Here we go again!

Alright, I am officially back with my fitness buddies and back in the fitness world again! Baby #3 just turned 7 months and it definitely time I kick it in gear! Pulling out my spring/summer clothes last week solidified that all the more to me! Last week I took time to set some goals, take some measurements, contemplate life, and I will admit, splurge on one last binge. I have some good friends behind me who I will do a weekly check-in with (thank you Carrie, Natalie, Debbie and Sara!) My new goals are posted in the side column. I started out with a bang by getting up early to run and enjoyed a banana-less protein shake (I need to get some bananas today!) Calorie counting also starts today. I don't know how frequent I'll do a post here, but I'll try to as much as I can. My goal for this week is to just start losing... anything. Since the weekend was a bust with Easter, it's more of a half week, since weigh-ins are on Fridays. So, here's to HEALTHY living!

I can't do this alone!

I just got an email from my dear "furna mom" friend and she committed me to starting NO TREATS again! I seriously can't do a weight loss program alone and I need someone to report to, so THANK YOU CARRIE!

As you can see from below, I DESPERATELY need a no treat restriction! I obviously read Carrie's email AFTER I ate my so-called breakfast of cookies and stolen Halloween candy (yes, I snitched in the kids bags!) But, I promised her that I would start being accountable again and report my calories, so I am being HONEST here (don't laugh!)

We are doing no treats until Thanksgiving. Two other goals I'm going to focus on are:
- no eating past 8:00
- count calories every day

Here is the report for TODAY:
cookies (2) - 350 ??
smarties - 30 ??
tootsie roll - 30 ??
a starburst - 30 ??

(okay, now the healthy stuff):
chicken noodle soup - 400 ?
tillamook extra sharp cheddar cheese (oh so good on the homemade soup!) - 200

TOTAL SO FAR: 1040

Tuesday Calories

Oatmeal - 150
Kashi Bar - 120
Milk - 30
sugar free snack pudding - 120
applesauce - 100
pretzels - 50
dried bananas - 50
total so far = 620

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...