Sloooooow Progress

Unfortunately, reality has set in. This last amount of weight is not going to come off easily. I never thought losing pregnancy weight was going to be a breeze, but I figured if I made the right choices I would shed off the weight in a few months. Now, I tell myself not to worry, I will lose the weight. Things just might take a little longer than expected.

More bad news: the weight is in my stomach, aka my "problem area." Ugh. My tummy has always been my biggest battle in weight loss. And now the war just got bigger. BUT, I'm trying to stay optimistic. In moving forward, I have to look at the good and the bad things I've been doing. In an effort to stay positive I better start with the bad and end with the good. Here it goes...

The bad:
1) I am having a difficult time breaking out of the prego mentality. I would say as a whole I ate healthy during the pregnancy. BUT, when you're pregnant it's okay to steal a chocolate here and have an ice cream there. Even my doc said to enjoy these indulgences once in awhile. Well, now I'm not pregnant, but I'm still enjoying these small indulgences. The thing about sugar (and artificial sweetener, for those of you thinking you're safe), the more you eat it, the more you crave it.
2) I haven't been drinking nearly as much water as I did when I was pregnant. I remember noticing all these small benefits to drinking a lot of water: I felt good (or in other words, rarely felt ill), I had energy, my eyes were clearer than I'd ever seen. The last one sounds funny, but it's totally true! I've always dealt with dry, red eyes. As soon as I bumped up my water intake, my eyes were white. Recently, I've noticed that with the reemergence of diet soda in my life, my eyes are back to being reddish.
3) I wasn't moving around enough during the day. Partly because I had a new baby at home, my day to day movement slowed way down. I'm not talking exercising or even taking walks, I mean I was posting up on the couch and staying for most of the day. The sad thing is that sitting around just isn't me, but I thought that's what you do when you have babies (and maybe it is slightly true for having young infants).
4) The month of October was a record-breaking month for eating out for me and my husband. We went out more than we ever have which is not good for our pocket-books or waistlines. I wasn't cooking nearly as much as I usually do, so therefore, didn't have complete control over what was being put in my mouth.

These four things are definitely affecting my goals/health. Luckily, none of them are difficult to change. I've approached November as my renewed starting point. I am and will continue to keep these things in mind as I continue to move forward in this weight loss journey. Not only have they affected my weight loss, but also my overall being. I feel better when I am doing the opposite of those things.

The Good:
1) I got the green light to exercise from my doctor two and a half weeks ago and I haven't looked back! I've been out there doing my thing at least 5 days a week which has been great. I'm feeling stronger and stronger each day and I know I will be back to my old self soon.
2) All things given, I've stayed positive. Yeah, things are going slower than expected, but never once have I thought that I'm not going to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight. I heard someone today say that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% attitude. It's with this mentality that I continue believing that I can lose this weight.
3) Not doing it alone. I've said it before if you can get yourself on a team or in a group, working out becomes easier. For me, I'm back to playing soccer and I just joined a mommy exercise group called Stroller Strides. Did I ever think I'd be the mommy group type? No. Am eating my words? Yes! Doing something like Stroller Strides (or any exercise group) makes exercise easier. First, because it gives you an appointment. Stroller Strides meets Mon-Sat 9:30-10:30. My goal is to make it at least 4 times a week. I'll try for Mon-Thurs, but if something comes up (aka baby), then I have Fri or Sat to make it up. Second, because it turns into a social event, as well. I look forward to seeing the other ladies, making getting up and going that much easier.
4) I'm back to cooking. I can honestly say that I haven't paid for a single meal this week, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Cooking gives me control of what I'm eating AND definitely helps me when it comes to portion control. I love eating out, but eating out should be an occasional thing. I want to continue to cook healthy at home because it is delicious and will help me with this weight-loss task at hand.

So there you have it. This has been the good and the bad. I have 11 pounds to go and I know that means cutting out the bad and continuing the good. Wish me luck!

Delicious Find

Recently I was introduced to this delicious and healthy salad dressing and I knew I had to blog about it. Basically my sister's friend told her, she told me, and now I am telling you. This stuff is delicious and even better, healthy! Galeos' dressings are all natural, Gluten Free (if you're into that), and made with organic ingredients. It's creamy texture comes from miso and I love that instead of sugar this dressing uses pure honey to add sweetness.

If you want to give these dressings a try, check out your local health food store. Luckily, it has also started to arrive in more popular supermarkets, like Vons (Woohoo). I love, love, love the Miso Toasted Sesame Seed Dressing and Marinade. For 1 Tbsp you are looking at 2g Fat (remember the ingredients make this good fat), 22 calories, 35mg sodium, and 0.5g sugar.

