A celebration of life!

The past week was an eventful, emotional celebration of life! My family through a going away party for us. While I will still see my family often, it was difficult to say so long to my fabulous grandma and these three adorable faces.

I wanted to make it to Paisley Park one last time before I left Minneapolis. I hadn't been out that way in about 20 years! The memorial was amazing. AMAZING! I'm so happy I got to take part in it.

We also celebrated Charlie's first birthday without him, which was a difficult milestone. I'm ready for the 'firsts' to be over.

On the health front, I'm feeling good! I turned another year older this week. I'm so thankful that I've been mindful of my health and wellness over the last several years. I can't imagine how terrible I'd look and feel at this age if I hadn't been so diligent about nutrition and exercise for the last decade. I was on an awful, unhealthy track and I'm so thankful that I turned it around!

Also, the weather has finally improved enough to get outside and enjoy it! I made it to Target Field one last time.

I've also been taking advantage of the weather by walking all over Minneapolis this week! I will definitely miss walks along the Mississippi, but I'm so excited to stop being STATIC. There's only one more week until we move!

Getting back on track during disruptive times

Today is a great reminder about WHY I try to take great care of myself by eating well, drinking plenty of water and exercising regularly! It is so important and directly contributes to feeling well and performing at your best both mentally and physically.

I knew that my last few weeks in Minneapolis would be busy and stressful. I’m trying to pack and sell items we’re not taking with us, finish up my job, and see friends and family. Everything is hectic…and when I come home, there’s nowhere to sit and relax because I sold everything! I'm currently sitting on my friend's lawn chair because we sold our patio set on Saturday.

With this much disruption, my health is suffering a bit of disruption, too. I'm doing pretty well health-wise considering. I'm still getting in at least 10,000 steps every day and lifting weights 3-4 times every week. The weather hasn't been fantastic other than a few days here and there, but we have really been trying to grill our protein and veggies as much as possible.

That said, we ended up eating out (and drinking out) on Friday night with friends at our going away party, then again on Saturday evening for the Kentucky Derby. This is typically a big no-no for us. We ate our Saturday night leftovers last night for dinner, which I still count as "eating out" given the sodium and who knows what else the restaurant put in our delicious food.

This morning I felt bloated and lethargic. It's definitely a direct result of my nutrition (or lack thereof) over the weekend. The difference now is that I recognize how these foods affect me and I can turn it back around quickly. Before I changed my lifestyle, I would consider this type of behavior "off the diet wagon". But, now I don't act like I'm "on a diet" or "off a diet". I try to eat healthy and exercise most days. When things go a bit too far - like they did this past weekend - it's not a free pass to keep treating my body poorly. It's a wake up call to get right back on track.

Today's meals:

• Breakfast: Green smoothie and coffee
• Lunch: Kirkland turkey on wheat, fat-free cottage cheese
• Dinner: Big veggie salad and veggie farfalle
• Missed my snacks today, but I had lots and lots of water!

Happy May Day!

Happy May Day! May is always one of my favorite months. It represents new beginnings for my family.

• It's (hopefully) the start of better weather days in Minnesota. 
• Both my husband and I have birthdays in May. A new year of your life to make new goals is always great!
• Our beloved dog, Charlie, also has a birthday in May. This will be our first one without him :(
• Last May we moved out of a toxic situation into our current location, which has been an improvement to our health.
• This May we are moving across the country!

The week approaching this lovely day was challenging. I started out the week with one of the most stressful days at work ever. Nothing went right. I've spent almost 20 years there. Now I only have 20 days to go. DEEP BREATHS!

 

We also sold our living room furniture, which I think will be a benefit to our health this month. With nothing comfortable to sit on, it will force us to get outside for a walk or go to the gym and move more!

Have a happy May!