90 day Challenge

I have signed up to do a 90 day Challenge with a group of 6 other ladies! We are now halfway through it and it has been really interesting. I thought it would help me get the remaining couple of pounds off and firm up my mid section, but it has been so much more! I have only lost about 3 pounds in 45 days, but I can tell I am definitely firming up! Not only that, but it has been about more than just fitness, it has been mental, spiritual and emotional. I have gotten better about making and sticking to my to-do list. I have started thinking in terms of goals, both short term and long term. I have started focusing on my top 5 priorities and seeing how my agenda stacks up against those priorities. It has also opened up new opportunities and new friendships for me! Once it is all said and done, I will let you know the final results! I am looking for a negative split (better the second half than the first), so here is to staying focused!

Healthy Lunch

I have been talking with my friend and personal trainer and she suggested that I add more protein to my diet.  My friend at work has also said the same thing.  Right now I am at a pretty stagnant place in my weight/body and it is frustrating to say the least.  This lunch was the idea of my friend at work...but I spiced it up a little!  Orange bell pepper, spicy hummus, turkey and pepper jack cheese, with a side of pear.  It was so delicious and looked amazing, so I took a pic!  Making you hungry?

Breakfast

I have really been focusing on breakfast lately with my kids.  I am a morning person and they are too, so it is a perfect time to really pour into their lives.  Not only that, I really think that it sets the tone for the day.  I am trying to also set a healthy example and habit for them.  One of our favorite meals right now is homeade oatmeal.  I found the recipe at Kroger when I was shopping in the produce department.  We have modified a little bit because SD is pretty picky.  I have also added protein powder with lots of vitamins to increase that in my kids diet.  Here is a picture and the recipe!  Enjoy!

2 cups of milk

1 cup of water

1 tsp of vanilla (it is supposed to be 2, but we use a much stronger mexican vanilla...really the only way to go)

2 Tbsp of brown sugar

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 tsp of nutmeg

2 Tbsp of Protein Powder

1 1/2 C of plain oats

I mix all of the ingredients (in a pot) before adding the oats, because it makes it a little easier.  Then add the oats.  Put on med-high heat for 13-15 minutes.  Let cool and enjoy.  I make it right when I get home from the gym and the kids love to help me out!  Then we add raisins and "sprinkles" (Pampered Chef Vanilla Sugar I think).  SD has actually started asking for this in the morning with is nothing short of amazing, considering she would barely touch it when I first served it.  Linus can eat up to two bowls, he is going to be a linebacker!  This recipe makes 4 servings, but we usually finish it off in a morning :)

Ghost Toast

I have been trying to get the kids (mainly SD) to eat more veggies and stuff that will help her tummy. So I busted out the Deceptively Delicious Cookbook that my sister gave me for Christmas. One of the recipes is for french toast, that is made with eggs, squash and flax seed. I decided to give it a try. When I was getting ready to make it, I remembered that SD and I had found some Halloween cookie cutters a couple of weeks back. I got them out and cut the bread before dipping it in the mixture and cooking the toast. BG saw it and said, what is that, Ghost Toast? I thought it was very dad of him to issue that line, but cute at the same time. So, that is what we started calling it. The kids LOVED it and scarfed it down. Hopefully it will help SD's tummy and it won't hurt either one of them to get that squash or the protein from the eggs. Here is a pic of our Halloween treat.

Next on the menu, banana bread that has cauliflower in it, in the shapes of bats and ghosts of course :)

Feelin' Good

I am actually starting to feel good in a bathing suit! Don't get me wrong, I still have 10-15 pounds that I want to lose and a flabby tummy that needs some toning. But I actually don't look that bad, especially after having two kids and gaining over 100 pounds between the two pregnancies. I was super excited when we went to my Brother-in-law's house for May/June birthdays and BG told me that I looked better than my SIL, who I think has a really good body! Points for him!!!


It is weird, it pretty much takes my body an entire year to get over having a baby. About this time two years ago, I was feeling this way, I guess I was feeling hot enough to get pregnant again! :) So, here is to swim suit season and feeling confident!

