Hallelujah!  My internet is up and running!  And so is my Google reader, apparently,  considering I had over 150 items to be read from the last week!  I’m slowly working my way through and seeing what all of my blog friends are up to.

I am happy to say (more like ecstatic) that life is starting to settle down and that all-to-familiar motivation is creeping back into my mind.  You know the I’ve-been-off-the-wagon-for-so-long-that-I’ve-actually-gotten-sick-of-eating-out-and-I’m-ready-to-kick-ass-on-weight-loss kind of motivation.  That’s the one!

The Diet (And when I say diet, I mean the food that I consume and not a diet plan.  This is a lifestyle not a diet)

I’ve been concocting a plan of action these last few days, and after getting the thumbs up from the Hub’s we are going to be doing round 2 of the PCRM’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart!  The truth is, I have never felt better in my life than when I was doing round one of the kick-start in January.  I cannot deny that this way of life agrees with me.  It is simple to follow, and I feel like all aspects of my life improve when eating a plant-based diet.

I will be tracking my calories on Livestrong.com, and I will be keeping daily blog food diaries.  The food log posts may be boring, but the whole reason I have this here blog is for accountability and documentation.  I will try to keep them interesting with lots of pictures and hopefully, some fun recipes!

The Exercise.

This is where I have to show how dedicated I am.  I no longer have a 24 hour gym with child care.  In fact, the hours of the activity center (although free) are from 8-9, which is not the most convenient of time for me.  I am not the kind of person who likes a lot of change in my workout times.  I like to workout at the same time everyday so that my routine is not thrown off.  Walking (and then hopefully running at some point) will be a major player in my exercise regime.  Keep in mind that I live on the side of a mountain, and I am also pushing 40 pounds worth of baby and stroller up and down hills.  Great interval workout right? Right.

Here are some pictures from the first of many walks that we will be embarking on:

These pictures do not do the hill climbs justice.  It felt like I was walking uphill both ways!  My legs are actually sore today!

We are also planning on checking out the Activity Center tonight so that we can get a better idea of what it offers.  We may even walk there considering it is less than 2 miles away from our house, but uphill the entire way.

The Motivation

As if I need any more motivation than my sweet baby girl and amazing husband, but alas, baby talk has been happening.  I think this is the one and only time in my life that I will experience my hub’s wanting another baby before me.  Don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE to have another baby right this very second, but I REFUSE to go through another pregnancy like my last.

I’m not saying that I need to lose a hundred pounds before I’ll consider having another baby, but we did come to the conclusion that I was going to give it my all until next January.  Then we can start trying for another.

This thought has weighed heavy on my mind lately, and I cannot wait any longer.  No more dragging my feet and being “off plan” more than I’m “on plan”.  I have been on this WLJ since June of 2011 and all I have lost is around 30 pounds.  It’s time to get serious and not let life’s obstacles get in the way.  It’s time that I show how committed I really am.