2014 - A 'Healthier' Me

I'm alive! I'm just cold!  And enjoying snuggle time with my sweet girls.

Our university had the last two days off due to extreme temperatures. Like -15 temps. The weatherman said frostbite could kick in within 10 minutes of being outside. No thanks. So, naturally, I did what any mom would do. From Sunday PM to Wednesday AM, I didn't leave the house or wash my hair. I did have about 17 tea parties, got 25 Doc McStuffins check-ups, watched way too much Disney Junior, and loved every minute of it :) Some snow day snaps:

She had to make sure Minnie had her own pillow and blanket for movie time :)

Emerson's path of destruction

This beautiful girl is officially saying 'Mama'. I DIE. She is everything.

But time to go back to the real world! Here's what's going on with me in 2014.

I, like probably 75% of America, am starting out 2014 with the goal of being healthier. I wouldn't call myself  'unhealthy' but when I looked at my diet I realized I could clean it up a bit, and though I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight, I am feeling the urge to try and see if my post-3 babies body can look the same or better than it did before. Ironically, I know alot more about health and fitness than skinnier Audra did back in the day, but since 2010 I've either been pregnant, trying to get pregnant, postpartum, or nursing, so I haven't really been able to take this healthy living lifestyle to the next level. Until now. Because why not start now?

First up, I'm cleaning up my diet. As they say, abs are made in the kitchen, and I truly believe that. This article a friend shared recently really sums up how I'm feeling. I'm paying attention to what I eat, and noticing how good I feel when I eat the 'right' stuff. The most controversial aspect of my nutrition overhaul is the low-carb component. I am choosing to go low carb (but not no carb since I am still nursing) because of how good I feel during the day without going overboard on starchy foods. I mean, normally, I'll take my bread with a side of bread, but then I feel like garbage afterward. I am now cutting back to once a day, usually with lunch, and always a healthier option, like quinoa, brown rice, or whole wheat pasta. And since this started on January 1st, I haven't had the 'bloated' feeling I usually get after a carb-heavy day. My stomach looks and feels flatter, and as a mom, this is a good feeling and one I would like to continue.

I'm also going back to my old standby of cutting down/out sugar. If you read this post, you'll see why it worked for me. The hardest part is cutting out sugar in my coffee. I love my flavored coffee creamers, but they just add so much unnecessary sugar that I have to cut them out. I've been using a splash of heavy cream and it does the trick, but also makes me drink a cup less a day. Funny. Was I drinking so much coffee before because I needed it, or because I was drinking dessert? Who knows!

As for fitness, I joined Tone It Up's 6-week Love Your Body Challenge. I LOVE it because it's something different every day, it's efficient, and I can really feel each workout. Plus, looking at those fit and adorable girls and their non-mom bodies is very, very motivating. Once this challenge is up, I am thinking of starting T25. I saw the infomercial at 5:15AM and I was hooked. 25 minutes a day? I can handle it. (Sidenote: I'm a sucker for infomercials. I see one and all of a sudden I NEED ALL OF THE THINGS).

Mentally, I am ready for a healthier Audra as well. I used to consider myself a laid-back person, but the last year really did a number on me. I know there are lots of anxieties that come with being a mom, but 2013 took it to a whole new level. I hope 2013 was simply a tipping point. So that when another "crisis" comes along, I can look at it with a different perspective. Like "yeah, this sucks, but is it as stressful as 2013?" And the answer will probably be no, so I'll have no excuse but to move on because I'll know if 2013 Audra could handle it, 2014 Audra can kick it's ass sideways.

So here's to my commitment to a healthier year! 2014 Audra is PUMPED ya'll! ;-)