Obsessions

These days I am struggling with staying on top of the two most important things I can do right now: Drinking enough water and eating. Don't get me wrong. I get hungry and I know it but either I'm enjoying holding my new little bundle as he sleeps on my chest or I'm so busy that I'm a few minutes away from a bad case of the shakes before I stop to eat.

Breakfast and dinner come easy for me. Version 2.1 wakes around 6:30 or 7:00 for his morning feeding and version 2.0 along with my husband are already up (unless it's the weekend...then it's just me and 2.0). That's when I shower, get dressed and grab some breakfast while Disney Jr. softly plays on the living room T.V while I sip coffee and eat.  Dinner has been handed over to my husband these days.  I tell him what I want and he cooks most of it.  It's been a rather nice trade off.  

During breakfast I'm constantly telling my toddler he can't have my coffee because it's too hot. What can I say? He's a boy after my own heart. In my last post I mentioned my usual breakfast of yogurt and granola. Basically, it's loaded in protein balanced with good carbs and has a very satisfying crunch. A plus is that my toddler loves it as well. Some mornings we even share. I never liked yogurt as a kid. It was always a texture thing. and I still really only like strawberry flavored...depending on the brand. So, I'm really glad my son isn't picky and has loved yogurt since he started solids.  My two favorite pairings right now are Liberte' blueberry yogurt and Bear Naked V'nilla Almond granola.  I'll eventually dabble with making my own yogurt but for now fast and easy is a better combination.  Another plus to this breakfast?  It's portable!  I literally ate it going down the road week before last.  No, I wasn't driving. :)

So, how am I battling my water intake issue?  Since I'm wordy I'll go into a long schpiel about it.  I don't like spring and I detest summer.  It's frankly too hot for me.  Temps are already reaching the 90s and May just began.  There is a plus to the hotter months though and it it comes in the form of fruit.  Sure, fruit is loaded with sugar but it helps curb sweet cravings.  But there are these lovely things in the citrus family that add flavor to water.  The best thing about them is they are all natural.  Yes, I am talking about lemons, limes and oranges.


This morning while 2.1 napped in his swing I was able to prep some yummy citrus to put in my water throughout the day.  Water is just so bland and since it lacks flavor I forget to drink it, but squirting a small amount of nature's nectar into my water I get some subtle flavor and a little reward for remembering to drink my recommended ounces.  

If you find yourself strapped for time to eat breakfast and/or have a hard time making yourself drink water (both being essential to a healthy lifestyle) then try my little tricks.  Hopefully they'll be just as helpful for you as they have been for me.  
 

