I Like to Ride My Bicycle

Okay - this is NOT a picture of my family on a bike ride today.  In order to BE a picture of my family on a bike ride today, the man and woman would have to switch places, the woman in front would have to be 8 months pregnant, and the trailer behind would have to hold two.  THEN you would have our beautiful family bike ride today! :-)  But since I have NO WAY of capturing that on film, this is the next best thing.

We rode for probably 8 miles today.  I was SO PROUD of my twins as they took turns on the tandem bike.  Almost from the moment we left our house, my 4-y-o daughter was telling her twin brother, "Guess what?  Me and Mommy are going to BEAT you on our bike ride today!"  And that was the theme of our ride - with my 2-year-old chiming in with whomever was loudest and/or riding in the bike trailer with her when Daddy occasionally passed Mommy.

But what stood out to me the most was how GOOD it felt to be OUT together!  We weren't spending money, we weren't doing things that took a lot of prep work.  We were just out in nature, riding over the fallen Autumn leaves, past the smelly cows and beautiful horses and fields, over the bumpy bridges, down the hills, up the hills, having the BEST time together!  We laughed and reminisced.  We talked about the future and baby names.  We dreamed about living in the houses in our favorite neighborhoods along the route.  The kids chimed in and added that we were going to have horses and chickens and . . . . We just truly ENJOYED each other!

So many people are intent on giving their kids what they never had.  My husband and I realized today that we are no different . . . and today, we gave our children something we didn't have much growing up and would have LOVED more of.  Then I started to think about ALL the things we gave them today:

• We gave them a family outing that got us all some GREAT exercise (without the word exercise ever coming up in our minds or theirs)!  
• We gave them a family tradition of spending time together that doesn't cost money.  
• We passed onto them our family value of appreciating,enjoying, and meditating in nature. 
• We left our cell phones home and gave them the example of getting unplugged for family - that THEY are absolutely the MOST important things to us.  
• We gave them a MEMORY that they will never forget . . . and will be such a part of them that they really won't remember when it started.

Some things really are - above everything else - simply about TIME!

Peanut Butter made with Coconut Oil?

I don't know about you, but I have heard and read and seen ALL OVER THE INTERNET that people are using COCONUT OIL now in place of other oils because of its amazing nutritional benefits (and it helps with weight loss - so even if it wasn't more nutritious, lets be honest, MORE PEOPLE would still be using it! LOL!)

So I got curious about what it does for the body.  I found an article on the benefits of using coconut oil on Dr. Oz's website (DrOz.com).  According to that article, Coconut Oil helps regulate blood sugar, thus lessening the effects of diabetes. It assists the body in losing weight. And it improves calcium and magnesium absorption in the body, which benefits dental and bone health. AWESOME, right?

Then my friend Carrie - from All That is Sweet in Life - shared her recipe with me for making PEANUT BUTTER with Coconut Oil!  Today I am so excited to share that with you (and even more excited to try it).  She says that her kids even love the taste of it so much that they can't eat regular peanut butter any more!  Healthy AND so delicious that kids LOVE it?  Double/triple/quadruple WINNER!  (Maybe next week I can get her to share some of her secret facial masks!  Thanks, Carrie!)

Homemade Peanut Butter Using Coconut Oil
So here's how I make homemade peanut butter if you love having 1-2 Tbsp as a snack with celery like I do! Made with coconut oil, this is so dang delish and healthy. You will need a high powered blender (we have a Blendtec).

Ingredients:
Dry roasted/non-salted peanuts
Unrefined/cold pressed coconut oil

How to Make:
Melt about 1/2 cup of coconut oil in the microwave and pour a tiny bit into the blender. Add about 1 cup of peanuts and gradually go back and forth with small amounts of coconut oil/1 cup peanuts until a smooth consistency. Don't pour tons of peanuts in there at once because it won't blend! You can add salt in the end, but we like it without since it has such a nice flavor. I use about 4-5 cups peanuts to 1/2 cup coconut oil--it just depends, so go with the flow! :-)

P.S. - I also asked her to share with me the best places to get Coconut Oil, because I am CERTAIN that not all Coconut Oils are created equal. She isn't getting paid to share and neither am I - this is just some expert advice from the source to make our lives easier!  She says that she usually buys a gallon of it, which lasts their family of four about a year. Make sure you buy UNREFINED!

1) Nutiva (Her local Costco is also carrying this brand - so price it and check it out!)
2) Tropical Traditions
3) Mountain Rose Herbs
   

STRESSED Much?

Are you stressed? Yes, yes, DESSERTS spelled backwards?  SILLY QUESTION!!! Who isn't? So what do you do about it? Well, we know that it helps tremendously to take time each day to meditate, to refocus on the things that matter the most. And for me, it helps when I am most stressed to get on my knees and offer thanks for all of the blessings I have received.

