I still have a tremendous amount of energy, which is great because so does my toddler. I literally did not stop moving all weekend. I was either chasing him and trying to keep him out of everything, or I was taking him for walks, visiting with friends (and chasing him there), apple picking, or taking 3 out of my 4 boys to go see Return to Hogwart's, a special Harry Potter reenactment put on by the Peoria Park District. (We were on our feet for a few hours there, but it was great fun.) I also cooked, cleaned, fixed computers and put baby latches on everything. Phew! I think I got in all of my low level aerobic activity for the week!
Speaking of physical fitness, I also joined a gym last week. There is a nationwide chain called Cardinal Fitness (also known as Charter Fitness) which is a basic gym- just treadmills, ellipticals, barbells, isolation machines, etc. It reminds me of my army days! They offer a $20 a month membership. That's the cheapest I have seen anywhere. It's just down the street from where I work, so I can go over my lunch hour to get in a few primal workouts a week
With winter coming, I think this will keep me motivated through the blah months. The Midwest is one of the most beautiful places on earth from May through October. But November through April aren't so great. I have a hard time getting outside to do anything during those months, and I have no place to workout in my tiny house (and no free time either, really.) The gym seemed like a good solution. Most of them have classes, saunas, indoor tracks, daycare, etc, but they came at a high price ($50-$100 or more a month!) And that's not really what I want or need anyhow. My baby is in daycare too much already. I don't want to spend even more time away from him. And my schedule is too busy to worry about getting to classes right now. I hate saunas (they make me throw up and pass out), and there's a track behind my house I can use three seasons out of the year. During winter, I can walk at the mall (as long as I "forget" my wallet, ha ha!) Right now I have a few favorite parks and areas of town I like to walk at to keep things interesting. I'll miss them when the weather gets bad!
I also gave myself my "10 pounds lost" reward a little early last week. I splurged on some Vibram Five Fingers shoes to keep myself motivated and walking (I haven't bought shoes of any kind in many years). I love them! My feet are still adapting a bit, but they are so comfortable. Unfortunately, there isn't much savings on these by purchasing online, and it's best not to. You really need to try on different styles and sizes to figure out what works for you. I must've tried on about 20 pairs, and was surprised to discover that I fell between sizes in almost every style except the Bikala. Those fit me perfectly, so that's what I ended up with. I am wondering if I am closer to a half size since my last pregnancy. I haven't bought shoes since then, so that would make sense. Just something to keep in mind when you're considering these shoes.
How did I justify paying for them? I've only ever spent $100 on footwear once before, and those were on my Merrell gortex hiking shoes, which I have worn for over 4 years. They are still holding up but starting to wear out a bit as they're seen quite a few miles. I just did some computer sidework which made up the difference for my Vibrams. Hopefully I'll have them for years too (I wear everything out!) So I consider them an investment rather than just a purchase. An investment in myself and my health. That's something most of us moms forget to do....invest in ourselves. So I made most of my rewards investments as well as encouragements to keep going.
How are you doing on your own health challenge and what kinds of rewards are you planning on giving yourself?
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