Update on Goals. (I'm So Ashamed.)

By Amy

I wish I had something amazing, inspiring, funny, or heart-rending to share with you today, my friends.  But I only have a sad confession.

Remember when I told you about my list of goals to achieve before baby #2 blows my mind?  (No, this is not an announcement, sorry mom and mom-in-law...ha!) And then, ya know that one time when I was full of pie in the sky promises about accomplishing one of those goals by running the Halloween Costume 5k?

Well, I did not run it.  I am ashamed.

A few days before the race I came down with a stupid cold.  I am a pathetic asthmatic and when I am sick, my asthma flares big time, plus I am out of my asthma meds, sooooo....I deemed it unwise.  I didn't think it would be fun to be found way behind the whole pack of runners, gasping on the sidewalk, having an asthma attack.  In a costume.  Like a crazy freak.

But worst of all, I didn't get to pull off an epic costume!  My husband and I SOOOO would have won the couples costume prize.  Grrr...and the prize was a good one too; a bunch of gift certificates to restaurants and cool places in town!  (In other words, we would actually go on some dates, ha!)  I was going to be a hare (I had these adult-sized pink footie pajamas, and I was going to face paint my face like a bunny and loop my hair with wire into ears) and my husband was going to be the tortoise (I was going to paint his whole bald head green!!! Then make a cardboard turtle shell....what a cool costume for a race, huh?  The tortoise and the hare!")  When I decided I shouldn't run, I tried to convince my husband to wear the bunny suit, which would have been SOOO freakin hilarious, but for some reason, he objected to it being a little too small on him...I guess he doesn't like running with a constant wedgie.  I believe he called it "obscene", and "like running in a thong".  "Pshhh, you have to make sacrifices to be amazing," I told him, but no go.

So, no.  I didn't run and I failed at my goal. :(  Even though I heartily dislike running, I was actually pretty disappointed, especially after I told all of you about the race!  Do you still believe in me?  I will try again, my friends.  

Here's pics of my husband and my son and their insanely cute twinner-ness before the race.  And then pics of my husband and two of his little bros who came down to run it with us.  It was fun to cheer them on and all three of them kicked bootie!

My jesters!

Captain America, Superman (complete with tights...he's quite confident, ha!) and the Jester

Do you set goals?  If so, is it hard not to beat yourself up when you fall short?  Do you try the goal again, or just move on to something new?  Well, at least I ran a bit in preparation for the 5k (not as much as I should have), so even though I failed, the goal was still good for something, huh?  :)

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Let's Get Healthy, Yo!

By Katelyn
Introduced by Amy 

Katelyn is the wife of a guy I knew while we both did church missionary work in Missouri.  After our missions, I met his lovely fiance, Katelyn, at a party.  Then later...by a crazy fluke, I sat next to her at a Messiah sing-a-long last Christmas, (OH my goodness, people, she has a GORGEOUS voice.  I was blown away!) and we've been friends ever since!  (Check out our little boys clobbering each other on a playdate.)  She's so genuinely kind and fun to talk to.  I'm so glad she agreed to write a post on health habits, because she's so down-to-earth; I knew she'd give us REAL advice, that REAL women can live by.  Cause, seriously--who wants to spend an hour and a half at the gym everyday?!  NOT me.  

So, enjoy this read, then--let's get to it! :)  
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Hey, I'm Katelyn and this is my son, Peter.

May has arrived and you know what that means? Yes... blossoms and flowers and warm walks to the park and pulling out your old summer clothes with hopes that they still fit and yadayadayada.  It also means dead New Year’s resolutions.  Like so dead... dead on January 5th dead.  You know what I'm talking about.  That pile of books you vowed to read, collecting dust, and every so often you swear you can hear it sneeze a lonely, illiterate sneeze.  And what about that gym membership?  Lost in the bottom of your diaper bag with it's fingers crossed every time you dig down searching for a spare binky.  It is feeling abused.  Let's be real, New Year's resolutions are great and all but their life-spans tend to be shorter than a dragonfly's... which turns out to be 24 hours although I'm not totally convinced.  Don't you think we should reevaluate these short lived resolutions (let's call them goals actually) and give ourselves a break if we haven't quite done the impossible like we promised we would do on New Year's day?  I think we should.  I think we should talk about some of the most common resolutions made by us unhealthy humans (cough Americans cough) and make them do-able goals.  Let's accomplish something huge without having to actually do something huge.

