5 weeks - that's really all it's been since we started our challenge. When you think of that timeframe, it's really not a long time and yet so much has changed. Our eating habits, our activity levels, our energy levels, our outlook and mindset - all facets of our life have been affected in a very BONZA way.
On the outside it's easier to see some tangible changes: clothes are fitting loosely, I'm able to zip up jeans easily that I struggled with before, the muffin top is gone in outfits where it was prevalent before. I see my face is getting thinner, I can see muscles that used to have some good definition start to peek out again during workouts. I've even noticed bones on the top of my foot that I'd forgotten about. The tangible changes are the ones that sometimes I think we give the most credence to but the other changes are meaning more.
I feel healthier and more alive. All through the holiday season, I'd have a latte to wake me up 3-4 times a week, by 2 or 3 in the afternoon I was hanging on by a thread doing emails trying to focus and wanting to doze off. I was getting enough sleep generally and decided if this challenge didn't change that - I was going to see a Dr because I knew that wasn't normal. One week into the challenge, that all changed. Cutting out that caffeine and sugar gave me an even energy level all day. 2 days into the challenge, my boyfriend remarked to me as we were talking about getting used to the "new way of eating" how good he felt. I do too! I feel "clean" inside which is hard to describe. I don't feel bogged down with processed crap or sluggish.
We've been spending Sundays taking our dog on 2-3 mile walks, upping our distance each time. Not only does our dog love it, it feels good to move. We've included kids on walks and it's been a good way to get them off of ipods, tv, cpu's and outside also. We've talked about more things we can do outside with kids to spend time interacting with each other.
So the areas you'd expect change in doing a challenge like this would be - Looking better, physical changes, feeling better and all those happened. One area that surprised me was relationship changes. With my boyfriend, it's deepened that trust, friendship and love sharing a very personal struggle. You want that person to see you with stars in their eyes & love your flaws. Despite how many times they may tell you, it can be hard to believe it when you don't like what you see in the mirror physically. With my kids, being more active and feeling good translates into having more energy to engage them more actively. It's doing a game night vs movie night, take long walks vs relaxing on the couch or with electronics. It's brought us closer because we're more actively relating. We've had a stressful issue or two arise and we've handled them calmly. We're working through things that while challenging, I don't feel drowned by because I have energy to deal with them. They enjoy being active and it feels good to be active with them! Most of all - this is changing my relationship with myself. I found "me" again, I found that self-confidence I had been feeling at a loss for, I feel proud of where I am even though I have quite a few pounds to go. I'm happy finding that inner strength that has been waning and I'm happy looking in the mirror and loving myself again.
Share that love - Hands in the air, 2 Claps.. GET THAT BONZA BOOTY BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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