Thursday, January 27, 2011

Look at her go!

Devon is crawling now, and the house is her playground, maze, and jungle gym. She loves to sneak into the cat food. I have to make sure the floor is clean, or she might eat whatever is on it. Micah received a Thomas the Tank Engine for Christmas that runs by itself. He figured out that if he turns it on and puts it in front of Devon, she will chase after it. Just today, Devon used our gaming chair to hold herself up on her feet. It won't be much longer before she is walking with us.

Chris has made some more progress toward his weight loss goal. He has lost a total of 24 lbs. so far in almost 4 weeks! He started at 330 and is hoping to be at or below 300 by the end of the month. He still has a few more days to go, so we will see where he will be by then. Thanks for your encouragement and support!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Unexpected And Exciting Changes

My husband decided awhile ago to become a healthier man. Last December, he became excited about running and told everyone about his plans to work out and lose 100 lbs. by the end of the next year. He started a Couch to 5K program the first week of this month. The program trains an aspiring runner from the couch to running a 5K in 9 weeks. On the days he doesn't run, he still goes to the gym to do some weight training. He even spoke with a nutritionist about an appropriate diet for him. To be more accountable, Chris made a blog describing his weight-loss journey. There are many people watching his progress and cheering him on.

Both Chris and I have needed to adjust our lives in order for him to stay on track. Now, we both get up at 5:00 a.m. That time of day is not the most desirable time for me (or him) to wake up. We motivate each other to do so. For the first week, Chris went running in our neighborhood while I did some exercises in the house. When he got back, we would stretch together. Since the weather has become colder since then, he has been going to the gym, and I still stay at home to work out. It feels great to get my work-outs done in the morning. I used to do them at night, but now I have more opportunity to relax and do the things I'd rather do instead.

Chris' new diet has helped us analyze what changes we need to make to eat healthier as a family. Good-for-you meals and smaller portions are key, but Chris has even told me how he hopes this new meal plan will help us teach the kids proper eating habits. I have also discovered a huge weakness of mine: sweets. I need to discipline myself and eat cookies and cakes as a "sometimes" food. "Instead of desserts, let's encourage more fruits for after-meal treats," Chris has said. I'm really excited about how this lifestyle change will positively influence the children. They will see their dad and mom work hard to stay healthy.

This experience has also helped Chris see how some of his former habits were having a negative effect on the family. He has decided to stop playing World of Warcraft, seeing how it took up too much of his time and how obsessed he became of it. Now, he spends more time with us, and I am loving it!

His decision to change his life has helped me change mine...for the better. The experience so far has taught me that there is always room for improvement. I'm developing habits I didn't know I needed. My husband has such strength and courage to change his life. I love him very much.