Expanding our Family

Hubby & I are dog people. We love logs, want dogs, and growing up, we always had a dog in the house.

Now that we're all grown up and have a family of our own, we want to have a couple of dogs. There are a couple of challenges, however, that we haven't been able to fully get past, which is why we haven't yet "pulled the trigger" on the decision to get a dog.

Dogs take time. The time to train them, and to follow through, consistently, with the training, because if you're not going to follow through and be consistent, there's no point in doing it at all, 'cause you won't get the results you're looking for. Time to play with them, groom them, and just be there for them.

Dogs take money. Not only the initial costs, adoption fees or other fees, but also vet fees and obedience training school fees. If you plan on going away for a vacation and don't have someone to dog-sit, kennel fees.

Dogs involve a lifestyle change. You need to be willing to modify your lifestyle significantly, to meet the needs of a dog. Daily walks, being around and available to let the dog out when it needs to go to the bathroom, saying "no" to impromptu getaways that can't accommodate dogs.

So.... what do dog lovers do, who don't have time or money, and who aren't yet ready to commit to a lifestyle overhaul?

They get cats ;)

We have never really given much consideration to cats before, as we are, as mentioned above, dog people. It's not that I dislike cats, not at all... I've just never had one as a pet and I really don't know anything about them, so it isn't something that even entered my radar. Last week, however, as we heard scratching and scurrying in the walls of our old house in the country, hubby suggested that we get a cat (or two). Mouse traps just aren't doing the trick, and our kids would LOVE to have some pets to play with and care for, and nothing seems to be changing regarding those ever-present challenges associated with getting a dog, so we decided to go for it.

The last week has been a whirlwind of getting information (I didn't know how much they eat, how often to change the litter, what kind of food or litter to buy, what they need from us to ensure their needs are met, etc), and luckily our friends have (or have had) cats, so they were able to answer my incessant (and I'm sure ridiculously basic) questions.

So they are set to arrive tomorrow morning... Two six-month old kittens - brothers - who are rescue cats, have been neutered, have had their shots and their claws clipped, and are free! We're going out tonight to get all the accessories and things they will need to get settled into our home, as we get ready to expand our family by two more, and welcome our new fuzzy family members with open arms.

Exercise

It was February of Last year that I started this blog. This same time last year that I began my weight-loss journey, and I'm still on that journey today.

I've now reached the next stage of the "PINK Method", and am therefore introducing both exercise, and some slow-burning carbs. I've been dreading the former, and looking forward to the latter.

The truth is, I HATE exercise - I hate the process, but I love the results, and I know that I will never see any lasting transformation unless it has a permanent place in my lifestyle. It's a necessary evil.

I truly wish that I could be one of those people (whom I generally find immeasurably irritating) that LOVES to exercise. They love the challenge, they love sweating, they love knowing that they're pushing themselves harder and further than they have before. They get a sense of accomplishment from it. They zone out while running, almost engaged in a moving meditation.

Alas, I don't think I'll ever be one of those people, and therein lies the problem. I read somewhere that when you struggle with your weight, unless you learn to LOVE exercise, you will ALWAYS struggle with your weight. You will slack off when you reach a size that you're content with, then have to start over again once you notice that you're slipping back into old habits (and into your older, larger-size jeans). The article encouraged the reader to explore all kinds of different fitness classes and active lifestyle options, with the objective of finding one that they enjoyed. After all, if you enjoy something, you're much more likely to get up and do it, because you WANT to do it.

This makes a lot of sense to me, and also fills me with panic. I've tried so many different types of classes, and none of them really appeal to me. They're all WORK - and for me, not a labor of love. So I'm left with a low-lying worry that I try not to listen to very often... Will I always struggle with my weight? Am I destined to watch the scale and my clothing size bobble back and forth, because the idea of excercising makes me want to curl up and take a nap?

I'm trying to block out those thoughts - those are the ones that discourage me and try to make me quit before I even start. Instead, I'm going to focus on the immediate benefits that come along with exercise (not the long-term ones, as those don't give the instant gratification that i'm all about). The vanilla and sweet almond-scented body wash that I get to use when I'm done my post-workout shower... My rich and delicious chocolate-banana post-workout smoothie... These are the things that keep me on track right now, and make me get up and do my workout. I wish I could think of more, but for now, that's all I got :)

Beginning with the End in Mind

I'm an idea-junkie. I hear ideas, I identify with them, I get excited about them, and I want to make them happen.

The reality, though, is that "making it happen" involves follow-through and work, and that sometimes once you find yourself in the midst of the follow through and work, you've lost the excitement that made you start in the first place.

I will say, that my husband is wonderfully patient and understanding, and that he always supports my ideas, knowing that some will come to fruition, and others will not. He doesn't say "yeah, right" or "we'll see if it actually happens"... He says "that sounds cool" or "neat idea!". I have a million ideas (very few are my own, as I'm not a very creative person by nature) and I would like to implement some of them. All of them are worthwhile.... all of them have benefits that i would like to reap... but they cannot all be implemented at the same time, and so if I'm to be successful, I must both prioritize, and do what I can to maintain the excitement I feel when I begin.

I think working toward two goals, each focusing on a different area of my life, is absolutely feasible. With that in mind, I'm pursuing my weight-loss/health goal, and a de-cluttering goal. I have specific plans and methods to achieve each of these goals... a step-by-step guide, if you will, which will help me to be successful.

With each of these goals, I need to remain focused, every single day, on why I want to achieve the goal - the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. When I lose sight of my destination, I find myself derailed, and I get off track. I need to begin with the end in mind, and not lose sight of it - not even for a minute.

Slipping and Falling

So... I'm back on the saddle again, or at least I was for the last week and a half.

I'm working the PINK Method lifestyle again. Got through the "Reset" phase until the evening of Day 9, at which point I crashed and burned. Carbo-loading and indulging.

You'd think that after 9 days of very low carbs, that the experience would be gratifying and satisfying, but no - it wasn't. And today? I'm left to deal with the aftermath, both on the scale, and with my body, which has no idea what's going on and is a mess today.

Why is it that at times, the allure of a particular food item seems more tempting and more rewarding, somehow, than the goals that we would achieve if we were to avoid it? Why is it that despite all we've learned, we repeat the same mistakes? Why does short-term thinking and the inclination to achieve instant gratification override everything else that we KNOW we want?

So I slip and fall, because I'm human, and I make mistakes. I pick myself up, brush myself off and get back in the saddle because I'm ME. :)