

4. Consistent exercise

 {my focus will be on hot yoga, walking/running}

5. Attempt mindful eating

6. Focus on Portion control

7. Incorporating low-glycemic index foods into my diet

8. Linking proteins with carbohydrates for more balanced meals

9. Adding more fiber throughout the day

10. Attempting to eliminate the white stuff in my diet

{white sugar and flour}

  ***********************************

“Your health is what you make of it.

Everything you do and think

either adds to

the vitality, energy and spirit you possess

or takes away from it.”

{Ann Wigmore}

 ***********************************

Although I sincerely wish I could make all of these vital changes at once,

I am trying to be realistic.

I am going to implement a few of the 10 steps I listed,

little-by-litte,

and see how it goes.

I will keep you updated along the way,

and try to point out specific things that I found to work to make these babysteps a bit easier.

I am going back to my doctor in three months for a WEIGHT CHECK!!

Seriously embarrassing,

but I am glad that he is holding me accountable.

That is about the time I will be turning 35.

Fingers crossed that I have the motivation and willpower to do this!

I am hopefully optimistic that I will have good news of a more healthful me

to share with you soon!