Podcasts

I FINALLY have a day off!!  Just finished a 9 day stretch... phew!  Thankfully, I really like my job... but I like my family more and I have a mountain of laundry and both kitchen sinks plus a little on the counter is filled with dishes... the never ending jobs (luckily I can't get fired from those! haha)

My sister got my hooked on Jillian Michaels podcasts.  They are free on iTunes.  She downloaded them all onto my iTunes and subscribed me so I will get her new weekly podcast every week.  I put them all on my iPod and hook it up to my car and listen on my drive to and from work.  I've listened to about 10 of them already!  There is a lot of really interesting information that she covers.  She has her endocrinologist, Dr V, on and she speaks about a lot of interesting things.  She talked about diabetes and the difference between Type 1 and Type 2, about thyroid disease, and the importance of sleep.  They were interesting to me since my grandma had diabetes (Type 2, probably), my dad has hypothyroidism, and I sometimes don't get what I feel is enough sleep.  These are the reasons why health is so important... way more important than the vanity of it.  The end of her podcasts end with caller questions.  Those usually are pretty interesting as well.  The best part, for me, about listening to them is it puts me into a healthful mindset during the day.  I think I make at least a few better choices during the day... for instance, yesterday I purchased organic broccoli... I've never even considered buying organic before.  Jillian is always talking about buying organic and how everything else has tons of chemicals all over and in them.  I have always figured eating broccoli (or other produce) was good, whether it was organic or not.  It was only 10 cents more so I decided to give it a try.

Speaking of my sister... I should do a post just about her!  She is working so hard and is doing so well at getting in shape.  She discovered my blog, so... Molly, give a shout-out if you wouldn't mind being the spotlight! :)

Yes I said discovered... I really haven't told many of my friends or family about my blog.  A few have discovered it and that's fine.  This whole thing Jillian talked about in a podcast, actually.  I never really told anyone or talked a lot about my blog.  I guess it's because if I fail, I don't want the people I care about to judge me on that failure.  But... (like Jillian said) everyone fails at something, it just may not be proven by being visualized on their body.  That really doesn't make it any easier, but it's something I can think about.

Happy Birthday to Me!! :)

Today is my birthday!!! :)  I turn 29 years old today.  That's right, it's the 1 year countdown to the big 3-0!  Me and a couple of my friends I grew up with all have birthdays in the first couple weeks of September and have already planned that we are going out on the town next year for our Dirty/Flirty 30 party.  We are getting a limo ...which, believe it or not, I have never been in a limo before.  I'm pretty excited already.  I don't get out much, because if I'm not working, I prefer to be at home with my kids... since they are already with a babysitter a lot with mine and Jeremy's work schedules.

I need to be physically ready for 30.  I want to start out a new decade feeling awesome!  I already know it will be a slow process.  With a new baby and the other 3 kiddo's in school... I have found myself to be quite busy.  There are days where I try to eat well.  Usually when I try to eat well, I end up eating a lot less.  Mostly because I know I need to eat less... but when I do this, I notice my milk supply goes down also.  I really need to find that balance.  If I can load up on good foods, I don't think this will happen to me.  It's a learning process but I am bound and determined to get it figured out.  I haven't been doing very well in the exercise department.  Since I have returned to work, I have found myself to be pretty tired.  I have been working 3:00-11:30.  So, I try to leave for work at 1:30p, so I can get to work by 2:30p and pump before I start at 3:00p.  Then I work till 11:30p and get home somewhere around 12:30a-1:00a.  I'm back up at 6:30a-7:00a to get the kids off to school (the girls go Tuesdays and Thursdays).  I take Annika to daycare at 11:00a and try to get a few things done before I go to work, like dishes, laundry, go to the bank... whatever.  Then it starts all over.  The days the girls have school are kinda nice because I can get a nap in after they leave.  ...but it also stinks, because those days I hardly see them at all.  Ugh.  ...that is what stinks about working odd hours.  I'm getting off topic a bit... basically what I'm getting at is... I'm giving myself a goal.  I don't want to say, "I want to be such-n-such weight by the time I'm 30."  I just want to spend this year making better choices.  ...and I guess that might mean that I don't get the pack of 2 cookies at work... pretty much every. single. time. I go down to the cafeteria (which means I will be $1.00 richer!)  This will be a good 365 days.  I will make this year about myself.... getting my nails done... maybe even a pedicure (I've never had one!), getting my hair done, buying myself clothes/shoes (I rarely do).  I don't do enough for myself.  I put so much energy into others.  It's time to put some energy into myself... I'm worth it, right?! :)

Zucchini Chips

Last night I saw a recipe on Facebook for Zucchini Chips and since I had all the ingredients, I made them!