Level Three

After reading all about Jillian's 30 day shred, I bought it. It is a pretty good workout, especially if you haven't worked out much in the past. It wasn't super hard, but I stayed at level one for two weeks, then moved up to level two. I am now on level three, and it is definitely harder than the other two. The one beef I have with it is that you do too much shoulder work. I for one am not a big fan of shoulder work, probably because it is hard for me. But I also think, because of wise advice from my friend Allison, that you work your shoulders a lot when you are doing other arm exercises. But, I advise giving it a try and it is on sale at Target right now for $13!!

Tub Toning

So my kids love to take baths. It doesn't take me long to bathe them and then they just hang out and play with their toys. (Yes, they are still at the age that I can bathe them together, although I think that is coming to a close soon!) I don't want to take that fun time away from them, but Momma has stuff to get done! I am also very paranoid about leaving them in the water by themselves, seeing as Linus has somehow tumped over and was underwater twice, and I was just getting a towel! Anyway, I figured out that I can do some toning while they are playing! Some nights I do tricep dips on the counter, sometimes push ups on the wall, squats, lunges, you know! You don't need any equipment and it is really a great use of time!

Try it!

Recommitment

My friend Lindsay always does Team in Training when she signs up to do a race. She does this for some accountability and because they provide a schedule (not to mention it is for a great cause!). Anyway, in the middle of the training, they usually have a recommitment dinner. At this time, they provide you with the rest of the training schedule and I think you have to have some of your money raised by then! I think it is a great idea because it allows those who are not really in it, or have encountered things that make it not feasible for them to continue, to bow out gracefully. It also pumps up the people who are really serious and gives them some fresh wind in their sails!

Today, 12/1 is recommitment day for me! Recommitment for my running, eating healthy, working out, strength training, etc. I gave myself the past two weeks off for the most part. I have always read that after running a big race, you should give yourself as many days of rest as the miles in the race. I ran a total of three times I think in the past two weeks, but they were light runs and shorter than I normally do.

My goal weight by the end of the year is 155, I am about 5 pounds away and with the holidays coming up, it isn't going to be easy! Not only that, but I know that the longer I wait, the harder it is going to be to get back into the swing of things. And it is about to be colder, and not nearly as nice to run in as the weather lately. So, against every bone in my body, I got out there this morning. I bundled both kids up and braced for the wind and the 40 degree temp! I am not going to lie, it was tough! I gave myself only one walk break, but after it was done, I felt so much better! I am so glad that I forced myself to do it, hopefully I won't fall off the bandwagon after Day 1! Here is my schedule:

M, W, Th - Run my neighborhood run with the kids and BG hopefully!
Sat - Run a "long" run - plan is to do 3, 6, 9, 6 each month
T/Fr - Do some sort of video or cross training
Sun - NOTHING!!! This is a day of rest :)

Hopefully I can get this back under control so that I can think of a more creative New Year's Resolution!

Running isn't Everything

I know, you are shocked! But it isn't everything. I used to only run, that is all I did and I thought that was enough, but it simply isn't. It is really important to tone other parts of your body, because unfortunately running isn't the cure-all. For me, running is the base, the thing that is always there and is the foundation, but I can build on it. I have been really trying to focus on my core and my arms. Running pretty much takes care of toning my legs and getting rid of the flab around my mid-section, but it doesn't tone it. I have been using my exercise ball and this great quick routine I found in my Runner's World magazine. I have also been trying to lift weights and do arm videos, but it unfortunately is not tops on my "want to do" list so I have been kind of slacking on it. I have found though that as I increase the strenght in my core, I run much better. I am not hunched over at the end when I am tired, the strength in the middle carries me to the end and helps me finish strong!

All that being said, I got to run my long run by myself on Saturday. I actually prefer taking the kids and having hubby along, but every once in a while it is nice to go out alone. Our stroller has a wheel problem, again, and BG has not had time to work on it. So, as much as I didn't want to go yesterday morning, I grabbed my iPod, and my cell phone and adorned myself in my cute little skirt and hit the road. I did 6 miles and it felt great, I wasn't even really sore today!