Have I caught your attention?  Because I can almost guarantee one of your goals is the one that I have in mind.  Yep. It's that goal.  The goal that says you can't eat sugar ever again.  It's the goal that says you have to lose 75 pounds by June.  Guess what people... these goals are hard!  And I believe that you can do hard things… but I also believe in efficiency.  Trying to get healthy by totally restricting your sugar intake or trying to lose the weight equivalent to your right leg is not efficient.  Making small goals to become more responsible with your sugar intake as well as gradually losing extra weight is definitely much more efficient.  Now your goals may be different than the two mentioned but really this applies to any behavior change you would like to make.  Let's review, making small stepping stone goals so you can do huge things=very good.  Very good and very do-able.  That is how we are going to accomplish something huge without actually doing something huge.

Why small stepping stone goals?  First off because we are human and that is how humans are meant to work.  Also because many of us are moms, some of us work full time, we have multiple community and church responsibilities, and the list goes on!  Not to mention the menial activities that fill our days.  Pretty much we just don't have time to drop everything and focus on one huge, barely do-able goal.  Do we have time for little bite-size goals?  You know it, Jack!

So let's do it.  Let's get healthy.  Let's throw those over-sized-stretchy-pants goals out the window and start with a new slate.  Let's talk to ourselves about what we really want and what we can do to get there, one step at a time.

Let's do it.

Alright are you in??  Oh good, I'm so glad!  You won't regret it, I promise. (:

How do I know what I want? 

For the most part, many of us "know" what we want.  We want a smaller pant size, smaller scale reading, smaller waist measurement, smaller calorie intake, you name it.  Although "smaller" seems to be the key problem word here... it's actually the fixation on numbers that is the issue.  I know you've heard this before... but it's true, the numbers do not matter and you will always be beautiful.  Seriously, just accept it.  As much as we know our bodies we can't totally understand our metabolism and natural healthy state so don't discourage yourself with outrageous goals fixated on the numbers.  For example, let's say I weigh 157 lbs.  I would love to weigh 130 lbs but my body just wasn't built to be 130 lbs.  I have broad shoulders and broad hips... so unless I flatten out like a piece of New York style pizza, light on the cheese of course, I'm not going to ever weigh 130 lbs.  So seriously though, don't stress over the numbers, you will lose inches, you will lose pounds, you will drop pant sizes, and your body will settle into it's most healthy natural state if you are doing your best to focus on making healthy decisions.  So what do you really want??

What should and shouldn't my goals look like? 

Like I mentioned (more like hammered into your brain) before... they need to be small!  A goal like "I will run a marathon next month" is not small.  A goal like "two times this week I will wake up at 6:30 and run 1 mile" is so much better!  For those of you not in need of exercise help... how about your nutrition?  What?  I can't understand what you're saying through that piece of chocolate cake.  (yummm please share!!) How about a goal like "instead of two cookies for my afternoon snack I'll have one cookie and an apple."  See where I'm going with this?  Small steps.  Then once you feel comfortable with those goals you can upgrade to running 2 miles three times a week.  Or likewise having a cheese stick with your apple instead of a cookie.  Pace yourself.  Small steps.  Success.  Yeah!

What should I avoid? 

Two words: fad diets.  They lead to major weight fluctuation and you don't need them.  Seriously, put down your weight loss sprinkles, roll out of the wrap, take off your exercise simulator and get healthy the right way.  These fad diets are pretty much anything advertised in the media minus choosemyplate.org (now there's an awesome website you should check out for getting-healthy help).  Please PLEASE don't fall for the fad diets!  They are going to try really hard to snatch you with all sorts of advertising tricks... my least favorite is promising that you'll be down 8-10 pounds in the first few days.  Listen, losing weight takes time... like half a pound to 2 pounds a week if you're over weight and really working hard.  So don't fall for it!  This weight that they're talking about is called water weight... water keeps the body alive.  You don't want to lose 10 lbs of it over the weekend.  That's called the flu.

How do I achieve these goals? 

