Small Accomplishments

It's important, when working towards any goal, to identify and celebrate the small victories.  So, today, like I sort of expected, I did not wake early.  I did however safely care for our children (it was a little iffy when the three-nager came screaming over from the playground with a river of blood coming from her nose) but everyone is well.

I got a workout in just before dinner. (Dinner was buffalo chicken pasta with the pasta replaced by quinoa)

And I stayed within my calorie allotment.

The reward? Going to bed.  And celebrating 10 years with my hubby tomorrow without worrying about the calories I'll consume in champagne and cupcakes after bedtime.  :)

But I will get a run in...

*Starting Weight*

So, I weighed myself and was shocked I had only gained 4 pounds on my all-drinks and food you can eat vacation of a lifetime (though it's our third time going!).

Today was good- I knew I couldn't be a "clean eater" or anything restrictive right now, so I just tried to stay in my calories.  I went with what MyFitnessPal suggested and came in with 50 left.

I have slight issues with MFP and how it syncs with FitBits but I guess that's another post for another day as it's late and I'm going to try my hardest to get a workout in before everyone is up tomorrow.  I'm not a morning person. Never have been.  But...  I miss getting a workout in before lunchtime.

Starting Weight: 168

Goal Weight: 135 while maintaining milk supply

Let's do it.

Post vacation & baby back to square one...

So, I tried. I tried to stay on top of my exercise routine and MyFitnessPal tracking and you know what? I did pretty darn good!  I gained 35 pounds with my fourth little blessing- a full 20 pounds less than with any prior pregnancy.  And that was in the midst of a cross country move as well.

So, what now?  Well, I'm a breastfeeding momma back from an all inclusive week away with 900 of my dearest business partners and husband and so...  It's time to get back to it. And there's only one real way to get any goal you set- accountability.

This morning, after being rudely brought back to reality (no one handed me a mimosa at breakfast, made my bed while I was running kids all over or had dinner options ready when I walked back in the door), I took my measurements. Tomorrow, I'll take my weight.

My goal? To be back in shape (trained up and ready to earn the coast-to-coast medal in 2016), back to my pre-pregnancy size and all without losing my ability to breastfeed my beautiful baby boy.

How will I do it?  Workouts, manageable eating (after all, I'm a homeschooling momma with a half million dollar sales team to support and run) and regular check ins.

Anyone with me???

Me at 41weeks+

I'll take a starter picture tomorrow.  Not sure I'll post it ;)

A day on my plate :)

I thought I would chronicle a day in what I ate just to show you what this "can" look like and maybe help explain why I do still count calories on this "plan".

This morning started with overnight peanut butter oatmeal. I love this dish- I'd been making it for a few weeks, but realized last night, I hadn't ever added the protein powder.  I added it last night and this morning it was fluffier. It definitely filled me up!  I add chocolate chips, which I think makes it a cross over, but that's okay. I needed the higher carbs for my morning workout. Also coffee with Natural Bliss Sweet Cream coffee creamer (yeah, not giving that up).

42 g protein, 58 g carbs

My workout was great- I did RIPPED and then Zumba for a total calorie burn of 892 calories.  For snack between classes, I had a CLIF Fruit Rope for a little boost.

Lunch? Yummy. 2 pieces of bacon, some shredded cheddar cheese, 3 eggs and 1 T of cream cheese mixed together with a big glass of water. (S)

My indulgent snack?  While running errands, I love a Starbucks so I get to have a grande breve latte with a Chocolate Peanut Butter Quest bar.  It's a higher calorie snack but worth it. It's so yummy and hot and the Quest bar adds needed protein to the snack to keep me going. (S)

Dinner is White Bean Turkey Chili (E or Crossover depending on fat) from SkinnyTaste and I use whole fat sour cream. I do this because the slight increase in calories in the sour cream is worth the feeling of being full longer.  My kids love this recipe, mostly. I'm also making corn muffins for the kids.

Dessert? I love this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake in a Mug with fat free whipped cream on top.

You'll notice, not many vegetables...  Yeah, that's why I need to calorie count. If these meals were balanced out with higher bulk veggies, the calories wouldn't add up so quick on me, but they do.  Here's my screenshot from MFP and my FitBit steps for the day :)  Technically, I have over 200 calories left, but I will prob assume that my sour cream in my chili being full fat made up for some of those and see if I'm still hungry at the end of the day.

At the almost 1/2 way mark in this pregnancy, I want to be responsible- not eat too much but enough. If I gain less than 50 pounds, it'll be my "best managed" weight gain of all 4 babies...

Anyway, I hope this helps.  I'll also try to diary a day where I don't do a high intensity workout.

Check in!

Im pretty happy! At almost 19 weeks, I'm at a 10 lb weight gain. My goal isn't to restrict the natural pregnancy weigh gain but to limit excess so I feel really good about this!

