Goodbye, McDonalds. We're No Longer Friends.

I love watching my screensaver since I programmed it to go through my picture album. I just love pictures. Especially of my boys' first year! I hardly recognize those small little bodies we took home from the hospital a year and a half ago. And those photos of their first taste of baby food, teeth and steps are so precious.

I melted in front of the computer watching these photos on Saturday when a photo of my husband and I flashed on the screen. We were dating. We looked fantastic. Honestly, it was only four years ago, but there was something completely different about us.  

Andy and I at the Labor Day Fair in September 2006 (that's Diet Coke in his hand ;)

Oh, yeah. We were THIN.

When I met Andy, I was working full-time, eating well and working out three times a week. My hair was super long and I hadn't bitten my fingernails in almost a year. After all, I had to be ready for when Mr. Right came my way! And thankfully, I was!

I showed my husband the photo when he got home and we agreed. It was time to do something about our weight.

We have been doing well with our little 15-minute focus cleaning time. Now we were ready to add something else to our plate. We decided that we would make ONE change together. Focus on that change for a week and if we were ready, add something else the next week. This philosophy had worked well with getting our house back in order, so we knew we could do it. The fact that we would be doing it together would help give us the motivation we needed to keep on going. We talked about our biggest downfall. For both of us, it was fast-food.

It has become sooo easy for me to stop by Tim Hortons on the way to the grocery store for some root beer and (aw, what the heck,) I'll get three Timbits, too. Or how about those afternoons after MOPS where I drive around while the boys sleep? Want some McDonald's? Don't mind if I do! Add this to the fact that it's all within reach of a comfortable drive-up window while the boys are in the back seat and you've got a recipe for disaster! Or at least that little pack I've been sporting on my tummy. I can't blame it on the c-section or even those extra 1,000 calories I can no longer consume because of breast feeding. That little pack was from my fast-food obsession.

My husband said he is so lethargic at the end of the day because he would have to stop for quick lunch during work. I was too lazy to make his lunch the night before, leaving him to fend for himself. Now that we were being productive for a little bit each evening, I was making him lunches. This seemed managable.

We started on Sunday after having this conversation on Saturday night. We weighed ourselves in the morning to give us a starting point (just because I knew I'd lose weight by not getting McDonalds every few days!) Monday was the first real test, though.

Now, in order to give up our quick lunches, we had to plan ahead. Have breakfast at home - cereal or a bagel - and then have a bagged lunch ready to go. I do that for him at night and also make myself a sandwich for that next day. Then I also have to have a plan ready (or already begun) for dinner because by the time he comes home, we're both hungry! For those days when I have MOPS, I have to pack a sandwich for myself so I'm not tempted to stop.

And do you want to know what? It's making a difference!

I haven't weighed myself since Sunday morning, but I feel lighter. My tummy is shrinking and that little pack isn't as noticeable! We have more energy throughout the day, rather than feeling sluggish and tired. It's only been FIVE DAYS and we're already seeing a difference!

Just goes to show you. If you take ONE thing at a time and don't bite off more than you can chew (pun intended ;) you really can make BIG changes! Good thing we started this week, too. McDonalds just started playing Monopology again!! That would have packed on an additional five pounds, no problem! :)