Zucchini Oven Chips

2 1/2 C. (1/8 inch-thick) slices
1/4 C. ground almonds
1/4 C. grated fresh parmesan cheese
1/4 t seasoned salt
1/4 t garlic powder
1/8 t black pepper
2 T milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425*  Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Place milk in a shallow bowl.  Dip zucchini slices in milk, and then coat in dry mixture.  Place coated slices on an oven proof wire rack coated with cooking spray.  Place rack on a baking sheet.  Bake at 425* for 20 minutes or until browned and crisp.  Serve immediately.

I had a huge zucchini so I just sliced up the whole thing and doubled the dry ingredients.  They were pretty good!  If I were to do it again and double the recipe like I did, I would put only half in the bowl that you are coating in.  Dipping the milk coated zucchini slice into the dry mixture started to make the dry mixture wet after awhile and it was impossible to coat the zucchini.  I ended up just dipping it in milk and sprinkling some of the coating on top of the zucchini slices before baking.  It was still good that way, though.

My mom called while I was making these and said something about a chip maker she bought from Pampered Chef... then I remembered I bought one, too!  I haven't even used it!!  Since I cut up an entire big zucchini, I decided to make some on the chip maker, too.  Those were really good!  All I did was sprinkle a little salt on them.  My girls liked them, too!  ...well one liked the baked ones and the other liked the microwave ones.. haha

Starting Shakes

The other day I didn't want to wait any longer for my blender to arrive so I decided to make a Body By Vi shake without the blender.  I still have blender bottles from TSFL so I used one of them.  I mixed 1 cup of Silk with 2 scoops powder and 1 T. of PB2.  The PB2 didn't get mixed in very well but it was still pretty good!  The bad part was I didn't feel satisfied afterwards... I know it was all in my head but it didn't stop me from going to the fridge and getting some leftover mashed potatoes from supper the night before.  At least I got some nutrients, right?!  My blender arrived yesterday!  So, for lunch I made a shake.  I tried my friend, Jodi's, recipe.  I used 1 cup of Silk, a splash of OJ, 2 scoops of powder, strawberries, blueberries, and banana.  All of my fruit was frozen.... even the banana!  A few days ago I noticed we had one banana left and it was just starting to get brown spots on it (have you noticed how fast banana's ripen!?... seems faster than before!) So, I peeled the banana and cut into 1 inch slices, put it on a plate and into the freezer.  After they were frozen I tried one... banana's are really good frozen!  Anyways... I added ice to that mixture and blended it until it was smooth.  Here's the funny part of the story... Jeremy was sleeping and I had read in reviews that it's pretty loud so I walked it out to the garage to blend it up! haha!  Whatever works, right?!  I threw it in a glass, loaded Annika up and met up with a friend to head to the city to get supplies for the house she and her husband are building.  It was a really good shake and left me much more satisfied than just the milk, powder, and PB2 (although, I do plan on making that again but with ice in the blender.)  I couldn't help but to make the same shake tonight as I did yesterday...

YUM!!  It's soo good!!

Post Baby Measurements/Pictures

Today Annika is 2 months old.  I figured today would be a good day to take some measurements and some pictures.  I decided to compare them with some pictures from last year.  I really don't want to post these pictures but I have to.  I have to start somewhere... even if that means starting over.

I also took took measurements...

Neck: 16

Arms: 19 1/2(R) 19(L)

Thighs: 33(R) 33 1/2(L)

Calves: 20 1/2(R) 20 1/4(L)

Chest: 62

Upper Waist (smallest): 52 1/2

Lower Waist (at belly button): 65

Hips: 60

Symphysis to Sternum: 32

Some of those measurements are the largest I've seen.  I'm going to try to not be too hard on myself.  The good thing is, in a month when I remeasure myself, it will feel really good to see the changes.  My measuring tape is only 60 inches long so I hope in the next month or two I can measure without having to figure out where the end of the tape is to measure the extra space.

My Body By Vi stuff came today!  I'm still waiting for a blender but I should have it the beginning of next week.  

I ordered the most basic package.  It comes with one bag of the shake mix and a few flavor mix in's.

It also comes with this challenge bracelet.  You can move the little tab along as you lose weight.  Plus I figure it serves as a visual reminder of my goals.

