weight loss wednesday: post-3 babe body

i haven't posted about my weight loss journey which is kind of weird because it consumes so much of my life. i am CONSTANTLY thinking about it, which isn't necessarily a good thing but it's what it is for now. not for always.

on black friday i got a fitbit which has been so fun for me. i like the reminder to keep active during the day and the challenges you can have among friends. i have one friend who does an unbelievable amount of steps per day so i'm always trying to top her- i'm coming for you molly! i love seeing how hard my workouts were and how my heart can spike during the day. it really has been worth the $100!

working out for me has never been a challenge. i love the gym! i LIVE for the gym! the other day i went to pick up my kids after a workout and porter was cradled in ms. yvonne's arms, obviously sick. i told her she could have come and gotten me but she told me 'i know how much you need this time and i could sit and hold him' [it was a teething fever]. she is too good to me. seriously though, when i don't get my hour of gym time, everyone suffers. i've always loved exercise and sports. i believe it's been a huge reason why i've been able to stave off the depression that runs so deeply in my family. recently i've gotten better at running which makes me proud. i've gotten faster and can do more. not that i have aspirations of running a marathon but it's nice to be in shape- because i am.

my weigh in for diet bet

i tried journaling my food and doing a friend's fitness challenge earlier this year but it wasn't sticking. that's when i signed up for the diet bet through our best bites. i enlisted the help of my BF kayla and together we knocked out some pounds! we were texting each other throughout the day with victories, losses, and hilarious fitness memes. it brought us closer and winning some money was a HUGE incentive! it only turned out to be our entry fee + $4 but still, i needed to get my money ba

ck! and i did! [for our game, we had to lose 4% of our weight in 6 weeks]. we are doing another one together right now and i've already met my goal.

i officially signed up for weight watchers after going to a gym class and seeing my reflection. i have a pretty good self esteem. even being overweight, i love my body and i love who i am. still though, seeing my reflection just hit me and i knew my challenge was really food. the current promotion was pay for 3 months [$50- no sign up fee]. if you lose 10lbs in that amount of time, you could get a $50 visa card or another 3 months for free. i could do 10lbs. and i did before my first month was up. i'm not sure if i want to do another 3 months or get the gift card [last time i had lost motivation after 3 months but we'll see how this time goes]. i'm a purely online member which works for me. they have a message board [think intstagram] where people can post pictures and encouragement. i don't post but i love reading success stories- it keeps me going. the food diary collection is hands-down the best one i've ever used, and i love the bar code scanner. i know it's not for everyone but it works for me.

because of my couplecation, i weaned griffin around 9 months. that was hard for me emotionally because i had worked SO hard to get him to breast feed in the first place! it was SO painful and i love that bonding but it wasn't feasible [or fun] to pump while i was gone. i don't think anything is wrong with formula, it's still just hard. and more expensive. i miss my ww breastfeeding points too. my hunger is just insane when i breast feed and i couldn't really get down to the weight i wanted while doing it. plus i couldn't take this medicine i had my eye on...

i have two friends who had used an appetite suppressant to lose a significant amount of weight and my curiosity was peaked. i know what to do, i know what to eat, but i still wanted a little extra help! especially when it came to my appetite. after i weaned griffin the dr prescribed me a medicine that works similar to ADHD medicine. the first day i took it i felt fantastic! the upper was instant and fantastic! i went to the gym and felt like i was flying on the treadmill! that feeling doesn't last forever but it does work as somewhat a mood enhancer. and i didn't feel hunger. i still ate but those deep pains and urges were gone. i didn't feel uncomfortably full- just satisfied. it's not for long-term use and you have to meet certain criteria but i've liked it so far.

so far i've lost 15lbs and i'm really proud of that. i don't have dreams of being a skinny minny. i enjoy food and i LOVE eating but i just want to be healthy [which i am. a recent blood test and dr's visit proved that]. i just want to feel sexy and comfortable in my skin.

weightloss wednesdays: ask the audience

this post is a bit discombobulated but that's just how i'm feeling about this weekly segment lately. i want to keep the posts up but i've hit a roadblock on what to talk about. i don't want to post specific exercises to do because i feel like if you want to do that, you'll find great posts somewhere else [and i don't have that much time to dedicate to a blog a few of my friends read].  you all know i'm not a huge fan of nutrition so i'd feel like a hypocrite who doesn't take her own advice. i kept thinking about what the people who actually read this blog want. and i think it's motivation and recognition. we all need help to keep active, someone to remind us to exercise that day or someone we can share our successes with. now anyone who knows me can attest to the fb creep i am so i thought, why not start a group on fb where we can do our workout shout outs without feeling trite? where we could post articles that interest us or suggest healthy recipes we love. what do you think? nothing makes me feel better then to post some success i've had then have other people acknowledge that. like this post i did last week. it made me feel bombtastic and want to work harder. i think that's what we all need more then another post about working out every time barney says legendary.

i think i'm gonna cool it on the workout segments until i get back home. i want to dig through some of my old school notebooks and pass on that expensive knowledge onto you. until then, request away. or join my fb group and invite your friends who need motivation. then we'll all get skinny together!

if you want to join my fb group let me know and i'll invite you - but i only want people in there who will actually comment and motivate others, by commenting on their posts or post articles and such. feel free to invite other friends who need motivate to move!

