In a Groove (But not a rut)

The contents of our fridge right after payday.

Finally!  I finally feel like we in in a groove instead of a rut and are making progress.  The 5 of you that read this blog might notice that my ticker above has been refreshed and updated and no that is not wrong.  As of yesterday morning I was 200.6 lbs.  I had climbed my way back up to 211 for a few weeks and started feeling really bad about it around Thanksgiving.  We knew we had to do something.  Mandy's blood pressure was going up and my blood sugar was still going up and our weight was going up and we were both miserable.
Mandy and I decided we would embark on a diet change, and instead of just talking about it, we did it.  The first two weeks were rough, especially for Mandy as she was not used to restricting her calories, but after the first week or two, we got used to making healthy food that we really enjoy.
Now, splurging on a cheeseburger, fries, cheddar peppers and a drink from Sonic, something we wouldn't give a second thought to before means a lot more.  In fact, when we figured it in to a splurge day, we both got pretty sick from it. 
Now most of our food is fresh veggies and cheese and good lean meats, with the occasional treat, usually in the form of a protein packed shake. We have even managed to work in a date night at Outback, and even the occasional Jack-in-the-Box taco.  We can be flexible but still eat healthy and well.  The photo above is of one of our refrigerators on a payday.  Looks yummy, doesn't it?
We also started exercising.  We started small with a one mile path around the block and now we do that loop sometimes 2 times, and we both have been spending a lot of time on the treadmill.  I have even started to do the 5k distance for fun.  I actually ran 4 of them this week (Monday-Thursday) and intended to do another today but was feeling under the weather.  If I feel better tomorrow I plan on participating in the Second Annual Runs for Cookies Virtual 5k.  I really hope I am up to it.  I had to miss it last year because of my ankle. 
Speaking of the ankle, I broke down and spent a small fortune on some new shoes.  I tried out several pair and settled on the Brooks Ghost 6, because the website said it would help correct the outward roll that makes me roll my ankle often.  So far so good.  It feels really nice to walk and even run in them, and I do not feel unstable at all. 
We also got ourselves those new-fangled FitBits.  We both got the Flex, the older model that goes on the wrist and it has really served as a reminder to get up and move, and we have gotten a little competitive with it all.  We have both lost a little weight and it is coming off slow like it should, due to an honest lifestyle change and added exercise.  I am feeling better than I have in a long time. 
It has been over 6 weeks now, since we started the change and I am down 11 lbs and Mandy is down 7.  Things are going really great and I just feel like they are going to get better!