I am BACK and ready to go

Well, it has been ONE MONTH since the birth of my baby girl and I feel really good, but also really flabby! I am extremely anxious to get going on some WEIGHT LOSS! No worries, I am not starting anything strenuous. I just want to get out and MOVING again! I can't start back at the gym until Elizabeth is 6 weeks old (for child care), so I am going to my best at home. I also really need to crack down on my eating, for Elizabeth's sake as much as my own. A well balanced diet will do both of us A LOT OF GOOD and will most likely CURE Elizabeth's night time fussiness, I am sure.

My overall goal (as you can see on the side goal column) is to lose 18 pounds by Christmas. I am going to shoot for 2 lbs a week. So, I am starting TODAY with the same old, same old REPORTS! So, here we go...

DIET:
multi-grain cheerios - 110
yogurt - 120
brownie - 150?
tuna sandwich - 350
chips - 120
raisins - 200
orange juice - 120
milk - 200
brownie - 210?
zone protein bar - 210
total so far: 1840 (I am in trouble! I haven't eaten dinner yet!)

EXERCISE:

12 Weeks Left!

Well, I figured I should do a post marking the beginning of my third trimester and give a little report on my progress. For one thing, I have GAINED MORE WEIGHT! Surprise! Just kidding. I have been putting off my "4-week" appointments and finally went yesterday (I feel fine, I don't see the point in going so often). I have officially gained 25 pounds! Hmmm... a little more than I'd like, but I figure if I keep my weight gain to 3 pounds a month for these last 12 weeks, I will stay under 35 pounds. As long as I gain less than the 40 pounds I did with Emma, I will be happy. 35 seems okay. Believe it or not, I am getting excited about getting into "calorie counting" again. My big weight loss last year started mid-September and I got to the lowest weight/body fat by mid-December. I think it will be good that the timing is similar. Maybe I can get back to normal by Christmas. I am really glad that I had the experience of losing the weight RIGHT before getting pregnant, because it is fresh on my mind and I KNOW what I need to do. I am sure I have already forgotten how hard it really was and I KNOW I am not accounting for the adjustments of life with another baby. For now, I will just focus on getting to the end!

So, for my progress... I have not kept on my supposed "no sugar" rule, but I have been more conscious of it. I took a couple week break from working out at the gym but kept very busy with house cleaning, yard work and packing. The time has not affected my ability to keep up in spinning class, so hopefully I was getting enough exercise throughout my days of working around the house. I am trying to get to spinning 2 days a week. I have a schedule set up for once the kids are out of school which gets me to the gym most days. It is a good distraction to other things I should be doing! Ha! I know that is the worst mindset! I swear that is what my whole summer is about... just keep busy and let it all fly by FAST! Okay, not TOO fast, because I LOVE summer and I want to soak it all in. I think more than my anxiousness for the baby to be here, I am more anxiosu to get this period of studying for the Bar over with! Kolby will be studying at the house every day which makes me want to be AWAY from the house as much as possible. Sorry, I am going off on non-health related tangents! I think that being out and about most days will help with my eating - not as much snacking throughout the day. We'll see.

Anyway, for the most part, I feel good. I would like to start walking every day. I cramp up when I do, but I think perhaps the more I do it, the less I will cramp. If it starts to bother me too much, I will probably just stick with the bike. I worry that if I do spinning too much, that I will bulk up my legs (because I feel like that is what happened to me when I was younger and I biked about 10-15 miles a day). I will report back after I figure out what is working best!

Until next time...

A New Week!

I always feel a breath of fresh air when I know that a NEW week is beginning. The MOST important part of the day for me is MORNING. If I can make a smart choice with my breakfast and get LOTS of water in at the beginning of the day, I tend to do so much better throughout the whole day. So, that is my goal for tomorrow.

To report on my "no sugar" goal... I am still working on eliminating it. I have not done "great," but I've been better. My friend Sara suggested that rather than take it out all together, designate HOW often I eat it and make it "special." Although I do so much better with it out of my system, I am thinking that maybe her idea is best for me right now. Especially since it takes a good two weeks of NO sugar whatsoever to get the cravings out of my system. It is so hard to go that long and then once you get there, to keep it going! So, yesterday, we were out with the kids ALL day and bribed them with cold stone ice cream (which I haven't had in probably 5 years); I ate some. Then of course today with Mother's Day, I had LOTS of goodies. I don't want to feel guilty and miserable eating it and I know that I won't it I do make it "special" (meaning no junk binge every day)!