weightloss wednesdays: small victories & finding success

my update: i just passed a weight that has been haunting me for a while. it's a number divisible by ten so that's most likel
y why it's so daunting but i'm finally under it. making my weight loss about 10lbs since coming to carson. i've settled into a routine now of going to 2 gym classes a week [interval spin classes that kick my trash] followed by at least 30 minutes of cardio. the other 2 days i do 60 minutes of cardio with a leg and arm day of resistance training with abs on both days. when i do cardio, i typically run at least 2.25 miles. on my class days i usually walk at an incline.

let's all take a minute to give me a keyboard high five [5!]. most of my success though i've found by seeing my body change. i always hated it when people talked about that. it seems so hokey pokey and like a cop out. and when you're trying to lose weight, it really feels like a cop out. 'why can't i lose weight? i don't care about definition! take away that flab!' i feel ya people.

but still - there is merit to finding small victories on the road to weight loss. it's important to find these positives because it's easy to get discouraged when you're working so hard and the scale doesn't change. you've all seen these kind of pictures before. muscle weights more then fat. i've seen other people's pictures who weigh roughly what i weigh and i carry my weight so differently. because i have a large chest and because i have muscle. weight really is just a number.

 - welcome to the gun show! *funny story- the other day at church, justin was pinching my arm flab so i showed him my guns. this silly old guy next to us whispered, quite loudly during the lesson, 'you should do more reps' hahha* look at your body and how it's definition has changed. i can see how running has changed my calves, my thighs [especially when i sit with my feet under my bum], and my arms from interval training. and it's pretty cool to poke myself and be proud of that.

- look at how your clothes fit you differently. is the waistband on your jeans looser? does the shirt no longer pinch your arm fat? do you just feel more confident in skinny jeans? because you should! i feel different in my clothes when there's hard muscle underneath and i feel sore from a good workout.

- what can you do now that you couldn't do before? for me it's breathe easily while i run. i know some other things could include being able to touch your toes or put on your shoes without losing your breathe. maybe you can climb stairs without getting winded or you can do more sit-ups. that's pretty awesome! because we are trying to get healthy to live our lives! there's no point in working out but never enjoying your life.

- how long has it been since you had soda? did you give up sugar for a week? that's pretty bombtastic! this is one i'm still working on. rewarding yourself without food is hard for me and is something i'm still working on. be proud that you have such good willpower! i'm living proof that not everyone can do it.

- toot your horn! now i am not suggesting you check in at your gym on fb.... although i am guilty of that sin. but don't be afraid to tell people 'when i was running the other day' or 'my arms are so tired from benching 150lbs today' or whatnot. tell people you are working and working hard. don't be ashamed- one pound is 3500 kcals! don't just say you've only lost so much or only  worked out twice last week. that's two times more then a lot of people.

find some positives in your journey to get fit and i promise it'll help you keep your chin up!

weightloss wednesdays: developing a healthy body image

as a fluffy but active gal, i often get asked by my friends certain questions.

1- how are you so fabulous? [i'm just born with it people. it's a gift]
2- what kind of bra do you wear? [read about my unmentionables here]
3- how much weight have you lost? [about 10 stubborn pounds, so i'm back to pre-pregnancy. but that's not how i determine success. stay tuned!]
and more importantly
4- how do you stay so positive about your body?

i know it sounds hokey-pokey but i am a huge believer that your attitude determines your altitude [gag. saying those cliched words just makes me want to vomit]. it's true! i worked really hard for many years to gain self-love. it wasn't easy but i think having a healthy body image will also help you achieve your fitness goals.

i have a friend who is so beautiful, just recently had her second child, and has the worst body image i've ever heard of. she's terrified of gaining weight, angry she hasn't been able to shed her pregnancy pounds and is constantly worried and talking about losing weight. her body consumes her whole life. it's actually a little annoying. she is so beautiful and not obese but yes, is a little fluffy around the edges. she's asked me so many times what i do to workout and what i've accomplished weight-wise. but she's so stinkin unhappy it's depressing. i can't see why she doesn't see how beautiful she is!

i have to admit, a lot of my self-worth comes from my faith but it was also developed by following some simple advice.

- notice the people around you. how many people do you meet a day that are a size 0? how many have arms like serena williams? get the notion out of your head that normal is a victoria secret's model. everyone around you is imperfect. on pinterest there seem to a lot of half naked pictures of rockin bods to inspire you to work out. really? i see those and it makes me want cake because i don't look like that. realize that most of that is genetics or a whole lot of work and time. it's also a gift that not everyone has. so get over it and realize that you have other gifts other then a great body.

- look for the positive in yourself. do you have fantastic skin? are your calves defined? do you have amazing balance? look at yourself and find what you like. start small then work your way up. for example, i've always hated my gigantic calves. they've always been thick so it's hard for me to find boots. but then i realized one day, they're not fat- thick, they're muscle-thick. even now that i work out 5+ days a week, they just get more defined and shapely, but not thin. it's who i am. they're pioneer made calves that could carry me across a country if i needed to. and that's pretty bombtastic.

