**If you have questions about this post, let me know. This Healthy Habits Challenge is something my sister and her husband put together for their clients and anyone else who wanted to join in. I chose to be a part of it. I didn't think it would change much about my life, but I was wrong. I never considered myself as an unhealthy person, but this was exactly what it says it is: a challenge. Who knew?? :) They are planning on starting another 7 week Challenge some time in April. I'm not trying to sell anything to anyone- this was an email I sent to them, documenting my experiences of the last seven weeks. I'm putting it here for journaling purposes so I'll remember how I felt. Each person who wanted to take part in the challenge paid $20; $15 of which went into a pool with everyone else's money. Whoever has the most points at the end of the 7 weeks wins the pool of money. It may sound cool, but this turned out to be something more than trying to win. I'm serious when I say I feel better than I did seven weeks ago. This has been great for both me and my family.**
I can hardly believe the 7 weeks is over. It went by faster than I ever could have imagined. Honestly, if you had asked me at the beginning of this challenge if I thought I could hold myself to it, I would have given myself a 50/50 chance of sticking with it. When you look at me, I don't seem like the typical "Healty Habits Challenge" person. I'm not trying to lose weight; if anything, I look like I could stand to gain a few pounds! I didn't think that I ate that badly before the challenge. I typically run to stay in shape, but after a stress fracture in my foot last fall, I really lost all motivation to get out and do anything. I really just needed a push to start exercising again. Being held accountable to someone felt like the easiest way for me to get up and do what I needed to be doing. The other stuff that came along with the challenge seemed like the easy part.
I WAS WRONG.
The first week of the challenge was miserable. I craved the sugar that I wasn't getting from the junk I didn't realize I ate everyday. I'm not a soda-aholic, but I do love soda and drink it a few times during the week. My treat to myself after my kids go to bed each night is some kind of sweet or a drink of some kind of soda and cutting that out was very difficult. And it wasn't just the treat, but eating at all at night that was hard (especially with a husband who is a late night snacker). I wanted chocolate so badly that I had to get rid of any that was in my house so I didn't cheat. My head ached everyday that first week. 64 ounces of water doesn't seem like that much on paper, but when your body isn't used to having it, it feels like torture to get it all down. There were nights that I felt I was gagging it down just to get the amount in for the day. And I was constantly running to the bathroom because my bladder couldn't take the extra amount. I felt like I was pregnant again! I never realized that I wasn't getting enough fruits and vegetables in a day until I started counting. My entire life seemed to be turned upside down by counting everything that went into my body. Exercise became the least of my worries. I may have had a perfect first week, but I wondered how I was going to make it the next six weeks.
I was actually shocked to find that the second week was easier than the first. The water went down faster and easier each day and eventually I found I was drinking more than 64 ounces. My need to eat at night was dissovling as I changed my eating habits throughout the day. I found with each passing day and week that I wasn't even hungry after dinner. I was snacking less during the day and eating bigger meals to compensate without even realizing it. I was shopping differently each week, with my focus on what I could eat and not what my family might like to eat. As a result, they started eating differently. My kids started trying things I didn't think they would eat and they liked the majority of it! I was exercising regularly, sleeping better at night, and waking up with less trouble in the morning. And as I started exercising regularly, Andrew started exercising with more regularity (which I didn't think would ever happen). As much as he didn't think he wanted to take part in this challenge, he really was eating everything I was, sleeping almost as much as I was, and was exercising more than he has in a very long time. It was great! My "free" days became much like every other day. I had my treat each week, but was less satsified with it than I had remembered. My body started to need the water and even though I wasn't watching the amount, I was still drinking more than usual.
Last week we took our kids to Disneyland and I had soda with my lunch. I took two sips from the straw and was done- I didn't even want it.
I chose to organize my home as my personal goal for this challenge. I told myself that I needed to go through one drawer, cupboard, closet, pile, etc. in my house each day. It was amazing. It broke down a daunting task to a manageable task in no time. My house felt cleaner, more organized, more under control and it was absolutely satisfying. I took more trips to DI in the last seven weeks than you can imagine. There were some days that I didn't want to stop what I was doing because it felt so good.
I'm amazed at how many people have shown interest in what I've been doing. Everyone asks when I pass up a dessert or stop eating at a certain time of night. When I hit a late night movie with girlfriends and don't get any snacks from the snackbar, but instead pull my water bottle from my purse. When I smile and thank my friends for bringing cookies on Valentine's Day and tell them my kids will love them. So many people want to be better, but don't have the motivation or the know-how to start. This is the way to start. It's straightforward, with no hidden agendas. You are doing it for you, which is the whole reason to start in the first place!