I'm excited to start!  I plan on having one shake a day.  I'm bringing in my knowledge from Take Shape For Life and will have 5 small "meals" and a lean and green.  One of my small meals throughout the day will be one of these shakes.  I also have been eating the Special K Protein bars and drinking the Slim Fast shakes.  The nutritional facts on them were comparable to a TSFL meal.  I'm still breastfeeding so I want to make sure my diet is well rounded so I'll have fruit, cheese, oatmeal and other things that I feel appropriate.  I'm not following a specific plan but putting together what I think will work for me.  After following TSFL and losing weight... then regaining weight... I decided I definitely need to do something that I could easily follow long term.

Family Walk

Tonight was such a nice night.  I asked Jeremy if he wanted to go for a walk after supper.  The whole family went for a walk, including one of our dogs.  Well, the girls rode their bikes... but we were all out.  Instead of going on the route I had planned this morning, we took a different path.  We went down by the convenient store and Jeremy got a pop for himself for the morning.  Then we walked down by a house that had been torn down.  The kids thought it was pretty cool seeing a big hole and no house.  It was so nice outside and it was nice going on a walk with Jeremy and the kids.  We will have to do that more often!  I mapped out the route when we got home.  Jeremy was surprised that we went only a little over a mile.  He thought we had gone farther.  I guess you don't realize how far a mile is until you walk it... especially when you have two little girls on bikes trying to run you over!  haha  Here was our path!

I still have to do my Ab workout for today.  I can definitely tell I've been working them!  They are a little sore but that kind of sore is always nice.  :)

Walking Route

I completed Day 2 of the Ab Challenge last night.  The sit ups were more difficult than they were the night before but I did them all!  I was able to do the plank all at once.  The only thing is, my chest (or boobs- haha) was touching the ground.  It was still difficult for me, so I decided that I would accept it and maybe by doing it everyday this month, it will get better.  I can't expect to do it perfectly right away!

I found a picture from when we were at the Iowa State Fair last week.  My girls were in the twins contest and received 4th in their age group!  (I, of course, thought they deserved 1st!)  They had so much fun and loved wearing their dresses that my mom sewed for them.  She also made them purses to match, which they thought were really neat.  They spent the day putting treasures in their purses... then eventually got sick of carrying them (typical woman... or maybe I should say, like mother, like daughter!)  Anyways, this picture shows my new capris and new shoes!  It also shows the weight I've gained... fortunately, I'm working on that!

I almost always walk the same route in town.  I started a long walking route when I was in high school.  I lived on a different block in town but when I moved back to town, I just tweaked the route a bit and still use the same one.  That route is a little over 3 miles long and covers pretty much ever street in my little town.  Since I've only been walking 1 mile at a time, I've just shortened up my regular route.  I decided this morning I need a change of scenery today.  I went to runningmap.com and plotted out a new route.  I might have to do this more often!  It's kinda fun :)  Here is where I'm going to walk today.  Pretty much just a big loop.  There are a couple hills in there to add a little difficulty.  Hopefully the rain will hold off for a bit so I can get it in!

Ab Challenge Day 1

I just did Day 1 of the Ab Challenge.  The part I was most nervous about was the Sit Ups and I actually could do a sit up fairly well.  I helped myself just a little bit by putting my hands under my thighs in the middle of the sit up, I didn't have to pull myself up, just a little tug and then I touched the couch (cause I had my feet under the couch).  I could do the crunches and the leg lifts pretty easily.  Then there was the plank... I could barely get myself into a plank pose!  It pulled on my lower back so much and was kinda painful.  I went up into what was as close to the pose as I could get and counted to 5 (quickly).  Then I took a second and talked myself into getting up into it again and counted to 5 (again, quickly).  Hopefully, this portion of the routine gets a little easier.

I actually had fun shopping the other day! :)  I went with my mom.  I got a pair of jeans and a pair of capris.  Then we went down a few stores and I got a pair of tennis shoes (do you call them tennis shoes?... I usually say something like, Tenna-Shoes haha).  Also, a pair of shoes my mom found and thought were cool... they are like MaryJane Crocks and are pretty comfy.  I'll have to see if I can take some pics.

