OMG Omega 3!

Recently I've been inspired to up my family's fish intake.  Fish and I have not had the best of beginnings.  Mainly because I sucked at making fish.  So I'd buy the frozen kind.  Like, fishsticks.  What?  They're good dipped in ketchup!  And one time I created a more sophisticated meal with fishsticks inside a tortilla with a dollop of tartar sauce.  They were "fish tacos" and they were gross.  Eventually I put my big girl panties on and made some actual fish recipes.  And wouldn't you know- they were actually good!  You always hear people say: "I don't like fishy fish."  I know what they mean, but that's kind of like saying you don't like chickeny chicken.  Or beefy beef.  Would that just be big, ripped beef?  Like a a piece of sirloin walking around with dumbells and a man-o-tard.  Er..... okay.  I think fish will taste like fish.  And selecting the freshest of fish and pairing it with the right seasonings and flavors, it's quite tasty!  My favorite fish is salmon.  It has a wonderful flavor and can be seasoned a million and one different ways.   It's loaded with high doses of Omega 3 fatty acids. 

So, what are "Omega-3's" anyway?  What's the fuss?  Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of unsaturated fatty acid that's thought to reduce inflammation throughout the body.  They are believed to improve learning ability in children, decrease triglycerides, lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting, enhance immune function and improve arthritis symptoms.  Consuming one to two servings a week of fish, particularly fatty fish, appears to reduce the risk of heart disease (particularly sudden cardiac death).  

Not all fish are created equal.  If you want more Omega bang for your buck- go with salmon or herring.  Salmon being the more popular fatty fish.  And even tuna to a lesser extent- but not as good as salmon. There are also differences between freshwater and sea fish.  Fatty fish of the sea (saying that makes me laugh) have the highest omega-3 fatty acids.  While tilapia does contain some omega-3's- it's not as much as salmon.  But, being more budget friendly, its a popular choice.   And it's better than no fish at all.  

Cooking Fish

Rule #1- Buy Fresh!

Rule #2- Buy Fresh!

Rule #3-Buy Fresh!

I now just wait to buy my fish until the day I'm making it.  That works for me.  That way I don't put it off and lose the fresh factor and then freeze it.  "Why not freeze you ask?"  Because my personal opinion is that it's just not as good.  It's "fishier" when frozen and thawed.  And I just plain don't like it.  And there's always the chance it could get buried in your freezer and you'll end up tossing it after finding it 9 months later.  So I just prefer getting it the same day.  And if you can get to a farmer's market near you- even better (and cheaper).  

Here are some no brainer fish recipes off the top of my head.  The easier and quicker they are to make- the more likely I'll actually make them. 

Tilapia w/ tomato caper sauce

Tilapia filets

1 can italian seasoned diced tomatoes (or add basil/oregano)

1 tbsp capers

1/2 a small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400.  Saute olive oil, onion and garlic until fragrant.  Add tomatoes and capers.  Let stew a bit while you prepare tilapia pouches.  Lay out a large square piece of tin foil for each tilapia filet.  Place a filet on each pc of foil.  Squeeze lemon over each piece of fish, generously.  Salt lighty and pepper with real cracked pepper.  Top about 1/2 cup of tomato caper sauce over fish. Fold up pouch tightly on top and roll up sides to create a seal.  Cook about 10-15 mins until fish is white and flakey.  Top over some brown rice, making sure all the wonderful juices are poured over everything.  

Lemon Dill Salmon or Tilapia

Salmon or Tilapia filets

olive oil

lemon-juice

fresh dill

Preheat oven to 400.  Create foil pouches and place salmon inside.  Drizzle each filet with some olive oil, lemon juice and fresh snipped dill.  Seal it up and bake!  Squeeze some more fresh lemon juice on top before serving.  Pair with green veggies like roasted asparagus or steamed broccoli with lemon juice.  

Salmon is lovely with sweet flavoring.  My favorite is at Publix.  I get their Bourbon Marinated Salmon on a special occasion.  But for 5.99 per filet- that's not often.  A nice marinade for salmon is OJ and soy sauce.  Just put some oj in a bowl, a few splashes of soy sauce, some honey maybe, garlic powder and there you go.  Pour over salmon in baking dish and let stew for 30 mins and then bake, covered with foil to seal the juices in.  

You can even put pesto on Tilapia and bake it in a pouch.  Ba-da-bing!  Or is that boom?

Favorite Fish Pairing Veggies:

Roasted Asparagus (tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, honey and S&P)

Steamed broccoli with Mrs. Dash and lemon juice

Roasted butternut squash (tossed with feta cheese right before serving)

Blanched green beans (same as asparagus)

Sauteed Kale w/ garlic and olive oil (place fish on top)

My family (kids included) will eat all these fish and veggies- so I really have no excuse not to make them.  My 15 month old just put away an entire tilapia filet at lunch today.  I lucked out on the kid taste bud thing.  Or maybe I just keep offering "exotic" dishes like fish and veggies and if they knew what was good for them, they'd eat them.  I've never been a short order cook, so my kids either eat the meal or starve.

Here's my tilapia lunch today.  Soooo good!