I have learned far more than I thought I would in the last seven weeks. I learned that I have more willpower than I thought I did. I put everything I had into this challenge. I told myself that it wasn't worth doing if I didn't give it my all. And if I cheated and snuck a treat here and there, it wasn't worth doing the challenge at all. I woke up this morning and thought, "I'm done. What will I eat for breakfast now that I'm free to eat what I want?" And what I wanted was a bowl of plain Cheerios with fresh blueberries on top. Seven weeks has done its job. I didn't feel any cravings today for the food I used to eat so easily. I wanted a snack this afternoon and instead of grabbing chips or Girl Scout Cookies, I grabbed a handful of carrots because I wanted to. I am truly amazed by the differences I see in myself. As far as continuing on: this has become a part of my life. It's become the way I do things in my home and for my family. I may be a little more relaxed in my counting, but I know this will stick with me. I feel great. How could I ever go back?
Monday, March 5, 2012
"Healthy Habits Challenge"
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 10:49 PM 2 comments
Friday, November 4, 2011
I don't usually post pictures of myself, but I had a request to see my new hair color. I'm not terribly photogenic. That being said, I'm not looking for compliments. It's just a statement of fact and I'm OK with that. There's nothing wrong with being better looking in person than in pictures. :) It's actually why Quin is in the picture. Despite the fact that his shirt is dirty, he needs a haircut, and his face had some unknown substance on it, he is still pretty cute and I figure people will want to look at him instead of me...
I've never had hair this dark. I think I like it. Andrew had a bit of an adjustment after it was done. He usually doesn't care what I do to my hair, but will admit that he likes it blonde, if he has his say (which, when it comes to my hair, he rarely does). He attributes it to the fact that I was a legitimate blonde when he met me. As I've gotten older and with every passing pregnancy, my hair gets darker and darker. It's just too much work to keep it blonde anymore.
My kids thought it was a little weird at first, until I pointed out that it looked more like Callie now and that made her happy. It also made Leah angry. She has asked me to dye it back to normal and has also asked me to dye hers the same dark color so we can look more alike again. Silly girls. My sister-in-law told me that it makes me look more like my sisters, who all have darker hair. Go figure.
Anyway, here it is. It will probably stay this way for awhile.... probably. :)
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 6:55 AM 5 comments
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Kolob Reservoir
A couple weekends ago we went up to Kolob Reservoir with Michelle, Steve and the cousins. We missed the fall colors by a good two weeks and it was COLD! OK, it felt cold to us, which probably meant it was normal for most people in the fall. The drive up was great. It takes you around the backside of Zion National Park and actually through the park at one point. It was really beautiful. We found a place to stop, had lunch, and threw lots of rocks into the water. Quinten would have been happy to do that the whole time we were there.
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 6:17 AM 3 comments
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Tuacahn's The Little Mermaid
I took the girls to see The Little Mermaid at Tuacahn on October 18th. It was truly out of luck that we got to go at all. I put off getting tickets this summer, thinking that it would be easier to wait until the fall when it had cooled off to take them. They had been asking for ages, mostly because Andrew and I had seen it on the first day it was out with some of his friends from work. The girls wanted their turn, of course. I was in no rush, however, to sit through it again. (Selfish, I know). It's not that I didn't like it- it's just that there have been others that I have liked better. But, it was a well-done show and I knew the girls would love it. So, the beginning of September rolled around and we found out that Andrea was coming to visit and she wanted to go with all the girl cousins to see it. Michelle and I started looking into tickets, only to find that every show was sold out till the end of the season. Popular show, huh? So we broke the bad news to the girls, who were mad at me, of course. But, what could be done?? Nothing. Then one morning the beginning of October I was taking Leah to preschool and I heard on the radio that they were opening up one more show on a Tuesday night (it played on Mon, Wed, and Fri all summer and fall) and tickets went on sale that day. As soon as I got home, I got online and bought tickets. The girls were thrilled. Quinten was mad when he learned he was staying home with Dad. Typical, I suppose. :)
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 5:27 PM 2 comments
Alexa's Piano Recital
Alexa's piano recital was a couple week back. It's always in October and the piano students all dress up. It's lots of fun. Alexa did a great job on her piano piece. She has really started to improve and sound like she knows what she is doing in the last few months! Her songs are getting harder, but she is keeping up with them. She loves to practice... sometimes a little too much. There are a few songs that are her favorites and I would be happy if she would forget them. Her teacher is my good friend, Heather. Usually I try to get a picture of Heather and Alexa together, but Quin was a crazy man and we needed to get out of the building as fast as possible or he probably would've broken something expensive. Heather is a great teacher- we love her so much!!
