Here we are, a little more than a week into the new year, and my resolution to start living a little healthier is going awesome! Check out the fab tomato and bean soup I made last weekend using a recipe from The Soup Bible Carole had given me for Christmas. I made tomato sauce from Nadia G’s new Cookin’ For Trouble book last week, too, and had some left over. Into the soup it goes!

I’m not a large-framed person, so pretty much every time I’ve mentioned to someone that I’m on a tiny bit of a diet I’ve heard the same response. “Um, you don’t need to lose any weight. If anything please gain a few pounds.”

Don’t worry, folks. I’m not on a I want to lose weight diet. I’m on a I want to be healthier diet. While the Lose It app on my phone says I’m going to lose 5 pounds or so in the next month and a half, I fully expect to gain weight, because I’m trying to work out, muscle weighs more than fat, etc etc etc. I have a healthy body image – I don’t think I’m fat, I think I’m out of shape and had a babby a year ago.

So here’s the thing. I’m using the Lose It app, and have been extremely good about it for a full week now. I haven’t weighed in, so I don’t know what the results are so far, but I feel good and not gross, using it has made me ultra aware of what I’m eating, and has in turn encouraged healthier choices. Instead of my regular Fancy Coffee Friday featuring a Mocha Latte with Whipped Cream, I cut the calories in half by ordering it with nonfat milk and no whip. And guess what. Still delicious.

I’ve set kind of a strange goal for myself to encourage the healthy eating for a whole month. If I can stick with this thing for an entire month, I’m allowed to buy myself a pair of Pajama Jeans.

It’s important to reward yourself with something you’re really excited about. And I’m pretty ridiculously obsessed with getting my own pair of Pajama Jeans.

My friend Heather thought it was hilarious when I told her. “It’s funny that you’re rewarding yourself for being healthier by buying fat pants.”

Well, yeah. I’m not saying I’m going to eat healthy forever, guys. This way I’m preparing for the future!

Stay tuned – if I can keep up the healthy eatin’ through February, I’m totally buyin’ myself a Slap Chop.