- take some stigma away from your body by 'faking it til you make it' [man i am just vomiting cliches today]. do you feel comfortable in lingerie? news flash - no one days. but you should still wear it and flaunt your big boody for your hubbyspend. because he loves you and thinks your sexy, and that'll make you feel awesome about your bod. talking about clothes with your friends? don't be afraid to mention you wear a size 14 while they're a petitie 10. because it's just a number and it doesn't determine your self worth [and for the record, i'm a 14/16]. and by talking about it, it makes it less scary.

- have a fat day? wear those yoga pants and make them sexy. there was a time in my life i lived in yoga pants [wait.... i think it's still ongoing]. so what? rock them. but also get yourself pretty at least once a day. seriously, i have to force myself to put on a bra and jeans but it makes me feel good. embrace your fat days but don't let yourself wallow in self-pity.

- speaking of clothes, buy the right size no matter the number. nothing will make you feel like a busted can of biscuits more then a dress too small. get the larger, correct size and feel confident in your clothes. no one will know if you wearing size 7 or size 9 jeans so just embrace them.

- receive praise by GIVING it. i know i've talked about this before but one of the ways i make friends [and in the world of politics, you are always meeting people and making friends] is to get them talking about themselves and finding something to compliment them on. because everyone loves compliments. the same things go for you. tell your friend you can see the definition yoga has given her. tell her she's amazing for giving up soda for a month. if she's not a troll [and a lot of politicians are trolls] she'll return the favor. it's cylindrical behavior. it'll also make you more aware of finding positives in imperfect people.

- this is for the mama's out there. i've seen those posts on pinterest showing off some skinny girl's tan tummy with stretch marks that say to the affect that you're a tiger who earned her stripes. while i would really like my stretch marks and tummy to look like that, it's message is true. accept who your body is post-baby. accept that you will never be that skinny minny from hs anywho [isn't it amazing how we all thought we were fat is hs only to realize it was our skinniest time?]. accept that you'll have a perma-pooch on your tummy and that's ok. you did something AMAZING and that's called your child. i don't know about you, but landon was worth it.

- be realistic. goals are only goals if they're attainable. i'm not talking about extreme weight loss goals here [whose else is excited for summer?!], i'm talking about for those of us in the 0-24 range. looking at my family and my body through the years, i know i'm not supposed to be 110lbs. i've round and fluffy but i'm strong and athletic. even though i weigh what i weigh, i can do a whole lot more then most people wh
o are smaller. my body was just made more for farm work and child bearing then walking down a catwalk and that's ok. my goal is to weigh what i did when i first got married, so 10 more pounds to lose. that's realistic. when i accomplish that, i can find another attainable goal. i'm not trying to fit into a size 6 right off the bat. sometimes you are just not made to be who you think you were.

in a study done by standford, 63% of people who had a healthy body image were more successful at losing weight, compared to the 26% of people who weren't. just remember, you can be fit and fat and happy. so focus on being happy and the other stuff will fall into place. this is not to say amazing transformations can't occur or you can't change your body, just learn to love it during the process.
*i feel like i need a good shout out for girl power at the end of this post. that's the spice girl in me*

weightloss wednesday: sneaking in exercise

who has time to workout? other then those of us with no lives, no friends and no obligations. back in vegas i felt like i struggled to fit in 30 minutes a day [which is suggested just to keep your heart healthy; 60 for weight loss!], especially with landon grabbing at my legs constantly. here are some ways i've found to sneak in exercise and get those cheetos calories burned.

- go outside & play. walk your dog, play stop/go with your kids [landon doesn't really stop but he thinks it's hilarious when i run. as do most people], ring around the rosy [but actually fall on the ground], walk to the park or store or wherever you need to go.

don't always trust those apps. i did the same thing
for both of these days. one time nike+ said i only ran 1.77
miles, the other said 4.1 miles, with a 6 min mile.
i don't think so. i ran 2.5 miles at a 6mph [10 min]
pace and walked the rest of the 40 min. but mr.
nike+ really made me feel good about myself!

-wear a pedometer. it'll make you more aware of when you're moving and more importantly, how much you sit down. i wouldn't use my smartphone because it'll drain your battery and don't go too cheap or else it won't be accurate.

-be conscious when you're shopping. park far away, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and wear comfortable shoes [i find i don't do much when i have the cutest, uncomfortable shoes].

-get your groove thang on when you clean! put on dance cardio radio or pop and hip hop power workout on pandora. have FUN while you're sweeping or mopping and you'll find yourself moving and grooving and burning those kcals.

-break up your workout into pieces. write down what exercises/number of minutes you want to do cardio then cross it off when you lunge during commercials or do crunches while you're watching your kiddos bathe. make your problem manageable by making it smaller.

-play with your family. bust out the just dance on your wii, go play red rover [if you're family is big enough], go to the park and kick a ball around, play horsey and give the kids a ride on your back. like i've said before, kids like you MORE when you move. the best babysitters ALWAYS are the ones that are active.

-buy a balance ball and use it as a chair. at work, the table or just for playing with the kids [i promise, they'll love it]. after 15 minutes on that ball, you will no doubt believe it's a workout.

