Change: Brought to You by Spring

It is finally Spring here in the Northeast and I am so happy. This past week was full of sunshine and temperatures in the mid-60's to low-70's. In other words, we are in the midst of that glorious two weeks before the summer heat and humidity start.

In honor of spring, there are going to be some blog changes. First, there probably won't be a lot of knitting content. I just haven't been into it lately. I gaze at all my lovely yarn but I can't think of anything I actually want to make. In its place, there may be some sewing content. I am teaching myself to sew by making a pair of pants for Gub. So far I have sized and cut out my pattern (making adjustments for her teeny waist and long legs). Tonight I hope to actually cut out the fabric and maybe even start a little sewing. Of course, I also want to do Pilate's tonight so we'll see what actually gets accomplished.

My other big focus these days is *drum roll please* fitness. Yes, you read that right, fitness and healthy eating is what is consuming me lately (no pun intended). For those who know me, I am sure you'll agree that this is heresy. For those who don't know me, let me lay it out for you real simple like... I. LOVE. FOOD. I love everything to do with food including talking about it, reading about it, looking for recipes, cooking, and of course, eating it. I love to try all kinds of different foods and new recipes. I love going out to dinner and hosting dinner parties. My way of making people feel better is to cook for them. Hub is equally into food so the two of us have managed to put together a delicious but not-exactly-low-calorie lifestyle.

The thing is, since turning 31 earlier this year, I have just been so darn tired and not feeling all that well. I was lucky enough to lose the 20 lbs I gained while I was pregnant with Gub by about 10 weeks postpartum and I had managed to keep it off while still eating like I was pregnant until she was about 18 months old (side note, breastfeeding is the best weight loss plan ever!). Then I noticed about 7 weeks ago that the scale had crept up about 5 pounds to the highest, non-pregnant weight I have ever been. That combined with the fact that Gub is at the age where she eats what we eat made me decide to do something.

So, I have completely overhauled what I eat by cutting out nearly all sweets (except for one sweet something every couple of days), most processed food, all fast food, and by dramatically increasing my veggie intake. I have also started logging and limiting my daily calories and measuring out proper portions of food. It has been 7 weeks now and while it was a little bit of a shock to my system at first, I am now feeling better than I have in a long time. Plus, I have lost 11 pounds, yay! Hub isn't exactly "dieting" with me but I think he has lost some weight as well. In the past week I have also been adding in exercise, namely walking 2.5 miles a day and also doing some arm exercises with dumbbells and Pilate's.

It is some crazy times over here in the Marinoswools household. The thing that I am most proud of, besides actually sticking to these lifestyle changes that I have made, is that fact that I am modeling healthy eating and exercise behavior for my Gub. If she sees her family eat fruits and veggies instead of chips and other junk, then hopefully those choices will be ingrained in her when she sets out on her own. At the very least, she will have that foundation.

Cheers!