If you cannot get your omega-3's from natural resources (which are the best!!)- you can get them through supplementation.  I take 1 fish oil capsule with each meal (up to 3 a day).  My kids take them too.  They come in cute, little gum drop looking pieces and they think it's candy.  The dumb little darlings.    Another way (not the only) to get some omega-3's is in flaxseed oil.  You can put flaxseed oil in oatmeal, smoothes, veggies, yogurt, whatever.  My 15 month old suffers from exzcema and allergies- so he gets 1/2 tsp daily.  I cannot tell you what a difference it makes in his skin.  Older kids would get around a 1 tbsp/day.  But you'll have to research that yourself.  Too much will give them the runs.  So play with it.  The dosage, not the runs. 

Here are the brands I use:

Spectrum Flax Oil (needs to be refrigerated)

365 Brand Fish Oil

Nordic Natural Omega-3 Gummies

Supplements are great, but if you do even a half assed amount of research you'll find that it is always more beneficial to get your vitamins/minerals/oils from the real thing.  Don't fool yourself into thinking that taking a fish oil capsule with those oreos is good for you.  That is hypothetical, of course.   I would never do that.  I mean, really.  If you DID do that, then make sure you dunk them in skim milk.  Because that's definitely healthier. 

Jazz hands,

Jen

How to get up and workout

Some days I'm so lazy.  And when I get lazy, I get LAZY. And those days it's hard to peel myself off of Word with Friends on my iphone and do my workout.  (my screen name is Jenrosegordon JUST in case you want to play me).  And on these days if I let my brain churn long enough and procrastinate- I will likely rationalize my way out of a workout.  

Me: It's raining outside. Huh.

Rockstar Me: Um, yeah. So?

Me: Well, I was planning to run for my cardio today.

Rockstar Me: You have a treadmill. Or you can do some interval training in the living room. You have options. Adapt.

Me (with a side of martyr mommy syndrome) : But I hate running on the treadmill. Maybe I should rest today. Studies show that people who get enough sleep are skinnier. And I have THREE kids. That's, like, hard. Besides, there's a ton of laundry and I need to clean the bathroom.  

Rockstar Me: You are full of shit.

Most fitness lovers will tell you that the hardest part of getting that daily workout in is putting your shoes on.  So true.  Here are some strategies that help me:

• Workout before your brain can wake up-excuses start pouring in if you let the day go on and on
• Sleep in your workout clothes- one less thing you have to do
• Go to bed early
• Plan your workouts for the week
• Change it up.  If you hated that 3 mile path you took last week, well then don't do it again.  Find a new path.  
• Tell yourself you'll only do 15 mins.  That way the pressure is off.  But many times you'll end up extending it. 
• Set a calorie burn goal for the week.  (Buy a good heart monitor)  Some days I set a goal to burn 500 in my workouts.  Other days it's 200.  No matter what number- seeing that number increase as you go really  motivates you.  Even if you only burn 150 calories a day during your workouts- that's still 1050 calories/week!
• Find new and interesting exercises.  I like to go on you tube and browse around. 
• Lastly (this is for me as much as it's for anyone else)- just because you're a mom does not mean you can't workout.  You have the time- chances are you're not making it.  The idea of getting up at 6am to workout made me cringe too.  I really didn't believe that 6am existed until I had kids.  If it's not 6am, then make it nap time.  Squeeze it in.  It's far better to get a workout in, benefiting from the relaxing endorphins, than to feel too stressed to work out.  And what a good role model for your kids! 

Once again- copied a workout from Girl Hero.  Again, I'm lazy.  Burned 280 calories.  Threw in a 1 min plank and some push ups too. 

Jump rope -2 minutes (I mock jump rope because jumping jacks make me piss my pants.  True story.)

25 lunges – each leg for 50 total (remember to lunge deep)

50 squats (azz to the grazz)

15 burpees

15 jump squats

And my playlist:

Mr. Brightside- The Killers

Spotlight- Mute Math (This song makes me want to move)

Like I Love You-Justin Timberlake

Lovesong-Annie Stela

Ray of Light- Madonna

Ageless Beauty-Stars

Supermassive Black Hole- Muse

Maps-Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Full Moon-Black Ghosts

Obstacle 1-Interpol

Mushaboom-Feist

It Don't Matter to the Sun-Rosie Thomas

Mother Loving Arms

Went on a 3 mile run this morning after dropping #2 off at school.  I like to run through the rich neighborhoods here in down town Atlanta.  I imagine I am a southern bell named Buffy (not the vampire) and I have boys that I dress like girls until they're strong enough to resist.  Then I have a nanny that I just ADORE and I exercise and shop all day.  And do occasional volunteer work at my eldest child's private preschool that costs my nanny's salary for a 3 day/week spot.   And my arms probably look like this:

Speaking of arms, aren't Kelly Ripa's arms amazing???  They are my new celebrity wanna be body part. I love strong arms.  To me they symbolize motherhood.  I never had sculpted arms before I became a mother.  And then after I had #1 I noticed tone.  Even before I got into fitness.  For me there is definitely a fine line between sculpted arms and "Holy Mother Lover- are you a man or woman" arms.  I mean, if that's what you're after- well done!  But I prefer maybe one notch below GI Jane.  And hair.  On my head, not my arms.  

As it stands- I can't even do 1 pull up.  Not one.  And I've tried.  So my new fitness goal is to bump up the arms a little.  And be able to do a pull up by May.  Mother's Day!  Mutha sculpted arms.  