Patience.  Lots of patience.  And persistence.  Getting healthy is not going to happen overnight as much as we'd like it to.  Getting healthy takes months, even years to really understand.  Just like any other good-for-you-goal... it takes time.  There are going to be road blocks, road bricks, and road why-the-heck-is-this-so-hard-today moments.  For example, as soon as I felt like I was getting healthy and understanding my body (2 years into my program/interships focused on health and fitness) my husband and I got pregnant.  We were thrilled!  But I had to learn an entire different way of being healthy... and for two people!  Then the baby came and I got to learn how to be healthy while breastfeeding and in 3-ish more months when my little guy stops nursing I'll get to re-install all of the things that I learned before I got pregnant.  So hang in there and understand that getting healthy is never flawless, you have to struggle to get better at it.  Luckily, once you have the basics down and you know what it feels like to be in good health it is fairly easy to adjust to your different life situations.  Speaking of life situations, everyone's is different so don't compare yourself to your more- or less-successful neighbor.  Everything that I am sharing with you is based from my own life situations as well as from the experiences of individuals I have coached through my undergraduate career... not to mention the material taught to me by some pretty neat-o professors.   Anyway... keep that in mind and just be ready to be flexible.  You can do this!

Once successful how do I maintain my new healthy habits? 

This is the tricky part.  Obviously you want to be healthy because you’ve been making goals for years that have addressed different aspects of health.  The trick is somehow keeping that motivation around longer than January 5th.  Remember why you want to get fit.  Do you want to be able to keep up with your kids?  Are you trying to avoid a certain health issue that a close friend or family member is unfortunately experiencing because of their bad health habits?  Do you want to fit into those jeans from years ago and look dang good while doing it?

Remember what motivated you to get healthy in the first place and stick with it.  Stick with it through the good days and the bad… because there will be both but I know you can do it!  I know that with practice we can all be healthy and fit and really respect these awesome bodies of ours that are so neat.  Seriously, think about all of the mind blowing things our bodies can do… why would we not want them in tip-top shape?? 
-Katelyn

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Isn't she cool? :)  I love her wisdom, especially about making realistic goals!  

So, what about you, ladies?  What are your health goals?  How do you stay motivated to have healthy habits?  If you blow it (for me, every holiday I become a carb-binging pshyco...) how do you get yourself back on track?  We'd love to hear from you!
-Amy

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Out Running Cancer

By Brittany
Introduced by Amy 

Brittany is my second cousin (my dad and her mom are first cousins).  She pretty much blows my mind: she is an amazing athlete (um, I am in awe of any sort of athletic ability...or any coordination for that matter!).  She is smart, kind, and beautiful.   

I remember riding on the bus with her and our other cousin, Nicole, reading chapter books together, chatting and laughing the whole way to school.  As we got older, we were involved in different activities and made different friends, but we were always friendly to each other.  After college, it was sad to hear that her dad was fighting cancer, but I was also SO inspired to hear about his turn around!  The whole family became more health-aware.  Brittany writes about becoming healthy and her love for running on her blog "Running From It."  She also covers other topics, such as riding behind sled-dogs, getting engaged, dry-heaving on the side of the road, traveling to Hawaii and New York, and her incredible duck lip talent, just to name a few.  I don't even like to run, but her witty writing and awkwardly posed pictures seriously keep me interested and laughing.  

I am so glad she was willing to share this story.  Especially since I have chocolate-chip brownies calling to me from the cupboard...this is perfectly timed!  Cause, lets face it, we all have times when we need the reminder that exercise and good nutrition go far beyond just fitting into a smaller size of jeans--it's about living a healthy, strong life.  Creating healthy habits now just may save our lives someday!
-Amy

My first encounter with cancer began many years ago.  As a young girl, one of my dad’s brothers found out he had stage four cancer.  I didn’t know exactly what that meant at the time, but I knew he was one of my favorite uncles.  He passed away.  Several years later, another one of my dad’s brothers also lost the fight to cancer.

Two years ago in January, my 54-year-old dad went in for a routine colonoscopy.  I love to give him a hard time and tease him relentlessly, so this time was no different.  It became a big joke that he had to have this procedure done and he was such a good sport.

