Oh boy! Here comes the big confessional! Ever fallen off the wagon? Well probably not like THIS:
Let's see, my diet the last two weeks has consisted of:
French Fries
Hamburgers
Pizza
Dr. Pepper
Cadbury's Mini Eggs (Evil Evil People!)
Ice Cream
Popsicles
You name the junk food item, I've probably eaten it.
Exercise? What's that? Oh yeah. I vaguely remember walking on a daily basis. Yeah, THAT's over! Oh, and that exercise video, you know - the prenatal one? Pfft! I've never even taken it out of the plastic!
SIGH!
DOUBLE SIGH!
So, it's okay. It happens. But starting tomorrow I am back to walking and the Cadbury's Mini Eggs I purchased today will be my last this season. You know how I know? Because I bought a huge bag and sat and ate the whole thing today and I am so sick to my stomach that I think I cured myself of THAT addiction! And earlier this week I was actually not happy about eating french fries and having a Dr. Pepper one day because it just leaves me feeling disgusting! I'm done now. Okay? I swear it! I will sin no more!
Amazingly, I'm only 166 lbs. How I managed to pull that off is beyond me. Probably because what tiny bit of muscle I have in my body melted into fat mush and fat weighs less than muscle, so it all evened out.
Okay, I'm climbing back onto the wagon. Let's try this again.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The Bare Minimum
First, let me answer Kimberly's question about the lecithin granules: I would have to say - Yes, I believe in them. I've actually run out and I'd like to go buy some more. Now I haven't tested the sales associate's theory that lecithin granules and better diet alone will prevent formation of new fat cells. I really need to exercise. I don't have time to be a guinea pig.
I can say this, though - simply power walking 3 miles a day, using lecithin granules in my oatmeal in the morning, having a cup of frozen blueberries a couple of times a week and eating grapefruit at least once every other day has obviously done something good because I'm 12 1/2 weeks into my pregnancy and I still haven't gained weight above what I was when I started. AND, I just barely went to purchase maternity clothes last night. I've worn my regular clothing up to this point. That's the best I've EVER done in a pregnancy. YAY!
Okay, onto my new bit of information. I purchased the book YOU: The Owner's Manual several months ago and have been reading it bit by bit (okay, it's bathroom reading. I don't have a whole lot of time...unless it's about vampires making out with humans. Hey, at least I'm honest.) Anyway, this book teaches you exactly how to take perfect care of your body and explains in very simple, entertaining terms how your body functions exactly.
So, I was spending some quality time in the bathroom (it's my only break from my kids during the day) and I flipped open to The Owner's Manual Diet chapter. And I found this to be interesting and very useful. This is the bare minimum you should do for your body. I will now share with you the crib sheet:
Walking: 30 minutes every day (or other general physical activity like swimming, if you cannot walk)
Stamina training (biking, swimming): 3 times a week, at a rate at which you are sweating for 20 minutes or are out of breath by the end.
Resistance training: 3 times a week, 10 minutes a day.
Stretching or yoga: Every day, after walking.
Deep breathing: Take 10 deep breaths every morning and night.
Sleep: Plan time for 7-8 hours of sleep daily.
The walking has been great, but now that that has become a regular habit (I have a friend I walk with - we motivate each other - I highly recommend it), I'm ready to add something more.
Last night at Border's Books (my man and I went shopping for Valentine's Day. Shopping is a passion of ours, so we like to take each other to stores and pick stuff out together rather than presenting each other with something) we were enjoying browsing with NO CHILDREN! I left my husband to browse the World War II books (not that I'm not interested, but I needed something a little lighter, plus I love just losing myself in a book store) and found myself eventually in the exercise video section. They've got so many great videos. I love the Bollywood dancing and belly dancing videos. Those look like fun.
But for now I purchased Gabrielle Reece's pre and postnatal workout video. It has three 15-minute workouts for each trimester and then a great belly slimdown video for the end. I'm excited to add that to my regimen. So now I will walk every morning for three miles and then come home and do a 15-minute workout with Gabrielle.