-spend some time with your friends. go on a run/walk together, go to a zumba class, play the kinect together, or play tennis. bonding + competitiveness = working on that fitness!

weight loss wednesday: what are you drinking

so the one you've all been waiting for - the one where i chastise you for all the soda you're drinking. except i think we've gotten to the age where most people realize how bad soda is and try to limit how much they take in. i grew up in a household where cold cereals were a special treat you had once a week and soda was just as rare. in fact, i sold my soul once for a coke and two candy bars [actually, it was a $100 bill of my dad's i found in the backyard. but still, my family still makes fun of me for making such a poor deal but i still stand by it. at that time, which i think i was about 8, a COKE and TWO candy bars was the best deal in the whole world].

my father used to be a cokaholic [drinking at least 3+ cans a day] and i am a devoted coke-only slurpee fan but i've never been addicted to soda. i've been able to give it up for months/years and not be a big deal. now i drink soda rarely and when i do, it's because i'm sick or need a boost or it's a special treat. because drinks [even slurpees] are a special treat that i enjoy after a meal, not during. i prefer water while i eat. and i've always been lucky to have the best tasting water there is [sorry beaver, utah- my parent's well water beats yours hands down].

now in case you are ignorant about how bad soda actually is for you, take this for a gander
seeing that much sugar makes me sick. but doesn't really make me want to give up that cherry coke.... but consider this. coke can be used to remover rust, oil or grease stains. it used to actually contain cocaine [explains why it's so delicious and addictive]. i found this article particularly interesting on what soda does to your body the second you drink it.

okay so i've got you convinced, soda is the devil. now onto other drinks. for one i am not a fan of protein shakes. i hate their taste so that's primarily why i'm a hater but consider this. this is how much protein you need [depending upon your body weight]. protein, found in eggs, meats, dairy, legumes and nuts are essential for your body and you do need more if you're pregnant or weight training. but more often that not, you can get the protein you need from a balanced diet and multivitamins. therefore, when you chug giant protein shakes you're taking in all these extra calories and your body can only take so much protein. after your body has all it needs, it pees it out. making your pee ridiculously expensive. so shakes are good - in moderation but don't use it as a replacement.

now energy drinks, oh how i loathe thee. these are basically crammed with caffeine and sugar, so why even drink them? sports drinks are great, when you're playing sports. they are beneficial when you need to replace electrolytes that are lost during vigorous exercise. and that yogalates class was not it. therefore you're just drinking calories. moral of the story - just stick to water.

*one drink i WOULD recommend for a treat after a workout would be chocolate milk. it's got enough protein/sugar/carbs to replace what you lost post-workout, it's delicious and it's cheap. and supposedly the new craze in the gym circuit*

i know some people hate water so try adding some lemons/cucumbers/fruit to your water or try those zero calorie flavor boosters but be careful, most of them have fake sugars which are really worse then real sugars. just stick to water 9/10 and use that one time to treat yourself - with a slurpee or soda or drink of your choice. anything other then water is a special treat to be taken sparingly [like chocolate cake - even though i wish i could have chocolate cake everyday]. happy drinking!

weightloss wednesday: me & my underroos

the post you've all been waiting for - the one where i talk about my underroos. but first-
i am really proud of how good i've been in carson city. going to the gym has become my routine and when i miss it, i really do miss it. i've been going to the gym at least 4 times a week [mon-thur]. i was going 5-6 but my gym cut back it's childcare hours so i can't go friday because landon has a gym class the same time as the hours [but i routinely skip it] and saturday the hours are completely gone- that's usually the day i miss it when i didn't go friday as well. so i'll try to run outside..... but that doesn't happen much.

sorry for the selfie guys but you needed
to see the bra. plus i've got some
fantastic abs i'm very proud of

i've been hitting at least a mile a day running- usually more. i try to run at least two miles and a half one day per week. i'll spent at least 40 minutes on the treadmill total- varying the incline. i've noticed when just an incline of 1 it's that much harder to run, so i incline on my short run days. then i spent one day on legs/abs then one on arms/abs. then do 20 more minutes of additional cardio [stairs/gazelle/bike]. the other two days i hit a class - strength & core then cycling circuit. it's taught by an instructor i like and works my bod. after i do a mile run then walk for a total of 40 minutes.
*the ACSM recommends 30 minutes of cardio a day just to keep your heart healthy. 60 for weight loss*

now for the good stuff - i have been having lots of butt sweat issues [and for those that received my butt sweat pictures, you know just how nasty/bad it was]. so i switched up what i was wearing underneath and it made ALL the difference. i still got sweat a lot but it's significantly less. i also invested in a fancy schamncy sports bra. basically to skip the personals i've just started wearing cotton undies that help my neither region breathe.

seeing as how i am a busty gal [the bustiest i've ever met - if you don't include an old friend's great-great grandma who was like, a size m] i would usually double bag with tight sports bras. it was nice too because then i had a built-in shelf for my iphone between the layers. but this sadly had run it's toll and i was ready for something for legit. i found the panache bra while reading this article and i'm glad i invested the $75. i don't feel the underwire and my boobs are breathe better but i do miss my built in music shelf. it's definitely more supportive but i've also come to the realization that there's just no way running will ever be comfortable for me. i have flat feet [my podiatrist said i'd never be able to run for long distances], gigantic boobs & i'm carrying 40lbs i shouldn't. it's just not in the cards - but i can do my best. and this bra helps me achieve my best.