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 5:16 PM 1 comments
Halloween 2011
I'm so glad Halloween is over. It's far from my favorite holiday and it seems to last longer and longer every year. This I had to dress up kids for a piano recital, two different dance classes, the church party, the school parties (which were on Friday instead of Monday), a preschool party, and the actual Halloween night. I am done. Very, very done. Leah decided to change her mind halfway through the week long event, which I was actually glad about. She was going to be Little Red Riding Hood first. Then we went and saw the Little Mermaid at Tuacahn and she decided to be Ariel (as seen above). Then, after one day of Ariel she decided to be a witch. The witch is the easiest by far and I was glad it finally stuck.
Ahh- there's the hat. Good thing her hat covered her crazy hair. That is what I love best about this costume: I didn't have to try to tame her crazy hair into anything other than what it was. Actually, there is a great possibility that her hair never even got combed on Monday....
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 10:03 AM 2 comments
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Farm
Andrea and Mike came to visit during UEA this year. The weather was great and we got to do some fun things with them. Actually, the weather was so good that we even went swimming at Green Valley one day! We spent Saturday afternoon at the farm- it was a lot of fun, but so hot! I was glad to get in our air conditioned car when we left! And, you'll be able to tell by the pictures that towards the end, everyone was worn out. Above is a group shot just before we went it. You can see that the sun was too bright and we had a hard time getting everyone with their eyes open.
I guess if you're in to John Deere, you can find the stuff anywhere. There were Little John Deere trikes and ride ons, stick horses, etc. And this thing, which Quinten loved. It was actually Lex's idea to get all four of them on it for a picture. Doesn't Quin look happy?
The girls, minus Amber, all took turns riding horses. This is Breanna and Alexa.
Group shot in front of the scarecrow sign.
This picture was the last picture I took and really should have gone at the end. You can see that everyone looks hot and slightly irritated. It was on the ride back from the corn maze. It was time to go, I think.
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 5:04 PM 1 comments
Sunday, October 9, 2011
More Leah-isms
When I said there were funny things my kids say that I didn't want to forget, maybe it would have been more accurate to say that Leah says funny things that I don't want to forget. Here's a couple more:
Yesterday we have two soccer games. When we got home from Callie's in the afternoon, Andrew cut the lawn, so the kids played outside. It was a beautiful day and the sun felt great. When it was time to come in, Leah's entire backside was soaked. My first assumption was that she had peed her pants because she was too busy to come in and go to the bathroom. She denied this, of course, but couldn't tell us why she was all wet. Andrew and I were both trying to get her to tell us exactly how it happened. Finally, after she had changed her clothes and was back in the living room she said, "You really want to know the truth? My butt was hot, so I had to pour water from a water bottle on it." That girl is crazy.
We went to the High School football game on Friday night because Callie was doing cheer during the halftime show. It was late when we left for home and we kept trying to convince everyone that they needed to sleep in on Saturday morning, except for Alexa, who had a 9AM soccer game. So, Leah's solution to that was, "You have to sleep out, Lex, not sleep in." It makes perfect sense, I suppose- the opposite of in is out. It just sounded so funny when she said it.
Quinten couldn't get enough of the football game. He was upset we left before he could properly say goodbye to the team. All through the parking lot to the car he was near tears saying, "I didn't say goodbye to the Panthers." I guess we need to make it a point to take him to more games if that is all it takes to make him happy.
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 5:43 PM 3 comments
Scripture Cookies
So, Alexa has been asking for the last couple weeks to make scripture cookies from a recipe her Grandma Louisa gave her. You know the ones- you look up the scripture and it has an ingredient to add to the bowl to make the cookies. We finally did it today. She looked up the scriptures and read them, got the ingredient, then I would add it to the bowl. I'm ashamed to say that I am a pathetic excuse for a mother when it comes to making cookies. I know this for the sheer fact that while the cookies were in the oven all three of my girls were saying things like, "Wow. This is so fun. We haven't done this in a really long time." OR, "All we usually do is make cookies from a mix. This is way better!" Yikes. I was totally called out without them even realizing it.