But other than that, give yourself a BIT of a break because stress is much more than a mental/spiritual/emotional reaction to life. It is also a very PHYSICAL reaction to your adrenal glands not being able to manage and function appropriately.

What do the adrenal glands do? In addition to helping you handle stress by helping manage your cortisol levels, these glands help control body fluid balance, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other metabolic functions. 

So, how do you know if your body is suffering from an OVERLOAD of stress?  Well, if any of the above are off, that's a pretty good indicator.  But to be a little more specific, check out this list of adrenal insufficiency symptoms: 

• weakness, 
• lack of libido, 
• allergies, 
• dark circles under the eyes, 
• muscle and joint pain, 
• dizziness, 
• low blood pressure, 
• low blood sugar, 
• food and salt cravings, 
• poor sleep, 
• dry skin, 
• cystic breasts, 
• lines of dark pigment in nails, 
• difficulty recuperating from stresses like colds or jet lag,
• no stamina for confrontation, 
• tendency to startle easily, 
• lowered immune function, 
• anxiety, 
• depression, 
• premature aging.

HOLY COW!!! Maybe you noticed they are very similar to thyroid insufficiency symptoms.  I sure did!

BUT before you run to the doctor, here is a great article about Adaptogens: nature's way to help manage stress. Pre- and post-pregnancy, I drink them in a mineral drink I have every morning and/or night when I need it (contact me if you want to know more about it). Adaptogens are helpful for EVERYONE!  Nature has a way of blessing us like that.

In the meantime - DEFINITELY teach your children NOW to plan in some down time to de-stress!  You could save them YEARS of health problems in the future!

Health: It's a Matter of "DO"-ing

How many times in life do we need a shift in thinking - a change in our focus? EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. OVER. HERE. LOL! And we hope that you will find those shifts in thinking for yourselves here at The Mommy 15. 

Today, I wanted to talk briefly about a shift in thinking about food.  So often, people tell you what you shouldn't eat.  Don't eat sugar, don't eat carbs, don't eat processed foods, don't eat after 7:00 at night, whatever it might be.  It's generally focused around DON'TS.

But it has been my experience that when I focus on the DO'S instead of the DON'TS, I get a lot farther and feel a lot better.  Check this out:

Most of us grew up with the Food Guide Pyramid, which we may - or may not - have paid enough attention to that we could actually talk about it, quote from it, etc.  HOWEVER, with the obesity and downward trends in health in the United States today compared to even 50 years ago, the government has revised the food guide pyramid to show us simply a PLATE and what should be on that plate at each meal:
 

If you take a salad-sized plate and divide it in half - on one half, you should have 1/2 grains (about 1/2 of a cup of most grains) and 1/2 protein (3-4 ounces).  On the other half, you should have 1/4 fruit (a small apple, 1/2 cup of other fruits) and 3/4 vegetables (1 cup raw, 1/2 cup steamed).  And then add in a side of dairy.  For small children, the same visual applies, the plate - and therefore the servings - would just be smaller/adjusted accordingly.  It's GENIUS, really!


If you look at the MyPlate.gov guidelines, American people should be the healthiest people alive!  Why aren't we?  Because we just don't sit down and DO what our bodies need us to do in order to protect them!  We don't like it when someone says that we shouldn't eat this or drink that because our bodies, quite frankly, are so used to being UNhealthy that they crave the things that make us fat, sick, unable to think clearly, and unhappy.

But - since it can be overwhelming to think of all the changes we need to make when we focus on cleaning out our cupboards and re-visiting our pantries and fridges, think instead of what you SHOULD eat in a day and start ADDING those things to your diet.  And once you get all of the "DO" things in, know what?  You probably won't WANT the "DON'TS" because your body will be so SATISFIED by what it has eaten!

Here's a little DIY Activity I made up in college that really helped me - and it's something you can get the ENTIRE family involved in:
1) Take two regular-sized envelopes and tape the backs together so that the openings are facing out and open. Don't tape the flaps together, just the backs.
2) In a document, create a word strip for every serving of food you SHOULD eat in each meal for the entire day.  Do a little research for each member of your family - the recommended amounts are based on age, gender, and physical activity.  For example, a 25-year-old female needs 2 cups of fruit a day, so since 1/2 cup is one serving, she would have four strips of paper that each said "fruit" on them. She also needs 2 1/2-3 cups of vegetables a day.  So three strips of paper that each said "vegetable" on them.
3) Below the opening on one envelope, write the word "EAT" or "DO"; on the opening of the other envelope, write the word "ATE" or "DONE".
4) Place all of the word strips in the "EAT" side.
5) As you plan and eat meals throughout the day, move ALL of your word strips to the "ATE" side BEFORE you eat anything NOT in the envelope.
6) Hang the envelope on the refrigerator so you remember and can easily access it when you are hungry/want to eat something.