Anyhoo- here's my playlist today during my run:

Interpol-Obstacle 1

Supermassive Black Hold- Muse

Lovesong- Annie Stela

Ageless Beauty- Stars

Wake Up-Arcade Fire

Happier-A Fine Frenzy

Good Morning- Rogue Wave

Hearing Damage-Thom Yorke

What are your celebrity body part crushes?

(that sounds weird, but I'm going with it)

Arrrrhhhhh Planks...

I was too busy sleeping this morning to bother getting up for my workout.  So now, of course, I'm doing it post kid bedtime. The usual time I would be snuggled in the couch with the hubs, watching season 4 of The Wire.  I've also been lazy about my water consumption today and now gulping down my last few cups of water.  

 So, I'm doing planks:

And here's why... The other day after having done planks for a few weeks now I noticed a spark of what COULD be some actual stomach tone.  Like, maybe even the beginning of the first two packs of the 6 pack.  Kinda.  Sorta.  Do you see it??  Of course I darkened the picture to pick up on any shadow of a hint of muscle there.  And I clumsily took the pic to capture the moment (for fear of it going away) with photo booth because I didn't have my phone or camera near by.  Sort of like I do with the kids when they're all playing happily and smiling (for fear of it going away).  

There- do you see it?  Have I mentioned how unbelievably happy I am that I got the tummy tuck????!!  I know I probably sound vain.  I really don't mean to sound like that.  It's just that I have worked really hard for years to get in shape and be toned.  But my stomach has been what felt like a weird tumor on my body- even with my intense workouts.  It didn't match up.  I was wearing size 4s and having this giant skin sack thing draping over them.  It just felt very uncomfortable.  When I look at my "before." , I'm really proud of how far I've come (even if I did choose plastic surgery to help me get there).   I know lots of us mamas have the fluffly skin apron going on- but you gotta cut a sister a break when she's finally got a real stomach again.

Okay, enough about my rock hard abs of steal.  My bootcamp starts in less than a month.  I've been preparing myself for it with interval training.  I'm really weak on the cardio.  Like, I sound like a smoker when I do more than 2 mins of cardio.  Its amazing to me that I used to run 5 miles like it was no biggie. I've been utilizing my treadmill doing things like this: 

1 minute jog

30 jumping lunges

1 minute jog

30 sec sprint

30 squats

1 minute jog

Wash, rinse and repeat 3X

Pretty good for a 30 mins or so interval workout on and off the treadmill.  Makes me not despise hate loathe dislike the treadmill so much.  Tonight I did a strength interval.  It went something like this:

Pike push ups (as many as will allow w/ good form)

30 shitty Jumping Lunges

20 Rows with 15 lbs dumbells in each hand

Repeat 3X

Then:

Biceps-3 sets of 12

Pizza Server extensions-1 set of 20

Tricep Dips- 3 sets of 12

Squats with 10 lb dumbells- 3 sets of 12

Bout' 30 mins

And for fun- here was my play list during my workout:

Arcade Fire- Keep the Car Running

Spotlight- Mute Math

Mushaboom-Feist

Stood Up-A Fine Frenzy

Starlight- Muse

Maps- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Full Moon-Black Ghosts

The Violet Hour- Sea Wolf

Being content in all things

Been looking through some old pictures.  Found some after Amelia was born.  I think I was around 180 lbs here.  That was right at the beginning of my weight loss.  

And my bout with alcoholism....

Not really.  But seeing the pictures got me thinking.  Life happens whether you're fat, skinny, toned or flabby.  You can spend a good year of your life half assed following a plan, but not really getting anywhere.  And chances (if you're anything like me), you spend that year feeling depressed and mad at yourself about your weight.  It colors everything.  And who cares what good things happened that year because you were "fat."  After all, life doesn't begin to look good until you're a size 6, right?  Sounds ridiculous, I know.  But I'll be the first to admit that's the way I operated (consciously or unconsciously) for a long time.  Skinny was the destination.  There was nothing really before or after that.  

So I got skinny.  I was in 4's.  I had never been in 4's my entire adult life.  4's were "success."  I mean, check out my legs!  Phew!  Now I could be happy.  You know, cause I was skinny.

And then I got pregnant and gained my standard 55 lbs.

Don't get me wrong- I was thrilled to be pregnant.  I wanted a third baby.  But I found that all my mojo and motivation seeped out of me during that pregnancy.  I continued my workouts, ate Chick Fil A Milkshakes a well balanced diet with healthy amounts of dairy and was eager to give birth and cuddle my new little boy.  I had a very empowering birth and was high on that for weeks.  But then life settled in.  My sweet baby had extreme colic (which we know now were multiple allergies) and never slept.  Like, ever.  I had two babies before and their "never slept" was his good nights.  I think I suffered from post partum depression, but never really wanted to admit it.  Just kept focusing on getting back to where I was before Shepherd.  "If I could just start running again."  "If I could just follow WWs like I need to."  "If I could just sleep a little."  "If I could just get back to the Y."  I was trying desperately to get back to where I was.  Get back control.  Be skinny.  Be happy.  THEN, I would be content.  

I would compare my weight loss to my big weight loss after Amelia was born.  "I need to lose x amount of weight by 16 weeks post partum if I want reach my goal by this date."  But I couldn't stick with the plan to save my life.  It was not working the way it worked before.  And so I eventually came to the conclusion that I failed.  

