Full Steam Ahead - Weigh In #1

Let me start by saying that this blog is not turning into a weight loss blog! I know that is all I have talked about in the last couple of posts, but I am planning to make my Monday posts about diet/exercise/healthy lifestyle since that is when I will be reporting my weigh ins.

I weighed this morning and I lost 4 1/2 pounds (you bet I am counting that half pound!) since last week. I was excited and that helped motivate me to exercise today. My exercise plan for the week is to walk to pick up my 8 year old from school every day.

Today I think I pushed this out of shape body too far for its first day of real exercise in 7 months! I was running a little behind so I walked really fast so I would not be late picking up our oldest from school. Jeremy also told me (after the fact) that I took the longest way possible to his school (I actually thought I was taking a shortcut - oops). I was trucking along feeling good until about half way to the school. I had ten minutes to get to the school before the bell rang and my energy was gone. As I am pushing my 70 plus pound double-stroller up a hill I was praying to both God and Jesus (yes - both of them - as I needed all the help I could get) to get me there because I had no idea how in the heck I was going to make it to the school. I finally got a street away from the school and I was huffing and puffing like I had just climbed Mt. Everest (so sad that I admitted that). I took a couple of deep breaths and sucked it up because there was no way I was going to let these other moms walking to get their kiddos know how out of shape I was!

I made it to the school and I looked at my two younger kids in the stroller and they are beet red, sweating and squinting. I made a mental note to buy sunglasses for them and to put sunscreen and hats on them tomorrow. I am sure everyone must have thought I was bad mom when they saw those pitiful little faces (vanity - anyone see a pattern here). We picked up the 8 year old, I passed out snacks and water and we started our trek back. I decided to take a different way home because I thought it was shorter. I ended up making it longer because I took a wrong turn. You know something is not right if your 8 and 3 year old's are encouraging you that "you can do it mom"! Of course the oldest kept telling me OVER and OVER that he was not tired at all. He could not get the concept that I had already been walking for 25 minutes plus I had now added his backpack to my load. I did not argue with him as it would take too much energy - something that had left me long ago. The audible prayers continued on the way home along with strange looks from the 8 year old (later he told me that he thought I was going to faint so he was keeping an eye on me!). 50 minutes later I was back where I started - HOME! I have never been so happy in my life. (Only half joking)

Now that I know there is a better (shorter) route for me to take tomorrow hopefully it will be a little easier. I will save today's route for when I am in better shape. One day down, four to go! Wish me luck (a few prayer would not hurt either). ;o)

On a side note: I posted a healthy Chicken Caesar Salad and a friend's Chinese Chicken Salad that we had last night at Life Group on my recipe blog. They were both very good!!