You can have each family member decorate their envelope however they want - and even their strips of paper, so they won't get lost.  I also laminated my strips of paper and covered my envelopes with tape so they would last longer.  It's a fun, easy way to switch the focus to what you are "DO"-ing instead of what you shouldn't be!

You can make it a family game - or a competition between you and your spouse or one of your children.

Week One

3/11/2013 - This has been such an awesome week!  I feel really good.  Really. Really. Really. Good.  I want everyone to feel this good!!!  I have been living REALLY healthy -- for the last year.  We don't have junk food in our house.  The most processed things we eat are homemade spaghetti sauce and bread.  My kids don't have pretzels and crackers and granola bars in our house to snack on.  We got rid of cold cereal. You get the picture!  And my baby is going through a growth-spurt or something because he has gotten even chunkier this last week! LOL!  My husband just laughs and says, "His face is getting really round!  Look at those cheeks!!!  Hey there my little chunky monkey!"  And. he. is. ;-)

So - what did our first week's challenge rules consist of?
1) 4-5 Servings of Fruit and Vegetables every day.
2) No sugar.
3) Focus on fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans for your carb sources.
4) Get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.
5) Exercise 30 min., 3 days

That's it!  Pretty easy, right?  I love setting goals week-by-week.  You can tweak them, see how you feel, watch your baby and your milk supply, etc.  Nutritionally, I've never felt better!  Energy-wise, I've never felt better!  And that is SO IMPORTANT if I'm going to keep up with my four little ones.

Oh - if you missed what this Challenge is all about, you can read about it here!

120 Day Healthy Mama/Healthy Baby Challenge

March 6, 2013 - Now that I've been nursing my babe for almost 3 months and established a great milk supply, I am ready to ditch this postpartum baby body for GOOD!  I just embarked on Monday on my own, personal 120-Day challenge (countdown to my 33rd birthday) and am excited to invite all of you to follow along!  Want to do your own challenge?  Here are my step-by-step suggestions of what I've done to ensure success:

1) Start with a Plan and a Buddy!  
My good friend Camille - who lives in Alaska and I have not seen for YEARS - and I decided we were going to hit this together!  We set up some ground rules for our first 30 Days and each put $50 in the pot!  The catch? It's ALL OR NOTHING!!!  This isn't about the highest score at the end of the day -- this is about being IN IT to WIN IT!  So if we fail to complete even ONE of our "ground rules" even ONE day - we lose ALL $50 to the other person!  Know how we're going to keep it really fun?  We're adding $10 each week to the pot!!!  So after we have our PERFECT first week, we move on to week #2 with $60 at stake - and so on and so forth!!!  When we finish without ANY mess-ups, we not only get to enjoy PERFECT health and fitness, we also get to enjoy a girls' weekend and/or shopping spree to celebrate!

2) Focus on Nutrition! 
This is ESPECIALLY important if you are a nursing momma!  Your baby can't get from you what you don't have to give -- and this first year is SO IMPORTANT for those little ones!  In addition to the prenatals, I am starting each day with a delicious, organic, nutrient-dense, perfectly-balanced meal replacement shake to keep up on the minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, and nutrients my body needs but doesn't always get from food!  I mix it with an energizing Orange Electrolyte drink to really boost my energy and focus for the day (tastes like a creamsicle or orange julius and gives me some added Vitamins A, B, and C without any artificial colors, flavors, or sugars).  I am also taking the IsaOmega Supreme (best I've found in purity and quality - and no fish oil burps -- YUCK!) for my and my baby's brain development.  Other than that, though, the FOCUS is on CLEAN eating!  Raw when I can stomach it -- whole foods ALWAYS -- organic when I can afford it! :-)

3) Don't Forget Exercise!
A perfect fitness plan for optimal health includes two things: Cardio and Resistance.

