live by it.

I've been inspired by Candace Cameron.

And Becky, and Pinterest, and the doctor's office scale, and my own fatigue, and pictures of my younger self.

One of my favorite pieces of advice before getting married was to make sure and maintain health and fitness, in order to remain attractive and healthy for your spouse. As silly as it sounds, it's a great piece of advice. Showing your spouse your love and devotion by maintaining a healthy body is not only beneficial for both parties, it also lays the groundwork of discipline and healthy habits for a future family.

Fact: I don't want my kids to be fat. (Except at the very beginning, when it's still okay and super cute to be really chubby, in the cheeks and legs!)

The reality is, it's not that hard to implement a healthier lifestyle. I've been loving finding new recipes online, and I'm finding it even more exciting to begin a "healthy foods" recipe search. I'm already dying to try a taco recipe that includes sweet potatoes and purple cabbage. (If Dusty's reading this, he's cringing a little inside.)

Dusty is incredibly busy. We've been to Five Guys twice in one week, and have grabbed a couple of pizzas...well, I've lost count. And our pasta intake? Intense. The point? Fast is easy, and fast for us usually involves those lovely golden arches, or a big purple bell.

Nothing monumental, but I'm ready to change. My grocery list for this week is drastically different than last week's.

Last week: Milk, Beans, Pasta, Milk, Beans, Potatoes, Milk, Creamer, Bread. Peanut Butter.

This week: Cabbage, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Cilantro, Limes, Broccoli, Black Beans (I still gotta have my beans...)



Not that we'll be getting rid of our "poor man's food" staples ENTIRELY, but...it's a process.

It helps a lot that many of my law wife friends are extremely into health and fitness. While I won't be running any marathons with them any time soon (or ever), their dedication to family health is really awesome.

It's easy to eat our comfort food, miss our families that are thousands of miles away (which means they're not seeing us in our big comfy sweaters and sweatpants, because our clothes no longer fit), and be complacent because there "isn't time" to be healthy. Well, I'm gonna make time. These next three years aren't some giant pause button on my life. And I'm not taking thirty pounds with me to the end!

Candace, you and I can make this happen.

Long gone are the college days of eating blocks of cheese with Coke, while lying in bed at 1am and watching tv shows. Long gone are the days of sitting in the cafeteria from 12pm to 6pm, eating all the while.

The point is, I'm not going on a diet. I'm changing the way we eat, for good. I'm 23 years old, and not as spry as I was way back when, in my teens. :)

(Maybe the giant bag of candy I gave to Dusty for Halloween was a bad move....)

Alright, I'm ready for dinner now. Until next time :)

In love,

Cait