February Health and Fitness Update

I love my new scale.  Works well and looks great too!

During this season of Lent, many congregants have given up sugar and sweets or soft drinks.  I've given up both in previous years.  I've even given up cheese for Lent.  I suppose that I could revisit any of those sacrifices, but I'm not.  Giving up a singular item doesn't tend to teach me anything other than frustration.  I like to view the Lenten season as a time to reflect and make permanent changes.  Temporary denial of candy or cake isn't really what this season is about anyway.  At the start of this year, I made a goal for better health and fitness the year.  I'm using Lent as a way to continue the focus and further my goals.

On Ash Wednesday, I visited a church in South Mississippi.  The priest talked about fasting from indulgences in our life and other broad areas of change we could make.  This sermon set me on a path to examining my own life and what indulgences that I could abstain from over the next forty days.

Apple Pie Energy Bites are a sweet treat packed with lots of good ingredients you can pronounce!  I bag these up and take them with me for an afternoon snack!

For me, it isn't really the fact that I like crackers, ice cream or cheese that cause me trouble with my weight.  Indulgence period is just an issue.  In our busy lives, both indulgence and being sedentary are easy to do.  Fast food and readily available snacks add up quickly -, especially on the road.  And being active quickly falls by the wayside when work or other schedules in our lives pick up.  So, how do I change these habits and fast from indulgence?  How can I find the time to add exercise to my daily routine?

In February, I took the time to pack meals and food with me while traveling for work.  I've been making little snack box meals that I can eat easily in the car.  My go-to snack box is apple slices, a boiled egg, grapes, a little cheese, a wasa cracker and some peanut butter.  This is something that I snack on for part lunch and part afternoon snack.

Protein-packed salads are another way that I can plan to be successful each day.  These steak cobb salads can be made ahead of time of stacked in the fridge to pull out to eat each day.  They also pack up well in a cooler!

Steak Cobb Salad was a nice treat for a midday meal this past month.

I've also been drinking lots of water.   It means lots of bathroom breaks.  But, water is a great way to curb the appetite and boost metabolism.

Our family has continued to eat the meals that I'm planning for us each week.  I have a month 2 meal plan if you would like to check these out for recipe ideas that you can try at home.  Having a meal plan is a lifesaver!

These 21 day fix Buffalo Chicken Pizzas were great!  My husband and I loved them.  Got kids?  Make pizzas on whole wheat tortillas for them with traditional sauce and cheese!

The final piece that I'm including more of for the month of February is more exercise.  I'm working 60 and 70 hour weeks right now.  Workouts are hard to manage, but I've done okay.  However, I know that more exercise will boost my weight loss greatly.

On the weekends, I tend to get in my exercise with my son.  We take long walks so that I can spend time with him outdoors.  At my hotels, I'm using exercise videos and the hotel gym. 

I'm continuing to experience much more energy and less heartburn.  The later had been a problem over the past year.  And, I do think it all goes back to indulgence.  

I don't know when I'll end up when this year comes to a close.  However, I'm eating tons of fresh fruit and veggies.  I'm drinking lots of water and exercising more.  No matter what, these things can only lead to a better me!  Every time I drop another marble in my weight loss jar, I feel excited!

If you want to know where I started out this year, you can see my update from last month.  Also, I purchased a new, Etekcity Digital Body Weight Bathroom Scale this month and really have enjoyed it. I don't weigh every day.  But, I like being able to check on my progress with an accurate scale.

Share this post!  Share a recipe or meal idea for healthy eating!  And when you hit the campground, prepare healthy meals there too.  I have a terrific healthy meal plan for our spring break week.  I'll be sharing that with you soon!

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