• For Cardio -- especially if you are like me and took a vacation on fitness for your pregnancy or longer -- I HIGHLY recommend the Couch to 5K Running program!  "But Melinda," you say, "I am not a runner!"  PERFECT!  Cuz this running program is for COUCH POTATOES who want to BE runners! :-)  But, to help with your transition, you might consider adding a supplement to your diet to help with cardiovascular health.  I am following the C25K program up with a Half Marathon Training -- running the Legacy Midnight Run on July 19. (WITH GLOW STICKS -- doesn't that sound FUN?  And really, if you were running 13.1 miles in JULY, wouldn't YOU choose a midnight run, too? I thought so!) "But, Melinda," you say, "my knees won't allow me to run like that!"  Well, that's why I'm taking this amazing joint support supplement to help my body adjust to this extra weight I've dumped on it and still carry me to the finish line!
• For Resistance -- I just started doing my morning POWER HOUR!  In that POWER HOUR, I do 20 min. of resistance training.  Since I am a busy mom with 4 kids, ages 4 to 3 months, I rarely have the time for a BIG routine!  And if it includes weights right now -- well, I end up spending the entire workout routine struggling with my kids about why I need my weights more than they do!  Can you relate? So thank goodness my friend Sarah introduced me to Tracy Anderson's routines on YouTube! For this first month, I'll be doing her Arms, Legs, Abs - and in 20 minutes, without props, I can do a little of each (even if my kids join me - no fighting over who gets the fun equipment).  

4) Make sure you SLEEP!
Yeah - I know.  The word sleep holds no meaning to the mother of small children.  BUT - I will explain later how IMPORTANT sleep is to your health and why you -- yes, YOU -- absolutely MUST get enough of it every day.  For yourself, your baby, your whole family!  If you need some help getting into a good sleep routine at first, I highly recommend this all-natural, melatonin-based spray - formulated to help even the most untrained sleeper get his/her body back into the routine.  It's non-habit-forming and will help you get healthy, deep sleep (which synthetic sleep support doesn't do - FYI).   Oh - and I heard you say that melatonin doesn't work for you -- yes, I DID hear you!  Well, I have turned non-believers who thought THEY couldn't get enough power from melatonin-based products into believers and helped them get off their prescription drug dependence for sleep. Don't knock it til you try it -- for only $13 a bottle (which could last you up to 3 months), you can't afford not to! ;-)

5) Get Your Water In!
Water.  Pure, clear, undefiled.  The perfect, most refreshing, health-enhancing drink out there.  You need more than you think!  I'll write about that later as well, but for now -- aim to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you need to drink 75 oz. of water (minimum).

6) Two Words: Rest and Relaxation
After you've planned all that physical stuff in to help you get healthy, plan in a little R&R for yourself. Studies have shown that even 15 minutes of some form of meditation reduces inflammation in your body immensely!  So - do yourself a favor and plug in some R&R.  If you don't, you'll be coming back and telling me you can't lose weight (not to mention you are incredibly moody, stressed, and un-focused/unhappy in your life) -- and I'll kindly re-direct you to one source of your problems! :-)

7) It's a Kodak Moment
Take a before picture. Not so you can show the world, but so you'll remember if you get back here after the next baby that you were here before - and it wasn't the end of the world. So you can see how far you've come and not get discouraged if your body stalls and adjusts a few times. So you can remember on the days when you feel like you aren't doing anything right that you ARE!  And - in the end - YES! So you can brag your head off about all your hard work, how far you've come, and that it IS possible to any naysayers in your world (and even inspire others to overcome the naysayers in their worlds -- even themselves -- and embark on their own journey to optimal health). Take your measurements, too - the scale is NOT the predictor or definition of HEALTH!

There you go, friends! Welcome to my 120-Day Healthy Baby/Healthy Mama Challenge!  I'm delighted to have you on board!

Give it a Chance

I am always and forever trying to be open-minded about food and improve my eating.  Today that meant trying marinated, grilled tofu.  I have tried tofu before, in a soup in a restaurant.  And honestly the texture reminded me of eating cow's stomach empanadas in Chile.  *shudder*  So when my husband said we were having tofu for dinner tonight -- and I gave him that look that said I wouldn't be eating -- and he gave me that look that said oh yes you will . . . well ---

Needless to say I smothered it in his home-made marinara sauce, sprinkled some cheese on top, melted the cheese in the microwave for a few seconds, and got it all down.  The whole half plate of it.  And though it will never make it to my top ten list, I didn't feel like throwing up after I ate it, either.

So if you have some fool-proof tofu recipes, please share!!!  And if not -- give it a chance.  But have some thick, tasty marinara sauce nearby just in case!

New Favorites

I have a few new favorite foods I wanted to share.