My dad and brother in 2008

 The morning of his procedure came and I didn’t think twice about it.  Well actually, I must have thought about it, because I had a good joke prepared for when he returned home.

My dad was the first one through the door, when my parents returned from the doctor.  I didn’t look up from the workout I had been doing, when I jokingly said, “Did they tell you that you are going to live?” SILENCE.  My dad did not respond.  I finally looked up and I saw my mother’s face.  My heart lurched in my chest when I saw her.  I knew immediately that something was wrong.  With tears streaming down her cheeks, she responded for my dad, “No.”

I struggled in the months following my dad’s colon cancer diagnosis.  A lot of negative thoughts ran through my head.  I was not very optimistic for my dad.  My dad’s brothers received the same diagnosis with the same type of cancer, and there had only been one outcome.  I kept thinking I would lose my dad and it broke my heart.

Immediately after his diagnosis, my dad started riding a stationary bike.  He strived to become healthier before undergoing surgery.  Many prayers later, in March 2011, doctors successfully removed his cancer.  Although the journey was rough, his experience has become a HUGE blessing to him and many in our family.  Colon cancer prevention has become a big deal.

As many of you probably know someone with cancer, it can often come back.   There are a number of factors that can contribute to a colon cancer diagnosis.  Several of them are:

1. Obesity
2. Diets high in animal fats and low in fiber
3. Sedentary lifestyles
4. Not getting screened at the age of 50 (or 40 for those that have family history)

My dad decided that he would reduce all of those factors in his life.  After recovering from surgery, he stopped riding his bike and laced up his running shoes.  Six months after his surgery, he successfully ran his first ever 10k race!  I was a little bit worried when he agreed to do it.  I was a very proud daughter when he crossed that finish line!

I jokingly mentioned to him that he should run a half marathon with me.  Only a year after having several feet of his intestines removed, we stood together at the Salt Lake City half marathon starting line and agreed to try our hardest.  I cried as we went our separate ways and was already proud of my dad for trying.  After I had finished, I walked back to a difficult hill just before the finish line and waited for him.  When I saw him looking so strong as he passed a lot of people running up the hill, I cried again.  He was (is!) my hero.

My dad running up that final hill

After the race

Not long after recovering from the Salt Lake City half, it became our goal to run a full marathon (26.2 miles.)  At the starting line of the Logan Marathon on September 15, 2012, I remember my dad’s wave to me as we went our separate ways.  We agreed to do our best, but neither of us would be disappointed in the other if they didn’t make it.  I cried for the first mile.  The entire time I ran I had no idea if my dad was okay.  Seeing my dad run the final stretch of that marathon was one of my proudest moments.  A year and a half earlier, I didn’t know if he would even be around, so to see him accomplish something so hard made me very emotional.

Since my dad’s diagnosis two years ago, he has ridden his bike, walked, and ran more than 10,000 miles. To improve his diet, he drinks a green smoothie every morning and eliminated red meat. Finally, he gets screened when he is supposed to.  Many in our family try to keep up him these days, but it is virtually impossible.

Conclusion:
This wasn’t a story about a mom, but many of us have personally been affected by someone with cancer.  My heart goes out to any and all of you had a loss.  I have so far been very blessed.  Because I had a slight glimpse of the pain that it can cause, I try to share what I have learned about colon cancer.  Colon cancer unfortunately is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States.  With that said, it often can be prevented.  Virtually all colon cancers start as a polyp.  Having polyps removed before they become cancer, can be a big factor in preventing it.  Colonoscopies discover these polyps.  I will be getting a colonoscopy at 40.  If there is no family history, 50 is the suggested age for everyone else.  It can be an uncomfortable thing to talk about, but if caught early, colon cancer can be prevented.  I didn’t know that, but I am glad that I do now.

-Brittany

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Weight-loss Tips from a Lazy Momma!

By Katie

Introduced by Amy

Katie and I met at church, and I got to know her better when I was called to be her visiting teacher (where women go to each other's homes so everyone gets visited, helped, and loved.)  Katie is soft-spoken and kind.  She was so great to talk to, because she was so sincere.  I loved her relationship with her daughter.  I wish I could have spent more time getting to know her, because she moved soon after, but we stayed friends on facebook.  She started telling about her weight-loss goals, and I was SO impressed!  She graciously agreed to tell her story!  This girl is strong and has come a long way.  I am SO proud of her for taking charge of her health, rather than becoming a victim to it!