I plan to continue to exercise, adjusting intensity as needed, count calories & weigh in weekly just to keep myself informed. And drink LOTS of water :)

Checking in with an Update! :)

So, I'm back!  I have good news to report so far.  I am officially weighing in tomorrow, giving me almost 5 days to recover from an east coast trip...  The problem with being pregnant and living in an area that doesn't have your comfort foods readily available is that when you DO go to a place where you can obtain such foods, you may go overboard. :)  I enjoyed Chick Fil A, Cracker Barrel, Panera and even brought bagels home all while at a leadership retreat in South Carolina last weekend.  There is an amazing place here where we do live that has a delicious brunch, so instead of going right back to eating well, we dropped the kids at a child care spot and hubby and I enjoyed a kid-free brunch where we could catch up.  It was so nice. And I will definitely miss the grilled biscuits and gravy from that little spot.

So, in my last post, I mentioned that I love the tanks from Old Navy for workouts.  I happened to have pics to show the difference between the regular compression tank and the maternity style.  Regular is on the right, maternity on the left. Pics were taken 2 days apart.

I've been back on Trim Healthy Mama but with the calorie tracking.  I really have to do this. I know that a big benefit to THM is that you won't need to calorie count in theory, but I just have such a taste for heavier calorie meals that I can't balance them out with veggies/lower calorie options to make it balanced overall.  I have to be very intentional.  The good news is that I've tried new things as a result.  

Last night, we have a hamburger gravy (with seasoning not in the recipe linked) over creamy whipped cauliflower. 

Today looked like this:

Breakfast- Overnight Peanut Butter Oatmeal with mini chocolate chips (crossover)

Coffee with creamer (not really on plan but accounted for in my calories and minimal sugar)

Lunch- (s) meal

Quest Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar (on plan)

Grande Breve Latte, Starbucks 

Snack- (s)
Cheesy Biscuits and patty

Dinner- Off plan/Crossover
Pork tenderloin with BBQ sauce (sauce has <4 g sugar)
served over a baked potato and topped with cheese

I had a couple potatoes from our weekly basket and didn't want them to go bad, so am using them up.
I am going to finish at just 3 calories over plan and am sure I'll figure out a way to cancel those out. Not worried ;)

For exercise, I did 50 minutes of Zumba then 30 mins of walking on a treadmill.  My FitBit Charge HR is on its way but not arrived yet, so am using a polar hr monitor still.  The benefit is I have an accurate count of calories burned.

Tomorrow is typically a pizza night, so I am going to use a THM crust this time and make it work. I really want to make this work and keep the weight gain under control this time.  Any good thoughts and encouragement would be appreciated!!!!

16 week work out and Maternity Work Out Clothes Recommendations

Hi!  So, I've been doing great with my workouts since I last posted, tracking with MyFitnessPal and using the Trim Healthy Mama "plan" to manage my food.

Today is week 16 (or 16w3d depending on whose date you trust more- me or the OB) and I did a RIPPED class plus 30 mins on the elliptical in heart rate mode.  The thought crossed my mind of how long I'll be able to do burpees but as long as I can without feeling bad, I will.  Or at least modify them when I realize I need to. ;)

I have to rave about 2 new items I've found during this pregnancy. The first is these tops from Old Navy.  I actually love the regular one for first and even second trimester pregnancy because it gives you some room but support in the bust as well.  Sadly the maternity one is less structured at the top which is a miss if you ask me.  If you shop Old Navy, be sure you're using ebates.  Yay free money.

The second items are the pants.  I have tried a lot of maternity pants (this being baby #4) and these are my favorite.  I love them. I bought 3 pairs and my awesome hubby makes sure there is a pair clean for me on work out days.  They don't fall off.  I just started wearing them maybe 2 weeks ago and won't go back. The back crosses over so it doesn't go super high and helps you not overheat at the gym.  Love!

BeMaternity Active Pants

In the picture above I was wearing the legging style and I did feel these shifted a little more for some reason, maybe they run bigger? But seriously nothing compared to other pants I've worn and I won't stop wearing them.  My Target had a capri option that I wore last week and again, love. I am not kidding. Best maternity work out pants ever.

Now, I do back to back workouts 2-3 times/week and you do have to eat between classes if you ask me.  It's just too much of a deplete otherwise and I don't have the ability to push in the next class if I don't.  I love these:

And my water bottle,  You must replace water if you're working out even if you're not pregnant but especially if you are. (mine is purple)

Ok, that's my feedback for ya so far!  I hope it's helpful.

Catching Up & Starting #THM

So, it's been a while. I got way off track, then on track, then on. Sound familiar?  Yeah.

Then, we were happy to announce that our family is expanding!