A few days ago I was invited to a Body By Vi party.  I decided to go because I wanted to see what it was all about.  They started out by making samples for everyone to try.  The first sample was orange julius.  The second sample was butterfinger... pretty yummy.  I can't remember what they called the third sample but it was a lot thicker than the others and was like mango/pineapple/orange type flavored. I really liked it, especially how it was thicker, kinda like sorbet-ish.  The fourth sample may have been my favorite... it was coffee flavored, like iced coffee -so good!  After they had you taste the samples, we watched an informative video.  Then the sales lady talked about her story.  She has lost 92 lbs and went from a size 22 to a size 12 in 9 months.  That's pretty impressive but I was most impressed about the fact that she has 7 kids! haha  I decided to order some.  I ordered the smallest package.  I thought I'd just try it.  I thought if I just used it once a day it would help.  I would have one meal already set out for me, plus I would be getting more nutrition than I might otherwise.  A couple of my friends drink it and seem to like it.  We'll see how it goes and if I want to switch to the two shakes a day program.

Also... since I'm going crazy with everything... I ordered a couple workout DVD's!  I should be getting them in the mail in a couple days, so I'll fill you in on all of that when they come.  I'm pretty excited, though!

30 Day Ab Challenge

I'm part of a group of mommy's on Facebook.  We all had our babies in June 2013 (some a couple weeks before, some a couple weeks after).  Most of us are starting to get ready to get our bodies back in shape.  Since I had a C section, I didn't really know when it would be ok for me to start working out more intensely.  I am really starting to feel motivated to workout and eat more healthy foods.  Most of my concentration has been on Annika (as you can imagine)... by the way, check out how much she has grown!

Several of the other mom's are doing this Ab Challenge... I'm sure there are hundreds of them out there but I'm going to try this one.

I will let you know how it goes.  I haven't really done any form of exercise in a long time, so we will see how it goes.  I'm not sure I can do 1 sit up!

Since I lost so much weight before I got pregnant, I don't have many pants that fit me.  I have one pair of jeans that fit but are ripped so I don't wear them.  All I have been wearing is my maternity shorts.  Yes, 7 weeks postpartum and I'm still wearing maternity pants.  It is depressing.  Since we are going to the Iowa State Fair tomorrow, I'm going shopping for myself today.  I need a pair of pants that fit.  I'm not exactly looking forward to it.  I don't like shopping for myself... never really have.  I usually wear whatever I own until it dies... then I try to fix it and wear it longer.  I don't like how clothes look on me.  I don't even get the luxury of having normal sized feet!  I usually have to wear mens shoes, or women's shoes that don't have the best fit.  Anyways, I'm buying some shorts or jeans today.  I'll let you know how it goes. :)  Hopefully, they won't fit me in a couple months!

Guess Who's been Slacking?

It's been almost a month (where the heck did that time go?!) and I have only walked about 4 miles ...actually probably more but that's if you count all the walking around the fairs that I did.  The first time I went for a walk, I took the kids.  About halfway through the walk my lower back started hurting.  I imagine it's partially because I just had a baby but probably mostly because I'm carrying so much more weight on my front, still.  I still have a month and plan on completing my goal.

Do any of you watch Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition?  I always watch it, and love it!  Chris Powell is so motivating and good at what he does.  ...and in case you missed my last post... good looking!  This week the show was about a girl that hid her size behind fashion.  Her family, friends, and coworkers did not support her losing weight... which is so weird, but it's a different culture, I guess.  Although, they were all proud of her at the finale... probably because she looked amazing!  Anyways, long story short... I got a good idea from the show that I am going to steal.  They had two jars, one of them had marbles in it.  There was one marble for each pound she wanted to lose.  As she lost weight, she transferred the marbles to the other jar.  I just so happened to have jars and little colored stones!

Here is where I start!  

Celebrity Crushes

I'm going to branch off topic a little.  One of my besties at Mama Mandolin had a topic awhile back about celebrity crushes.  She listed her top 5 celebrity crushes here.  I have been thinking about it... I made a list... I'm sure I have forgotten someone haha!  ...but here we go....

Denzel Washington -I had to add him.  For an older man, he's got it.

Yes.  Justin Timberlake.

Chris Powell - Love him!

Ryan Reynolds -I fell in love with him in Van Wilder.

Gilles Marini - In my opinion, he is HOT!

Alexander Skarsgard -I can't complete this list without having 

someone from True Blood and "Eric" is really nice to watch :)

Feeling Self-conscious

I've had the opportunity to get out of the house a few times in the last few days.  I went out for the 4th of July to a friends house to see the parade and hang out at their annual 4th of July party and then to a rodeo in a nearby town.  Yesterday was my 10 year class reunion... it's hard to believe it's been 10 years and it's amazing how much people haven't changed!  Tonight one of my best friends had a little get together to celebrate her birthday... it was soo hot and muggy out!  I was sweating like nobody's business... thank goodness I wasn't the only one.