But soon enough I realized that was a dumb conclusion.  The real conclusion was that this was not 2006.  This was 2009.  What worked before may not work now.  Instead of blaming myself and trying to fit a square into a circle- I realized things were different now.  A good different.  And I needed to except that.  Life looks WAY different with three kids than it looked with two.  (Understatement of the century)  And so I needed to adapt.  And so I'm adapting.  And I'm reaching my goals, but it's happening slower than before.  And I've learned to be okay with that.  I'm about 10 lbs from pre pregnancy weight.  And that's okay.  My baby is only 15 months old.  And I'm only going to have these moments with him once.  My body has been good to me.  It's given me three beautiful children and allowed me to do anything I set my heart to.  And so if it needs more time to bounce back- that's okay.  And that's a choice I make daily.  

I'm back..

So I know my last post was ages ago on this blog and I started another blog- but I decided to come back to this blog. A lot has been going on the last year.   This year has, in many ways, been the hardest year of my life.  But I'm through the thick of it and I lived to tell about it.  And as much as I'd love to bore you to death with stories of soul searching and "journeys" and challenges- I'll just let you take my word for it.

I'm back to bloggin.  Bloggity McBloggerson. Bloggin Bout Bunz.  My bunz.  But not in a weird way.  Um...

So, anyway.  I hope all 5 my big following of faithful readers are still around to watch me laugh at myself and talk about mochas.  Oh, and fitness and food.  Yada yada yada.

New Blog

So I've become annoyed with blogger and how hard it can be to post pics and the arrange of them and the settings and the work. So then I decided to start a new blog with my iWeb. I'm a Mac snob, so might as well use the stuff.

Here's the new blog. Do me a favor and try to leave a comment. I'm still working out all the kinks, but I'm trying to figure out the comment section.

The days just keep swinging

You'd think getting up before the sun every morning would make your day feel longer.  Nope.  It's getting shorter and shorter for me.  I lay my down on the pillow at 8pm last night.  And then (gasp) fell asleep!  And it's a good thing because man child got a cold and was up every 2 hours miserable.  Poor guy.  Poor me.  

Alarm goes off at 5:30am.

"Maybe today no one will come.  I can curl up on the tennis courts and sleep on my yoga mat.  Someone might even show up and bring me a mocha......"

Buzz.  5:35am.  

Oh dang!  When did I hit snooze??

Okay, really up this time.  Close on, shoes on, out the door.

We did circuits today.  13 women showed up!  Good workout.  We have women of all fitness levels.  Every one of them are pushing themselves (sometimes with my help- I get to put on the bitch hat sometimes) and it's really turning into a good time.  I'm always looking for ways to challenge those that need a challenge and surprise them with new exercises.  I have this people pleasing thing where I want everyone to LOVE it.  Like, not just think it's okay- but LOVE it.  It's sort of embarrassing how often I think of bootcamp and different things to try.  I suppose if I were to have an obsession, then this is a nice one.  Well, this and mochas.  

Okay- man child is needing me (he's almost crawling!!!).  I must run. :)

Coffee Run

We finished our bootcamp this week with what I called a "coffee run."  Basically we ran to the local coffee shop and back (my usual 3 miler).  Went well!  Everyone booked it and at the "rest points" we did push ups, planks and wall sits.  Sweat, sweat, sweat.

I failed to mention that while I was out of town last week the  bootcamper ladies got me a gift card to Natural Body Spa!  OH.  MY.  GOD.  I gotta get on that.  Massages are like heaven to me.  The ultimate thing to make me chill and decompress.   So very sweet of them.  :)  The funny thing is- if it weren't for them coming out there every morning a 6am, I wouldn't be either.  LOL  They keep me coming just as much as I keep them coming.  :)

I bought a small Cookies n Creme milkshake from Chick-fil-A today.  Probably about 8pts.  But worth every one.  :)

Living up to my words

Dang the last 24 hours have been chucked full of cardio and minimal sleep.  Did bootcamp yesterday, then had a softball game last night at 9pm.  It didn't get started until 9:30 and for some reason I thought it would be more fun than work. Um, no. Running, running, running.  I was drenched.  I finally got home at 11pm.  Then, because of my body being active that late- I was wired and could not fall asleep until 12am.  Then there is that whole man child thing....  

Every.  Hour.  

5:30am- alarm goes off.

Deep breaths.  

I had made up my mind I was going to ease up today and spend more time yelling and watching everyone than doing every thing they were doing.  My trusty co leader was there leading the pack, so I was slightly off the hook.  But then some how I ended up running with 25 lbs worth of weights in my arms.  I told everyone if I could run with these weights, then they had better be running (no walking).  That was HARD!  But I did it.  :)

Scale is looking good.  My mountain week damage is now officially behind me.  162 on the scale.  I'm so determined to see the 150's again.  Then I'll feel like I see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Shepherd is 6 months.  To be roughly 20 lbs from pre pregnancy weight at 6 months post partum is good. (Considering I gain more than 50 lbs with each pregnancy)  I always say it takes a full year to get it off.  Those hollywood celebrities that get back to pre pregnancy size in 6 weeks makes me want to slap someone.  It's just not at all normal.  