1) Chicken Fajita Salad.  I take 3 oz of chicken and 1/6 of an onion, 1/3 of a green pepper, 1/3 of a red pepper and dice it all up.  Then I cook it all together with cooking spray until it's pretty tender and stir in one serving of the Fajita seasoning mix with the LOWEST amount of Sodium from my grocery store (McCormick in my grocery store - but I don't know what it would be in yours).  Then take a mixture of salad greens - romaine, iceberg, Spring mix, etc. - and chop it into really fine pieces.  Think shreds of lettuce on your favorite enchilada.  Add the chicken fajita mixture to the salad and mix it all together.  VIOLA!!!  I honestly probably use four cups of salad to that one serving of chicken fajita.  You can also put the chicken fajita mixture in a whole wheat/low carb tortilla with a tsp. of sour cream - hold the cheese - and add a low fat dressing to your greens.  Or you can take the entire salad and put it in a whole wheat/low carb tortilla with a tsp. of sour cream.  Delicious way to get your veggies in when you are NOT in the mood for a salad! *Note: I make up a whole bunch of the fajita mix ahead of time and freeze it.  Then when I want a salad - I get the mix out of my freezer, cook it on the stove, add the seasoning mix, and I'm set for a FAST lunch or late dinner when I don't have time or energy to make anything else.  It's awesome!

2) Banana smoothie.  I place a medium-sized, medium-ripe banana and 1/2 cup of nonfat milk in my blender.  Then add a dash of nutmeg and a dash of cinnamon (careful with the nutmeg - a little goes a LONG way; go to town with the cinnamon, as much as you like).  Blend together.  Add in some ice chunks and blend that together until smooth and VIOLA!  I'm telling you - this is an AMAZING snack!  When I can't get my kids to eat anything else, I add in a small scoop of protein powder and sometimes a little fiber one plain cereal - they drink it RIGHT up!  And I'm not fighting them at the table for an hour to get them to eat their dinner and/or waking up to screaming, hungry two-year-olds in the middle of the night.  Win/win situations are my SAVING grace!

3) Yogurt and cottage cheese.  My mom used to make this fruit/jello salad.  You take some fruit cocktail and mix it into cool whip and then add a package of unprepared jello.  I am sure you have had this in MANY forms.  But the calories and SUGAR in this salad -- um, through the roof, even for a small serving.  So I reformed it: Get 6 oz of low or non-fat plain or vanilla yogurt, add 1/4-1/2 cup of cottage cheese, and mix in a serving of Crystal Light.  You get the same flavor/texture as my mom's old fruit salad jello mix but without all the extra sugar and junk.  And the cottage cheese and yogurt combined give you a good dose of protein while still getting some calcium in your meal.  It's so good my two-year-olds LOVE it!  A perfect pre-bed snack!

Hydrate Me!

Today is my first Weight Loss Wednesday post.  I've decided to give each day a theme so I can keep my thoughts in order and not get sidetracked or too focused on one aspect of mommy-hood over all the other important aspects that merit equal attention.

I can think of a million and one things I could post here as a tip or goal for the week.  But I think I will start with the fountain of all life: Water!

How much water do you need?  Well, for weight loss it is recommended that you drink 50-75% of your body weight in ounces.  While breastfeeding, it is recommended that you drink about 104 ounces of water every day.  When you exercise, it is recommended that you drink 34-68 ounces of water for every 45-60 minutes that you exercise.

I would suggest you take a few minutes (definitely less than 15 here) and calculate how much you would need a day based on your weight, your activity level, and whether or not you are breastfeeding.  Once you get a general number, divide it out into something usable - like if you need about 128 ounces a day, you know you need to drink a gallon of water a day and can just fill a gallon and keep it on the counter or in the refrigerator and drink through it all day long.  If you figure up how much you need and divide it by 32, you'll know about how many nalgenes of water you need a day and just need to keep track of those.  If you have a favorite cup and measure how many ounces it holds, you can use that to determine how many glasses of water you need in that particular glass in a day and then just need to keep track of how many glasses of water you drink.

A huge part of weight loss involves taking the guess work out of it and figuring out EXACTLY what you need and then getting it.  That's the magic formula.  Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to your body.

* Note: The only potential hazard of drinking a lot of water is water intoxication.  But, if you're smart and drink small amounts of water regularly throughout the day, along with your meals, you should be just fine!

Problem SOLVED!

So - do you ever look at foods and think, "I can't eat that cuz I'm on a diet" or "I don't want to eat that because it will mess up my diet"?  I do.  All. The. Time.  But I was thinking this morning as I planned a slam-bam ending to this day that included baking a long-overdue pumpkin pie with my husband, "If I just knew the nutrition information for the whole pie, I could figure out how much I could eat while still maintaining my daily calorie goals." 

So I did a search online and found a few sites that I used today to figure up the nutrition information for 1/8 of a pumpkin pie -- the result, by the way, is just under 300 calories with 10 grams of fat and just over 2 grams of fiber.  If you are interested, here are the top sites I found:

1) Calorie Count -- Here you type in the recipe and then tell it to analyze the recipe.  It will tell you all the nutrition info. for the ingredients you typed in and will also tell you if there are some that it doesn't recognize or have in its system (like evaporated skim milk, for example; or 98% fat free cream of chicken soup).  It's really easy!  I really like this one!