Oh, and let us not forget the deep breathing. I'll start each morning with 10 deep breaths and end each day with the same. And, after almost a decade of running on 4-5 hours of sleep a night, I am FINALLY forcing myself to sleep at LEAST 7 hours a night. I feel like my mental acuity is coming back.
Current weight: 164 lbs.
I can say this, though - simply power walking 3 miles a day, using lecithin granules in my oatmeal in the morning, having a cup of frozen blueberries a couple of times a week and eating grapefruit at least once every other day has obviously done something good because I'm 12 1/2 weeks into my pregnancy and I still haven't gained weight above what I was when I started. AND, I just barely went to purchase maternity clothes last night. I've worn my regular clothing up to this point. That's the best I've EVER done in a pregnancy. YAY!
Okay, onto my new bit of information. I purchased the book YOU: The Owner's Manual several months ago and have been reading it bit by bit (okay, it's bathroom reading. I don't have a whole lot of time...unless it's about vampires making out with humans. Hey, at least I'm honest.) Anyway, this book teaches you exactly how to take perfect care of your body and explains in very simple, entertaining terms how your body functions exactly.
So, I was spending some quality time in the bathroom (it's my only break from my kids during the day) and I flipped open to The Owner's Manual Diet chapter. And I found this to be interesting and very useful. This is the bare minimum you should do for your body. I will now share with you the crib sheet:
Walking: 30 minutes every day (or other general physical activity like swimming, if you cannot walk)
Stamina training (biking, swimming): 3 times a week, at a rate at which you are sweating for 20 minutes or are out of breath by the end.
Resistance training: 3 times a week, 10 minutes a day.
Stretching or yoga: Every day, after walking.
Deep breathing: Take 10 deep breaths every morning and night.
Sleep: Plan time for 7-8 hours of sleep daily.
The walking has been great, but now that that has become a regular habit (I have a friend I walk with - we motivate each other - I highly recommend it), I'm ready to add something more.
Last night at Border's Books (my man and I went shopping for Valentine's Day. Shopping is a passion of ours, so we like to take each other to stores and pick stuff out together rather than presenting each other with something) we were enjoying browsing with NO CHILDREN! I left my husband to browse the World War II books (not that I'm not interested, but I needed something a little lighter, plus I love just losing myself in a book store) and found myself eventually in the exercise video section. They've got so many great videos. I love the Bollywood dancing and belly dancing videos. Those look like fun.
But for now I purchased Gabrielle Reece's pre and postnatal workout video. It has three 15-minute workouts for each trimester and then a great belly slimdown video for the end. I'm excited to add that to my regimen. So now I will walk every morning for three miles and then come home and do a 15-minute workout with Gabrielle.
Oh, and let us not forget the deep breathing. I'll start each morning with 10 deep breaths and end each day with the same. And, after almost a decade of running on 4-5 hours of sleep a night, I am FINALLY forcing myself to sleep at LEAST 7 hours a night. I feel like my mental acuity is coming back.
Current weight: 164 lbs.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Hello Out There!
Okay. Sorry. I get so involved in so many things and then forget about my blogs. (SIGH).
SO! Here's the deal, folks. I have continued to walk ALMOST every day of the week (when I can fit it into my hectic lifestyle). And my eating habits have...well....somewhat deteriorated. Somewhat.
So, I'm doing the fast food/comfort food thing at least twice a week. I'm sorry. I'm trying so hard not to, but when you have a bad night and can't sleep and then you have a hectic day, you need to feel good somehow and fast food gives me that temporary good feeling. Key word here being "temporary".
I have gained a couple of pounds, but my pregnancy is not over and I STILL have not gained weight beyond what I weighed in the very beginning of my pregnancy, so that's good.
Current weight - 164. And I'm gonna' work really hard this next week to try to get that down again or at least keep it at bay.
