Portsmouth

Portsmouth yesterday was great. The weather was perfect and we did a ton of walking around. We found this yummy little sandwich shop for lunch called Googies. I got a turkey wrap and was so so good! We'll definitely be heading back there to eat the next time we're in the area.

Then we headed over to Prescott Park which is one of my favorite parks in the area. It's right on the ocean and there's a gorgeous garden with lots of beautiful flowers everywhere. We brought a ball & kicked it around, played in the grass and relaxed by the ocean. So nice. From there we went over to Peirce Island and went to the playground, did a bit more walking around then headed back home. Perfect day in my book.

My exercising options

So, I spent the 1st month on plan concentrating solely on changing my eating habits. I knew that was #1 & the plan even starts you out that way. B/c no matter how much you exercise, if you're still eating huge portions of unhealthy food, you're not going to lose any weight. Pretty basic knowledge. But I know there is going to come a time in my weight loss where just changing my eating habits isn't going to cut it. I need to get back to being active. I need to get moving. I need to start exercising.

As you know, I'm a stay at home mom with my own photography business. I primarily work weekends & I'm lucky enough to be able to make my own schedule. I definitely have finding the time to exercise on my side. But my issue is, how exactly am I going to exercise?

The Gym:
I don't have a gym membership but I actually used to enjoy going to the gym. I used to attend this awesome kickboxing class & I miss it. But the extra money for a gym membership seems silly when I could just go for a walk in the neighborhood during the day. But, despite that I'm still considering a membership at the local ymca. They have a ton of different kids classes we could take advantage of which makes a membership that much more appealing.

Workout DVD's:
I know these won't work for me. It may sound a bit negative right out the gate but I have a few walk away the pounds videos that I used here and there years ago & working out in my living room to the tv is not my thing. It doesn't motivate me & I'd really prefer something that gets me out of the house.

Outdoor Walking:
This is my #1. I love walking. It's easy, low impact, free & I can bring A with me. Plus, I love being outside. I like the option of being able to switch it up a bit just by changing walking locations. My only thing with that is weather concerns. When it's 90+ degrees, raining, snowing or freezing during the winter, what do I do? This brings me back to the gym option.

What's your preferred exercise method? I'm especially curious what the moms are doing. Both working & stay at home.

Weekday activity

Since starting the plan I've been very conscious of making sure we're active throughout the week. It's not that we don't have anything to do, trust me, we're busy, it's just that most of the time it's a lot small errands. Grocery store, dry cleaners, post office, Target, etc. You know the deal. Stuff that has us doing more driving then actually moving our bodies.
But I need to try and get some cardio in & I'm not really finding the time or place to do it.
I can say that when we go to the park I do try and use that as an excuse to get some activity in for myself while letting A run off her energy. Lots of following her around, up and down steps, across the bridges, climbing up the ladders, etc. And when it's super hot or raining we walk around the mall. But other than those 2 things, I haven't really nailed down a good routine for myself. Maybe I should join a stroller strides? A gym? I need to start something.

I'm feeling positive about the new jogger but I'm just praying A enjoys it. That still leaves me with the days that it's raining, snowing, super hot or super cold outside. I guess I'm just going to have to take it one thing at a time.

The bike trailer/jogger is here!

I got my new bike trailer today! So excited when it arrived. What's better than getting packages in the mail right?! Of course, it arrived about 10 mins before I walked out the door so I didn't have a chance to use it today. But I put it together after dinner & so far I love it. It has a bunch of great little features and feels comfy to push as a jogger. A completely loves it & has been using it as a little tent on wheels in the living room. Hopefully she likes it just as much attached to a bike and being strapped in it.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some good weather next week b/c wouldn't you know, the forecast is showing rain Friday, Saturday & Sunday. I'm super anxious to use it though! I'll be sure to give a small review once I do!

Parks & ponds

We stayed active this weekend and had some fun family time too! Saturday we went to Twin Bridges Park in Merrimack. This is one of our FAVORITE parks, especially when it's really hot b/c it has a bit of shade and the insides of all the wooden structures are nice & cool. Lots of running around there. But one of the best parts about it is that there's a great little walking trail in the woods behind it with a river, a few bridges & a little swimming hole at the end of it. Really fun little nature walk especially for the kids.
Today was spent at our pond. We have a great little swimming area with a beach. It's perfect. Brought a nice little lunch for the 3 of us & spent most of the day in the water. Super refreshing & good for a little water aerobics!
I'm feeling good about our activity this weekend. It's was nice to stay movin'.