This is not a solitary journey…

The biggest reason I think many women fail when they attempt to lose weight and keep it off, is that they are only changing their lifestyle. As moms and wives we are not the only people in our homes. If we are only trying to make ourselves healthier and we are still buying and preparing unhealthy foods for our families we are destined to fail. And not only that we are setting a terrible example. We are basically showing our children that healthy eating and working out is a "diet," a temporary exclusionary process, not a lifestyle that everyone should follow.

I remember growing up watching my mother diet, and workout on and off. Starting and quitting over and over. I can't even imagine how hard to was with 7 children. I know she did her very best with what she was given and I absolutely don't blame her in any way for my issues. But in order to help prevent my daughter from growing up with terrible eating habits I want to implement the changes I have made to our whole family, because the truth is this isn't just about weight loss.

This isn't just about me losing that 10 extra lbs, this is about instilling healthy habits in my children now so they won't have to struggle like I did. My children are on top of it too, one day I was making lunch and we were discussing food my son asked why I don't just pack a sandwich for lunch instead of salad. I told him it was because bread wasn't very good for me, and he said "but mom you feed us bread!" It was that 'duh' moment, why on earth am I feeding my children things that I won't eat? Why am I setting them up for failure? If I let them eat these things that I have sworn off they will grow up assuming those foods are ok, and when they get older and they embark on this same journey and have to cut those foods out it will be so hard. Why would I do that to my children?

I look at my daughter and I pray that she will not have to struggle like I did. I was overweight in middle school and high school, and most of my adult life and it was so hard and frustrating and I hated it. I don't want her to hate her body, or feel bad about herself, or feel the need to go on a diet as a teenager, or worse develop an eating disorder like I did. I want her to grow up with these healthy habits as if they are just facts of life. This is just how we eat, being active is just what we do. It's not some special thing we break out when we start to feel fat, it's our life. She may still struggle, but that struggle will be much less if I set the correct foundation.

I have spent the last year losing weight and making this happen with the support of my husband sort of… he was super supportive verbally, and he would eat anything I cooked no complaints, but the downfall was that he was more than willing to go get donuts, brownies, order pizza, get burgers etc. This made it kind of difficult to really make this  lifestyle. Now that he is totally on board and wants to change his body it has been so much easier. We encourage each other, we don't cave, we motivate each other and we keep each other accountable. He has lost 13lbs in a month. He feels great, he feels happy and energized. It is so great!

The key is that we are doing this together, this is not a diet, it is a lifestyle change. We have decided together this is what we want for us and our family. It's not just about weight loss, it is about being happy and healthy and setting a good solid foundation for our children.

If you are embarking on this journey you cannot make it a solitary journey. Commit to changing your family. Talk to your spouse. Make the decision to change together for yourselves, and for your kids.

Hiking

Coyote Chase- Fun Run

Coyote Chase- Fun Run

Hiking 

Hiking

Hiking

Whole Wheat Protein Waffles

It is a challenge in my house to get my daughter to eat healthy food. Breakfast is the worst. She has recently been eating whole wheat Ego's with peanut butter, which is better than frosted flakes in my opinion, but still not the nutrition she really needs. So I researched a way to make protein waffles. I headed to Whole Foods and picked up some organic protein powder.

Because this is something I am feeding to my kids I was very careful to buy an organic protein power and not your basic muscle powder form the supplement store. *Please do your own research on what is safe and recommended for children. What I am ok feeding my children, may not be what you are ok feeding yours, and I am NOT and expert on nutrition.* 

I looked up a good recipe online and found this one from Blissfully Domestic  

My husband and I tried them out this morning, delicious! 272 calories per waffle (makes 4 large Belgian style waffles) with 19 grams of protein per waffle. I didn't separate the eggs like she said I just mixed them in whole. I also used almond milk instead of skim because that's all we had in the house. They were delicious and filling! Best part? I can make more and freeze them and have them ready to go every morning.