Taking (on) Each Day as it Comes

Well, this healthy eating and exercise thing isn't so bad. I'm starting to quite enjoy the exercising part, although yesterday I nearly fell of the exercise bike while trying to pedal, hold a plastic plate and 2 toy cars, and pat Gareth on the head all at the same time. Some of the kettlebell exercises require quick reflexes when the twins are around too. Like checking a swing part way when they decide to walk right in front of me. Or telling them 'No!' when I'm on the floor getting ready to do some Russian twists, and I can see them getting ready to launch themselves on top of me. Other than that, it's all good. Molly even counts for me while I'm doing my kettlebell exercises. She's also very encouraging when I eat a salad, she smiles and says 'Mamas eating yummy leaves!' Can't persuade her or her brother to try them though.

Even without any noticeable weight loss, I'm feeling the benefits. I feel a bit 'brighter' all round, less sluggish, and my 'women's things' are lighter and easier than they've been in months. Even on day 1, I didn't have to take a single pain killer.

Food wise, it's been easier than I thought. My motto has been 'cut back, not cut out.' Nothing is banned, it's just a case of consuming less of some things, and more of others. Less coffee, more water. Less bread, more veggies. Less cake, more fruit. That sort of thing. This morning I was eating my poached eggs with spinach, arugula and watercress, and thinking 'I like this better than I like eggs with toast.' Not bad for a dyed in the wool carb junkie. Besides, I've found if I start the day well, the rest usually follows.

Healthy habits, really, aren't that hard, it's our minds that trick us into thinking they are. Mostly, I think, it's about realising that our lives are something we participate in, not something that just happens to us. It's about activity, not passivity. It's about getting up in the morning, and with a good dose of determination and humour, humility and flexibility, taking on each day as it comes.