Here's what I'm now shooting for - Final end of pregnancy weight: 175 pounds. Somehow I always drop 20 pounds right away after having a baby, so this will put me back down to 155, which is 10 pounds less than what I started with. YAY!
Do you believe in me? I need some words of encouragement. And also someone to come over here and take away my wallet every lunch time.
Thanks.
SO! Here's the deal, folks. I have continued to walk ALMOST every day of the week (when I can fit it into my hectic lifestyle). And my eating habits have...well....somewhat deteriorated. Somewhat.
So, I'm doing the fast food/comfort food thing at least twice a week. I'm sorry. I'm trying so hard not to, but when you have a bad night and can't sleep and then you have a hectic day, you need to feel good somehow and fast food gives me that temporary good feeling. Key word here being "temporary".
I have gained a couple of pounds, but my pregnancy is not over and I STILL have not gained weight beyond what I weighed in the very beginning of my pregnancy, so that's good.
Current weight - 164. And I'm gonna' work really hard this next week to try to get that down again or at least keep it at bay.
Here's what I'm now shooting for - Final end of pregnancy weight: 175 pounds. Somehow I always drop 20 pounds right away after having a baby, so this will put me back down to 155, which is 10 pounds less than what I started with. YAY!
Do you believe in me? I need some words of encouragement. And also someone to come over here and take away my wallet every lunch time.
Thanks.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Walk It Off. Just Walk It Off.
So, walking may not give me that perfectly toned body that'll land me a spot on the next Baywatch episode, but.... What's that? Baywatch has been off the air for years? DANG IT! Everything I've been aspiring towards. I always dreamed of running alongside The Hoff on the beach.
My mother told me that she read an article that stated, "If you walk 1100 steps per day, you will not gain any weight in your first trimester of pregnancy". So, imagine if you're NOT pregnant and you walk that many steps per day.
I currently walk approximately 2000 steps per day. Some friends of mine found a course, drove it in their car and discovered it was 2 miles long. Another wore a pedometer, which measured approximately 2000 steps on this journey. So we make the journey five days a week together (It's always good to have a workout buddy to keep you motivated). On top of that we all push strollers loaded down with kids. That gives some extra resistance.
CURRENT WEIGHT: 161 lb. Yes, I've lost a total of 4 lb. in spite of being pregnant and that's only from better food choices and the supplements I talked about early on.
Just this last week I started the walking regimen. I picked up an issue of Woman's World off the grocery store newsstand because the main article said, "Walk off 20 lbs by March". HELLO!
Here are the tips they give:
1. "Just by bundling up and heading outside on a cold day, your body burns extra calories by trying to keep itself warm".
2. Walking with snow shoes in the snow or walking in the sand will burn up to 500 calories in a single hour.
3. If you simply walk 15 minutes briskly and then do muscle toning for 15 minutes, you'll eat 517 calories fewer than those who just walked or just did strength training.
4. Using walking poles (can be purchased on E-bay for approx. $50) will help you burn 50% more calories per walk.
5. Using a treadmill with an incline or trying a walking workout DVD indoors occasionally will cause you to use different muscles than regular walking, hence a boost in your calorie burn.
6. Interval walking. It means speed up your walking for a few minutes, then slow down. This tricks your body into thinking you're going full tilt and it has been shown in studies to burn three times more fat than nonstop high-intensity exercise!
And finally - walking just plain makes you want to eat healthier. I crave apples and Subway sandwiches and water when I work out. When I don't, it's junk food all the way. Lots of sweets, etc.
Now get out there and walk!
My mother told me that she read an article that stated, "If you walk 1100 steps per day, you will not gain any weight in your first trimester of pregnancy". So, imagine if you're NOT pregnant and you walk that many steps per day.
I currently walk approximately 2000 steps per day. Some friends of mine found a course, drove it in their car and discovered it was 2 miles long. Another wore a pedometer, which measured approximately 2000 steps on this journey. So we make the journey five days a week together (It's always good to have a workout buddy to keep you motivated). On top of that we all push strollers loaded down with kids. That gives some extra resistance.