I'm feeling good.  Starting to feel normal again as far as my body goes.  My abs are going back in little by little- but they will always be the thorn in my side.  Rearing it's ugly head if I eat too much.   It's the first thing that shows.  I hate that.  But it is what it is.  I read another blog called Cranky Fitness that addressed belly fat.  I'm doing most of this stuff, but thought I'd pass this along.  

It was a Bootcamptastic morning.  Complete with suicides.  It's 5:37 pm here and I've been up for 12 hours.  I think I'll go to bed at 8pm!  I'm so tired.  But that mainly was a result of manchild thinking it was an all night breast fest last night.  Not cool.  

I'm enjoying my GF grill!  I did have one years ago.  The old school kind.  Never used it after I had kids (not sure why).  But I'm loving this one!  I grilled a pork loin (premarinated TJ's brand) and grilled some thick slices of tomato.  Delish!  Unfortunately tonight I grilled the Curry Chicken Tenders from TJs and they were way too salty.  Uneatable.  Not sure if I got a botched batch or what.  But they were gross.  I'm going to cook some salmon patties on them tomorrow night for dinner.  Then I have softball!  Oh man- I haven't really thought through having softball late Tuesday nights and then having boot camp the next morning.  Hmmmm...

All in all I'm really enjoying fitness again.  I'm slowly getting back to par.  But I have goals to get way past where I was last year before I found out I was pregnant.  I want to run more.  I'm hoping to get into a race here soon.  Maybe a half marathon in the next year.  :)

Here's my tracker:

Breakfast:

Mocha (Starbucks- non fat, no whip-double tall)

2 eggs scrambled with TJ's lite shredded cheddar

2 slices Ezekiel toast with Smart Balance butter and reduced sugar black berry jam

Snack:

Coffee 

almonds

Lunch:

Left over whole grain pilaf with red and yellow pepper

Half sweet potato

Snack:

greek yogurt with honey

almonds

Snack:

hardboiled egg

banana chips 

Dinner:

Salad with 1/4 diced avacado and Cilantro Lime Dressing

Two bites of Curry chicken tender (blech)

BED!!!!

Guess what impulse buy I picked up today?

I'm ridiculous really. But I'm trying to increase my ingestion of grilled lean meats and veggies. The grill on the deck overwhelms me and I'd just assume keep it all in one place (the kitchen). So, I'm going to grill some pork loin tonight with some roasted tomatoes and brown rice. Should be yummy.

Bootcamp is tomorrow. I'm planned out all the workouts and I'm ready to get back in my early morning routine. Now if I could just get the manchild to sleep consistently then my life would be perfect.

Or maybe I'd just get an hour more of sleep...

Anyway, my alarm is going off at 5:45 tomorrow morning and I'm hoping my body will get up and go. Lately I've been dragging. The workouts should energize me.

Here's my tracker:

Breakfast:

Hardboiled egg

Mocha

Lunch:

Trader Joe's Curry Rice Stirfry

Multi grain pilaf

Sauteed veggies

watermelon

Salad with avacado

Snack:

Ice mocha (two- I know)

Hardboiled egg

Lite string cheese

Dinner:

Grilled pork loin

Roasted tomatoes

Brown rice

Snack

Fage 2% greek yogurt with honey

Alcohol makes you fat

That's just the bottom line.  And not only does alcohol contain a ton of hidden calories, but it then inhibits your ability to make smart choices about the quality of food you're eating.  It's a gateway to the munchies.  Period.  And that sums up Boone for me.  :)

But today was good.  I got right back on the horse and I feel so much better!  And with bootcamp on Monday morning, I need to feed my body some good stuff.  

Today's tracker:

Breakfast:

Kind fruit/nut bar

Non fat, no whip mocha

Snack:

Fage 2% greek yogurt with honey

Lunch:

Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with Smart Balance mayo, spicy brown mustard and 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Lite garlic and herb cheese

Snack:

Cucumber slices with hummus

Mix of fruit: kiwi, grapes, strawberries

Whole grain crackers-5

Dinner:

Baked blue corn chips

Salsa

1/2 avacado-sliced

Kiwi

Snack:

Fage 2% greek yogurt with 10 almonds and honey

Pushing yourself and enjoying the rewards

So, I decided (somewhat spontaneously) that I would reward myself for doing this bootcamp.  It's not really the fact that I'm getting up to workout- but more that I'm getting up to workout when I probably have every excuse in the book not to.  And instead of making excuses left and right, I'm just doing it.  And that is 90% of the battle with this weight loss stuff.  It's such a mental game.  And the beauty of waking up early to get your workout in is that you're done for the day!  Excuses do not have an opportunity to creep in.  It is the first thing you do.  Now, whether you get the most out of your workout is up to you.  But if my arse is getting out of bed at 5:30am every morning, then I'm going to push myself and make it worth it.   

So then what was my reward??  A massage!  And not only did I get to enjoy a massage, but I think God threw in an extra treat and my massage therapist happened to be a guy who works with athletes and does these intense stretches to help increase flexibility and strength.  It was amazing.  Sort of hurt at some points, but felt great.  I was so tight when I went in and now I'm loosey goosey.  

Some thoughts on staying OP....