2) Nutrition Data -- Here you type in the ingredients, choosing them one by one from a list, and then it calculates the nutrition info. for you. I had a hard time using this one.  I couldn't, for example, find generic sugar without searching through eight pages of items that came up when I typed in "sugar" -- and it didn't recognize "white sugar."  But maybe with practice on the key words for the search, I could figure it out. I also read online that you can type in your own nutrition information from labels for foods that aren't in their database -- but I haven't gotten into it enough yet to figure this out.

3) Spark Recipes -- This is basically the same as Nutrition Data.

4) Calorie King -- This is a good place to go to just look up the nutrition information for foods in general, though you have to sign up and pay to use their software for recipe building.

5) Fit Watch -- More of the same.

Although these next two sites don't have a recipe builder, I found a lot of useful information on there for general health/nutrition.

1) Web MD -- I LOVE this site!  So many great resources, and generally a source you can trust!

2) Diet Nation -- Just found this site.  Has great calculators for topics from how much water you should be drinking every day to how much protein and fat your body needs to how many calories you need to cut from your diet each day to reach your weight loss goals.  Good stuff!

Weak!

I could use this word to describe a lot of things lately:

1. My weak body, as duly noted after my gravity group class last week!  Seriously, I felt it ALL WEEKEND LONG, and today, my body just wasn't up to par during my run.  It took me FOR-E-VER to get my muscles and ligaments loosened up enough TO run this morning that I didn't have a lot of time to run.  I did a LOT of walking, though.  Am I actually moving forward here?  Not quite sure today.
2. My resolve. Sunday is usually my day off, but yesterday, I felt like I went overboard.  Then tonight, even though I had almost eaten all of my calories for the day, I made Dave dinner at 8:00 at night and didn't have the resolve to NOT take a few bites.  It's so much easier to live within a money budget than a calorie budget sometimes!  But what I was really struggling with was keeping the goal to not eat after 5:30.  Seriously, folks. Seriously.
3. My sweet tooth.  And know what was weakest of all here?  My sweet selection!  Raisins, apples, diet root beer, chewable Vitamin C.  Oh . . . oh . . . then I discovered the sugar-free hot chocolate!  SCORE!!!!  Yes, I had maxed out on calories for the day . . . but that sure was a GREAT cup of hot chocolate! ;-D
   

Good Foods and Journal #3

Fox news has a slide show that my husband was looking at this morning.  It's a list of "bad foods" that some diets tell you to shy away from but that ACTUALLY help you LOSE weight.  Check it out!

Also, I went running this afternoon.  I cannot believe how WELL I did.  I started getting sick last night and didn't sleep very well/kind of laid around this morning (as much as you can with two one-year-olds on the loose).  Then I went running.  I walked for about seven minutes (twice the warm-up time I usually do) and then I decided to start running.  And I ran . . . and I ran . . . and I ran.  In fact, with each minute, I felt stronger, more determined to succeed.  I had visions of crossing the finish line, of fitting into my clothes again, of feeling more confident and that I can do something HARD, and of having a MUCH easier time recovering from my next pregnancy and enjoying my baby than I did this time.  I had images in my head of friends and family who struggle just like me, some who have overcome and some who have not.  I thought about my children -- Abby and Isaac as teenagers and loads of temptations and trials all around them, needing to find strength to do hard things.

And -- I ran nearly 26 minutes WITHOUT STOPPING.  I say nearly because I did need to stop twice to blow my nose (horrible drip machine that it is right now).  After I stopped, I walked for about six minutes and then ran again for 10 MORE MINUTES before cooling down, feeling GREAT about my progress; GREAT about my ability to be ready for this half-marathon; GREAT about how much Heavenly Father blesses me to accomplish the righteous goals.

My Week

I need somewhere to post a food plan for the week -- cuz I'm starting over yet again. My friend Carrie challenged me to not eat ANY sugar or after 7:00 PM. So I'm going to meet her on her challenge -- even with the ward campout this weekend.

So - I have 24 Weight Watchers points, and here's how I'm going to use them this week:
Wednesday --
B-fast @ 7:00 a.m.
Oatmeal (2 pts)
Egg with Salsa (2 pts)
Banana (2 pts)

Snack @ 10:00 a.m.
Yogurt and Fiber ONE (1 pt)
Cottage Cheese/tomato (2 pts)

Lunch @ 1:00 p.m.
Tuna Fish Sandwich (5 pts)
1 cup grapes (1 pt)
1 cup carrots (0 pts)

Snack @ 4:00 p.m.
Apple (1 pt)
LF Cheesestick (1 pt)

Zumba @ 5:30

Dinner @ 6:30
Ham (3 pts)
Baked Potato w/Parm Cheese (4 pts)
Steamed Green Beans (0 pts)

