healthy

I am writing this post because the topic of health has been on my mind a lot since I became a stay-at-home-mom, and I hope you will not be offended by anything I say. In fact, I hope you will find something I write useful so that you can apply it to your everyday life. I promise being healthy is easier than you think.

I started walking with the girls the day Tim began work. A lot of people my age knock walking because they see it as a cop out to jogging, running, biking, hiking, etc. I would like to say to those people, "Try walking with a 20 lb. stroller, a 30 lb. toddler and a 15 lb. baby." It is exhausting and by the time my 45 minutes are up, I am sweating just as much or more than I do on one of my runs. Yes, I still run by myself aside from the walking, but I find so much pleasure on my walks. While I do speed walk, I find myself looking up and around more than I do when I run. I notice more clouds, animals and people. Walking is a great exercise, and I am now trying to instill a desire to walk in Mya. I make her get out of the stroller on the last part of the walk just so she can get a little exercise. According to letsmove.gov, children need 60 minutes of active exercise. She likes it as long as I don't go too fast and allow her to climb on poles or electric boxes. So if you don't know where to start when it comes to exercise, try walking for at least 30 minutes. Breathe in some much needed fresh air to begin or end your day. One of my favorite things to do with Tim is to walk after dinner. That same website above encourages families to walk after each meal. Try it. I promise you will love your family and your body a little bit more.

Two weeks ago, a woman stopped me on my walk. She was waiting for the school bus with her kids. In one hand she held a half smoked cigarette and a large bottle of pop in the other hand. She stopped me to teach her children a lesson. In her words she said, "See her kids...be like her. She is healthy. You don't want to end up like me." I smiled and waved as I quickly started on my walk again. Her words bothered me so much. She was a rather large woman, and I felt so frustrated that she wanted her kids to learn good behavior from a total stranger rather than from her. I have seen her multiple times since, and it is always the same scene everyday.

I want to tell her, "Lady, get off your rump and walk your kids to school (It's less than a 1/2 mile away), grab a water instead of pop seeing as it is only 8 in the morning, and stop smoking." I understand there are medical reasons for some obesity, but I feel like this woman is making a conscious decision to live like she does. I feel like it is a decision for a lot of people. It frustrates me. I get so much slack for being skinny, but can I tell you something? I am not that skinny. I am healthy, yes, but not overly skinny. I am actually just where I need to be for my height. Most of the people who bother me about my weight are not where they need to be physically. I am an easy target for people who are uncomfortable with themselves. Well, I am writing this because I want people to know how I try to live a healthy lifestyle and how simple it is to change a few bad habits.

My best friend just lost several pounds. She looks amazing (although I think she has always looked great). When I asked her how she did it, she wrote, "Weighed myself and cried...haha. I just got down to business with my diet and exercise." I laughed so hard when I got her text because I thought of how many times people get on scales and cry or sigh and silently make a goal to do something about it but forget about their goal the moment they get to breakfast. My friend stuck with it. And I believe you can too if you really make simple goals.

Here are a few tips that I try to live by:
1. Choose water over juice or pop (Tim loves pop so it is almost always in the house, I just choose water)
2. Walk (or do whatever brisk activity you like) 30 minutes a day
3. Eat smaller portions sizes (I always size up my plate when I eat out. I decide what I will and will not eat before I even begin eating. I choose to leave with a to-go box.)
4. Eat at home whenever possible (We ate out a lot in Provo because of my work schedule, but I feel like we are eating so many more veggies and whole grains since I am cooking more.)
5. When eating ice cream, follow the serving size on the container (usually a 1/4 or 1/2 cup). (I love ice cream and refuse to cut it from my diet, so I just eat it earlier in the evening and eat a very small portion.)
6. Careful with breads (My friend cut out bread whenever possible. I am terrible at this because I am a sucker for rolls, but I just avoid making rolls except for special occasions.)
7. Find a small, sweet treat to satisfy the sweet craving after meals (A meal is not complete without something sweet. I love chocolate chips so I eat four chips after lunch and dinner and it usually satisfies my desire for anything else.)
8. Buy a really good mirror (I hate scales. They make me anxious so I have a really good, honest mirror. I feel like it speaks to me. I will not wear anything it tells me is hugging me too tight or sagging too much. When things are too tight, I instantly find the need to up my exercising time.)
9. Ask for dressing on the side and always avoid dressings such as mayonnaise or ranch on sandwiches (The only sandwich worthy of mayonnaise is a BLT. So I have a small jar of light mayonnaise just for our BLTs.)
10. While I love bacon, try to avoid meals with bacon. (Bacon is a killer. It is so good and almost impossible to avoid so I am still working on this tip, but I try to skip bacon in meals if I can. It is so much healthier.)
11. Order a salad when at a restaurant (I dare you to do this. Most salads are very filling. I know you will just love it.)
12. Be good to yourself and listen to your body (I have learned that when I feel hungry, a lot of times I am just thirsty. I have also learned when to push myself during exercise. It is a game of patience as you really learn how your body works.)

I believe in being healthy. I feel great most days and know it is because I make good choices for myself and my family. I do indulge when I feel I should, but I am careful. I want my girls to learn good habits. I encourage you to look at letsmove.gov, especially if you have kids.