and now for my personal rant for you larger chested girls, stop trying to squeeze into conventional sizes! i know it's just heartbreaking to never find cute bras at target that cost $15. go to a speciality bra store, invest in a correct fitting [aka european sizes] and invest in a cute, supportive bra [typically spend about $40-70]. your boobies will thank me. *i feel like oprah right now*

oh and i'm down a few pounds - go me!

weightloss wednesdays: lyon's favorite word

remember when i said i'd explain the word 'mettle'? back in college one of my favorite and scariest professors had a favorite word - mettle. he tried to work it in in every conversation, quite annoying actually. he taught sports conditioning so mettle, or metal toughness, came up pretty often. i never understood what he was talking about until now.

i have a fragile mental state of mind when i exercise solo. when i run, i am thinking about my aching feet, my straining calves, my bouncing boobs [i just got a fancy new sports bra that is supposed to keep those babies in check, thank goodness. i'll keep you posted], the sweat slowly accumulating all over my body, or the beats coming from my headphones. seriously, i cannot seem to zone out, which is key to running. i can zone during lifting, i can zone during a class but not when i'm by myself. give me a ball and i can play a team sport but this solo stuff is tough. 

lynn jennings said that 'mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, like the muscles of the body'. here are some suggestions that help you [and more importantly me, because i am writing this more for my benefit]

1- have a goal that you can achieve and work towards it. for me, running a 5k is a good enough goal. at other times, it's running 2 miles at a time or reaching a certain tree in the distance. maybe it's trying something that you hate/haven't done before. achieve something that seems out of reach.

2- break up your goal into segments. i measure my runs by how many songs it takes to reach a mile, usually 4. i try to not look at my phone/treadmill screen until it's been 4 songs.

3- push then take a break. i don't run 3 miles every week. usually the most i do is 2 then 3 on occasion.  [but i go about 5-6 days a week]. i take off days where i walk on a steep incline then run a half of a mile. other times i run a half a mile at a time. your body and your mind need a break from extreme stress.

4- focus on something externally. usually on the treadmill i'll find a spot on the back wall and just stare. it's when i start looking at everything around me or on the tv that i start feeling the need to stop. it's a rare occasion that i start thinking a thought and forget i'm running. but the goal is to start doing that more often then not. but check in every once in a while internally- listen to the sound your feet make, notice your patterned breathing, the swing of your arms, or even mentally visualize the muscles you're using.

5- visualize the end goal - how happy you'll be come 3pm knowing that you exercised that day, how great it will feel to fit in those pre-baby jeans, being able to run farther and faster then you've previously done.

today as i drove home i saw some high school track boys running along the road and noticed they did it sans-music. how in the world do they do that? mettle. i remember in lacrosse when we'd have to run maybe less then half a mile and i thought i'd die without music. maybe one day i'll be tough enough to run without music. but that day is not today. or tomorrow.

so what's your fitness goal for the week? for me, it's running 2 miles straight again. it's been a while since i've pushed myself so i'm ready to achieve something.
*that and stop eating those dang sweets! still haven't achieved that yet

weightloss wednesday: my current fav workout songs

dudes, i am totally giving myself a self-five right now.

not that i've lost any weight but i am totally seeing improvements. i can run longer, i can run faster and my body is becoming stronger. it's weird, running one mile is still torturous [mostly mental] but after i hit that one mile, walk for a bit then run again, i feel charged and am able to do more, with a renewed energy. i can feel my body adjusting and settling into a pace. don't get me wrong, i still hate running, more then i hate ironing [which is a lot - beccause i never iron]. my body is just slowly adapting which is awesome blossom news.

last week i was deathly sick.... ok not quite deathly but pretty horribly stomach sick ifyouknowwhatimean. so this week i feel my energy drained and my body feeling the effects of 6 workouts a week more clearly. when i need my pick me up, i put on these power songs for me. and they do the trick [if you want a copy just email me and i'll share!]

international love - pitbull
waka waka - shakira

did it again - shadkira
ammunintion - switchfoot
moves like jaggar/jumpin' jack - glee cast
buenos aires - glee cast
it's tricky  run dmc
cyclone - baby bash
outta control - baby bash/pitbull
show me the money - petey pablo
get busy - sean paul
it's time - imagine dragons
good time - owl city/carly rae jepson
let's have a kiki - glee cast
die young - ke$ha
party ain't over - pitbull
get up/levantate - pitbull

weightloss wednesday: eat your heart out

the biggest obstacle for me and for most people when losing weight is food. either making good choices or portion control. justin is a pro at this, which drives me insane. i've always been of the school of thought 'life is short - enjoy the twinkie'. mostly because i love twinkies so much. but really, i don't like fad diets. i don't believe in cleanses. i believe in eating right things in the right amount with some leeway.


some.

that's the hard part for me. as i've mentioned before i am just in love with sweets lately. i have a friend from zumba who gave up sweets almost a year ago and lost tons of weight- just sweets, nothing else. [not including things with natural or built in sugars because let's face it, there's sugar in everything now days]. that's just crazy to me - i couldn't give up sweets forever! i have too many dreams of chocolate cake to do such a thing. that's why moderation is the key. here's when i talked about doing weight watchers which is great but sometimes not realistic for some people. or if you're like me, you get bored and lazy so give up.

now we all know what we should be doing - eat more vegetables & fruits [really, let's all admit that there are some days vegetables or fruits don't even grace your plate], less carbs but make sure the ones you eat are complex [meaning whole grain or whole wheat - not that refined delicious white crap], or cut out soda or other calorie filled drinks. here are some other tips to help me curb my fappetite.