Thursday
Snack @ 6:00
Apple/Cheesestick (2 pts)

Gravity Group at 6:30

Breakfast @ 9:00
Oatmeal/Egg (4 pts)

Snack @ 12:00
Yogurt/Fiber One/Banana (3 pts)

Lunch @ 3:00
Eng. Muffin/Laughing Cow Cheese/Turkey (3 pts)
Salad w/Cottage Cheese and olives (3 pts)
1 cup grapes (1 pt)

Dinner @ 6:30
Hawaiian Haystacks
Pineapple - 2 pts
Chicken - 3 pts.
Rice - 2 pts
Peas - 0 pts.
Olives - 1 pt.
Tomato - 0 pts.

Friday
Breakfast @ 7:00
Oatmeal/Egg (4 pts)

Snack @ 10:00
Yogurt/Fiber ONE/Banana (2 pts)

Lunch @ 2:00
Soup (3 pts)
Salad w/Cottage Cheese (2 pts)
Eng. Muffin/Cheese (3 pts)

Snack @ 4:00
Apple/Cheesestick (2)

Dinner @ 6:30
Chicken (3)
Potatoes (3)
Beans (0 pts)
Cheese (2)

Saturday
Breakfast @ 7:00
Oatmeal/Egg (4 pts)

Snack @ 10:00
Yogurt/Fiber One/Banana (3 pts)

Gravity Group @ 11:30

Lunch @ 1:00
Black Bean Quesadillas (6 pts)
Grapes (1 pt)

Snack @ 4:00
Apple/Cheesestick (2)

Dinner @ 6:30
Spaghetti (6 pts)
Steamed Green Beans
Watermelon (2 pts)

Sunday
Breakfast @ 7:00
Oatmeal/Egg (4 pts)

Snack @ 10:00
Yogurt/Fiber ONE/Banana (3)

Church from 11:00-2:00

Snack @ 2:00
Apple/Cheesestick (2)

Lunch @ 4:00
Sandwich (7)

Dinner @ 6:30
???? (8)

Monday Weigh-In Results:

Calories Per Hour

I just found this great site called "Calories Per Hour." It has a weight loss tutorial that is VERY thorough. I encourage ANYONE trying to lose weight to go through it. I will cover and spotlight some of the main points here from time to time. One thing I read today that I think is very interesting is about the number of calories we use every day, doing every day things. They also have an activity calculator you can use to determine how many calories you burn doing activities you love or even just walking or biking with your family or working out at the gym. The daily activity breakdown looks like this:

Sleeping

588 calories in 8 hr

Office Work - general

980 calories in 8 hr

Driving - light vehicle (e.g., car, pick-up)

163 calories in 1 hr

Food - preparing, at home

204 calories in 1 hr

Eating - sitting

122 calories in 1 hr

Taking a Shower

82 calories in 30 min

Cleaning - house or cabin, general

122 calories in 30 min

Shopping - groceries, with cart

94 calories in 30 min

Walking - with dog

122 calories in 30 min

Running - 6 mph

408 calories in 30 min

Dressing and Undressing

82 calories in 30 min

Watching - TV or movie

163 calories in 2 hr

So even things like watching television or working at the computer burn calories -- just because you are awake and doing things. However, some simple exchanges for the amount of time you spend doing these things might help you see why the weight goes on to begin with and what minor changes, implemented consistently over time, will help you lose and, more importantly, NOT gain back the excess weight.

Ironically, the more overweight you are, the less likely you are to do some of the more active and interactive things. It's a catch-22, huh? But as you lose weight, you gain the physical ability and increased desire to be more active, thus improving your overall health, well-being, and ultimately your entire life! ;-D

Progressing

I wanted to follow up here on my progress, mostly because I think we all do this: When someone starts to lose (or has just lost) weight -- be it from pregnancy or whatever else -- the thought runs through your mind (or leaves your mouth), "How did you DO it?" Obviously if you have ever struggled with weight loss, you just assume that it isn't possible for you and want to know how everyone else does it. You don't just want to hear "diet and exercise" -- you want SPECIFICS. DETAILS. You're expecting to hear, "I stopped eating sugar altogether" or "I work out at the gym for two hours a day" or "I stopped eating carbs and focus on lean proteins at every meal." And your ever-ready reaction is, "Well, I can't do THAT -- I guess I'll just have to be fat, cuz I'd rather not lose weight than give up sweets -- and I don't have two hours a day to go to the gym -- and I LOVE my carbs and don't even think that cutting them out is healthy." We've all been there -- myself included.