I hadn't realized how much stress I carried with me throughout the day just thinking about staying OP.  Instead of just doing it, I'd think about it and feel overwhelmed.  And then I'd just give up before I even tried.  Not productive.  Frankly, it came down to shitting or getting off the pot!  Because it's not worth thinking about it if I couldn't follow through.  And following through got easier and easier the more of a habit it became.  Making it a habit was the initial challenge.   Every day, at every meal I have to choose.  And it can never be about one week or one month or "I have to lose weight by this date" kinda thing.  It has to be hourly.  It has to be broken up into small, bite size pieces or else you'll just choke on the whole thing.  

100% honesty is the other kicker.  I confess that there are days I've come on here saying I've been doing good and staying OP.  When, in reality, I've been upping my portions and sort of half assed tracked my points.  And the funny thing is:  I'm not fooling anyone but myself.  And by not coming clean with myself, I'm not giving myself the opportunity to get back on the horse.  Because I'm trying to convince myself that I was good and I don't know why I'm not losing?When it's all just bull shit.  If I'd stay OP, I'd lose.  End of story.

  Can you relate?

Owwwwww

I.  Can't.  Move.

Man, today's boot camp kicked my butt.  Shepherd is teething and up often during the night (like 7-8 times!!!).  Last night was an all night teething fest.  The poor kid is just drooling and gnawing on any and everything.  Poor guy.  So it didn't help when the alarm went off at 5:30am this morning.  And today was Friday....the hard day.  The day we decided to "push it" since we'll have two days off.  But, nonetheless, I showed up.  Thankfully Katherine (my partner in crime) was extra peppy and doing lots of yelling and pushing.  I pushed myself as hard as I possibly could given the circumstances of my lack of sleep.  It was hard.  Here I was telling everyone to push themselves and give more than they think they can and felt like I wanted to puke and fall over.  LOL But I'm glad I did it.  No excuses.  If it had been a gym class, I know I would have bailed.  But knowing that those other girls are counting on me (as I am them) makes me wake up.  

I'm getting stronger.  I can't wait until it's been a month or too and I can see noticeable difference in my strength and stamina. 

But, despite having a hard morning due to lack of sleep, I do feel generally good about getting up early.  It's definitely setting the pace of the day and I'm noticing that I'm making better choices in regards to food.  I'm generally eating about 6 small meals a day.  Upping the protein and drinking lots of water.  

We're going back to Boone on Sunday or Monday.  Picking the older kids up and taking some of our friends (with their kids) with us.  Should be fun.  Hoping to get some runs in on the trails.  Maybe go to Grandfather Mountain.  :)

Day 1 of Boot Camp

Phew!  I was worried I wasn't making it hard enough.  But I did!  It's interesting how hard you push yourself when you're the one leading something.  It was great.  Some gals from our church came out and we kicked butt for a solid hour.  

Here's what we did:

Warm up: run around block (1/2 mile)

Sprints down a hill and up the other side- three times

Lunges around perimeter of tennis courts (10 push ups in each corner)

Toe taps for 3 mins (with squats in the 30 second break in between) (OWWWWWW!)

Tricep dips

Biceps, lateral, shoulders with bands

Circuit with agility ladder, crabby walks, and inch worm (no, not the break dancing move), then ANOTHER sprint down, up, down up hill

Abs (crunches and planks)

It was a big challenge my hair was completely soaked in sweat.  SOAKED.  I was dripping.  But I loved it!  I can't wait for tomorrow morning!  I think it's going to be the "thing" I've needed to get my fitness back on track.  Consistent, close and time is right.  

:)  

I'll take some pics tomorrow of the girls working hard and post them.

Boot Camp

So you all know how much I love my Heat classes.  It's a Boot Camp style class that challenges you and makes you hurt a lot.  But then once you finish, you feel so good.  And then if you keep going, you eventually get addicted.  My problem with getting to those classes are the times and childcare.  It just felt like I had to really work my day around it to make it work.  

So then I considered Operation Boot Camp.  But at $350 a month, I could own another Odyssey. Plus, I'd have to get up early AND drive somewhere.  Just not practical for my life at this moment.

So, I had an epiphany.  Why don't I just start a Boot Camp?  I know plenty of ladies that would be up for it and I've been going to the Heat classes for two years.  I know how to put the exercises together and Lord knows I'm bossy.    So, that's what I did!   My friend Karyn said she'd help and we started a Boot Camp for the ladies from our church.  And the best part is that it's going to meet in a park in my neighborhood!  Granted, it's at the butt crack of dawn, but I think that's the best time to get it in anyway.  I can walk to it and be back in time for man child to hook back on the boob.  :)

So, that's my new fitness plan.  Monday through Friday!  I'm hoping this will help me break the 160's.  And there's just something about boot camp style stuff that makes me feel young again.  Reminds me of being an athlete and challenging myself.  

Down 5 lbs!

I'm considering bulimia as an effective tool to get to goal. 

I kid.

So we made the drive out to Boone and then the stomach bug hit us.  Fischer puked 30 mins from our destination in the car.  Then several more times when we got there.  Poor kid had a bowl in his lap until bed time.  Then around 9pm Ed puked.   Around 11pm I puked my brains out.  Then around 1am the baby woke to nurse and about 5 mins into nursing him I had to toss him back in the crib and run to the bathroom.  Then on the way back from the bathroom I felt like I was going to pass out.  And I did.  And the rest of the night was a blur of nursing the baby and having a fever.  Not fun.  

But, on the upside- I got on the scale and it said 160 lbs!  LOL

Hello!