My class reunion I had feelings of self-consciousness.  It didn't help that upon walking up to the event a classmate of mine that is a total prick (but will act super friendly to your face) saw me and made the stupidest face... I'm pretty aware of people and know when people are looking at me.  I never say anything though... why bother?  It does make me uncomfortable though.  This doesn't always have to do with my body.  Over the years there have been many things about myself that may make me embarrassed that I am well aware of and believe me, I see when people stare, look, whisper... I just try to remind myself that they aren't perfect either (even if they think they are!)  ....so back to the original topic... he made a stupid face that I was well aware was directed at me and it immediately put me in a sour mood.  Who wants to lose a bunch of weight, pretty much put it all back on before and during pregnancy, have a baby, and 3 weeks later go to a gathering where a bunch of people are probably all judging you.  Oh well, I will just have to look and feel fabulous at my 15 year reunion!!  Luckily, I had Annika with me so a lot of people were paying more attention to her ...score!  Plus, maybe they'd be more willing to cut me some slack, knowing that I just had a baby.  Aside from my jerk classmate, I did have a fun time catching up and hanging out with my classmates.  We had a pretty small class and I'd say we were all pretty close, so it's fun to get together.

 Here are my classmates that came (about a third of my class)

I have decided that this summer I need to make a goal to get myself out and about and not just hangout in the air conditioning with Annika.  We My dad, has the garden up and running... I had originally planned on working in it a bunch, but I'm not sure how to do that with a newborn.  I might just have to sneak up there a little at a time, I guess.  My idea/goal is to walk 2 marathon's during my maternity leave.  It's totally attainable... about 6 miles/week.  I know a goal like this will help me get out of the house and get a little exercise in.  I will track my progress on here.  I think by making an effort to walk, drink more water (a gallon/day), plan and eat nutritious meals, and get out of the house with the kids, I won't have to think so much about how much weight I will lose because it will work itself out.  I do know that I don't want to be wearing the jeans I currently wear... I put on "real" jeans (not maternity) for the first time the other day and was not too excited that I had to pull out the biggest pair of jeans I own... ugh.  By the end of this summer I would like to be down at least one size.  Also, they say that breastfeeding helps with weight loss... hopefully that proves to be true!

The Stork has Arrived!

Hey Friends!!  I'm proud to announce my new daughter!!

Annika Abbe

7lbs 9oz 22in

born June 16th 

I had a scheduled c-section because the girls were born that way and my area doesn't offer VBAC's but she had other plans.  She totally came by surprise!  Here is how my day went...

My friend Andrea called me in the morning and her and I met up with our kids at a local park for our kids to play and to have a little picnic.  It was pretty nice out and sunny.  There was a picnic table there but it was in the sun so we moved it a few feet into the shade... Andrea is also pregnant now! ...so two pregnant women moving a picnic table... not our smartest move.  Soon after that I felt like I was peeing my pants a little... which I thought was really weird and really irritating.  I stupidly went throughout the day thinking that I was peeing my pants.  I finally told Jeremy about it and how irritating it was.  He suggested my water could have broken... but I didn't believe him.  An hour or two later I started to believe him.  We were having a grill out at our house for Father's Day.  I decided after my dad and sister got there that I better get checked out.  We headed to the hospital, which is an hour away.  On the way we had to stop for gas, return a couple Redbox movies, and stop at Walgreens for an SD card for the video camera.  About 10 minutes into our drive I realized I was having contractions about 3 minutes apart lasting about 30 seconds... thankfully they weren't painful (since we made all the stops... which Jeremy still laughs about).  We got to the hospital and they confirmed my water had broken.  Everyone started moving pretty quickly and a couple hours later she was born!  Best Father's Day present I have ever given!!

My day now consists of sitting around holding and feeding her.  The last couple days I have wanted to get out of the house.  The bad thing is, during the day I want to protect Annika from the sun and heat and in the evening when it cools down a little, the mosquito's are out and in attack mode.

We do plan on getting out for the 4th of July.  See a parade, maybe go to a rodeo, and see some fireworks.  Have a fun and safe weekend!

Update!

