Thanks Belinda! Yeah, I’m not really a morning person either, but I guess I have made myself one… Someday when my kids are old – I’m gonna sleep the day away, it’ll be great!

5am kid wake ups sound rough, hang in there!

Thanks Laura! Go do it!, then you can wear a cool workout hoodie too :) My stomach looks cool in that pic, but still has that gross baby pocket that is hidden by my shirt, not much you can do about that… learning to accept it.

Thanks Anne!

Thanks Keri!

Thanks Jessica! I am really happy, it feels good!

Wow Hayley! Thank you!

I won’t claim to having figured out any major secrets but I can tell you I swear by a schedule and to-do lists. I have a weekly schedule where I get certain chores done on certain days, and I have a daily schedule. I can’t tell you how much I love my schedule.

I have no idea how I get out of bed, I just do because I know I have to. I think I have set a bar of major self disappointment if I don’t do get my butt out of the door and go on a walk, I get up because deep down in there, I know I want to. I leave the house 1 hour before the kids wake up and while my husband is still snoozing. A morning walk was the only time I could go where I didn’t feel like I was taking away time from my family.

As soon as I get home from my walk, I have a cup of coffee and I sit down with a notebook to plan out the rest of the day, sometimes down to the quarter hour. It’s obsessive but that’s how I do it.

I feel fortunate to be able to be home, it allows me to get things done (like the laundry). I’m guessing you probably have to do household chores on weeknights and weekends and I’m sure that eats up some of your fam time. I’m would imagine that’s a really hard schedule to keep up with.

I also have the kids on a schedule too, it’s good for all of us. They seem to find comfort in knowing the day-to-day routine and expecting the same thing. Nap time (for my little one) /afternoon preschool (for my older) is a highly coveted 2 hours where I kick ass and get as many things done as I possibly can, I surprise myself with how much I can do in such little time. Currently this is my cabinet painting time, but usually I blog or do something like that. The kids are also in bed by 7:30 every night, that allows the old man and I to have alone time without the kids, it’s the best time of the day.

Honestly, I probably don’t get enough sleep, my average bedtime is usually close to midnight, but I guess it’s just one of those things. We call it “what would piss you off more?” Usually the question is, “would you rather hang out and have some quality mom and dad time, or would you rather go to sleep”. I’m sure it will catch up to me at some point, but right now I’m surviving.

Hang in there, I don’t know how old your kids are but I do think that getting the youngest to that 2 year mark changes everything.

Thanks again!

Thank You Lacy! I will die if this winter is as bad as last, seriously, die.

Thanks Laura!

Yeah, those endorphins sure do make it easier don’t they? I will try so hard to keep it up this winter. I actually was walking last winter a few times a week, not as often, or as far in distance, but I was pretty good about getting out there. It’s only the worst when day time highs are near 0º. What do you recommend for winter gear, you old pro, you.

Hope you are still doing awesome, we miss you over here!

You will totally keep it off, especially since you’ve had so much progress and it’s become your new “normal” routine! CSA totally helps, as far as healthy snacking goes, I also cut out a lot of carbs and if I do eat pasta it’s brown rice pasta… and eat gluten-free as much as possible. So I guess it’s a mix of eating clean/gluten-free — but indulging a few times a week. If I have a big lunch, then I go easy on dinner, etc… So it’s always checks/balances being aware of what you eat. Now that I’ve been doing it for over 2 years I don’t even miss the bad stuff, I crave the good stuff. For snacking, always having fruit, tasty veggies, nuts, granola bars, dried peas/corn (you can get ’em in the snack aisle at Target)… wholesome is the key. You have to cheat though, otherwise you feel like you are starving yourself! Trust me, I love pizza, burgers, hot dogs, donuts, it’s just I watch it and when I do have it I compensate in other ways.

That was the hardest part, when I started someone told me that it takes 28 days to make a habit. I just focused on that every morning when I woke up and I didn’t want to get out of bed. Now mornings are dark, and all I want to do is keep sleeping – but the routine takes over. I just roll out of bed and start getting ready for my walk. It’s almost like brushing my teeth now, and I know in the end I will feel good having started the day out on the right foot.

Thanks Meg! It’s really hard to make it a habit, I know. If it helps at all, I just decided I was going to do it one day and that’s all it took. It’s as simple as deciding, but I know all the logistics and discipline are really hard. If you want it, go get it, it’s right there for the taking!

Thank you Deborah! It is for sure slow and steady, and hopefully I will win the race! I already feel like I’ve won, I really am proud of myself for adding exercise to my daily routine. Thanks for your support!