Run on!

The Lent Diet

A guy in our Lifegroup was talking about how he was on the Lent diet. I totally got it since I grew up Episcopalian and practiced Lent. I always gave up sweets, always! And then one year, I found out that you can "cheat" on Sundays. That it is okay to give in to your temptation on Sundays. Not sure if this is the correct way to do Lent, but that is the premise behind his diet. He eats really well all week and then on Sunday, he gorges. And he doesn't mess around! He goes to town. His wife was telling us that one Sunday morning before they went to church (at 9 am) he had already had two packages of Reese's peanut butter cups and some donuts. He said that some Sundays he takes it a little too far and feels sick the rest of the week. It is an interesting way to look at dieting! Maybe I will try it, only have sweets on Sundays. That will give me a little of my fix, but it surely won't bode well for my Monday morning weigh-in!

Workout Videos

I did a video today after my run for my abs. It was an Abs of Steel video, VHS mind you, and it was funny because it advertised on the box that it had hit music. I was so interested to see what said "Hit Music" meant. It meant, 80s rock! How funny is that! I am not even sure where I got this video, I think it was in the garage at my parent's house and I relieved them of it!

Body Image

I have come to some realizations about my body and things I don't like, or wish were different, they are a little odd, so hang on for the ride. Some of them I have always wished were different, some have popped up post babies!

• I have really broad shoulders, I am fine with that. What I have noticed though is that my back looks really broad, especially in halter stuff. I am not sure if I like it.
• I have always described my body as a playdough ball with toothpicks sticking out. I have very skinny legs and arms. My legs have bulked up from running, which I like and I am trying to really focus on my arms, I don't like them moving when I wave. Anyway, my legs have never touched anywhere until I had kids, now there is a little extra fat on my inner thighs and they touch at the very top. I do NOT like this one bit!
• I am a white girl, and I have a white girl but, FLAT! I would like a little booty love, I think it would help balance things out. I guess I will have to resume doing Buns of Steel with Tamilee (who by the way, I was once on a cruise with and she fell down the stairs drunk, it was so funny). SD does not have a chance in this department, her daddy has some serious white-boy butt as well!
• I have always gained weight in my core, after Linus, it seems it has moved to depositing itself on my back. I hate that, I hate it jiggling when I run! That must go. So, we are doing Billy Blanks, he sucks, I hate him! Okay, it is really more of a love/hate thing!
• And I have saved the weirdest for last. My tailbone gained weight, I swear it!

So, off to munch on some carrot sticks while sitting on an exercise ball! Just kidding! I am about being healthy, not crazy!

And it Begins

So, my "operation skinny" has begun. Actually, that is a misnomer, it is actually "Operation Healthy." I ran this morning 4/1 and it felt really good. We started up a hill on the first leg of the run and it was a killer. But in the end, I had that great feeling of accomplishment and my lungs felt open and healthy! Gotta love that. I created some spreadsheets this weekend to track my progress and give myself goals. I will post my goals tomorrow, or maybe on the sidebar, not sure yet! Let me know if you want them and I will email them to you! My workout schedule this week is run MWF & S and videos T/TH. My goals for this week are to run at least 3 times and do an ab video at least twice. My starting weight. 170.5 I think I have hit my plateau as far as baby weight falling off, now I am going to have to work for it, but I am ready! I did pretty well eating today, except for the cookie, but I am not about restricting myself completely, everything in moderation is just fine! Thanks for keeping me accountable. I am going to post every Monday on what is going on!