Anyway, I am really happy to have found that spinning is working very well for me. It is the only thing I can do where I don't cramp up (even walking caused cramping lately). It worry that I am going to bulk up my legs, but hopefully not if I do that 2 days a week and perhaps speed walk 2 days or so.

So, until tomorrow...

Struggling but Progressing

Well, I can't say that my "cold turkey no sugar" is a complete success, but I am at least doing better than I normally would as I try to be consciousness of it. The key for me is to get the sugar out of the house (which I am helping with by EATING). Seriously, as soon as the temptation is gone, it will be easier. Yesterday was not the best, but today was better (I did eat some sugar cereal... we have never allowed the kids to eat sugar cereal and I bought some justifying it as a weird pregnancy craving). Anyway, I didn't track perfectly today, but here is what I remember:

EXERCISE:
hour long spin class
20 minutes lower body weights

DIET:
eggs - 150
cereal - 250
milk - 150
some of Emma's spinach revioli - 50
grapes - 100
flax seed vege chips - 200
fruity candy things - 120
chocolate covered blueberries - 150
snacking..? - 250
mushroom asparagus risotto - 400
bread - 100
jam - 75?
TOTAL: 1995

WATER:
55+ ounces (so far)

Until tomorrow...

Okay, this is serious business now!

Alright, I am serious when I say that I am getting back on track with my health and nutrition! What is it about being pregnant that has made me feel like I've been handed a free pass or something? I have been reluctant to weigh in at the gym for fear what the numbers would be and well, I did - today - and it wasn't pretty! Seriously, the numbers are so bad... I AM NOT SHARING. I came home and took measurements and recorded it in my journal. Looking at how fast I have declined from where I was is very depressing! I know, I know, I'm pregnant and I shouldn't be too hard on myself. Everyone says that and I will tell you right now, that is not what I want to hear, because I know the BAD decisions I've made and the sugar binge I've been on and regardless of expected weight gain during pregnancy, it is not good for the baby. So, I'm cracking down! Anyone who wants to join with me in a NO SUGAR challenge again, I am starting mine TODAY! I don't know how long I plan to go and I'm probably not going to be as strict as last time when I wouldn't eat anything with over 5 grams of sugar (yogurt and go lean cereal is okay for me). I am also going to start recording things again. So, to start off right, here is my report for the day:

EXERCISE:
45 minute spin class
30 minutes of upper body weights

DIET:
grapefruit juice - 140
almonds - 180
ZONE protein bar - 190
protein shake with berries, banana and spinach - 350
fruit bar - 130
milk - 100
dried green beans - 130
TOTAL SO FAR: 1220

WATER:
66 ounces (so far)

Hmmm... amazing what a little effort can do! (and a little accountability). By now I would have reached for sugar 3 times by now, but I have refrained! So despite my discouragement this morning, I feel ENCOURAGED overall that I can do this! I am going to keep my goals simple for now... maintain my weight for a few weeks and make healthy eating choices (with no sugar).

Back into the swing of things

After a week of NOT working out due to a little road trip I took with my kiddos, I am excited to get back into the swing of things. I had a lot of catch up stuff to do today which kept me home from the gym, but tomorrow, I'm going hit the eating and exercise hard again! Okay, maybe not "hard" but at least DO IT! You know what I mean! I know one thing... I need it! I am getting winded just climbing all the stairs in my house. Maybe it is a good thing that I am putting the baby's nursery on the third floor! Climbing up and down 40 stairs will help me to loose the baby weight after he/she is born!

Until tomorrow...

Thursday

DIET:
Go Lean Cereal - 200
Yogurt - 120
milk - 30
Fruit Bar - 140
apple - 60
peanut butter 210
raisin bran - 300
total so far = 1060

EXERCISE:
none yet (hopefully I can do the treadmill tonight while I watch The Office)

WATER:
hmm... 30 ounces, maybe? We're out of water. I've got to buy some more today!