I had nausea and general crud just like my son, but I kept with my workouts and semi-good eating, save for a week-long trip to Disneyland where I ate whatever I wanted and loved every minute. :)

Well, just like my pg with my son, I had some bleeding (resolved sub chronic hemotoma) at 13 weeks and took a week off, but am back to it. And now that Christmas is over, I am back to a regular work out routine plus eating well.

So, what does that mean to me? It means that I am going to hit my goal of 3-4 days/week at the gym plus log my foods in to MyFitnessPal daily.

I hate feeling hungry so I also want to work towards the Trim Healthy Mama (#THM) eating style.  It's a bit of work to figure out, for sure, but I think in the end, it will suit me well.  Just in 1 day after Christmas (where again, I ate shamelessly but did get workout in because gosh, I was feeling it), I lost 2.5 pounds.

Ok, what else? Drink. My. Water.  I know it sounds SO easy.  I bought a new water bottle to help. One that won't spill since I am still homeschooling and running a large direct sales business at home daily, on top of everything else!



Why is this important to me?
On top of just being good for you, I know that a healthy eating plan is what my baby needs.  It will make post partum recovery easier and labor and delivery easier too.  I listen to my body and modify when needed when working out, but just getting out and being active is SO good for me. Not to mention the stress relief it brings.  I'm currently participating in R.I.P.P.E.D. Total Body Challenge and Zumba regularly. (The DVD is new and I prefer to attend a class in person.)

We're also moving at about week 37-38 week and as a VBAC (once a c-section, I am always classified a VBAC despite 2 successful VBACs including 1 WBAC), I want to prevent any "reason" for my new provider to push a repeat section on me and my baby.

So, with that, I promise to update more frequently. I know a lot of my friends are trying to do better in the new year and many are interested in the THM lifestyle plan as well.  Two groups that I am in and find helpful:
THM Beginners
THM Recipe Swap

Hope you all had a marvelous Christmas!  Here's to a healthy 2015 for us all!

Been a while & need some accountability

So we can do this together, yes? It's the time of year that's super hard for me. Candy, lattes, comfort foods... They all scream fall. 

We went on an all-expense paid all-inclusive resort in Sept & it was amazing! I are, drank & was merry. And got pudgier!

So, for the past week, I've been using MyFitnessPal after hearing race reviews for years. I do like it. Are you on it? I have noticed they encourage you to eat back exercise calories which is a highly contested point.  I'm not sure where I stand, but I do have a DietBet ending next week that I'd really like to win.

So, are you with me? Is your goal to lose? Maintain? Train for an upcoming race?

Today was a heavier workout day for me so I didn't cringe at starting with a higher carb breakfast to fuel me through it.  Tomorrow doesn't look promising for a gym workout so we'll see what I can come up with!  

Restart for June

Do you participate in month long challenges like this?

I haven't for a while but thought it may help since I really want to reach my June goals!

Join me!

https://m.facebook.com/events/734476259908279

#healthyjune

I almost bought slim fast...

You know. Cause it was there & I gained 4 pounds last week.

But I didn't.

And instead bought this stuff

To make a 272 calorie protein packed recovery lunch smoothie after busting it at RIPPED & Zumba this morning.

I plan to have pizza night tonight complete with wine then commit to a healthy June.  

Who's with me???

Splurged tonight, paleo style

So, I've been so good & the scale shows it!  So does my energy level.  I'm down about 3 pounds but will weigh in on Wed.  

My littlest is asthmatic & dairy is a trigger for her.  I bought coconut ice cream for her to have now that she is showing interest in ice cream. I was scooping some for her (after resisting the urge to devour the whole milk, whole fat ice cream milkshake with whipped cream that I had made for my daughter) when I realized I could have a little of this! :)  I melted about 1 T of homemade PB fudge sauce my friend had sent over last week & enjoyed my treat.  Funny how quickly your concept of a "treat" can change!

What's your favorite treat???

Paleo *FREE DOWNLOAD ALERT* and some links

I am feeling better already after just 1 day off the crud.  *phew*  A bit of a headache last night and both me and hubby were a bit grumpy, but I know it'll pass.

Amazon has a free download today you may want to check out if you're interested in starting Paleo:

*Disclaimer- I haven't read this.  I read 2 books all of 2013 and they were both on our incredible vacation.  But, can't beat free.

Also, a couple friends on Facebook asked what the deal was with Paleo and why I am cutting out grains.  Here's a good explanation. 

There are some other great blogs that get in to it- one of my favorites is ThePaleoMom.  Love the graphics. :)

I'm not saying it's for everyone, but I'm saying I see the benefit and the science makes sense to me.  I'll be weighing in on Wed and updating then on progress.  I haven't decided if I am allowing a cheat meal since I'm doing the DietBet this month, but I'll decide on Saturday. :)

Blessings!!!!

Keeping Kids & Paleo Mom Fed on the Go!