Enjoy Katie's story and be inspired!  

First of all, I am not a fitness expert. Not even close. I am just a mom, who found herself overweight and unhappy and decided to make some changes. I am also not sponsored in any way—this is just my story, and some tips I’ve learned that might help you, too.

Before  (August 2012)

You’ll probably assume that, like many moms, I’m trying to lose the baby weight. But the truth is, I’m losing the pre-baby weight. Between getting married and getting pregnant, I gained 40 pounds in less than 2 years. I am 5’6” and at my heaviest was about 180 pounds. I also have a short torso and carry my weight in my stomach. This male-pattern obesity is higher risk for long-term health problems. In November 2009 I was diagnosed with insulin resistance (pre-diabetes). In 2011, after I finished breastfeeding my daughter, I took my doctor’s advice and joined MyFitnessPal.com, which is a calorie counting website and mobile app. I had good success for a couple months and lost about 15 pounds. Then I let life get in the way, stopped counting calories and gained back to 175.

In September 2012 my daughter turned 2 and I knew I needed to get on track and lose the weight. We started talking about having another baby, and I knew I needed to be healthier first. When we were trying to conceive our daughter I struggled with infertility because of my weight, and I didn’t want to go through that again.

I got back on My Fitness Pal on September 16, 2012, and I have tracked my food (and occasional exercise) every day since. In 4 months I have lost 31 pounds and counting. I have gone from size 12 jeans to size 6, and have lost a total of 24 inches comparing these measurements:

Pecs (above the bust)

Bust/chest (fullest part of the bust)

Ribs (bra strap, under the bust)

Waist (narrowest point, above navel)

Abdomen (belly pooch, just under navel for me)

Hips (fullest part of the butt)

Left/right upper thigh (just below the butt cheek)

Left/right lower thigh (2 inches above the kneecap)

Left/right calf (at fullest point)

Left/right upper arm (3 inches from armpit)

My advice is simple. I have no secrets. I am not paleo or veggie or South Beach or hCG. Weight loss does not require expensive trainers or programs. It simply requires self-control and moderation. I don’t assume that my advice will work for everyone, in every situation, but this is what has helped me and I hope something here will benefit you.

·      Set realistic, short-term goals. My first attempt at weight loss failed in part because I only set a long-term goal. I wanted to lose 50 pounds in a year. A year was a long time away when those Oreos were staring me in the face. Setting and achieving short-term goals will give you the momentum to keep going! Realistic weight loss is an average of 1-2 pounds a week.

 

·      Reward yourself. I have had great success by setting up a reward system. I decided to pay myself $5/pound, which I could use for clothes once I met my goal. This satisfied my need for instant gratification, and I kept my money in a glass jar on the fridge as a great visual of my progress. I also drew a chart showing my weight loss and money earned. I have it up on the fridge door and it’s an excellent reminder!

During my weight-loss path...

·       Drink your water! Drinking enough water helps prevent water retention. It is also the simplest detox. It really helps flush your system. You need at least 64 ounces of water daily, and you should work toward drinking half your body weight in ounces. I am 144 pounds, so I should try for 72 ounces of water daily. I drink and refill my 20 oz bottle throughout the day. On a good day I drink 20 oz when I wake up, 20 oz at lunchtime, 20 oz in the afternoon, and 20 oz with dinner. I don’t chug it, but keep drinking on my bottle until I’ve finished, then refill and stick it back in the fridge.

·      Eat homemade. Most restaurant food and processed, packaged meals are excessively high in calories and sodium. Cook at home and control exactly what you’re eating.

·      Make sustainable changes to your diet. The truth is that almost any diet will help you lose weight. But in my opinion if you choose an extreme diet (i.e. meal replacement, pills/supplements, juice fasts), you will not learn how to eat healthy and are more likely to regain the weight. This is why I really believe in food diaries/calorie counting. Make gradual changes to your current diet, and you will make natural improvements and learn to eat healthy for a lifetime.