CURRENT WEIGHT: 161 lb. Yes, I've lost a total of 4 lb. in spite of being pregnant and that's only from better food choices and the supplements I talked about early on.
Just this last week I started the walking regimen. I picked up an issue of Woman's World off the grocery store newsstand because the main article said, "Walk off 20 lbs by March". HELLO!
Here are the tips they give:
1. "Just by bundling up and heading outside on a cold day, your body burns extra calories by trying to keep itself warm".
2. Walking with snow shoes in the snow or walking in the sand will burn up to 500 calories in a single hour.
3. If you simply walk 15 minutes briskly and then do muscle toning for 15 minutes, you'll eat 517 calories fewer than those who just walked or just did strength training.
4. Using walking poles (can be purchased on E-bay for approx. $50) will help you burn 50% more calories per walk.
5. Using a treadmill with an incline or trying a walking workout DVD indoors occasionally will cause you to use different muscles than regular walking, hence a boost in your calorie burn.
6. Interval walking. It means speed up your walking for a few minutes, then slow down. This tricks your body into thinking you're going full tilt and it has been shown in studies to burn three times more fat than nonstop high-intensity exercise!
And finally - walking just plain makes you want to eat healthier. I crave apples and Subway sandwiches and water when I work out. When I don't, it's junk food all the way. Lots of sweets, etc.
Now get out there and walk!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Don't Like Water?
I LOVE this replacement:
K20 protein water mix by Special K.
For an 8 oz. glass of water, I just add half of one of these packets and stir it in.
I chose pink lemonade flavor. That's my favorite. It really helps suppress my appetite. And I think it tastes great. And it's only 15 calories per 8 oz. glass. I hadn't seen it at the grocery store for a while, but I found a big pack of them last night at Wal-Mart. I just drink about 2-4 glasses of this stuff a day and it helps.
Oh, and one more thing - it has 5 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. Very good for you!
K20 protein water mix by Special K.
For an 8 oz. glass of water, I just add half of one of these packets and stir it in.
I chose pink lemonade flavor. That's my favorite. It really helps suppress my appetite. And I think it tastes great. And it's only 15 calories per 8 oz. glass. I hadn't seen it at the grocery store for a while, but I found a big pack of them last night at Wal-Mart. I just drink about 2-4 glasses of this stuff a day and it helps.
Oh, and one more thing - it has 5 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. Very good for you!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Big Weigh In!
Well, it's been one week since I started this whole diet thing...and then a monkey wrench got thrown into the whole deal - I'm pregnant. But I'm determined to keep up the better eating habits and exercise, so here we go.
My weight today is 163 lb. That's a 2-lb. weight loss and guess what? I didn't even exercise the whole week. I was too nauseated to walk. I did eat regularly, though. In fact, some days I pretty much ate all day long.
HOWEVER, the difference was that I made better food choices. Here's a run down of what one of my days of eating looked like:
One 8-oz. glass of ice water.
1 bowl of cinnamon roll-flavored Quaker instant oatmeal with 1 tablespoon of lecithin granules sprinkled on top.
1 multivitamin
1 chromium picolinate tablet
One 8-oz. glass of ice water
Two handfuls of grapes
One grapefruit - no sugar
One 8-oz. glass of ice water
One low-fat yogurt
1 1/2 tuna fish sandwiches (on white bread - would have been better on wheat, but definitely better than my usual cheeseburger and fries)
One 8-oz. glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade (sweetened with regular sugar)
One 8-oz. glass of ice water
One handful of Cheetos
One handful of pretzels
One grapefruit - still no sugar
One 8-oz. glass of ice water
Homemade taco salad
One 8-oz. glass of ice water
One grapefruit - no sugar
One 8-oz. glass of water
So, there you go - I basically ate all day long. And yeah, the Cheetos weren't the best choice, but it goes to show that you can throw in some stuff like that occasionally and you're good.
