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!

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?