The Long Hiatus

I don't normally drink two cups of coffee in the mornings because I like a little coffee with my cream and sugar, but today is different. Today, I begin blogging again. Some of you may have realized I haven't updated in...well...about nine months or so. Basically, it's really hard to get your body back while growing a baby. Seriously. You aren't going to slim down or lose weight and frankly I didn't have the energy most of the time to even walk around the block much less try to go to the gym. Besides, the days were shorter with daylight savings time, one of my projects at work was in full swing, and in case you forgot, I have a 2 1/2 year old running around destroying my house on a daily basis. I also grow big babies. That means almost ten pounders and nearly two feet long when they are born. That also means I show earlier than many pregnant women and I gain around 30-35 pounds. To sum that up, I am short of breath sooner, I have more weight to move around and I tire more easily. It all sounds like excuses until you experience it yourself. Trust me! But all that aside, I've been itching to get active again. I'm almost two weeks postpartum but I've been missing the gym for well over a month now. I'm just waiting for the doctor to ok me working out again. I've also missed eating healthy. I know. I know. I should have been doing that all along but if you've never been pregnant then you don't really understand how much you crave all the bad food that tastes so good. (Chips and salsa anyone? Sugar? ...Curse you sugar!) I still have to be extremely careful with what I eat since I am breastfeeding. (Yey for burning an additional 500 calories a day just by feeding my kid!) I don't want to restrict calories since I need those to maintain my milk supply and I don't want to get too crazy with high protein since a balanced diet is best to maintain the fatty quality my milk needs in order to properly nourish baby 2.1. However, there are small steps I have made to ensure I'm eating better than I was. For example, greek yogurt with granola and a piece of fruit for breakfast (usually a banana). Lunch is typically extremely quick these days since Baby Man's feeding schedule is roughly 1 1/2 hour cycles. So, I've been eating a lot of sandwiches and leftovers lately. I always eat 100% whole wheat bread and add minimally processed fresh sliced deli meat and then a non processed cheese along with some berries and sometimes some carrots for crunch. I won't lie, I love BBQ or sour cream and onion chips ON my sandwich so that's usually what I do. Dinner consists of whatever is quick and easy but with as few processed foods as we can manage. Speaking of dinner, we have been doing so well with not eating out. Even before the new baby arrived. Mostly because I really got the itch to start cooking again when we went on vacation. I can thank our friend's for that. We saved a ton of money by eating two meals at the house the week we were out of town and I learned a few tricks for cooking different foods. Learning how to mix it up really helps with keeping meals from getting stagnant and that's something I struggle with. Now, I'm about to be transparent. If you've read my bio you know my body snapped back effortlessly after baby number uno. Silly me expected a repeat performance but there are some slight flaws with that mentality. 1) I'm older. Skin just isn't as elastic three years later. 2) We are talking about baby number two. And baby number two that was just as big weight wise as his big brother. I'm eight pounds up from my pre-pregnancy weight. I don't think I look that heavy to everyone else but let me be honest, I've got a little belly pooch that frankly, may never go away. It might. It might not. I may never look like I did prior to my second baby but I'm mostly ok with that. Notice, I didn't say perfectly. Because really, who is? We are our own worst critic. All I can promise to do it live a healthy life and be a good example for my family. Feed them and myself right and be active. If I have the "dreaded" pooch for the rest of my life then so be it. I have two beautiful boys that make it 100% worth it. I may never be able to wear the cute clothes I bought and wore a short time before finding out I was pregnant again. So be it. Maybe someone will benefit from some name brand, slightly used clothing at a cheap price (or free). I don't have body image issues and developing them now is the worst thing I could do to myself, my family and my friends. Learning to love my body that I've been blessed with is a much better model then constantly cursing it. My goal is to be a great example. Eat right. Exercise. Be an encourager and a listener when needed. Walk the walk and talk the talk. That's what the people in my life need to see and hear. So, here's to a new journey and a new chapter!

A Tale of Two Runs

The body is an amazing machine.  The things it does just to keep us alive! Then you stop and think about everything that happens when we exercise.  Essentially, depending on how in tune you are with yourself, all five senses become engaged.  I know this is especially true when I'm out on a run.  Our bodies also give us subtle hints that help push us harder or tell us when we need to take it down a notch.

Last Sunday I struck out on my long run.  Well, if you consider five miles a long run.  For someone that's out of shape and under fueled (because she forgot her energy chews) five miles seems like an eternity.  I promised my run buddy I'd get my miles in as long as she didn't make me wake up early.  I'm lucky she agreed because I really wanted to go visit a church we haven't been to since before August was born.  and it was all totally worth it.  The message was wonderful and it really helped fill a spiritual void I've been feeling lately.

Anyway, the run was hard.  I won't lie.  It was hot and I didn't have the energy but I had made a promise and I planned to stick to it.  I finished around an hour and twelve minutes which wasn't the worst run I've ever done but around mile four when I was pretty tired I decided to tune everything out except for what my senses could detect and I wasn't disappointing.

Immediately, my eyes spied a full moon high in the afternoon sky perched right beside the steeple of a local church.  I even stopped to take a picture but you couldn't really see the moon.  All I could think was, "how beautiful!  And if I hadn't to decided to take in my surroundings I might have missed it!"

I rounded a corner and stared at an ominous little hill before me but felt a wonderful cool breeze come out of nowhere.  It felt amazing on my hot skin and enhanced the feeling of the shade as I passed underneath it.  It felt like God was rewarding me for reveling in the moment and it kept me going just a little further than I had planned on that stretch.

The smells of nature came next.  Fresh cut grass, a new coat of paint on a house for sale and even dirt.  It's not often I stop and smell the dirt. :)

I can't say I really focused on my sense of taste.  My water tasted good as it quenched my thirst but that's nothing new when running in 90 degree weather.  But my favorite sense I engaged on my run was hearing.  In the past I've always listened to a workout station on Pandora that's been tweaked over the months during my last half marathon training but I've recently started using a contemporary Christian station just to help with inspiration.  I'll sing along to the songs, feel a little smile cross my lips and even lip sing but at the last half mile of my run a song I don't hear often came through my earbuds.