I do have a fairly legitimate excuse for not being a "cookie baking mom"... so let me fill you in. Andrew and I got married 11 years ago. For the first two and a half years it was just us. And when Alexa was born, she obviously couldn't eat cookies or cake or pie for at least nine months. So, it was over three years where if I made anything sweet, it was just Andrew and I to eat it. I learned very quickly that if I made anything that resembled dessert, Andrew would typically eat a token piece of whatever it was as soon as it was done, then he wouldn't touch it after that. At first I think I was offended, until I realized that he'd rather sit down with a bag of chips or a bowl of popcorn before he'd sit with anything that contained sugar. So, if I made anything he'd have a piece and I'd finish it off over the course of the next few days. Eating a whole raspberry pie (minus one piece) isn't good for anyone. Sometimes I couldn't eat whatever it was before it would go bad or stale and then I was just throwing food away. So, I just stopped making stuff. If I wanted it, I'd buy a cookie mix that only made two dozen cookies instead of six dozen. If I wanted brownies, I'd buy the Betty Crocker single mix that goes in the microwave (I'm not picky :)) and eat it when I wanted it. And even now I frequent the cupcake store if I'm really in the mood for a cakebite or a cupcake. I guess over the years I've forgotten that maybe my kids need and want the experience of having homemade treats in the house. The funny thing is, I'm actually a fairly good cook. I may not like it much, but I'm completely capable of doing it. And sometimes I wonder if I don't really enjoy it because I've always got a baby competing for my time, so I feel rushed in the kitchen. I'm always looking for the fast, easy out so I can get to everything and everyone that needs my time. Maybe as my kids get older I will change my mind.
I have sisters who are incredibly talented when it comes to homemaking... even when they have babies. I didn't get that gene- I'm too much like my mom. I actually think that is a good thing. My mom is the best and I have no problems with being just like her. I hope that someday my kids will recognize I taught them the importance of learning and reading, music, exercise, service, self-reliance and a million other things. I figure if it really means that much to my kids to learn the "crafty" side of motherhood, they can hang out with my sisters every summer and learn all there is to know. :)
My new resolve is to make something homemade once a month for the sake of my kids. Once a month, you say? That's not much to some of you, but for me it's a step in the right direction.
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 5:03 PM 3 comments
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Funny Little Things...
Sometimes my kids just make me laugh. They say things that I always think to myself, "I need to remember that and write it down so I don't forget." And then life happens, I don't write it down and I forget. So, here are a few of them so I will remember them with fondness in years to come... and possibly torture them with the memories. :)
Leah slept in footed pajamas last night even though I thought she was going to be too hot. As it turned out, it was a cool night and we woke up to a chilly 73 degrees in our house. (That's the lowest it's been since probably March, so to us it was cold.) She came out of her room this morning and the pajamas were unzipped to her belly button. She laughed and said, "Look, I slept like this." I said, "Well, I'm sure you were still warm enough," to which she replied, "Indeed, I was." Truly. She even used it in the right context... I was so proud. :)
Quinten came running out of his room the other night with a fistful of money from someone's piggy bank. He said, "Look Mom! Look at all my money." I, of course responded with, "Wow. Where did you get all that?" He said, "In my room. Except the rest of it fell down the butt crack of my bed." The girls were in hysterics and I had a hard time keeping a straight face.
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 7:48 PM 2 comments
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Leah Jayne
Leah started preschool about a month ago. I can hardly believe that this is her last year and next year she will be in Kindergarten! Wow. I am trying to decide if she's ready for that... or better yet, if I'm ready for that. Three kids in elementary school?! Yikes. Last year I signed up to help on the first day of school for her. I knew she would be nervous and it would help the transition if I was there. I decided to do the same thing this year. Leah's class hadn't changed much- a couple kids gone with a few new additions. I think that helped make her feel better about it. The biggest thing I was worried about was that her friend, Shane, wasn't going to be there. She took it better than I thought she would and we've moved on to playing with other kids at school. Every day when I pick her up I ask her who she played with at recess. Typically, it's a girl named Callista. I'm just glad she's playing with the girls this year! :)
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 9:49 PM 3 comments
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Our Super Quick Trip
Last weekend we went up to SLC to say goodbye to my sister, Siri, and her family. They are now living in the flat (or so she tells me) state of Wisconsin. It will be the first time in many, many, many years that she and I haven't lived near each other and the first time I haven't had another family member living in Utah with me. I'll be honest, it makes me sad. Even though SLC is four hours from here, it is still close enough to know that we can see each other if we need or want to. Wisconsin is a flying trip only and those won't happen nearly as much. I will miss her, but I am happy for this new experience they will have.
I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I should have while were there. Acually, these pictures at Bridalveil Falls on our way out of town were the only pictures I took.
It will be odd to go to Salt Lake and not see Siri and her family anymore. She was the reason we went there. I guess it will make trips up North fewer and farther between.
Posted by Andrew and Cori at 7:56 PM 0 comments