I'm yet to try it as a marinade, but I'm sure it would be delish! Hope you enjoy!

**I almost forgot the ringing endorsement! The week after my sister had told me about this dressing, I was watching "The Biggest Loser." Contestants went to trainer Bob's house and what was sitting right there in his refrigerator? Two Galeos dressings, the Toasted Sesame and the Caeser. If that's not enough, Jillian Michael's recommends this Galeos Miso dressings on her website. If it's good enough for these two, it's good enough for me :)

It's Go Time

Six weeks have passed. I got the OK from the doc so now all there is to do is to lose this lovely baby weight. Okay, so it's not lovely at all. I feel like it's this flab that isn't even mine, but has come from some foreign place or something. I can't be too mad about it though, it did help keep the little guy healthy, safe and happy :)

But now that I have the green light, I can't wait to get started losing said flab. As of yesterday (the last time I weighed myself), I have 12 pounds to lose to be back to where I was when I got pregnant. I could stand to lose a little more than that, but for now, I'll just focus on getting back into pre-Landon shape. One goal at a time, right?

Here's the reality check.. I need to lose weight and get back into shape, and I need to do it all with a newborn to take care of. There is always something in life that makes working out seem impossible whether it be a job, kids, etc. etc. But I'm not going to use Landon as an excuse. I can be a good mother and still fit in working out. To be honest, I'll probably be a better mother because nothing keeps me more positive mentally than working out. I'll try and do whatever work-outs I can with Landon, and when I can slip away and go to the gym or go for a run, I will (Fortunately, I have an awesome husband who is all for taking over baby duties when he is able). Today, Nate's gone all day for work and it's raining outside so I did a yoga video. I just have to do what I can, when I can :)

I'm hoping to be better at updating this blog now that I am back. I'll probably use this to update my progress, express frustrations, and, as always, share any tips I pick up along the way. Stay tuned for more!

My Snacking Must-Haves

There are a few items that can always be found in my kitchen. Because I'm someone who usually has at least one snack a day, I like to be prepared by having snacks that help me feel good and healthy (no one likes an afternoon guilt trip). The 6 items below are kind of my go-to snacks. I always have them on hand and they help give me energy to make it to my next meal. Also, I added a bonus summer item (for a little hot weather indulgence).

Without further ado, here are my snacking must-haves:
1) Almonds - These always help suppress my mid-afternoon hunger and are a deliciously nutritious item that can easily be kept in an office desk.

2) Light and Fit Yogurt - Love, love, love this yogurt. Vanilla, especially, is delicious enough to feel like you are sneaking sweets. Luckily, these yogurts are only 80 calories. If you are wondering, after vanilla my favorite is peach :)

3) Soy beans - I ALWAYS have soy beans in the freezer waiting to be cooked up and eaten. I love to buy the box of Peggy's Premium Edamame at Costco. Three minutes in the microwave and they are ready to go. Such a great source of protein and for those pregos out there looking for natural sources of folic acid, your search is over.

4) String Cheese - Again, this is an item I get at Costco. What else can I say other than it is low cal, delicious, cheap, and easy. I can honestly say I had one string cheese every day I taught last semester.

5) Reduced Fat Wheat Thins - I'm not a huge advocate of "diet food," but these delicious crackers are a different story. Sixteen crackers for 130 calories is totally worth it in my book. And sometimes you want some carbs.. When that happens I grab for these. They can easily be paired with string cheese or our next snack...

6) Hummus - Sooo delicious. Naturally low in fat, this is another protein-rich snack. Usually I make my own, but if you have to buy hummus just be sure to check labels.


Alright, as promised.. your summertime treat:
Skinny Cow Truffle Bars - These things are delicious! I was sure that there must be something secretly wrong with these bars, but after seeing them talked about on the Today show, I have put my worries to rest. They are 100 calories and perfect for a little summertime indulgence. Chocolate or caramel are our favorites.

These are my snacking must-haves and while I do have others, these stay most consistently in my fridge or cabinet. Anybody have any snacks they want to share?

Happy Snacking!!

Looking Forward

As I'm getting closer and closer to the end of this pregnancy, I've noticed this little excitement growing. Yes, I can't wait to meet our little man and to watch our family grow from 2 to 3, but the other source of excitement is the chance to get back into my active lifestyle. This nine month break has left me with a renewed desire to be fit and healthy in my life.