Hey everyone!  I know it's been awhile.  I wanted to stop back in and give a little update.  I'm currently almost 28 weeks pregnant... time is flying by!!  To date I've gained 20 lbs from my first Dr's appointment to the most recent one ...so a little more than I was hoping for but not too bad.  Lately my gym life has been nonexistent.  I actually canceled my membership.  I still have the rest of this month to use it, so I'm going to try to get in there a few days to make it worthwhile.  I just haven't been using it and really, it's been a waste of money.  I figured it's getting nice out so I will probably be trying to get outside more anyways.  Lately, any extra time in my day I've tried to spend either sleeping or (if I have the energy) cleaning.  I know, I'm sure if I did a little exercise I'd probably have more energy... but I currently just don't have it in me.  Luckily, my place of employment has a bonus with this gym that you get a free membership signup!  So, this isn't goodbye, YMCA... It's just, cya later! :)

I have been a little... worried... about how my body will be after this baby is born.  I won't be able to start up Take Shape for Life right away.  I'm really trying to save any extra money I can.  I guess I might have to do it "the old fashioned way" ...I'm hoping it's something I will allow myself  to follow.  I've never been very good at keeping up with eating right.  For some reason, though, I was able to keep up with TSFL... so, if I can get back into that mindset... I know I will do well (probably just not as fast).

I'm not the only one with up's and down's ... my friend Andrea has been struggling, too.  Her and her husband are in the process of moving into a new home and doing a little remodeling.  I know that she will get in her groove... it might take a little extra time, but she will.  Here are the latest 2 video's.

Andrea Fleck - Week 4
Andrea Fleck - Week 5

Success story!  My SISTER is working hard!  She broke up with her boyfriend (actually fiance, but I never really wanted to admit they were engaged... haha) in December.  Soon after, she started coming to the gym, working out and probably eating healthier.  I got her hooked on the Expresso bike, I think she's been walking (or at least she went for a walk the other night), and she started Brazil Butt Lift.  I don't know a lot about that workout program but apparently it works!!  I have no clue how much weight she's lost but she's looking great!  I'd bet she's lost somewhere around 30 lbs!  Rough estimate of her heaviest is probably close to 200 lbs.  I should see if she took any "before" pictures ... maybe she'd let me post them?! :)

Everyone Struggles

 So, Andrea's video this week shows how she has been struggling.  I was with her yesterday and she was disappointed in her progress.  She was also disappointed with her coaches.  She said they don't really have good advice to help her for her body.  Nothing specialized for her.  She said all they basically say is, eat more vegetables.  I understand that there really isn't a huge secret and eating more vegetables is a big part of the process.  I was going to give her a bunch of ideas to help her out, snack ideas, meal ideas, and tips to make her more successful.  Are there any tips that you guys can add to help me out?!  Thanks!!

 Andrea - Week 2

Andrea isn't the only one struggling.  I have only been to the gym once in the last couple/few weeks.  I really don't know why.  I've just felt like sleeping more!  I've gained weight, too!  My weight gain was something like 10 lbs at my last visit.  Not to sound like I'm making excuses (which I am) but I really do believe that my weight fluctuates during the day.  All my appointments have been in the morning and the last one was in the afternoon.  My next one is in the morning again, so, we will see what happens.  I've also been having high blood pressure this pregnancy.  I had high blood pressure when I was pregnant with my son, too.  I sure hope that goes away after this baby is born!

Andrea's Getting Fit!

Check out one of my best friends, Andrea!!  She was chosen to be apart of a local Get Fit Challenge.  I'm so excited for her!  Excited that she was chosen and excited that she is working for herself to be healthier.  She is so brave to put herself on TV and and admit to everyone that she is overweight.  That takes a lot of guts!!  To be honest, I've never looked at her and thought of her as overweight... but maybe that's because I've always been so worried about how I look that I don't look at my friends in that way.

Here is the link to the first segment that was on TV.  Andrea Week 1

Andrea just got married last May.  She had a beautiful and fun wedding.  She has two little girls and is getting ready to move into a new house.  She is one busy mama, but I know she will succeed because she is a really strong woman, with more confidence than just about anyone I know.  I will try to keep you updated on her progress.  I figured it would be good to post about the success of another since I'm not losing weight.