Here's something I wanted to share and hope you find it helpful!
You can link to my site to purchase thermal totes like the ones shown in the video here.

Snacks I mentioned in the video are listed below.
Kids:
Go Go Squeez
Blue Diamond Almonds
Annie's Organic Fruit Snacks
Annie's Organic Snack Packs
Stretch Island Fruit Co

Moms:
Caveman Bars
Cinnamon Applesauce
Clif Fruit Rope
Go Raw Super Cookies

What are your favorite on the go snacks for you or the kiddos???

See you here again next week for a peek in to my workout bag.  Blessings!

2014 is almost here

I seriously cannot fathom it.  I cannot believe that 2 years ago, I was watching Labyrinth and telling my awesome husband that I didn't think the baby would come tomorrow, but maybe the 1st.  Our firecracker was born at 8:32am 12/31.

So, tomorrow, we will celebrate with an outing, lunch that she likes, cupcakes at our house (with ponies on them of course!)

Then on the first, I will begin my first DietBet!  It's a fun concept and I just heard about it.  I have three friends taking the challenge with me and am excited for the social aspect of it.  The way it works is described on their site, so check it out.

I haven't quite decided if I will be counting calories or not during the 28 day challenge.  I want to drop my 4% that I committed to (about 6 pounds) but would love it to just come off with the Paleo diet and my current workout routine.

I am planning to add the challenge from ShrinkingJeans

This is less a New Year's Resolution and more set in to my plan for January for 2014.  I don't like resolutions but I do like goals and plans…

I will be blogging as we go along so stay tuned, or better yet, join the challenge!

Getting on the scale tomorrow

And I'm scared.

It all went downhill when I weighed myself & got a crazy good number. I knew it was off.  But I hoped!  Then the next week, I was proven right & then it was Christmas....

And now I have work to do.  I'm puffy & lethargic & skipped the gym in favor of sweats and another cookie.  

But tomorrow... It's on.  No cheat on Saturday either.  

How are you doing???

Here's to a Rockin' New Year!

I love lemons in my water, but ....

I love adding real lemon juice to my water but hate the processing of doing it fresh every day.

So, I made lemon juice ice cubes!  Yay!

Just 5 minutes and I have fresh lemon juice for water every day & only have to clean up once!

Why lemon juice?  Check out the benefits!

http://pinterest.com/pin/58546863877533466/

Thoughts???

Results , week 3

Down 1 lb!  I'm excited about that.  I did cheat some this week.  Cookies at small group, soy caramel brûlée latte on Thursday.  I pushed myself during work outs though.

Monday: RIPPED & Zumba

Tuesday: Zumba toning

Wednesday: Cardio Dance  & RIPPED

Thursday: Zumba + strength portion of RIPPED

Friday: 30 min Zumba toning + 60 min Zumba

Saturday: RIPPED & Zumba

Calorie burn from Wed

Steps from Sat

Here's to a zero change week ahead !  Whose with me???

Device I use and Love

So, I blogged a bit ago about my FitBit (find that post here)

Here's a picture of my Heart Rate Monitor after my work out at the Y.  I double up on classes a few days a week and today was a dance class followed by RIPPED.  Love getting my workout in on days like this!

What I like about the Heart Rate monitor is that it accounts for exertion, something the FitBit can't really do.  So, when I'm lifting weights, but not moving, the FitBit thinks I'm "inactive".  My heart rate says differently.  It's a more accurate calorie burn picture in my mind and also is a gage to me of when I can "push harder".  It does require a chest strap.  The one that comes with this is soft and has a removable node so it's easy to wash and care for.

Here's the FitBit that I have and I do still use it daily.  I love having the challenge of 10,000 steps, the social interaction of having friends there and compare stats between the two from time to time.  It's a nice daily reminder to be active throughout the day.  Here's a screen shot of what the app looks like.

It's super easy to use, tracks water, weight, foods and you can tell it what your goal weight is and it will adjust.  I like that it's so easy to use.  I don't use it much for food now but it's highly functional for that.

So what would I recommend?  Depends on your goals.  If it's simply to encourage more daily activity and you're motivated by goals like the FitBit provides, it's a great option and their customer service is awesome.  If you're working out a good amount and curious if that "calories burned" that your Zumba instructor or other fitness instructor cites is accurate for you, definitely go with the heart rate monitor.  I use both :)

Do you use a fitness device?  If so, what?

Birthday Week

It was my hudband's birthday  & a very busy week.  Between baking homemade cupcakes with buttercream & feeling like I needed 30 hours in every day , it was easy to let the eating slide.  The scale showed it- up a pound.

So I'm going back to being good this week.  Started again today which means resisting the urge to enjoy the BOGO at Starbucks today.  *sigh*

I'll be happy Sat but am craving a latte now!

Happy Sunday folks !