I stumbled across this survey today and I figured why not? Micah still isn’t sleeping at all, and the sleep deprivation is starting to hit a critical point for me so I really don’t have much I want to say right now. Jonah has a well visit tomorrow so I’m hoping the pediatrician will answer a few questions about sleep training and why Micah has suddenly decided ne NEVER needs to sleep. I don’t mean to complain, but this has got to stop. I expected some sleep deprivation with a new baby but Jonah is nearly 6 months old and has been sleeping through the night for almost 3 months already. I mostly walk around in a half conscious stupor all day, and this can’t be good for Micah either.

So since my creative side is snoozing, here’s some survey fun!

What did you eat for breakfast?

I had one of my favorite breakfasts this morning—protein pancakes and bacon. The pancakes are just oatmeal, flax seed, cinnamon, cottage cheese, and eggs, so really simple to throw together. Sometimes I’ll toss in some protein powder, wheat germ, or fruit depending on what I have on hand.

How much water do you a drink a day?

I have a 28 ounce cup that I keep at my desk while I’m working, and I usually drink two of them while I’m working, and I fill it up at least 2-4 more times during the day. I tend to drink at least a gallon a day because it’s so hot and dry here, especially during the summer.

What is your favorite workout?

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I like anything that kicks my butt. I’m enjoying jogging and martial arts right now, and lifting weights is always fun. I miss plyometric workouts a lot, but my knees just won’t tolerate it at my current weight/fitness level.

What is your favorite fruit?

Mango, watermelon, any berry, and avocado are the best. I could basically live on fruit!

What is your favorite vegetable?

My favorite veggie is either spinach or corn on the cob, depending on the day. I love salads, but throwing corn on the grill during the summer is just awesome.

What are your favorite healthy snacks?

I love to snack on any type of fruit, have a spinach salad, or if I’m super hungry a protein shake or some cottage cheese.

What do you usually eat for lunch?

I usually either make a sandwich or have leftovers from the night before. Lately it’s been tuna with onion and avocado, chicken salad, or turkey and salami if I’m having a sandwich but the tuna mashup is my favorite. Have I mentioned that I love avocado?

What is your favorite and least body part to train?

My favorite is definitely my legs, with abs as a close second. It’s a little trickier now because my knees have been bothering me since gaining the baby weight, but working out is the only way it’ll get better so I’m sticking with it.

My least favorite is probably biceps or shoulders, mostly because there’s just not that much of a variety of exercises you can work them with, so they’re a lot more boring than legs or abs, where the exercises are nearly limitless.

What are your ‘bad’ food cravings?

Pretty much everything! I don’t know if it’s the leftover preggo hormones, the nursing hormones, or just bad habits I got into when I was pregnant, but I want everything in the world that’s unhealthy from Oreos to onion rings. It’s getting easier little by little to ignore the cravings, so I’m making progress with my junk food addiction.

How often do you eat out?

We don’t really eat out often. We try to stay on a pretty strict budget while we pay off our debt, so I try to cook at home as much as possible. When things are crazy we’ll sometimes take home a cheap pizza or Chinese food, but we really try to stay away from doing that. If I had unlimited money though, I’d go out for sushi every night!

How do you stay motivated?

I admit I have a lot more trouble staying motivated since having kids. It’s different during the winter because we can go for walks, bike rides, or play in the park, but trying to find the time to run on the treadmill or lift weights while a two year old is sleeping so he can’t jump on the treadmill or try to tackle me when I’m lifting sometimes seems like more trouble than it’s worth.

On the other hand, I see how much less stress I have after a good run and I know I’m a better mother when I’m active. That plus the way I look right now (compared to how I want to look) are usually enough to get me onto the treadmill or into the weight room.

Do you have a gym membership?

I don’t have a gym membership. I live in a smaller area that’s just starting to build up and the gyms out here are expensive but terrible. Instead we slowly bought used gym equipment and now have a weight bench with a modest collection of plates, a Gold’s Gym multipurpose resistance machine with chest, leg, and lat pulldown attachments, a treadmill, a heavy bag, and all of our martial arts equipment. All we need is an A/C unit in the garage! I sometimes miss the interaction, but my baby is too young for gym daycare anyway so this will work until some better gyms are built out here.

How often do you work out?

I aim to walk or jog at least once a day, but that doesn’t always happen. Lately I’ve been managing 4-5 workouts per week which isn’t perfect but is still a great improvement!

Are you a ‘morning’ or ‘night’ workout type of person?

In terms of when I want to workout, I’m definitely a night person. In terms of when I can actually get it done, I’m a morning or naptime (late morning/early afternoon) workout type person.

Do you have a “cheat” day?

I don’t specifically designate cheat days because I think it’s a license to go completely bonkers with your diet for a day. Generally I just try to make 80-90% of what I put in my mouth healthy, and I try to always stick to good portion sizes. Feeling overfull just makes me want to sit on the couch and snooze, so I try to avoid that gross feeling.

Your turn! Answer one or several of these questions in the comments.