Speaking of, I had an appointment yesterday and I'm back to what I was at my first appointment.  I feel like I've gained weight in the last 8 weeks!  It's hard to believe I'm already about 1/2 way through!!  I can't decide if I'm lucky or not that this baby will be born in the summer.  Will I be able to get out a lot and go for walks and whatnot or will I be stuck inside with a baby all summer?  I want to get the garden going, but will I be able to get into it and weed?  I'd like to say I will and that the vegetables I get from the garden will be great to have when I'm on maternity leave.  I really wish I had some squash or green beans or fresh grape tomatoes right now.... and I really hope our carrots this year turn out as delicious as they did last year!  The year before, they were kinda duds.  Today it is fffrrreeezzzing outside!!!  I'm excited for spring and summer just to get away from this frigidness!!

Ironman Challenge

My gym is putting on an Ironman Triathlon Challenge -and you have an entire month to complete it!!  Why hadn't I thought of doing something like this for myself before?!  They have their challenge starting February 1st and you have until the 28th to complete all three events (swim, bike, run).  You can do the events in whatever order you want, all you do is track your progress on their bulletin board.

Here are the Distances:

Swim 2.4 miles
(35 laps = 1 mile.  Can attend Water Aerobics class - 1/2 mile per class)

Bike 112 miles
(Can use Elliptical or Arc Trainer or Group Ride cycling class - 10 miles per class)

Run/Walk 26.2 miles
(Can attend 60 minute Group Step/Kick/Groove class -3 miles per class)

I'm still trying to decide if this would be too much for me.  I want to keep fit and workout but I don't want to overdo it.  I still have a little bit of time to decide.  If I don't do the challenge through the gym, I will still do the challenge, but it will be on my own.  I will chart my progress but will give myself more time to complete it.  I think it will be fun!  Let me know if you want to join in on the Ironman Challenge!!

Pregnancy Weight Gain

After stopping Take Shape for Life, I kinda went out of control and so did my body.  I immediately gained about 10 lbs and then continued to put some weight back on.  I did not go through the transition the program has set in place.  This weight gain I am going to call my "pre-pregnancy weight gain".  This weight I am not going to worry about until after this baby comes and I can get to work on getting rid of it.

I will consider my "pregnancy weight gain" the weight I gain from my first Dr.'s appointment to my delivery or last Dr.'s appointment.  According to the pregnancy book I received from my Dr.'s office at my first appointment, "Your Pregnancy Week by Week", the recommended weight gain for an overweight mother-to-be is 15 to 25 pounds.  I am going to work hard to stay in that range.  To help keep track of this, I have set it up on the side area of this blog.  From my first appointment to the second appointment, I actually went down 2 lbs.  My next appointment is in about a week and a half.  We will see what the scale says then, I will be 18 weeks 5 days at that appointment.

Worst weight gain for me was when I was pregnant with my oldest.  I was in college and lived on campus.  Our cafeteria on campus was buffet style, you pay for a meal then eat whatever you want.  Let me tell you, I took full advantage of it.  I also went out to eat, ate at Panera Bread at least once a week, went through the drive thru at Taco Bell and Burger King all the time.  The sad thing is, during my pregnancy, I also had a part time job at a gym, with a free membership.  I never took advantage of the membership after I got pregnant.  I gained about 80 pounds during that pregnancy.  Some of that was water weight, I had so much edema!

I was a little more cautious about gaining too much weight when I got pregnant with the twins.  I gained about 35 pounds during my pregnancy with them.  What sticks out in my mind is when they tried putting in my spinal for the C-section.  He had such a hard time.  Partially because I couldn't bend over my humongous belly, but a lot of the reason (which he clearly pointed out) was because he had a lot of tissue to try to work through.  It was a really painful process.  A lot of the reason I don't want to gain much weight this time is because I want that process to go more smoothly.

Mama's Workin' out

I stumbled across a Knocked-Up Fitness Blog.  I've only been able to look into a little but #1 it seems really popular (so, I'm sure a bunch of you already know what I'm talking about) and #2 I was a little excited that she has her own DVD's (just what I need, another workout DVD).  Amazon sells the Workout Video, I might consider buying it.  Maybe if I can stick to going to the gym a few times a week and start getting out the Wii Fit, I will consider it.... actually, I think I might have a pregnancy workout DVD somewhere in a pile of dust... I'll have to check that out!

