Trim Healthy Me Challenge Update

Okay, I *planned* to get a bunch more posts written between Jan. 1 and today.  I also planned to update weekly about how my health & fitness challenge was going!  But the past 2+ weeks have been busy as we've tried to get back to a normal school routine . . . Jim has also been home more (currently working from home building furniture most of the time), so we've been adjusting to that . . . and anyway, blogging kinda took a back burner to real life.  :)

So, here is an update, FINALLY, about the first 2 weeks of my 6 week challenge!  Overall, it's going well.  I've been able to lose about 4.5 lbs. (depending on any given day--sometimes it's less!) of the holiday weight gain, which has put me back at right around the same weight I've been maintaining for more than a year (127ish).  I still have a goal of getting to 120, but one step at a time . . . and for right now I'm just happy that the extra fluffy feeling is gone and my jeans are fitting normally again. :)

I haven't gotten my 3 water bottles in every single day, but overall I'm hydrating well and drinking at least 2 per day.  I have hit my exercise goal of 3x a week, either walking or running on the treadmill for at least 15-20 minutes.  While I know 5x a week would be even better, I'm still trying to figure out a good routine and for now I'm going to stick with 3x.  I figure it's a whole lot better than nothing. :)  I have been doing pretty well with no refined sugar.  My only "cheat" was last night when we had a little birthday celebration for my mom.  I made the dessert mostly healthy, but it did have some chocolate chips (semi sweet) in it, and there was also sugar in the sweet & sour sauce we had with our egg rolls, and the raspberry sauce that went on the dessert.  I only had little bits of all that, so I'm not too worried. :)  I'm very thankful for being able to enjoy the healthier "skinny chocolate" alternatives (this peanut butter skinny chocolate is the BEST) made with xylitol, though, so I can still have my chocolate fix most every day!  And I've been mostly eating Trim Healthy Mama style at breakfast and lunch, but doing plenty of "crossovers" (mixing fats & carbs) at supper.  I think I'd do better with weight loss if I didn't, but this is what works for me right now since I need to fix frugal suppers and eat what the rest of the family is eating.

I decided to jump in with Money Saving Mom's "12 Months to a Healthier You" challenge, which I think will be just what I need to keep me focused on good health all year long.  (This month's focus is on regular exercise.)  So I'm going to try my best to update each Friday from now on, since that is the day she posts her updates and has a link-up for others to do so, too.

If any of you are doing your own challenge, how's it going?  Let's encourage each other!! :)