All about the Numbers

So, as I have been saying, I am trying to be transparent. Also, I was going to address the issues that made me sad last week. Today, we are going to talk about my body! Aren't you excited!! I am going to be transparent in a way that is really hard for me, I am going to give you actual numbers! Oh, let me give you a little history first. I believe my genetics are not necessarily stacked against me, but they are also not really doing my any favors. About half my family struggles with their weight, in some way or another (actually, I think there are very few people in general that do not struggle with some aspect of their body image). I am not one of those people who can eat anything and still be really skinny. But, I have been blessed with genetics that allow me to control my weight fairly easily if I want to. My parents also blessed me with the perseverance and hard work ethics to put my mind on something and accomplish it! It took me a long time to get to this kind of comfort level with my body. I have so many friends who are really tiny, and I mean tiny (most of them from college are under 5 feet tall or right at it) and are definitely single digit sizes! I used to compare myself to them all of the time, but I am not them, and that is okay. I don't need to be comfortable with their body, I need to be comfortable with mine! The cool thing is, they never made me feel like I was the odd man out (it was all in my crazy head), they love me for who I am! Thanks girls!

So, here it goes.

Before I got pregnant with SD, I was in pretty good shape. I was doing lots of weight lifting classes and running a good amount. I have never been a "small" person, but I have never considered myself fat or overweight. I am 5 ft. 8 in. and have wide hips. I actually have come to a place where I like my body and understand that being a size 6 is unrealistic. Like I have posted before, I think clothing sizes don't really matter anyway. So, back to my point. I don't know exactly how much I weighed before I got pregnant with SD, I am guessing it was in the high 140s or low 150s. I looked back in my pregnancy journal and found a weight of 156, which was around 13 weeks or so. With SD, I gained over 60 pounds, I stopped counting after I hit 200. Yep, I hit 200, and I was a big old pregnant lady, with a ton of water weight.

After I had SD, I did a pretty good job of working out, but never really killed myself because I knew I wanted to get pregnant again soon. I was running a lot and getting up in my mileage, but I was not toning anything. I had gotten back to my size 10s fitting really comfortably (in NY & Co sizes anyway, and that is what most of my clothes are). My weight was 162 at the doctor when I got pregnant with Linus. I am very comfortable being a loose size 10 (in NY & Co clothes) and really don't need a single digit size to make myself feel okay. So, once again I was pregnant and gaining weight. Thankfully this time I did not gain as much on the scale, but I also didn't work out as much, so I think some of the lack of weight gain was deceptive and was actually muscle weight loss, which I didn't want. So, I gained 40 or so pounds and hit 200 once again.

Today, 8 weeks after Linus was born, I am back down to 170 and have been steadily losing about a pound or two a week. I am in a size 12 jeans, pretty comfortably, but I don't like the flab that hangs out on the top. My goal is really to be around 150 pounds, I think that is a very suitable weight for someone my height and frame size. More than the number though, I want to be fit. I want to feel comfortable with my body. I want to have muscle tone and be able to run for long distances periodically. My biggest goal is to have tight abs. I don't need a six pack, although that would be nice, but I want to be strong. My tummy has always been my trouble spot, so it is going to be some work, especially since that is where I gain ALL of my weight, including pregnancy weight.

So, here is my plan. I am running, at least 4 times a week. I am training to do the San Antonio Half Marathon with my cousin and my best friend in November. I have started my training and am doing pretty well. My goal is to finish it, no certain time, not necessarily running the whole time either. I started off running a couple of weeks ago, by walking 4 minutes and running 1. I am now at week 2 of running 3 walking 2 for 2.5 miles. Next week, I will move to 4 running and 1 walking and then keep adding a minute of running each week/couple of weeks until I am up to 7 and 1 which is what I plan on doing for the half. I am also trying to do some weights and abs at least a couple times a week. My abs are pretty much shot after two babies via C-section, so I have a long road ahead of me there. As far as eating and weighing, etc. I am being very flexible on that. I am eating good things and trying to follow this book so that Linus gets what he needs in my breast milk. It means eating 2600 calories a day of certain foods. I am also only weighing myself once a week, on Mondays. This past Monday, I weighed in at 170, I will try to post my progress each week so you can help encourage and hold me accountable!! I will definitely need it!