My sister, Molly, has, thankfully, gotten me to the gym.  She's trying to lose a little weight and offers to meet me there a few times a week.  There have been several days that the only reason I went is because I knew she would be there.  It's been nice though.  I've walked on the treadmill, usually at 2% incline and 3mph for however long... usually around 25-30 minutes.  I've also used the elliptical, I always bump up the resistance to about a 6 or 7 (I think) and go at an average speed.  Molly and I also use the Expresso bikes (which as most of you know, I LOVE).  The competitor in me always has to beat her... by as much as possible.  Last time, I think it was well over a minute.  I'm pretty sure she doesn't know we are racing, but last time I said, "I beat ya!:  She was like, "Yep, you sure did."   ...lmao!

No one wants to know the details of my diet... lets just say, I've made 2 chocolate cakes in the last couple weeks... you know, the extremely moist, homemade kind with delicious homemade frosting.  YUM!  I will say though, that my family has helped me enjoy them. :)

I'm going to have to get a pic taken.  I didn't really take pics with my other pregnancies... I think I had one taken of me with my first and maybe a couple taken with the twins, one at the baby shower, and one right before I went in to deliver them.  I would like to see in pictures how my body is changing.  I sure can tell from how my clothes are fitting, my jeans are almost unwearable, so, I wear yoga pants all the time (you know, the ones I've never actually done yoga in).  I think the biggest reason why I've never had pictures taken is because I don't get that cute little pregnant belly.  I don't feel like I've ever actually looked pregnant, just more overweight than 9 months prior.  Maybe if I take pictures throughout this time, I will see my belly turning into a pregnant belly instead. 

Happy New Year!

It's a new year ...and it's going to be a busy one!!

My appointment the other day went well, it was a typical in and out visit. My weight was actually down 2 lbs, my Dr. did mention it but didn't really comment. I was actually surprised because it's not like I've done anything to make that happen... especially after the holidays! The only thing I can think of is I hadn't had much to eat that morning before the appointment. My blood pressure was a little elevated. It was 130/80, which for me is high. I was a little worried about that, but I'll just keep track of it. I figured that is another reason I need to get to the gym!

After my appointment I did go to the gym. I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes at 3mph (if I remember correctly). I didn't think until the last 7 minutes to put the incline up a little, so, I put it up to 2%. It was a pretty easy pace. In fact, I played SongPop on my kindle the whole time! It definitely made the 30 minutes fly by! I tried to read a little but it was kinda hard for me to walk and read. After the treadmill, I went on the recumbent bike for 30 minutes. That was quite a bit harder for me. First off, I was kneeing myself in the belly, so I had to pedal with my knees out to the side a little. Then, I had to talk myself into the last 10 minutes. I think I almost over did it. It was a little uncomfortable for me. My belly was in the way... I'm only 14 1/2 weeks pregnant but this baby moved into a 2 bedroom apartment and has definitely spread out! haha! Today, my sister and I met at the gym again.  She got there before me and was on the elliptical, so I got on the one next to her. I was only on it a few minutes and she wanted to go on the bikes. We both went to the Expresso bikes and went on the same path. The system picks it up and it has it on the computer so we can see where the other is on our screens (kinda fun that way). The path Molly chose was a little over 4 miles. Of course I beat her!!... by about a minute! I don't know if she knew we were racing or not... but I'm convinced I'd beat her even if she did know! haha We are going to meet again on Friday. It's kinda nice having someone to "show up for" ...I might not have gone today if I didn't know she'd be there waiting.

Yesterday, Jeremy and I spent a lot of time decluttering and cleaning, again. This time was our U-room (utility room, where our washer/dryer is). We cleaned out cupboards and threw old junk, the counter, and a little in the closet. I'm glad he's in the decluttering mood, because after awhile, I get sick of it... but if he's doing it, I do it.

You will be happy to hear, I've been a water drinking champion! I started adding a couple slices of an orange to my bottle. I figured people do it with lemon, I'd try it with an orange. I love it! I takes, what sometimes can be, the drab taste of plain ol' water and gives it a little zest. I use the same couple slices for the whole day, and I still get a little flavor, even after a fourth refill. You should try it!

Today, I packed food for work. I have a can of Progresso soup, Chicken Tuscany (looks really good), a bag of vegetables that I'll steam in the microwave. I like the ones that don't have pasta in them. This is one of my favorites.

I also brought 2 grapefruit (had one already when I got here). I bought a box of grapefruit from FFA so I've got to get them eaten before they get bad. I brought an apple and a little container of peanut butter. Also, admittedly, I brought some homemade cookies I made yesterday. I was so hungry for them! They are "Grandma's Cookies" ...my favorite cookie ever, the cookies my grandma made all the time. The baby wanted them... lol :)