A Simple Lesson of Cause and Effect

Wikipedia (I know, not the trustiest of sources) states that cause and effect is when "an action or event will produce a certain response to the action in the form of another event." It's a simple concept really. One that my 5 month old is already learning himself, as he pushes buttons on his toys to hear music or cries to be fed. But for this blog, I want to look at a particular cause/effect I see taking place in my life.

Cause: Exercise
Effect: Eating healthy

And really, these two could be swapped around, as well. There is something about working out that then makes me want to eat healthy. It's as if my body becomes a machine and food the fuel. I want to eat the right things so this machine keeps running smoothly (and without the feeling of a gut bomb, that the unhealthy foods leave me with). The more I work out the healthier I eat the better I feel. When I say that I "feel better," I mean both mentally and physically.

I'm loving how my life has become even more wrapped around health and fitness thanks to Stroller Strides. Honestly, who would have thought that I would be the healthiest I've ever been after having a kid? Not me. But BOY does it feel good :)

Feelin' Good

I thought it was time to update on not just what I'm doing, but also my state of health. The answer: great! I'm feeling better than ever in terms of my working out and eating. With the help of soccer, Stroller Strides, and running with my Husbo, I'm working out about 5 times a week. BUT believe me, I'm making sure not to overdo it. If I feel like I'm exhausted and need a day off, I take it. Part of being healthy is knowing when to rest, and so I do.

In case you are wondering, I have been pre-prego weight for a few weeks now... but here's the thing. I kind of realized (through the help of SS training) that I was a little too focused on losing the pregnancy weight. It's all about "patience and perseverance." It's easy to be get focused on weight, I needed a reminder that health is a state of being and not a number.

I took this pic on my way to SS last Friday. Working out just makes me FEEL better.. and I think it shows.

It's Official...

I'm attending the training this weekend to become a certified Stroller Strides trainer. I can't say that it does not scare me a little bit. I've always been interested in becoming a trainer, but now that it's really happening, I kind of feel like "Yikes! Am I ready?" Well, ready or not here I go. I'm really looking forward to learning more about what's best for our bodies and I know that nothing but good can come out of this.

As soon as I finish training this weekend, I immediately begin team-teaching the following 4 weeks. I'm gonna be one busy mama! Wish me luck, and keep your fingers crossed I don't absolutely suck at this ;)

Taking the Next Step

I've talked a little bit about my Mommy workout group, Stroller Strides, but I thought I would add this link to a quick blurp CNN did on a nearby group. The one featured is not the exact group I attend, but it will give you a little idea of what I'm up to 3-4 mornings a week. Click here to see.

I've just returned from my work out and I have to say, I feel great. It gives me a sense of pride and, as mentioned in the video, it gives me a little community that acts as a support group as I go through the trials of motherhood. I know not everyone is a mommy out there, but as I've said before, it's always easier to get out and exercise when you have a partner or group to get you motivated. So get out there and find one!

I may be jumping the gun by mentioning this, but I'm actually taking the first steps to becoming a Stroller Strides instructor. I'm looking forward to going through the training and learning even more about how our bodies work. I will definitely keep you posted!

More "Doing" in 2011

When I asked my husband what he wanted for Christmas, he surprised me by saying he wanted a book of hiking trails in San Diego and some hiking gear. I have to admit, I was slightly surprised. Not because it was out of his character, he's very fit and active, I just wasn't expecting it. But he explained that too often, we would talk about wanting to go hiking, surfing, running, walking, etc., but then we would let the day pass without actually going out and doing it. So, this is one of the presents Nate got for Christmas (highly recommended at REI):

Our goal is for there to be more "doing" in 2011. The hardest thing about being active is the getting out and doing it, and we are vowing that we are going to make ourselves move. I can easily hit the gym, but my husband is more of an outdoorsy type. And to be honest, I prefer it, too. We do live in the best state in the USA ;)

Last weekend we ran at the beach and hiked a new trail in San Diego. It's amazing how great we felt after. We kept saying that there is no reason why shouldn't be doing this sort of thing every weekend. I'm looking forward to this get-up-and-go attitude we have. Speaking of, we are off to run the boardwalk at the beach. Woohoo to more "doing" in 2011!

In the Spirit of New Year's Resolutions

Although, I'm not big on making New Year's resolutions, I do always go into the new year with some fresh hopes. The number one New Year's resolution people seem to make is to lose weight. Personally, my goal is to continue cooking at home. Although, I'm not saying I want to "lose weight," I do believe cooking at home is indirectly resolving for a healthy lifestyle.

In the spirit of the number one resolution, I thought I would share an article I found yesterday. The article is titled "Dr. Oz's Top 5 Mistakes Dieters Make." I wouldn't consider myself a fan of Dr. Oz, nor have I seen his show, but these five things are definitely 5 rules that I live by... or, at least, try to avoid.

To summarize the list, here are the "Top 5 Mistakes Dieters Make":

1) You crash diet - I've always been against crash dieting. Becoming healthy is all about lifestyle changes. Obviously, crash diets are not made to be followed forever. As soon as you stop the diet all the weight comes back, and usually more.

2) You skip breakfast - I understand that people do this because they "aren't hungry" or they think, hey, I'm cutting calories, but research doesn't lie. So get up, have some breakfast and get that metabolism working!

3) You drink extra calories - Beware of those high-calorie beverages! I'm talking to you, Starbuck goers! If you are a coffee drinker, like myself, opt for plain coffee or (my new favorite) an Americano. Those Peppermint Mochas with whip add a lot of calories to your day. And the thing about drinking calories is that they don't make you full, like eating them would.

4) You don't snack - It's all about healthy snacking. Putting your body into starvation mode makes your inhibitions go out the window, prompting you to make poorer choices later. Keep healthy snacks near you or in your car (my glove compartment often holds my snacks safely).

5) You don't drink enough water - I discuss this one a lot. I have to really work hard at this one. For some reason, my brain will just go hours without asking for water, but I know that drinking more water helps me to feel better. And research shows, those who drink more water, eat less. Plan and simple.

A very interesting point brought up in the article is a safe and healthy way to lose weight. Dr. Oz suggests tracking what you eat in a food diary and then figuring out a way to cut out just 100 calories daily. Think about it, 100 calories is nothing. Your body won't even register that you are on a diet! I'm sure I could do this easily with just the slightest change to my portions. 100 calories seems so doable, right?!

I'm sure I've done a fantastic job of summarizing this article ;)..... but if you'd like to read it for yourself, click HERE

Oh, and in case you are wondering, 4 more pounds to go!

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!