First, let me say that I was super motivated to post this because I couldn’t stand seeing my side view “before” picture glaring at me as soon as I opened my blog. Yuck!

Second, this post may very well exhaust you so carry on with caution.

Third, I’m awesome.

Today was the first day that I actually did what I was supposed to do. I ate great, I worked out and I stayed motivated even if things weren’t working out the way I would have hoped. I started the day off with some veggies and eggs, then I made this awesome chicken harvest soup  for my family to enjoy for lunch and then… oh wait. Do you hear the tires screeching?

My husband, Brent, decided that he wanted to eat a McDonald’s McRib sandwich for lunch instead of soup because, “it’s only available for a limited time, you know.” He’s telling me this as he’s driving home from the gym where he just got done training a couple who are trying to lose weight, mind you. He’s a firefighter in Breckenridge but on his days off he is a personal trainer and crossfit instructor. He’s been working tons of overtime at the firehouse and is completely exhausted. This has prompted his inner fat kid to take over.

I proudly declined the fast food and stuck with my soup. Seriously, it’s so good! Check out the link. (Don’t forget the parmesan cheese rind and you can skip the quinoa if you don’t have any)

Originally, I was hoping to be able to go to the gym by myself when my husband came back home from work. (I had to pee while holding the baby yesterday because she’s teething) Seriously? This momma needs some space. But then I realized how exhausted he was so I decided to take Penelope, my 8 month old, with me. I usually go to the gym in the mornings when I actually go in between naps but I was making the soup during that time so I decided to go in the afternoon. I packed her diaper bag and made sure the daycare workers would have everything she could possibly need and drove across town. I was starting to get pumped up for this “me” time that I really needed. As I started to walk into the gym I looked through the windows of the daycare and it was strangely dark. Then I realized… today is Saturday, the day care closes at noon. Dejected, I packed Penelope back into the car (she was more pissed off about it than I was) and drove home.

I wasn’t going to let this get in my way. So I bundled Penelope up, dusted off the jogging stroller and went for a run around my neighborhood.

Technically, I ran where the sidewalk had been shoveled and walked where it was snowy. Pushing the stroller through the snow actually turned out to be a pretty good workout.

Dinner time came and Brent decided that soup didn’t sound good for dinner either. He and Bridget (my 10 year old) decided together that pizza was the way to go. I would normally argue because I like getting my way. But Brent has been at the firehouse for days on end, including Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. If he wants some freakin pizza I’m gonna get it for him… “don’t forget beer!”.

Honestly, I think I volunteered to pick up his beer and pizza so that I could have a few moments to myself. I ended up standing inside of Pizza Hut far longer than is good for the olfactory senses of a woman who is trying to lose weight. It smelled so good! I could feel my resolve waning. I got the box and not only did he order pizza but he ordered cinnamon sticks too. I had to smell it all the way home. Brent and Bridget dug right in as soon as I walked through the door. I didn’t feel like eating soup again either, but I had to wait until I put the baby to sleep before I could even think about making my dinner. But it wasn’t quite her bedtime yet so I just held her and stared at them stuff their faces. I had no idea what I was going to eat. I was contemplating eating a piece of peanut butter toast. Then I opened up the freezer to put away the soup and found Sante Fe Chicken. Yay! I ate it over chewy brown rice with fresh scallions and cilantro and topped it off with creamy avocado and a bit of cheddar. It was a perfect way to end my not so perfect day.

When do you feel the most motivated? The very beginning of a program or in the middle after you’ve seen some progress? For me, getting started is the hardest part.