City Life

TODAY'S MOTIVATION

Ok so I am back from Chi-town, or as most people refer to as Chicago! We drove to see my sister-in-law and her husband and their new baby. The visit was great! My little niece made Maya look like a MONSTER in comparison to her new born size.

Maya's not my little itty bitty anymore! Now she's just my baby girl.  My bright eyed, smiley, giggly, soft, sweet, cuddly, baby girl. (Oh but her little itty bitty cousin is just precious! She is going to be Maya's BFF I just know it). 

Although I was too busy to do my morning ritual of writing down what motivates me, I did have a few things that I kept in mind to keep me going while I was away. 

Today was a bit tough, because, well, I didn't plan ahead very well. And whenever I don't plan ahead I get in situations where I don't make the best food choices. But all things considered I think I didn't do too bad. The journey home is a bit of a drive, and we had to stop a few times on the way so that my baby girl could eat, change, etc, and also so we could have some lunch. But the way things turned out (because of our outdated GPS maps and losing an hour from the time change) we didn't end up being able to grab lunch as early as I anticipated and by the time we stopped I was ravenous! I ended up eating a cheeseburger and salad for lunch, which isn't the worst, but isn't the best.  I just couldn't have another chicken salad. Then by the time we got home and I got Maya situated and into bed it was way past supper time so I ended up just having popcorn and applesauce for dinner. I know, not the most nutritious day.  Nonetheless, I would have to say that I did a decent job sticking to my meal plan during the two days that we stayed in Chicago. I think that in itself is good considering that this city is known for some pretty good cuisine that could tempt you in the wrong way.  

So that is one thing that motivated me today - the fact that I got through two and a half days from home with minimal junk food consumption. 

Another thing that motivated me was people-watching. Walking down the city streets you get to see a lot of different people. I come from a small town where you don't get to do a lot of walking because all your amenities are in the next town over. But walking around and taking in the locals allowed me to really think more about my own goals. For one, I saw a lot of people wearing way more fashionable clothes than I ever owned, and they looked great in their digs.  Often times the clothes that I own look much better on thinner people. Watching everyone made me look forward to the day I will be able to take something off the rack and look good in it, maybe even fashionable, rather than looking for things that camouflage my problem areas. Second, I realized that people who live in cities are generally more active because they live in walk up apartments, don't drive, and have access to way more healthy food options when they are shopping. The energy that I felt from these people motivated me. 

So in a nutshell, I was able to maintain some motivation to keep going despite being away from the conveniences and comforts of my own home. 

RANT OR RAVE

Can I just say that watching TV at my SIL's house made me realize that fall is here and the new season of Grey's Anatomy will be starting?  

This summer I pretty much stopped using my TV and almost forgot that there is a world out there that I have not been a part of. Although it has been great to have the TV off this summer I think I am going to have to start tuning in on Thursdays. Hey, let's just say that I can use this as an excuse for "me" time.  

NOTE TO SELF