"Bring the Rain" - Mercy Me
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I pushed out the sounds of everything else around me and focused on the words.  I can't really describe the sense of peace that came over me but I could have easily walked that last half mile.  Instead, I praised God for the ability to run instead of taking advantage of it and I pounded out the remainder of the run.

However, this week wasn't anywhere near what I experienced last week.  I was supposed to have completed six miles but when I was barely at two and I didn't have the energy to even run downhill I knew I needed to listen to my body and only do around three.  I kept telling myself, "You can do this.  Don't give up!  You are better than this!"  But then I thought, what if forcing myself to even walk the last three miles caused more harm than good.  I didn't feel right and I had already drained almost all of my water so I made the painful decision to only do half and I ended up walking most of it anyway.

It will most likely sound like an excuse to many but a few years ago my doctor diagnosed me with low iron levels and put me on a supplement.  I felt extremely fatigued and lethargic up until then and I'm beginning to feel the same way again.  I can't self diagnose and start taking iron supplements because that can actually be dangerous if low iron is in fact not the culprit but I have a doctor's appointment week after next and I'll hopefully find out then.  Until then I may very well have no desire to work out but I will keep trying.  It's the least I can do not knowing what the real issue is yet.

The moral of the story is no two workouts are the same and it's ok to have a mediocre workout as long as you try.  Sometimes it takes just getting out there and trying to jump start your energy.  And then sometimes you realize today just isn't your day.  Just listen to your body.  I knows you better than you know yourself.

When You Need a Swift Kick in the You Know What

My last post seemed to be all rainbows and butterflies.  However, the best laid plans of men...or women...aren't always followed through on.  I had a moment of self imposed motivation during that last update and I was ready to face the world.  But life has a very interesting way of knocking you on your behind.

In reality, motivation is really self imposed.  I'm not saying having a workout buddy push you doesn't help but in the end you decide to get out of bed or get off the couch and put in that workout.

I've battled lack of motivation for about a month now.  No.  I'm kidding.  It's been more than that.  But it's been really bad over the course of the previous month.  So much so that I skipped build a booty yesterday morning.  I was so tired and had no energy that I barely drug myself out of bed to the recliner.  I could tell my run buddy (aka build a booty buddy) wasn't really happy with me.  The word "ok" as a reply to my text coupled with nothing else translates to, "Get bed out of bed you lazy bum!  I'm so disappointed in you!"

She may not have literally thought that but "ok" has a certain tone to it.  :)

And then she bombarded me with texts like the picture to the right and words like, "At least get out and run a few miles then.  Run, laugh, cry.  Get it out." and "You should run for that little baby that will never get to run."  I didn't get to run because we had company all afternoon and evening and there's no way I'm going out at Texas noon to die of a heat stroke but I woke up this morning with a bit of a renewed mindset.

I can't say I'm 100% better.  What I'm going through doesn't get better overnight like that.  But each day is a stepping stone to the next.  I decide what my mood will be that day.  I decide my own happiness.  I also choose to take the steps required to get myself back on track.  The only bad workout is a missed workout and no one cares that I got off track except me.

That's not to say that having someone push and encourage you doesn't make a difference.  Because it does.  Friday afternoon I convinced a friend to not give up on a 14 day fast she's doing.  She's cut out all meat and nearly caved in a weak moment that afternoon.  But a text telling her I know how much she wants to complete this challenge and that I'm her biggest fan followed by a phone call pretending I was an irate football coach kept her from giving up.

Bottom line is, if you have a friend who's done so well and who has fitness or health goals, they have to make the decision to keep going but your encouragement and your belief in their strength will make a difference.  Don't give up on them.  You don't know the full extent of their situation but you being there could very well be the different between renewed strength and completely giving up.

It Isn't All Rainbows and Butterflies

For those who actually read my mindless ramblings about my journey then you realize I've been completely absent from the blog-o-sphere for quite some time.  For months I religiously updated once a week.  I may have missed a week here and there but I've never gone this long without a peep.

Basically, my job had me extremely busy.  I was working all day at work and coming home to work a few more hours.  I couldn't afford to work out for an hour and drive 20 minutes home.  It was extremely inconvenient and would cut into time with my family even more then my job.  So, I said I would take a break and only go on the days I had my personal training sessions.