I have not forgotten about this blog.  I have not.  I.  Have.  Not. 

Life has been busy lately.  I've fallen a bit off the wagon, but picked myself back up.  Progress, not perfection.  Moving forward.  

Tomorrow is the kid's last day of school.  Then we are immediately driving to Boone for Memorial Day weekend.  I'm excited to see family and mostly excited to a break from being solo mom.  Ed has been slammed, which means I'm slammed.  But I'm not complaining, he's getting a paycheck and that's a huge blessing.  BUT, it does mean I'm relieved to have some extra hands around.  

Now B is Boone and my Big Butt normally.  It's a trigger for me.  I tend to eat a lot.  Which is silly really because I should be less stressed and more relaxed.  So my goal is to let go and relax.  Take each meal at a time and enjoy myself.  Eat flavorful, nutritious foods and allow a few indulgences.  Back off on alcohol!  My mom and sis bring the drink fun out in me and I know that alcohol is full of hidden points.  

I've been running around and not drinking enough water today so I'm a bloated mess.  Feeling icky and not so skinny.  But tomorrow is another day and I'm looking forward to making good choices and feeling good about it all. 

:)

I'll post more in Boone! 

New Hairs!

It was time for a change and boy am I glad I went for it.  Chopped the rug off and highlited.  Throw on a pair of 6 jeans and call me happy!

Did I mention I'm playing softball?

So my church has two leagues for summer softball right now and I signed up! I have not played softball in 12 years. I was on varsity in high school- playing fast pitch. I was very competitive and loved it, but I have to say, I'm absolutely worried I'm going to suck big time. I'm going to do my best and practice my ass off.   I bought some cleats tonight and a bat. My dad is meeting me tomorrow to give me an old glove my sister used in high school.  Mine are long gone.  Tonight some friends and I are meeting at a field to practice hitting. I hope I don't embarrass myself.

:)

Today was a good op day. 

Size 6!!

I just went to my friend's house who is pregnant and wanted to lend me some of her nice jeans since I'm literally wearing the same pair of 8's over and over again. They were size 6's and I figured I'd wear them in a few months. But for fun I tried them on.

THEY FIT!

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

I'm never taking them off.

Granted, I still need a "tuck" to get my chicken skin muffin top from spilling over the jeans, but STILL!!!

I'm sucking in for dear life in these pics.

Happy Mother's Day!

Today I woke up and swiftly drove to Pike Nursery to get some plants for the front yard and begin my day of yard work. Yes, I like to get dirty and work in my yard for fun. It was the perfect Mother's Day gift. No interruptions from the kids (unless they wanted to be my helpers, which they did periodically). I think I burned 1000 calories. I sweat all day. I cleaned out my day lily beds, divided them up and transplanted some in the front fence. Pulled an unbelievable amount of weeds in all the flower beds. Planted a climbing rose bush along our fence. Created a new bed in one of the corners with some plants and some sunflower seeds. Planted some rosemary around the mailbox (I love rosemary- I put it everywhere). And bagged all the muck up and put it out by the curb. Phew!

I also got a new Flip camera! So, I thought I'd leave you with a little video of my daughter.....

Lunch at Tiny Bistro

When I run in my neighborhood I run to the local coffee shop and back.  Well, next to the local coffee shop a little bistro opened.  Tiny Bistro!  So we loaded the kids up and went there for lunch today.  The portions are not so tiny.  I got "half" a cuban sandwich and some broccoli salad.  The "half" was a "whole" by anyone's else's standards.  But since it was called a half I ate the whole thing.  

Today's agenda is to chill out.  My boy was up all last night (a major difference from sleeping 9 hours straight the night before).  So I'm absolutely exhausted.  I want to get in a nice run at some point this weekend.  That would be my mother's day wish.  Just some time to get away and move.  

Been a busy but good week. 

I've taken a break from going to the Y this week to help my baby get on a more of a routine.  Poor thing lives in his carseat and is now needing more solid naps in his crib to get him through the day.  And the better he sleep during the day, the better he sleeps during the night.  SO you can see why I prioritize that!  :)

Anyway, today was nice.  I took the younger two to our play group and then came home for naps and chill time.  Then we had a birthday party this afternoon and then I mowed the lawn and bags up some yucky "muck" that coated the back half of our driveway.  Basically leaves that had mixed with water and just turned to ....muck.  So that was a work out.  I was sweating my butt off for a good hour.  

****Disclaimer- I am a control freak and when I get something in my head, I do it.  I enjoy mowing the lawn and that's why I do it.  My husband is not a loser.****

Tomorrow I have "Muffins with Mom" at the kid's school, then a play date then book club at my house.  Busy day, but a fun day.  

Here's my tracker:

Breakfast:

Luna bar: 4 pts

Mocha: 3 pts

Lunch:

3 pieces of sushi: 3 pts

pita chips: 3 pts

hummus: 2 pts

Snack:

Decaf

Biscotti: 2 pts

Dinner: (party food)

Hot dog: 8 pts

Chips: 4 pts

Cupcake: 5 pts

Snack:

Bowl of fruit salad: 1 pt 

APs: 

Mow the lawn: +2 pts

Total: 33 pts used

What are your trigger foods?

Ya know- the ones that make you want to eat so much that you have to unbutton your pants and then as soon as you can you get the elastic yoga pants on?  