And because I'm pregnant, I basically need to eat more than normal, so I just eat and eat. I think the keys to the 2-lb. weight loss with no exercise were:
1. The ice water.
2. The grapefruit.
3. The vitamins and supplements.
Has anyone else been trying any of these tips? Anyone else have any results or tips they wanna' share?
My weight today is 163 lb. That's a 2-lb. weight loss and guess what? I didn't even exercise the whole week. I was too nauseated to walk. I did eat regularly, though. In fact, some days I pretty much ate all day long.
HOWEVER, the difference was that I made better food choices. Here's a run down of what one of my days of eating looked like:
One 8-oz. glass of ice water.
1 bowl of cinnamon roll-flavored Quaker instant oatmeal with 1 tablespoon of lecithin granules sprinkled on top.
1 multivitamin
1 chromium picolinate tablet
One 8-oz. glass of ice water
Two handfuls of grapes
One grapefruit - no sugar
One 8-oz. glass of ice water
One low-fat yogurt
1 1/2 tuna fish sandwiches (on white bread - would have been better on wheat, but definitely better than my usual cheeseburger and fries)
One 8-oz. glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade (sweetened with regular sugar)
One 8-oz. glass of ice water
One handful of Cheetos
One handful of pretzels
One grapefruit - still no sugar
One 8-oz. glass of ice water
Homemade taco salad
One 8-oz. glass of ice water
One grapefruit - no sugar
One 8-oz. glass of water
So, there you go - I basically ate all day long. And yeah, the Cheetos weren't the best choice, but it goes to show that you can throw in some stuff like that occasionally and you're good.
And because I'm pregnant, I basically need to eat more than normal, so I just eat and eat. I think the keys to the 2-lb. weight loss with no exercise were:
1. The ice water.
2. The grapefruit.
3. The vitamins and supplements.
Has anyone else been trying any of these tips? Anyone else have any results or tips they wanna' share?
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Minor Setback
Funny story:
My husband's family is French. They don't speak English and I don't speak French. I feel terrible that we can't communicate and that I've never met his mother and grandmother and sister. So, for Christmas I decided to compose a very long letter letting them know that I love them, I can't wait to meet them, and giving them an update on our family. I then asked Bertrand to translate it, which he did. He approached me a while later and asked me how I wanted him to sign the letter. I said, "Just put Love and then each of our names in order." He returned a few minutes later and handed me the translated letter printed out. I looked it over and caught note of how he signed it on the end. It was signed:
Love,
Bertrand, Kristin, John, Sylvie-Faye, Chloe...
I said, "Um, honey. Why did you do dot, dot, dot after Chloe's name?"
He replied, "I don't know. Why?"
I said, "Because it looks like there's more to come...as in more children."
His eyes bulged and his jaw dropped in horror. "Uh, NO! We are NOT having more children!" he retorted adamantly.
"I know. I know. But your family is going to see that and start calling with questions. They're going to think I'm pregnant or something."
A few days ago I was in the grocery store when I realized my family needed more milk. I approached the milk aisle and saw the big sale - 10 for $10 on half pints of milk, so I immediately began to stock it up in my cart. An old lady and her husband approached and smiled as they watched me frantically loading my cart with the milk (everyone was fighting for the milk). The old lady said, "Well, you must be big milk drinkers in your family."
I chuckled and said, "Yeah. I've got a few little ones at home....and another on the way." Then I stopped abruptly and the words that had just come out of my mouth suddenly hit my eardrums. I kind of pulled a funny face and then quickly scurried away.
"And another on the WAY?" I whispered aloud to myself. "What was THAT? How bizarre. Why would I say that?" I glanced back over my shoulder as I rounded a corner quickly and thought, "Well, at least they're complete strangers. I'll never see THEM again."
Well, folks, turns out the part of my brain that speaks knew something before the part of my brain that accepts reality did. I had been having weird symptoms for weeks and pregnancy was not even on my list of things it could possibly be. But here I am - pregnant. I'm due in August.