It wasn't just my workouts that started suffering.  My eating did too.  I've been in a lot of meetings lately at work that would fall around the time I would eat my mid morning snack and not thinking anything about it I would eat my yogurt during those meetings to at least keep my metabolism up.  Until I was encouraged to not eat during my meetings because it simply looks unprofessional.  So, I stopped my snacks.  And I know from experience that if I don't eat when I'm hungry after a while the hunger pains stop and I lose my appetite. It happened several days in a row and the next thing I know I'm making myself stop to eat lunch at 1:00pm because I know I need to eat...not because I'm starving.

Then some very good friends of mine lost their little girl and I took it extremely hard.  Sometimes during the grieving process people lose their appetite and stop eating.  I experienced this and hardly had a desire to eat for nearly two weeks.

I'm beginning to feel better but I'm extremely off track.  Knowing is half the battle.  So, I'm committed to making the changes I know I have to make.  I've signed a contract at a new gym where I will spend every Saturday morning working on building an awesome booty.  If possible I will make some afternoon classes to get back in shape.

But the big news is that I've agreed to run my next half marathon.  It'll be the Tyler Rose Half Marathon in October and training started today.  I hit the pavement with my run buddy early this morning and pathetically cranked out a 5k.  It took us 45 minutes to run 3.1 miles.  It's a little disheartening since I used to run four miles in the same amount of time.  But I've missed our runs together so much.  It felt great to be out there with her...the breeze on our faces, the panting as I struggled up hills wanting to die and the sweat rolling pouring off of us as the day began to warm up.

I'm not looking forward to running in the Texas heat but I've never been more motivated to eat right and workout than when training for a race.  She's my biggest form of encouragement and there's no way I'd commit to the daunting task of 13.1 miles without her.

Don't forget..her blog link is to the right.  You can also follow her for some fitsporation on Instagram at http://instagram.com/cheafern.

Stay encouraged!

Find What Makes You Tick

I stepped on the scale for the first time in weeks earlier this week and did the whole cringe-then-slowly-open-one-eye-and-peek-at-the-number-to-see-the-damage thing.  Let me preface this with saying what you've already deduced due to the long string of not so...shall we say...strict updates.  I've not been near as strict as I was.  I would still say the majority of my meals are lean and healthy but in an effort to cut back on dining out I've gone back to creating meals that will stretch further and my extremely healthy meals didn't do that.  I literally made one meal out of the majority of them which defeated my whole money saying campaign I'm on.

Dinner will consist of BBQ chicken and Ranch Style Beans or even all beef chili dogs on sprouted honey wheat bread with the occasional night of whole wheat spaghetti with organic sauce.  Which means those left overs become lunch.  It's not as clean as I'd like but it's achieving several goals. A) Saving money.  I've literally spent $6 dining out for lunch this week.  I used to spend about $50 a week.  Yes...I am confessing that.  On the interwebz.  Many of those dollars were spent at a Fresh by Brookshire's buying grilled vegetables and chicken breast for lunch from the Chef Prepared section.  If not there then at a restaurant that just isn't getting you out cheap unless you ate from the a la carte menu.  Obviously we've spent less dining out for dinner that would be at least $20 a meal.  B) We're cleaning out our pantry of food we've bought and have neglected because we've been either buying fresh meat and veggies every day or dining out for dinner.  C) I can enjoy the foods I love in respectable portions and...get this...not gain weight.  Not even water weight.

That long winded paragraph was all to say...yes...I haven't eaten as clean as I was but over the course of the past few weeks I've basically been in maintenance mode.  No.  I'm not at my goal.  I'm still that measly little three pounds away but I'm comfortable in my skin.  I'm happy with how I feel and look.  People are still noticing I've lost weight and I'm not stressing over what kind of healthy but not boring meal I'm going to consume.

I learned that you can be super strict up front to reach your goals then slack off and add in a few of your favorite things without worry or stress.  It doesn't have to be a life of chicken...chicken...chicken...fish....chicken...steak.  You don't have to deny yourself the wonderful crunch of a fresh tortilla chip dipped in salsa or a chili dog.  Just don't continuously go overboard with the portion sizes and you'll do fine.

What about my workouts?  I'm glad you asked!  I've barely done any cardio.  When I say I'm burnt out I mean it.  I don't even want to look at a cardio machine and I'm sure as heck not running in 100 degree weather.  (I almost subconsciously added an extra 0 to the 100.)  What have I been doing?  Weights.  Weights, weights, weights.  I've been a little lazy and only getting in about two workouts a week (three this week) but they were good workouts.  I've left tired and sweaty and most importantly stronger.