·      Keep a food diary. You don’t need to jump into a strict calorie goal immediately, just start by recording everything you eat. I highly recommend MyFitnessPal.com for this, but there are many other websites as well. Or you can simply write it in a notebook! Record your food and calories. Use measuring cups or a kitchen scale to learn correct portions. Work on proper portions and cutting out junk food. This happened naturally for me because I hate “wasting” my calories on junky snacks! Gradually cut down your calorie intake. A great thing about My Fitness Pal is that it will calculate a calorie goal for you based on height, weight, age and activity level.

·      Treat yourself. You don’t need to completely eliminate your favorites, but a treat should be just that—a treat! Allowing your favorites in moderation helps prevent you from feeling deprived and abandoning your diet.

·      Take it one day at a time. Keep a positive attitude, and don’t let one moment’s splurge throw you off track. If you have a bad day, and give in to emotional eating, don’t give up! What really matters is what you do next. Instead of beating yourself up, and giving in to further emotional eating, move on! Start fresh and strive to do better. [insert pic, don’t give up]

·      Find “IT” – your personal drive and motivation. We all want to look good and feel good, but if that were enough, we’d all be fit! So find that something extra that will push you to make a change! If it’s nothing obvious, try writing a list of why you want to lose weight. Writing helps organize your thoughts and feelings, and you’re likely to learn something about yourself.

·      Find a support group for accountability and encouragement. This is huge! I am a member of an online parenting forum and found a group of moms trying to lose 25 pounds or more. I joined in and have gotten great support and advice. I also decided to post my weight loss goals and progress on Facebook. I have received so much love and support from family and friends, and I’ve been able to inspire others to try for their own fitness goals.

After!

If I can do it, you can do it too. I mean that wholeheartedly. I am not a personal trainer or a health nut. I love sweets and junk and hate exercise. I am lazy and already overwhelmed with my 2-year-old. But I decided that I deserve to be healthy. I slowly made changes to my diet. I established small habits every day that have added up to a huge improvement in my health. No more excuses! Make a change today!

What has helped you to get healthy and lose weight?  What is your "IT"?

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Workin' On My Fitness...Mommy Style!

By Kasie
Introduced by Amy

Kasie moved into my neighborhood when we were in high school.  She was shy at first, but as I got to know her, I realized how cool and nice she was!  We went to church together; our sunday school class always got in trouble for talking, we just had a lot of fun!  

Kasie is the oldest in a big family; that's probably why she is such a great mom.  I'm super excited for her to tell her "getting in shape" story...I was stoked for her when she told about her progress on facebook, and knew we had to hear the whole saga!  And, ladies, just so you know, before you read her post and freak out when you see her "after" size, keep in mind that she is naturally very petite so this is a healthy size for her frame.  I don't want you to think she's some 5'8" girl who got down to such a small size...cause that would be craziness!  Ha..

Anyway, it isn't easy to change lifestyle habits to be healthier, so I'm proud of her for all she's accomplished!  You Rock, Kasie!

My fellow SOM Ladies, I hope you are just as inspired as I am!  And now, I'm gonna go eat some cucumbers...

-Amy

Before...after two kiddios.

Let me just start off by saying I strongly dislike working out.  Always have and probably always will. But after having two kids and seeing how much my body changed I knew I needed to somehow make exercising fit into my life and make it enjoyable for me. Did I know how to do this? NO!!! 

In January 2012 I made it my resolution to get into shape but I didn’t know where to start. I tried walking on the treadmill at night after I put my little men to bed but quickly learned that wasn’t going to work. It lasted probably 3 days and I lost the motivation to even try.  

Fast forward to April 2012; No set workout routine in place and still feeling pretty crummy about my appearance and my TOTAL lack of self-control in the food department and eating whatever I wanted. One day a good friend posted on Facebook that she wanted to start a weight loss challenge group. I was intrigued… a little friendly competition might just be the nudge I needed to get my booty into gear and back in shape. 

When I was pregnant with my second...I was HUGE.

