Navigating Resolutions

If you don't read My Way, my blog about being a mom, then you probably don't know about my list of new years resolutions. I wrote several, but these are the three that are pertinent to this blog:

1. Walk 20 minutes EVERY DAY.
2. Start Dragon Boating again.
3. Cut out all sugar (including fake sugar) for the month of January and July.

I wrote these down the night before last. I couldn't sleep very well so I thought I'd make a to-do list and resolutions, while I don't usually make any, seemed like a good idea. I make resolutions about my health all the time. I feel like my New Years ones are a continuation of the healthy lifestyle I've been trying to establish.

If you've been following me you already know that I've been instructed toward to a Pescetarian bordering on vegan diet that cuts out all processed foods and emphasizes whole grains, vegetables and fruits. I was doing pretty well at sticking to it up until Christmas day. The meal was an ode to my Oma - so a spread of simple carbs fried up nice with bacon. But there was squash in the pierogi's (pierogi's are a stuffed pastry that's fried). . . healthy right?

So I gave up being very strict through New Years and now I'm back on track.

Yesterday I started working on integrating my resolutions. I didn't get my walk in, although it was on my radar all day long. It's hard to get outside and walk if I don't do it first thing in the morning because by the time I do have time it's dark outside. The other challenge is if it's raining I can't take Charlotte in her stroller with me. I don't have a rain cover for her stroller (note to self: find stroller cover). 

I had started to eat a candy bar - a moonstruck mayan chocolate candy bar - the night I wrote my resolutions. I couldn't not finish it, so I ate the rest of it for breakfast. I figured after that I'd get on track with the no sugar thing. I ordered a tall soy latte at Starbucks in the afternoon thinking I was being so good and not adding any syrups. My drink seemed rather sweet in spite of the lack of flavors, so when I went in again today I asked if there was sugar in their soymilk. "A whole lot of it" was their response. Considering I'm trying to lean more toward vegan and they don't have just plain soymilk, this is kind of a disappointment. I guess I shall be having my coffee at New Seasons now. It's better quality (mmmm stumptown) and cheaper too. Just not close enough to walk to. And there's not a cool app that lets me pay on my phone either. 

Other blunders include the dried fruit on my steel cut oatmeal. I figure it's better than some of the things I could be eating with sugar so I'll finish it out and just won't buy anymore when it's gone. 

As for walking I wouldn't have gone to Starbucks at all today if I wasn't overdoing it. I thought that since it was nice and sunny out I'd make it longer than 20 minutes. I walked down to the high school and looped up back to the shopping center on 122nd - about 2 miles. This took around 35 minutes plus another 15 to get back home. Now I have shin splints - although not as bad as when I was running - and my legs feel a little undependable. I think I'll stick to the 20 minutes thing tomorrow. 

Dragon Boating is going to have to wait until the spring. I think I'd be asking for pain if I tried to get back into it now! Especially since I can't afford the rain gear and it gets mighty wet even if it isn't raining.