Mine:

Chips/salsa!   I could continually eat chips and salsa until the mexican restaurant kicks me out.  And I'm not kidding. 

Luckily I met Ed the other day for lunch and I demonstrated self control.  I alloted myself 14 chips (a serving size) and then savored them.  And I really did feel satisfied!

So what are your trigger foods?  Do you eat them or try to avoid them all together?

Good Day

It was busy as usual, but good.  Did I mention I moved my Flex renewal to Fridays?  I don't know why I never thought of that before, but that makes so much more sense for me.  That way weekends are full of FLex.  :)

I could not go to Heat today due to a well visit for Fischer and two parent/teacher conferences at their school.  But tomorrow my plan is kickboxing!

Here's my tracker:

Breakfast:

Luna bar: 4 pts

Mocha: 3 pts

Snack:

Banana Loaf (Starbucks) 10 pts (I was in shock)

Lunch:

Cup of Black Bean soup: 2 pts

14 chips: 4 pts

salsa: 0

Cheese dip: 3 pts

Snack:

Mocha (I had one in the frig left over): 3 pts

fruit salad : 1 pt

Dinner:

Half a cuban sandwich: 7 pts

Cucumber and carrots: 0 pts

1 small piece of dark chocolate with raspberry filling: 3 pts

41 pts (Used 9 flex)

I'm ready to come back

So for 2 months now I've been flying by the seat of my pants.  Listening to my  hunger cues, losing weight, holding steady, etc.  I needed to walk away from Weight Watchers for a while to figure out how to just "be" as far as eating goes.  I was so sleep deprived (still am) and the idea of figuring (though I have most every food item memorized) out another point nearly made me want to scream.  I'm so grateful I quit.  I'm so grateful I learned a lot about why I eat when I'm not hungry and why I feel the need to go back for seconds when my muffin top is about to rip my jeans wide open.  I learned invaluable tools that are going to take me all the way to my goal.  

But...

I do feel like it's time for me to pick up my old notebook and write down my points again.  It just something I need to do.  It feels like it's the right time.  I knew I'd probably come back to WW's, but I needed to sort of find myself and my determination again before I tried to implement a "plan."  Sort of like like riding a bike with training wheels in a race.  I didn't have the gusto to push myself forward.  But now I do.  And though I did lose weight (10 lbs, thank you!) not dieting, I do feel WW's can help me get some new balls rolling (that's what she said).  

So, here I am- counting points again.  I'm actually excited.  I'm the type of person that loves change.  When you get bored, change it up.  That's always been my solution to life in general.  

I've got some great new recipes I'm going to try this week.  I'll track them down and post them for you here soon!

My food tracker

Trying to get back in the mode of writing down my food for you guys...

Breakfast:

1 hardboiled egg

1 Nonni's biscotti

Snack:

Coffee/cream

Lunch:

Whole wheat penne pasta with tomatoes, olive oil and mozzerella cheese

Snack:

Mocha

Nonni's biscotti (can you tell I like it?)

Dinner:

Zucchini/Tomato Bake

Sweet Potato with butter and Splenda brown sugar

Recipe for Zucchini/Tomato Bake:

3 Zucchinis

3 Tomatoes

1 small size lite sour cream

1 80z package of shredded Parmesan cheese

Oregano

a little whole wheat flour

salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper

Slice the tomatoes and zucchini.  Put zucchini in a bowl of water.  Heat a skillet up with olive oil.  Light dredge the zucchini in whole wheat flour and place in skillet.  Brown both sides and place in one layer in a baking dish.  Place tomato slices in one layer on top.  Add salt, pepper and garlic powder on top.  Mix 1 tbsp oregano into the small container of sour cream.  Spread on top of zucchini/tomato layers.  Next put cheese on top.  Sprinkle with some cayenne pepper for some spice.  

I love this dish.  It's a nice side or you can top it over whole wheat cous cous as a full meal.  

Food Injuries and other related events

You know you're a foodie when you can't get a peanut butter jar open and injure your wrist pushing yourself beyond the limits to get to the buttery goodness.   Ouch.  It's been two days and my wrist is still sore.  But the toast with peanut butter and honey was worth it.

I think I'm going to register for a race soon.  Something small and fun.  Nothing extreme.  But I need some fitness goals I think.  Something to work towards.  And running is such a meditative thing for me in a lot of ways.  I'm excited to start again.  

Okay- that's all for now.  Ed just arrived with pasta, and that means Seacrest Out!

Productivity on crack

That's been me lately. I've been obsessively cleaning out stuff. It all started with my closet.

Then my frig.

Then my laundry room.

Then my utility closet downstairs.

Then the baby room.

Then the older kid's room.

Then my garage.

I'm on a roll. I get a high, a true high, when I get stuff organized. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Like that episode from 30 Rock where Liz Lemon has two full bags from the Container Store and glows with the thought of life changing possibilities.

Mmm.....Container Store.....

What was I saying? Oh yeah, Ed installed hooks in our garage. I'm excited to get some shelves up (that have been sitting there, ready to put up for months) so I can get all the outside toys up and off the floor. I want my garage to look like Jon and Kate's (Plus 8) garage (minus the crazy, controlling woman).

Food front is going good. Focusing on portion sizes. Keeping it fresh. Haven't worked out since Tuesday. But I've definitely burned calories with all my work. :)