The Specifics: The whole challenge was based off points we could earn each week. We had a nice score chart to help us keep track. Points were earned for the following: 

·       Weight loss/Weekly weigh in

·       Cardio minutes

·       Strength exercises

·       8 cups of water

·       7+ hours of sleep

·       Staying within calorie range

·       Weekly Challenge

In order to start each gal had to find her healthy calorie range for weight loss. We used this website http://freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm to help us calculate our individual ranges based off our age, height, weight, etc. My range was between 1100 and 1323 calories a day. If I wanted to lose weight I needed to stay within this range… and this ladies was the hardest part! I’m not going to lie… keeping track of calories stinks and in doing so I saw how bad my eating habits really were. I know I was well, VERY WELL, beyond that range in my everyday eating. I should also mention I have a major sweet tooth and need some sort of chocolatey goodness each day; this was going to be tough! But I knew I needed to change my eating habits and get a good exercise routine in place so that I felt better about myself.

Week 1: The worst week of my life! It was hard from day one! Getting up that morning and realizing I couldn’t just eat what I wanted for breakfast was rough! Having to look at all the labels for calories and serving sizes before beginning to fix any meal was rough!  It was all going to be ROUGH! I honestly didn’t know if I was going to last with this whole eating-within-my-calorie-range thing. Why oh why couldn’t I have the body I did back in high school… one that was naturally fit with little to no effort and I was able to eat anything and everything I wanted!?!? And why can’t post-partum bodies just shrink back to the good ole’ pre-pregnancy size right after child birth? 

That was only part of it… I needed to figure out a way I was going to fit in my cardio and strength training exercises WHILE taking care of two little munchkins during the day… because remember the whole treadmill thing at night wasn’t going to happen. Well the weather happened to be getting warmer and I had a double stroller so taking a walk outside seemed to be the solution. Now what time of the day should I try to take this walk? Between morning naps, bottle feedings for the baby, meal times for my toddler, afternoon naps and various other things going on day- to-day this wasn’t going to be simple. When would I be able to get ready for the day? Would my kids behave while we went for these walks? 

We started off small and went for a short 1 mile walk the first couple of day then increased it to 2 miles the next few days and the kids actually did very well! We first went in the afternoon after both kids had their naps and that worked okay but I didn’t like being sweaty and having to get re-ready or wait till that late in the afternoon to begin getting ready. So we tried the morning right after breakfast and it happened to be perfect! My littlest one took his morning nap on our walk and my toddler enjoyed part of his breakfast on the go. This became our routine. But I didn’t feel like 2 miles was enough so one day we just up and went for a 4 mile walk and that’s when I felt like I had my FIRST really great walk!

This became our routine for the next 8 weeks and so on once the challenge ended. Running is not my thing; never has been never will be. I always thought running was the only way to really burn calories until I started seeing my results. I think pushing a double stroller with a 20lb baby and 30lb toddler helped. That first week with walking 2 miles a day, drinking my water, sleeping , counting my calories and so forth… I lost 5lbs!! I was ECSTATIC!! I couldn’t believe how good I felt in just that first week and I was excited for the following weeks to come!

Each week I saw consistent weight loss and people around me saw it too! At the end of 10 weeks I had lost 17lbs! I dropped from a size 7 in pants to a size 0!  Holy moly I felt good! 3 weeks later my friend and I did a 6 week challenge with a new group and my goal was to maintain my new weight. That was a little easier because my calorie range increased from 1500-1700 calories a day and my walking routine was in place. 
 

Maintaining has been a challenge… I’m not going to lie. There are times I just want to eat like everyone else and days where I don’t want to walk. I completely forgot about either of those during the month of December! I was a major slacker! But with this New Year my resolution is to maintain my weight and continue to take care of myself. Maintaining for me is eating within my calorie range, walking with my kids, making sure I get plenty of sleep (which is hard at times because I’m a night owl), but also allowing myself a free day each week where I can enjoy any and every thing I want! You have to reward yourself! My reward is FroYo and on occasion a new piece of clothing!

After!

Once I became a mom I thought I would never have my pre-pregnancy figure back… EVER! I was fine with that because my boys are worth it, but I needed the reminder that while I was taking care of my boys I needed to make sure I was taking care of myself. It seemed there was never enough time to do that… but believe me ladies… there is time! I’m grateful that I was able to participate in a group challenge to get me going. 

I can say I feel one thousand times better now that I make sure I’m taken care of too! Inside and out!

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