So, there it is. So far this week, I ran on Monday and Wednesday, did abs on Monday and Wednesday, and did Yoga on Tuesday. Today, I will probably do Pilates or something. I plan on running Friday and Saturday as well. Sunday I take off, because it is too hard to run before church, we have a hard time getting there on time without me running! The cool thing is that we have been running as a family. BG goes with me and we take the double jogger with both kids. I think it is setting a really good example for the kids and I like that it is something that we do as a family!! This is one of the huge perks of BG working for himself and my job being very flexible! We are blessed!

I won, I won!!!

So, SD loves fruit snacks, which she so affectionately calls vitamins. (her vitamins are gummies, so she thinks everything gummy is a vitamin) Anyway, she asks for them all of the time and I know that although they are not the worst thing she could eat, they are not the best either. So, I decided to get out my baby food book* to see if they had a recipe for something similar.
*Super Baby Foods is one of the best books I ever got after having SD. My friend Mrs. MAN Fan Club recommended it to me and I will forever be indebted to her. It is not only so much healthier for your baby, but SOOOOO much cheaper. I am not the cook in our family and I was able to do it, so you can too! I didn't make everything SD ate (rice cereal) and don't do everything in the book, but it is really cool. I am convinced that is why SD loves her veges, because they taste like the baby food she ate since they were the real thing.

Okay, back to my story. So of course, the book had a recipe for fruit leather which is basically a fruit roll-up. I had some canned fruit that SD refused to eat in it whole form, so I rinsed the syrup off, and made it in to fruit leather and added some prunes, just to help her out a little! It took a while longer to dehydrate than I expected, but it was totally worth it. It was yummy and so much better than the processed and packaged stuff, not to mention cheaper.

At first SD was not sure about it because it wasn't shaped like Hello Kitty or Dora or Sharks. But last night I gave it to her again and she finally tried it and ate all that I gave her. She asked for it again this morning and I gave it to her again and she scarfed it down. We only have a couple packages left of the yuck stuff, so we will get rid of that and then it is no more! I made two kinds the other night, the peach (from the canned fruit) and some Strawberry/Blueberry with fresh/frozen fruit.

I had gotten really lazy on what I have been feeding SD and now I am trying to get back on track. I plan on doing a lot of stuff from that book (they have everything from baby food to toddler food to party ideas to activities) from now on. When I first started the book, I just read what I needed to in order to start making the food, now I am trying to go back and flag things I want to try that are different. I saw a recipe for peanut butter balls, granola bars and lots of other stuff that you can buy pre-packaged and processed, but why not make it yourself?!?!?! So, since I will be on a major health-kick after Linus' arrival, I figure the rest of my family can follow suit, it wouldn't hurt any of us to get a little healthier. Not to mention, it will be great for our bottom line (both actually and figuratively).

New Year's Health Kick

Because Tessie is making me do this, I guess I will!

Like Tessie, we are a relatively healthy couple. We both work out, although, I have slacked as of late, stupid Holidays and cold weather. We eat moderately well, BG cooks, so I only have so much say in what we eat for dinner. We do keep ice cream in the freezer and BG has enough candy from Christmas that it should last him all year. I do have a sweet tooth, although it is not as bad when I am pregnant! As for my health resolutions.....

I haven't really thought about them THAT much, but I do want to really tone up. That is my focus since my OB doesn't want me running. I walk/run when it is not too cold outside, but right now I am focusing on getting my arms to look like Kelly Ripa's. I will be on a major health kick when Linus exits my body! I am ready to get back to my pre-baby body, if not better. I did a pretty good job after SD, but I knew I wanted to get pregnant again soon, so I didn't kill myself to get there. I got lots of new exercise stuff for Christmas, so that will come in handy. Not to mention, the weather will be much nicer.

I don't always like to work out, but I am usually disciplined enough to make myself do it. My whole family (save my youngest sister, who is 21, stupid college body) is overweight, so I am a little paranoid about it. I do like the way I feel afterwards, and I like that sore feeling when you lift weights. I used to have a gym membership, but that has fallen by the wayside since BG is starting his own business. I don't spend a ton of money on workout stuff, but I do like a good pair of running shoes, I think that is important!

There you go Tess, happy?!?!?