Is that gonna' stop my weight loss attempt? HECK NO! I'm already at least 40 pounds overweight. I don't need to get any bigger. Therefore, I will continue eating healthy, drinking lots of water, taking vitamins, using my supplements and exercising. Obviously, I'll go easy on the exercise. I wouldn't want to cause my baby any harm. But I get big from packing on tons of unnecessary calories found in things like french fries, cheeseburgers, Panda Express, and soda. That's not going to be part of my diet this time.
I'm already awaking in the middle of the night feeling half starved. Instead of grabbing chips or cookies or two slices of buttered white bread, I'm keeping the fridge and fruit baskets in my kitchen stocked full of fresh fruit and veggies. A carrot stick or an apple are what I choose now.
SO, I'm not gonna' look hot in a tankini this summer, but I will not be a huge pregnant woman. I'm determined this time. This is gonna' be a GOOD pregnancy.
My husband's family is French. They don't speak English and I don't speak French. I feel terrible that we can't communicate and that I've never met his mother and grandmother and sister. So, for Christmas I decided to compose a very long letter letting them know that I love them, I can't wait to meet them, and giving them an update on our family. I then asked Bertrand to translate it, which he did. He approached me a while later and asked me how I wanted him to sign the letter. I said, "Just put Love and then each of our names in order." He returned a few minutes later and handed me the translated letter printed out. I looked it over and caught note of how he signed it on the end. It was signed:
Love,
Bertrand, Kristin, John, Sylvie-Faye, Chloe...
I said, "Um, honey. Why did you do dot, dot, dot after Chloe's name?"
He replied, "I don't know. Why?"
I said, "Because it looks like there's more to come...as in more children."
His eyes bulged and his jaw dropped in horror. "Uh, NO! We are NOT having more children!" he retorted adamantly.
"I know. I know. But your family is going to see that and start calling with questions. They're going to think I'm pregnant or something."
A few days ago I was in the grocery store when I realized my family needed more milk. I approached the milk aisle and saw the big sale - 10 for $10 on half pints of milk, so I immediately began to stock it up in my cart. An old lady and her husband approached and smiled as they watched me frantically loading my cart with the milk (everyone was fighting for the milk). The old lady said, "Well, you must be big milk drinkers in your family."
I chuckled and said, "Yeah. I've got a few little ones at home....and another on the way." Then I stopped abruptly and the words that had just come out of my mouth suddenly hit my eardrums. I kind of pulled a funny face and then quickly scurried away.
"And another on the WAY?" I whispered aloud to myself. "What was THAT? How bizarre. Why would I say that?" I glanced back over my shoulder as I rounded a corner quickly and thought, "Well, at least they're complete strangers. I'll never see THEM again."
Well, folks, turns out the part of my brain that speaks knew something before the part of my brain that accepts reality did. I had been having weird symptoms for weeks and pregnancy was not even on my list of things it could possibly be. But here I am - pregnant. I'm due in August.
Is that gonna' stop my weight loss attempt? HECK NO! I'm already at least 40 pounds overweight. I don't need to get any bigger. Therefore, I will continue eating healthy, drinking lots of water, taking vitamins, using my supplements and exercising. Obviously, I'll go easy on the exercise. I wouldn't want to cause my baby any harm. But I get big from packing on tons of unnecessary calories found in things like french fries, cheeseburgers, Panda Express, and soda. That's not going to be part of my diet this time.
I'm already awaking in the middle of the night feeling half starved. Instead of grabbing chips or cookies or two slices of buttered white bread, I'm keeping the fridge and fruit baskets in my kitchen stocked full of fresh fruit and veggies. A carrot stick or an apple are what I choose now.
SO, I'm not gonna' look hot in a tankini this summer, but I will not be a huge pregnant woman. I'm determined this time. This is gonna' be a GOOD pregnancy.
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