healthy.

for the past couple of months i have become obsessed with all things healthy. i realized that whatever i buy at the store is what we eat, so why buy things that won't help us reach our goals. don't get me wrong we thourally enjoy a yummy cookie, ice cream and other baked goods. but all things are good in moderation. (thanks Kourtney for the inspiration to start this!)

so i started with the groceries. i made a new budget and came up with some different ideas:
*grocery shop once a week (this way i can keep up with fresh foods like fruit and veggies)
*PREPARE, PREPARE is the biggest key i've learned to eating healthy. best way for me is to pick one day a week where i come up with 4 or 5 meals that i want to make.
*then i make a list of all the ingredients i need (i try basing the meals off of what i already have in the pantry too)
*biggest change for us- no more whites. we only buy multi grain, wheat and increased the amount of fruits and vegetables significantly.
*my most favorite change- Breakfast! i've always had a hard time eating breakfast. not because i don't like it but because i don't make time for it. but i finally found the perfect solution....FRUIT SHAKES! i try and make them the night before (leaving out ice) and throw in the ice in the morning. pour in my nice cup and drink it on the way to work. its great because i know exactly whats in it and its full of fruit!
*but this breakfast shake is only possible because of our recent purchase...the NINJA! it is awesome. we questioned it, read the reviews, wondered if it was too good to be true. and we Love it. its perfect with the 3 different sizes with accompanying lids (nice for storing), and one top that gives the power. we were thrilled, you'd love it too! best blinder/mixer/chopper ever.

the second part: running.
it has been so fun for me to feel myself be able to go farther and farther then i ever have before. it only encourages me to keep going. Alex has always been running and staying in shape. i am proud of him for keeping it up especially when it gets a little redundant and boring.

we both realized though that we don't want to be that couple that after 5, 6, 8 years of being married have gained so much weight. we really think that doing all you can is so important. especially since Alex's career is based around physical fitness and anatomy. he is so good to talk to get more ideas. his classes and experiences really have paid off and helped him to be very knowledgeable.

by far the biggest reason for me to become more fit is that i want to be ready for another baby. when i was released from the hospital over a year and a half ago when i was desperate to find out how i could make sure i never lose another baby...they told me the best thing i can do is eat healthy and exercise. this gave me so much motivation and still does. i try hard to push myself so that my body can handle stress and be stronger. i have been taking prenatal for the past 7 months as well. really i am just trying to put my fears behind me and focus on my future. i want to be in the best shape for when we are pregnant again. i can only hope and pray that this helps.

it feels good to change things and strive to be better. i know that we can see the difference in us already. i am looking forward to the rest of this year and new results. please share what works for you too! i hope to finish with a half marathon- its a huge goal for me but i think it would be worth it.