So - since I have full confidence that THIS time, I AM GOING TO SUCCEED (whatever that success might look like by my babies' first birthday or the end of the year) -- I am going to tell you step-by-step what I am "doing" to have success. I hope that this will give you encouragement and teach you that YOU CAN DO IT as well.

So I am just finishing week three of my quest. I'm a little behind because it has been a little discouraging at times and I found myself wondering if I really WAS going to succeed.

Week 1: Weight Loss -- Zero pounds, Zero ounces.
That's right, folks. You can imagine how heart-broken I was. I mean, the first few weeks are supposed to be the easiest and when you lose the most weight. Not me! I guess I already had some healthy practices in place or something because my body didn't change one bit.
What I did:
1) I cut back to the number of calories I found using the Basal Metabolic Rate calculations I posted in an earlier post. I noted EVERY bite I put in my mouth on my little calorie tracking calendar that I wrote about before. If I didn't know the nutrition information, I didn't eat it. PERIOD.
2) I made a rule that I would NOT eat out. The only exception to this is special occasions -- and besides my babies' first birthday, I only have my birthday, July 4, and my sister-in-laws wedding coming up between now and then. So -- special occasions will happen just three times. And I can plan on them and be ready. Other than that, NO eating out. I actually carry a high energy protein bar with me for just those times when I might be out on the run and didn't have time to pack a meal/healthy snacks or might be with my family and didn't have time to pack a meal. Then they can eat out, and I can stick to my goals.
3) I gave myself a free day -- SUNDAY. This is great because not only are my Sunday's really crazy with church and meetings and things but Sunday is a day that I hold sacred. I don't shop on Sunday. So I still have to plan -- to a certain extent -- my splurges. This is PERFECT for me. On the special occasions noted above, I'll just make those days my free day and calorie count on Sunday. This is also really great because it helps me have something to look forward to -- the day that I can eat a large slice of cheese or pizza or lasagna or a large spoonful or two of cookie dough -- WITHOUT the guilt I have felt before when I have set resolutions and FAILED. What happens on Sunday STAYS in Sunday. No guilt trips if I go WAY over the edge.
4) I drank at least 16 ounces of water before I ate ANYTHING. That helped me feel full even when I was struggling those first days of calorie cutting.

Week #2: Total Wight Loss -- 2.6 lbs.
What I did:
1) REJOICED that the scale had MOVED DOWN!!!!
2) After my lack of success the first week, I was filled with so many thoughts about what went wrong, worrying that my body was still so messed up from my pregnancy and dealing with hormone shifts and things that I would NEVER recover, wondering if I was still retaining a lot of water, etc. SO I TURNED MY THOUGHTS AROUND. I reminded myself that weight loss is simple: Calories in has to be less than calories out. I CUT 50 CALORIES A DAY from what I had eaten the previous week.
3) I got 8 hours of sleep TWO DAYS this week -- a new beginning for me in the sleep arena.
4) I exercised THREE DAYS this week. I took my niece on a "jog" around the city park and raced her on one side of the block for the four laps we did around it. I also tried a workout video my sister has and went on a bike ride with my kids behind me in a stroller.

Week #3: Total Weight Loss - 1.4 pounds, 4 pounds since I began
1) I rejoiced again! This weight loss changed the second digit in my weight, which is a number I haven't seen for a while. SO I WAS PRETTY EXCITED!!!!
2) I had sick babies and only got to exercise one day this week. So I need to do better in that arena.
3) I got 8 hours of sleep four days this week. That's pretty good.
4) I ate more veggies -- adding color to everything (tomatoes, green beans, frozen peas, spinach, carrots, whatever). I try to have at least TWO colors in every meal or snack besides breakfast. This also counts with fruit. And I splurged and bought some fresh fruit that I knew I would love, cutting it up and storing it in serving-size ziploc bags in the fridge to encourage me to STAY ON TRACK.

And that brings me to today. So I am going to enjoy this Sunday and making heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies with my niece. I enjoyed the piece of cheesy bread I ate with my daughter earlier (with extra cheese). I am going to enjoy whatever it is we decide to make for dinner WITHOUT worrying about eating JUST ONE PORTION. And I'm going to be more successful next week than I was this week.

The amazing thing is that, even though I write about making cookies and eating cheesey bread and eating a larger portion at dinner, I actually found myself NOT craving sweets, fatty foods, processed foods, etc. this week. I REALLY NOTICED A DIFFERENCE. That's not to say I WON'T eat the chocolate chip cookie dough before we make those heart-shaped cookies for our neighbors. But I am not craving it. And I'd really be okay if we didn't do it. That's a FIRST for me EVER. Not even kidding. And I'm actually STARTING to crave vegetables like you wouldn't believe.

My two-fold focus for week 4: 8 hours of sleep and exercise. Wish me luck!