I've thoroughly enjoyed all of my walking throughout the pregnancy, but I'm looking forward to quickening the pace a bit. I'm already contemplating signing up for the Carlsbad Half Marathon in January '11. I love that half and like the idea of having a goal set even before Baby B makes his debut. Over-ambitious? Not really sure.

Although I have more than two months to take it easy, I can't wait for my upcoming challenge of losing this baby weight. So far I've gained around 25-28 lbs, so to get back to my "fighting weight" will definitely be my biggest weight loss challenge yet. I plan on taking it one day at a time. It's always healthiest to be realistic in goals and I would never go on some crash diet to lose the weight. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Spicy Shrimp Pasta

This pasta has become a staple in our house. The recipe is straight out of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. The edition I have is for Breast Cancer and there is a recipe section in the back called "Recipes for Life." This healthy recipe is delicious and easy. If possible, the leftovers are even better than the initial dinner. Try it out!

12 oz. fresh or frozen large shrimp
8 oz. dried whole wheat linguine (I use spaghetti)
2 Tb olive oil
1 or 2 fresh jalepeno chile pepper, finely chopped (as you can see in the pic, I didn't "finely" chop. Nate and I like it a little spicier)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
2 cups chopped tomatoes (4 medium)
shredded Parmesan (optional)

** As with all recipes, I add more garlic and more freshly ground black pepper, cause that's the way I roll

1. Thaw shrimp if frozen. Peel and devein (if needed). Rinse shrimp; pat dry. Set aside. Cook linguine according to package directions; drain. Keep warm.

2. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add jalepeno pepper, garlic, salt, and black pepper; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add shrimp; cook about 3 minutes more or until shrimp turn opaque. Stir in tomatoes; heat through.

3. Toss linguine with shrimp mixture. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

To make it easy, I use frozen shrimp I get from Costco, they are deveined and peeled for you. If you want to make it real easy on yourself, use already cooked shrimp. Make sure not to burn your garlic. Oh, and if you're worried about the spiciness, don't be. It's nothing you can't handle, believe me. Hope you enjoy!

Walk On!

I realize I haven't been updating.. It's a little hard to write about my fitness when I'm continuously getting larger and it's a good thing. My main exercise throughout the pregnancy has been walking. I walk just about every day and do weights 2 or 3 times a week (just 5 pounders). I am by no means over-exerting myself; I do enough to stay healthy and keep the baby healthy. All the books say that you should exercise so that you feel invigorated when you are done, not exhausted, and I happily comply.

Recently, a celebrity Mama talked about how she watched her weight while she was pregnant. She has received a lot of flack for this, and many say what she was doing was unhealthy. My doctor and the books I have would completely disagree with such put-downs. My doctor monitors all of her pregnant patients' weight closely. The idea is that if you gain too much too fast, you are putting your baby at risk for things such as diabetes and other complications in their lifetime. The famous "Pregnancy Bible", What to Expect When you are Expecting, claims that exercising while pregnant helps you in numerous ways, such as benefiting your health, mood, sleep, back, labor and postpartum recovery. How does it help baby? Many ways, by benefiting baby's fitness, sleep, and even intelligence (yep, there is research that shows that working out during pregnancy even helps baby's brain power). So while I don't over-do exercise, I do keep it a regular part of my schedule. The way I see it, only good can come from it!

All in all, I love pregnancy. It's such a happy and exciting time. I continue to try and keep my body in it's best health (not an easy task when your craving cheesy goodness and ice cream). And while I do slip-up here and there, I always just try and continue to make healthy choices.

Here I am at 27 weeks in my walking gear (this is for you, JuJu):

A Recent Find

One of the staple meals in our household is a good ol' fashion stir-fry. Growing up, my mom always made our stir-fry using a pork tenderloin. I've always done the same, sometimes I substituted with chicken, but it always tasted best with pork. Recently, however, I've discovered a healthier (and more cost efficient) substitute. Turkey breast tenderloin:

Turkey breast is one of our leanest proteins and is an excellent source of iron, zinc, and others. The best part about it, at least according to my husband, is it tastes great! You will not lose any flavor with this substitution.

Speaking of stir-fry this is what I do. Add a little oil to your pan/wok and heat for just a second. Add your chopped meat and cook until meat is completely cooked through. Add veggies (to make it easy on yourself grab a stir-fry bag in the vegetable aisle) and saute until softened, but still have a little bite.


Pour on your favorite, healthy teriyaki sauce (watch for high sugar). Stir. If your sauce is too thin you can always add a little corn starch to thicken and better coat your meat and veggies.