- if you're craving something sweet after a meal, grab a couple raisins or go brush your teeth.

this is for a certain someone i know who is NOT fat
but does have a history of breaking chairs hahaha

- only fill your plate half full of what you think you want. once you finish that, wait 5 minutes then assess if you're still hungry or just want to eat more for the sake of eating. most often then not, we really aren't hungry, we just want to chew some more [so pop in some gum!]
- drink more water - all day every day. when you wake up, after you eat, during your meal, driving in the car. carry water with you and sip on it all day - it will honestly curb your appetite. and if you don't like the taste of water, buy those cute little mio or crystal light additives that make water gross more appetizing for some.
-don't watch tv and eat. it really will eat more because you're distracted by the whole elana/damon/stephan love triangle and not your turkey wrap.
-cut down on calorie bumps like mayo, ketchups and oils. switch to better versions of these if you can [mayo with olive oil, mustard only, or use olive oil] then cut in half what you normally use.
-stop associating emotional tysts with food. after the gym, don't reward yourself with froyo. but at the same time, it's ok to have a few hershey kisses to satisfy your sweet tooth.
-when it comes to sweet cravings, you can try those weight watchers cookies or other things but i'm of the school of thought that imitation is not a sincere form of flattery but a gross waste of calories. because after i eat that 100 calorie pack of cookies, i still want more. so i eat what i want just in smaller amounts.

*i saw this one morning with landon and almost died laughing. this is how i live my life - with visions of food dancing around me saying 'pick me! pick me!'
-speaking of amounts, weight or measure your food. it's amazing how much you really don't know serving sizes. read the box and measure. doing this seems like a waste of time but it's amazing how if you just measure your 1 cup of cereal, eat that, then realize that you can supplement your hunger with some fruit instead of another serving of cereal.
-why ww works is because it holds you accountable for every single thing that enters your mouth. i have an aunt who just recently lost tons of weight just writing everything down - in a journal, an app, telling your friends, whatever works. this stops you from absent mindedly finishing your child's plate, eating a few chips mid-afternoon or gorging on that pint of ben & jerrys.
-limit take out to once a week and when you do go out, make good choices. or as good as you can. but don't be afraid to enjoy your food. i'd rather be fat and eat some chocolate cake every once in a while then skinny and grumpy [aka life without cake].

weightloss wednesdays: plateau in chubsville

so i've hit a wall - and not the good kind. i have been going to the gym, 6 days a week for an hour and a half. i have been kicking my BUTT.

and lost nothing.

ugh--- so frustrating. i'd like to think i don't know why but i do know- i love food. i eat sweets and i haven't scaled back my portions. but still, nothing? it just doesn't seem fair. my good friend meghan has the exact opposite problem. she can't keep weight on and so she can't even go to zumba 2 days a week.

i found this gem on pinterest about overcoming plateaus- how do you curb your appetites/sweet cravings?

in unrelated news i discovered something with all of these gym outings. sometimes i would get on the treadmill and be able to go one mile, no sweat. then other times i cannot get to a quarter of a mile without dying. then i realized what i was doing wrong was my speed. ya i can go a 9+ min mile outside but outside i can go faster and slower at my will. on the treadmill, going 6mph (or a 10 min mile) wasn't manageable. i needed to be able to go slower or faster at my leisure. so i lowered it down to 5.5 mph and could hit my mile mark. another reason why i hate treadmills [their skipping is the worst too].

since all of this running my lungs have gotten into great shape. my legs however, have not. more specifically my lower legs. not like shin splints [i don't think]. prob bc of this extra weight i'm making it go 5.5 mph everyday for 40 minutes. any suggestions on that?

until next week- let's hope i learn how to curb my massive and junkie appetite.

weightloss wednesday: what to do when you're pregnant

this is a toss up between a weightloss wednesday and a reader's request- someone [who is on my favorites on my phone] i love is pregnant and requested some ideas for exercising during pregnancy.

i do not endorse break dancing
while pregnant

funny story: after college i interviewed almost everywhere including a in-house fitness center inside a large corporation. one of the questions asked during my interview was how to adapt certain exercises for pregnant ladies. i drew a complete blank! we briefly went over it in my undergrad and i just could not think of a single thing. needless to say, i did not get that job. school is for fools, people.

now a quick disclaimer, i'm no personal trainer but here are some things i know from my schooling & personal experience. now the time to lose weight is not when you're pregnant. granted, i've heard of someone actually losing weight during pregnancy but that's because they were obese before. even in a best case circumstances for the obese, you should gain at MINIMUM 10-15lbs. granted, i gained like 35. my midwife would always tell me when i would obsess over it, "your body is going to gain whatever it wants to. just accept it". the best advice for pregnant and non-pregnant people is be in shape before you conceive. because you shouldn't hard core stuff when you get knocked up. that being said, if you were active before, you can keep everything almost the same.