I also did a color run last weekend.  I ended up walking most of the race largely due to a terrible side stitch I got around a half mile in.  Plus I couldn't get my heart rate down.  It was 130 just standing before the race even started.  Basically, that's what I'd call a terrible run but I had fun getting dirty.

My run buddy is trying to talk me into doing another half marathon in October.  I'm still uncertain.  Training in the ridiculous Texas heat starting in August may officially be the death of me.  Not to mention I haven't forgotten how time consuming it is.  However, I do enjoy collecting race medals and half marathons are about the only way I can do that since I'll never run a 5k in 16 minutes.  The bottom line, she has to convince me to do it.  I'm really 50/50 at this point.  I totally miss our long runs and the relationship that developed from them so we'll see.  I may break soon.

I'm also going to do a glow run at the end of July.  Running at night with glow in the dark stuff everywhere?  Winning!

A friend of mine has also asked me to do a free boot camp with her on Monday's and Friday's.  The trainer is apparently an ex-Marine so if I bite the bullet this coming Monday and do it I may very well meet my boot camp match.

Basically, I have to keep finding new things to do to keep me motivated.  It isn't a bad thing by any means.  Changing up the routine will also keep my body from getting used to the workout.  It probably comes off as inconsistent to everyone else but I'm not concerned with everyone else's opinion on what I do to achieve my goal (unless they are unhealthy avenues then feel free to confront me).

That all being said, every day is a new day.  What works for one person may not work for the next.  Find out what works for you and keeps you excited about your healthy lifestyle and get out there and do it.  We aren't all from the same mold.  Taking the first step towards your fitness goals is the hardest part but you can do it.  Just keep at it.

Not So Chronicle...

I've been MIA from the fitness blog-o-sphere for almost three weeks now.  My little neck of the woods has been painfully quiet because I had started a post back then but wasn't really feeling the topic.  And honestly, I haven't been feeling the workouts either.

I'm seriously burnt out on cardio.  At first, I was loving the 30 minute HIIT sessions but they all involved running on the treadmill because it's too fracking hot outside already!  And I sweat like a horse running for the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes even when running in the A\C so 90+ degree, East Texas, blazing hot, 2,000% humidity is definitely not in the cards.  A 30 minute session was heaven after all the one hour runs four days a week for three months but it's become a chore and I just can't get motivated to do it.

So, I went all weights for about a week.  Yeah.  I know.  Stellar try there.  But really, I loved it.  I was burning almost as many calories lifting weights in 30 minutes as I was doing cardio.  After all, I take my weight lifting serious.  Building muscle and getting that heart rate up there...what's not to love?

Then I got stressed out at work and all I've wanted to the past week and a half or so is eat comfort food and come directly home after work and curl up with a great book.  I've been in a ridiculous amount of meetings that are often right smack dab in the middle of when I normally eat my snacks during the day which means by lunch I'm what some call "hamster hungry".  Basically I say it means you are hungry enough to eat your young.  Seriously, I've joked twice this week about eating baby back ribs.  Even Mike Meyers would roll his eyes at the worn out reference.

I've probably eaten Mexican food five times in the last five days.  Two of those occasions came in a single day.  I've had What-a-burger, potato salad and pinto beans balanced with my greek yogurt, protein shakes and a couple of healthy lunches earlier in the week.  I definitely didn't follow an 80/20 rule.  At all.

And I feel like poo about it.  I've allowed emotions to turn me into a mindless eating machine.  I'm trying to set a good example for people and here I go blowing the whole thing out of the water.  I only went to the gym Monday to work out with my trainer for her last week at the gym.  I have to wait until my contract is up before I can move to a new gym and start working out with her again.  But I had no desire to go and it was one of those cases where I knew I wouldn't get much benefit out of going even if I did.

Now I have to get my mindset back on track.  I have to refocus my drive and put my blinders on.  Now that the hubster has joined a gym you'd think this would get easier.  Not when he's the one suggesting Chinese food for dinner.  Good thing I love him all the same.  And the fact that he's supportive, albiet not so diligent, makes it hard to blame him for my slip-ups.

So, my goal, starting tomorrow, is to get out of this funky and get back on track.  Let's all raise our metaphorical beer steins and toast to that.