Serve over brown rice. Enjoy!

Eating, Drinking, and Sleeping for Two

I'm sorry for the impromptu hiatus, but to be honest, I wasn't sure how to explain my health decisions without spoiling my big news. The truth is that I'm pregnant. I'm 13 weeks, which means Saturday I will be out of the dreaded 1st trimester. Nate and I are as happy as could be and can't wait for our little one.

What does this mean for me and my health? Well, there have been a couple of big changes in my eating and working out. The biggest changes in my work outs is that I am no longer running and keep any weight training light. Although some say running is okay during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, I've chosen to omit it due to the extremely high heart rate I get while running. Basically, when I'm running at a comfortable pace, able to talk even, my heart rate is high to the point where it would be dangerous for some people. With this in mind, I thought Why take the risk? and have been walking and riding my bike, instead. It's been nice to slow down the pace of my working out... BUT I know that once I have "peanut" I'll be signing up for the next half marathon :)

As for my eating, I feel like I am eating a TON. I get hungry more frequently and hunger pains come on fast and furious. I think because of the intense hunger (and probably prego cravings) I have eaten a couple things, I wouldn't normally consider. For example, I've had cheeseburgers a couple of times and anything cheesy and of the Mexican variety is often on my mind. Fortunately, I have by no means let myself go. I have only gained 2-4 pounds, which is good for first trimester.

Some positive changes I have made include trying to eat A LOT more vegetables. Broccoli is a natural superfood and I love carrots and celery, so I create my own little veggie tray for snacking. I've found that cutting up a red bell pepper and taking it as a snack or part of my lunch is delicious (and high in Vitamin C). Also, I am avoiding nitrate-high foods like bacon, peperoni, cold cuts, and sausage. I never ate too much of these things before, but I am choosing to completely skip them now (bye, bye peperoni pizza and antipasto salad!). Finally, I am trying to not have too much soda or artificial sweetners. My doctor has given the okay to sucralose and aspartame, but I am happy to avoid them if I can. As a soda lover, I find that a great substitute for me right now is delicious Izze:

Izze's are 70% real fruit juice and 30% sparkling water . I love, love, love grapefruit and pomegranate. They are a great when I want something with a little natural pick-me-up (I'm not drinking any caffeine). Oh, also, I've found that the cans are cheaper than the bottles. So instead of buying the bottled Izzes in the soda aisle, head to the juice aisle, you will find the canned ones next to the Kern's.... And, now, I just talked myself into having one. It's pomegranate :)

Since being pregnant, I am drinking A LOT more water. Drinking more water is necessary when pregnant, but also just helps you feel better. You can start feeling sick if you haven't had enough water.

Finally, my most glorious accomplishment since being prego: sleep. I have never been much of a sleeper, but boy do I make time for it now! Early on, I was taking 2 hour naps, which is completely unheard of for me. Now that I am further along, I can make it through the day without a nap, but am often in bed around 9pm. The bottom line is that I am allowing myself to listen to my body. If I'm tired, I sleep. That's it.

What I am consciously aware of is that what goes in my mouth is shared by another. My body has a current tenant so I need to be sure that it's a Hilton, not some two-star hotel. And, although most of you out there are not pregnant, these changes are ones that benefit all.

Long post this time! Phew! I will try to post soon. If my dinner of Healthy Spicy Shrimp Pasta comes out delicious tonight, maybe I will pass on the recipe :)

Resolving to be Healthy

I'm not the type to make resolutions. However, if there was a resolution for me this year it would be to be the healthiest person I can be. This means making almost all meals at home, it means exercising, and it means allowing myself time to rest. Making my meals is somewhat challenging because it feels time-consuming, but really making our dinners is something that I enjoy. As I've said before, the more I cook, the more I love it. I love the control you have when choosing what ingredients you will be consuming. I'm always suspicious of those too good to be true "low-fat" options in restaurants.

As for exercise, I am trying to stay consistent with getting my body moving at least four days a week. For me, personally, this seems like the easiest goal to accomplish. It helps to have a work out partner (Nate), and a frequent walking buddy (Turi). I recommend that anyone who needs help with consistency finds a partner right for them.

Lastly, rest. This year I am all about allowing myself time to relax and rest when I need it. Never in my life have a been a person who requires naps. I used to feel like napping was a waste of time; sleeping happens at night. Fortunately, I don't believe this anymore. Our bodies need time to recoup. More rest means fighting off more disease and destressing. Two things that will be important to me this year.

All in all, I think 2010 will be a great, healthy year for me.