when you're pregnant, you need to do more lower impact activities and not push yourself too far. think swimming, the gazelle, walking, cycling, etc. stay away from things that could harm the belly [no rock climbing or dodgeball] and jogging is okay sometimes as long as you are comfortable. be sure to keep balanced, breathe, and hydrate! and also be sure not to lay flat on your back for prolonged periods of time. usually i'd place a pillow or two under my back for mat work.

during your first trimester you are so sick, some of the best ways to exercise i found was to go on long walks or pop in a dvd for 20 minutes [i talked about my favorite pregnancy dvds here]. honestly, when it comes to exercising the first trimester, if you do anything  i think you're good. i suggest you chug TONS of water, all day, and eat a banana and some saltines before you get up out of bed. now it may sound counterintuitive, but exercising will give you more energy. i promise! try doing something you love so it's not a chore. like zumba, who doesn't love zumba? or sit on a bike and read. doing anything will make you feel better. trust me. and if you lay around all day eating saltines and sipping sprint? oh well.

sexyyyy
need to remember this for next time

second trimester is where it's at- those nice sex dreams, the energy to have said-sex and the weight gain that makes sex oh so hot. really, this is where it's at people. and this is when you need to keep it in gear. the rule of thumb is to exercise what you did before. so run if you feel like it- and take a break when you think you're done. the problem i find here is that your mettle has gone to the pits [that's a post for another day- mettle]. i found myself not being as mentally tough as i was before i was pregnant, so i would do less because i thought i couldn't handle it. do NOT give into this! you can do it! just make sure you take your time to warm up, go slowly and then do a proper cool down. it's important never to push yourself too hard because it could deprive the baby of oxygen. if you want some specific moves, check out this link.

your last trimester you see the light and want to waddle towards it head first. at this point you want to keep the baby healthy and help induce labor. so walk. walk walk walk. then go walk some more and hope that gets your bits to open. you're going to gain the most weight here which is disappointing but it doesn't have to be a lot. at this point you prob can't run anymore so focus on keeping your muscles strong [think low weight, high reps] and eat small, frequent meals. try some yoga to stretch out your body [but remember, you're a lot more bobcat pretzely now so go slow and not too far]. go jump in the pool and do some water aerobics- it'll make you feel wonderful to be weightless.


*and as always, make sure you do your kegals to keep your lady bits nice and tight*

workout wednesday: something that scares me, a spin class

remember when i talked about doing things that scare you? last week i did something that terrifies me and learned that it is rightfully so. but i'm so glad i did it and i'll prob do it again. people, i'm talking about the spin class.

i could easily take a spin class with schmidty. love me some schmidt.

that's right people- a spin class. i know it's the big thing for celebrities to do and some of my friends even like it but i see those wheels and get terrified. i think it begins with my unnatural fear of bikes. i grew up on a dirt road with the only pavement being our large driveway [which was always crowded with trailers] and our neighbors down the street. so we'd literally walk over with our rollerblades [anyone else a hard core bladder? seriously, where did all my bladder friends go. every time justin and i see an awesome dude bladding down the street with his fanny, walkman and cut off shorts, we always say we're going to start blading again. alas, we never do.]. anyways i think i had a bike. my mom says i had a bike but i don't remember it. like most of my childhood, it was overshadowed by 5 older siblings who got more attention. that's why i demand it so much now. but enough family issues. 

long story short - i'm not the best biker. i remember in college i brought my sisters old bike up one weekend, determined to start riding to school [less then a mile away]. i did it one time- huffing and puffing the whole time [granted, it was on a slight upgrade of a hill] and ended up at class with pit stains. not ideal when you're trying to catch a man to get your M.R.S. degree [yes i was still looking!]. so i've been terrified of the wheels ever since. i decided to just try this spin class out because it's one of the only classes available at my gym with babysitting hours and i thought, 'hey, i can do anything for one hour'. right. riggghhhttt.

now i'm just being dramatic, but it was tough. and the kicker? it wasn't even a true spin class. they call it cycling intervals but really we did a mini-spin class with interval training [think barbells, jump ropes, mat work]. it was intense but totally achievable. i even mastered did the whole standing up and spinning move, which is the thing that scared me the most! [fyi: i never got how people did that- now i know. you have to turn a knob on the bike to turn the resistance SUPER high then you kind of bounce when you stand and cycle]. i was painfully aware the whole time that i was the largest lady there [there was only 4 of us, counting the instructor] and the most uncoordinated. but i held my own, finished it and will prob go back. win for mel.

and this is just because everyone needs a laugh once in a while.

workout wednesday: back in the gym

sweet cravings = the worst

BL or before landon, i really didn't have that much of a sweet tooth. of course i enjoyed snacks but i'd much rather eat a whole bag of lays then a whole bag of hershey kisses. then came the baby and my taste buds took a 180. i can't get enough- after every meal [except breakfast] and every snack i just want to chow down on some chocolate or goodie of some sort. i just want to scarf it all- i even ate landon's stash of m&ms from his grandma. really, i am that pathetic. any suggestions on how you avoid sweets? or at least limit them?

anyways that's not the point of this post- it's to document my first time back in the gym.... since.... right after justin got home from his mission. so late 2007- it's 2013. not that i haven't worked out since then but still, quite depressing. i know some people HATE the gym but i love love LOVE the gym. just love. thankfully carson's gyms are incredibly affordable! so i dropped off my little peanut in the kids club and got my fitness on.

