Burning calories: Blizzard style

Yesterday was another successful day, for the most part. I really enjoyed the Pilates workout, but I did add in the 10-minute ab fix. It turned out I really wouldn't have needed to do either, because with the blizzard we got I was feeling trapped, decided to shovel my driveway, and ended up doing an hour of scooping snow, burning AT LEAST 400 calories (according to MyFitnessPal) - though the snow was so wet and heavy I imagine it was actually more. Here's an "after" picture (didn't occur to me to take a before picture) - you can kind of tell the length and width of what I did. This was nowhere close to the whole driveway, but at least if there was an emergency I would be able to get out of my garage. I rewarded myself with one of the most delicious salads I have ever made! It was awesome! Spinach, sweet peppers, sunflower seeds, colby jack cheese, citrus vinaigrette, and lemon-pepper chicken. Seriously delicious - this will be on my menu again!

I've been spoiled the last few days with the weather (not because it was good), and I've been working from home all day. It's made it really easy to pause and get my workout in and plan my meals out. I'm anxious to see how I face the challenge of the weekends, but also to see how it goes once I get back into a hectic work week. I'm on the road Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday next week for pretty long distances. That being said, I'm taking full advantage of being at home today. I got my workout in early and enjoyed a new shake recipe - strawberry shakeo, 1/2 a banana, and spinach. It's a little hard to drink your shake when it looks like this.

Today was Cardio Fix - tough, but good. I am not a fan of using weights (which probably means I need to do it more), so I appreciated a day off from them!

One of the things I've most appreciated about this program is the awesome conversations it's sparking with my children about health and wellness. Exercise and fitness have become part of their daily vocabulary. They either workout with me or do their own thing - Aaden runs around the house, Rylee has gymnastics or works on her strength training at home. Aaden's goal is to be stronger so he can be faster. He's 5, so his whole world is about being fast/the fastest! Rylee's goal is to have the strength and balance she needs to accomplish moves at gymnastics because she wants to be on the "optional team" someday. I think these are both GREAT, age-appropriate goals for the kids. 

We are also having lots of conversations surrounding their meals. While they still make "kid choices" like asking for pizza and cookies, they are making an effort at each meal to eat from different food groups and make healthier choices. We go through their plate and talk about which food group each food is in, and what "color" each food is. With childhood obesity becoming an increasingly alarming concern, I'm excited that my own fitness journey isn't modeling a "crash diet" to my children - it's modeling healthy habits! And through it all, thanks to Erin, my BeachBody fitness coach and BFF, we have found a new love of almond milk - a VERY healthy alternative to dairy, and something we NEVER would have tried without her recommendation and this program.

Today's Biggest: 
Challenge(s): Starting the weekend makes me a bit nervous, and STILL have a sore throat! 

Success: Modeling healthy behaviors and habits for my kids 

Tomorrow I will try to:

• Not let the weekend derail my progress
• Drink more water! I still haven't hit triple digits on any given day - although today is still young!