Hello! I am Katie, Dr. Wes' wife, office manager, Doula-in-training, mother to two boys and dog-walker for Barkley. Welcome to my 8 Weeks to Wellness blog. (If you are unsure what 8WW is, check out www.8ww.com or www.waukeewellness.com. You'll love it!)
As I sit here reflecting on my decision to participate in our next 8 Weeks to Wellness session, I am excited and nervous at the same time. I am excited to be one of the successful statistics from our office but nervous about using more of my very limited energy. (Mother of two very active boys, one busy husband, and a 110lb dog.) My excuses so far have been "I will lose my baby weight when I am done having kids (which is now), when I am done breastfeeding (which is now), when the baby sleeps through the night (will never happen), when it's nice outside and I can workout at the park, etc. No more excuses!!!
As I sit here reflecting on my decision to participate in our next 8 Weeks to Wellness session, I am excited and nervous at the same time. I am excited to be one of the successful statistics from our office but nervous about using more of my very limited energy. (Mother of two very active boys, one busy husband, and a 110lb dog.) My excuses so far have been "I will lose my baby weight when I am done having kids (which is now), when I am done breastfeeding (which is now), when the baby sleeps through the night (will never happen), when it's nice outside and I can workout at the park, etc. No more excuses!!!
Why am I blogging about my 8WW experience? While I hope other participants gain some confidence, recipe ideas, or even some support by reading it, it is all about me. (That's what Dr. Wes said in the orientation, right?) My wellness score is a C and my percent body fat is way too high. Having been a teacher for 8 years, I am not happy with that letter grade. I am hoping that this will keep me honest about working out and eating right, and that it will serve as a record of my accomplishments. Here are my goals:
- Wear size 10 pants again (high school days for me!)
- Get my body fat to a healthy percent (lose 8%)
- Eliminate all soda from my diet (this isn't a big change, but I do enjoy one every now and then!)
- Drink half my body weight in water each day, take my supplements regularly, and devote time each day to meditating. Wes and I have a really hard time meditating daily, but know it is SO important.
I've had my blood work done and I'm now onto meal planning. This part should be easy because Wes has been through 8WW twice and we generally eat healthy anyway. The part that I "cheat" on is snacking while I'm cooking or finishing food from the kids' plates. I know I consume a lot of calories that way--it will be a big change for me!! My start date is set to be Monday, April 4, 2011.
If you are just starting 8WW and reading this, congratulations. You've taken the first step and I am so proud of you. If you are considering 8WW, just do it. Find a way to improve your quality of life NOW. It will save you money in the long run and your quality of life will be awesome. And remember, we're all here for you!!