30 minutes on the treadmill
30 minutes doing arms
10 minutes on the stairmaster
10 minutes on abs & cool down

now some things i forgot about the gym: i HATE [some things] about the treadmill. i hate how sometimes they skip, i hate how you can't go your pace, i hate how my nike+ app doesn't work with it, i hate how you compare yourself to the people running next to you, i hate how the feel of the bars [sticky with people's sweat]. seriously, i went maybe a quarter of a mile and i was over it. i didn't go my best, which is surprising because i thought i hated running outside. i forgot how self-conscious you can be in front of strangers, wondering if they're judging you by your form, what size of weights you use or if you don't wipe down the barbells. but the worst, i forgot about the mirrors.

granted, i love looking at myself. who doesn't? it's nice pretending i'm skinnier then i am when my arms are up, my shirt is draped so my rolls don't show and my back is arched. then i hit the class room and stretched it out- and noticed my butt was completely sweatified and it SHOWED. like nnnaaassstttyyy. like i was embarrassed even walking OUT of the gym. out of all my gym embarrassing moments [because there have been a few], i'd consider it a top 5. but lets be honest, it's going to happen over and over again. let's hear it for butt sweat!!

weightloss wednesday: fat on track

did you know being fat is cool again? well.... not really. but fat amy sure is. man that girl is hilarious.

so here i am, trying to get back on the fat track after a dismal christmas vacation. it all got derailed when we had our staycation then christmas then our anniversary. plus i was doing zumba two times a week so i thought it'd be enough [really?! so terrible of me]. so i went running last week, the first time in 22 days says my nike+ and man i felt it. i thought i was going to collapse. it's amazing how easy it is to get out of shape. but i put in my mile- then went a few days later by myself and got two miles in. nothing fantastic but it's a start. i am for sure going to sign up for a gym in carson city. not that we have the money but my reasonsings are:

i will miss you my friends

1- it's snowy there so i can no longer run outside with landon
2- i have no friends and no life so some days going to the gym will be the only outing of my day
3- childcare! so landon gets to socialize
really, it's a win-win [win].

i'm so excited to go to a gym again! i LOVE gyms! i have too much self-esteem to care about being judged and i know how to use every machine so to me, it's a great place to listen to music and sweat out  my twinkies. let's just hope it works out the way i want.

on a related note, my friend and i have decided to give up sweets for a month except for one cheat day a week.... which obviously will be my slurpee day [saturday]. we both feel like after having kids, our sweet tooth has become a sweet mouth. i'm always craving sweets after a meal, it's ridiculous. before i would crave a saltine [no joke. i love me some salt]. i know that sweets are a ridiculous cycle- the more you eat the more you crave it. my bff8 has done a sweet detox before and i always thought she was cray-cray but here i am. whose with me?!

oh and i have given up soda for the year- even though i'm hoping it'll turn into forever but we'll see what happens when i get pregnant. ok no COKE for a year.

weightloss wednesday: what to do with the kids

i don't know about you guys but i am not lucky enough to use my nap time as exercise time. landon is a 60 minute on the dot kind of napper [he knows that's my minimum] and by the time that rolls around [11am] i am ready for some me-time. and by me time, i mean fbsing, catching up on my shows, or cleaning the bathroom without little paws trying to play in the toilet water.

i don't condone this behavior
but i've got to give her props

so typically i try to exercise a bit after breakfast but before nap time [thus, securing my selfish time] so around 9am. lately i have been HATING exercise videos - hate hate hating. i'd rather poke my eyeballs out. so i go running. now here's the kicker, i have to time it right so he doesn't fall asleep on the run [which he really tries to do bc he wakes up at 6am] or else it reeks havoc on his morning nap. so i'll run a little less then a mile to the park - let him play the run back, getting a little bit of a mile run. then we play at that park. now it's not much but it's about all he can handle. then when i'm feeling motivated, i'll throw in some crunches/push ups/leg lifts at home. so it's not much but it's exercise.

what do you do to keep the kids occupied? does everyone else do it when they nap? am i the only selfish cow out there?

i found some tips here- and added some of my own

- if your kids are old enough, get them involved. ride bikes together, go rollerblading [all the cool kids do], or play with your wii. anyone try just dance 4 yet?! i'm waiting for xmas for my copy.
- if your baby is small enough, strap them to your body and do a walking/low impact video. do some lunges.
- go to the gym. paying sucks but it's free childcare! my friend who is a mother of twins would even sometimes use the daycare then take a quick nap in the yoga room on stressful days. so you're really getting your moneys worth.
- trade off with a friend. let her go to a class one morning then you go another day.
- MOVE with them! i've noticed sometimes i just lay on the floor like a blob and push around a car hoping landon is amused. what he really loves is when i run around on my hands and knees, when i chase him or play hide and seek, when we go running outside. and his favorite thing is when i dance around him in his highchair. seriously, he can't get enough of my grooves.
- and last but not least, i am no stranger to bribing good behavior with a video. sometime i'll set up my computer to play baby einstein on the couch so i can get a 30 min shred in. what ever works.