3 Week Kickstart to Health! Week 1 info

Joyful Mama’s

3-Week

Kickstart to Health

Week 1

Goals

• Drink half your bodyweight in water each day. So if you weigh 200 lb, plan to drink 100 oz of water.  Choose your water bottle, measure how many ounces it holds, and calculate how many refills you have to have to meet your quota. 
• Eat a healthy breakfast. 
• Exercise 4 days.   I will send out 4 workouts this week for you to complete, along with videos demonstrating each exercise.
• No screens 30 minutes before bed.  Includes tv, computer, ipad, cell phones, etc.  

Why no screen-time before bed?

Rest and true relaxation are super important, and often under-estimated.  Especially in today's world, we are constantly doing things, thinking about things, stressing about things -- most of us are in our "fight or flight" mode much more often than our bodies are intended to be. 

Your body restores itself, heals itself, rebuilds muscle, de-toxifies, and much more while you sleep.   Think about it – for thousands of years, we went to bed with the sun.  Nowadays, it’s not unusual at all to still be awake past midnight!  Numerous studies have shown that 7+ hours of sleep reduces stress, reduces the risk of many chronic diseases and illnesses, improve memory, and aid in weight loss.  Studies also show that many (if not most) Americans have trouble sleeping. 

Our bodies begin to get ready for sleep by producing a hormone called melatonin.   Interestingly, when the sun sets and it begins to get darker, it triggers our bodies to produce melatonin.  Isn’t it amazing how nature works together?! 

Unfortunately, our screens and devices emit short-wave blue light, which dramatically reduces the production of melatonin.  A study showed that 1 hour of blue light at night reduced melatonin back to daytime levels!! 

I recommend installing an app called f.lux on your computer and other devices.  It is free.  It will block the blue light and turn the screen an orange-ish color at sunset.  We also have blue-blocking orange glasses to block the blue light from the tv.  And we even use red and orange lightbulbs at night with the kids. 

You do not have to make all these changes at once.  Simply turning off the screens an hour before bed is a good start.  

Breakfast Ideas

For breakfast, we want to get out of the habit of eating quick cereals, toast, packaged oatmeal, or just skipping it all together!  I understand the struggle of getting up and getting out the door early in the morning.  But let's not sacrifice our health and start our day out with a sugar rush (and then a sugar crash!).   Instead, I want you to start your day with protein and fat.  Eggs are prefect --- nature's multivitamin!  The yolks contain DHA fat, all of the fat-soluable vitamins (Vit A, D, K, and E), as well as folate, B6, B12, and many other nutrients.  And the whites provide protein!

These breakfasts will require a little more time and work, but if you plan ahead and get some of the prep work done the night before, you can still have a quick breakfast in the morning.  And once you have been making a good breakfast for a few weeks, it will become second nature and not take as long to prepare.  

Sausage, Sweet Potato, & Egg Casserole

Egg casseroles are great because you can bake them ahead of time and simply warm them up in the morning.  Great for busy mornings.

If this casserole doesn’t sound good to you, Google “Paleo breakfast casseroles” to find other variations.  Or just make up your own.  Basically eggs, meat, and veggies baked in a casserole dish!

What you need

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium sized sweet potatoes, cubed (or 1 1/2 large sweet potato)

1 lb ground sausage

8 eggs

1/3 cup almond milk (make sure it’s unsweetened plain – NOT vanilla flavor)

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

n  Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and red bell pepper, season with salt & black pepper, and cook until vegetables are tender (about 3 minutes).

n  Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

n  Add sweet potatoes to the skillet, drizzle some olive oil, and cover with a lid. Let them cook for about 8 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Transfer them to the large mixing bowl.

n  Add sausage to the skillet and cook over medium high heat until browned (about 5 minutes), crumbling the sausage with a spoon as it cooks. Transfer to the large mixing bowl.

n  In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, almond milk, salt, pepper and thyme. Pour over the vegetables & sausage mixture in the bowl, and stir to combine.

n  Pour the mixture in a baking dish* and bake in a 400 F preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes until the top of the potatoes begins to brown. Remove and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve!

*This recipe turns out best if baked in a regular 9 x 13 ” baking dish. If baked in a deeper dish, it may require additional baking time for the eggs at the bottom to set.

(Recipe from www.deliciousmeetshealthy.com)

Egg Muffins

Similar to egg casserole, but made in muffin tins.  Again, you can pretty much create your own recipe if this one doesn’t sound good to you.  Make sure you include sautéed veggies of some sort , eggs, and a meat (bacon, sausage, ground beef, ham)

Ingredients

• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp OrganicCoconut Oil
• 1 cup Broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 Onion, chopped
• 1/4 whole Green Bell Peppers, chopped
• 1/4 whole Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 8 Pastured Eggs

Process

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Grease the muffin tin with coconut oil.
3. Rinse and chop all vegetables into 1/4-inch pieces.
4. Divide vegetables evenly between muffin tins.
5. Whisk the eggs, then pour into the tins, dividing it evenly.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then stir the vegetable and egg mixture briefly to evenly disperse the vegetables throughout the egg.
7. Bake the egg muffins in the oven for 18–20 minutes.
8. Serve.

Notes

For best results, thoroughly grease your muffin tin, or use silicone muffin molds. These egg muffins can be made ahead of time, and refrigerated for up to 4 days.

(Recipe from www.primalpalate.com)

Omelette

These take a little longer in the morning to make, but it’s worth it if you have time!  I learned how to make an omelette by watching YouTube.  It’s hard to explain the process on paper, I hope you can understand the instructions.

Ingredients:

Several kinds of vegetables (chopped) – onions, green pepper, yellow or red pepper, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, etc.

2-3 eggs

salt & pepper to taste

butter or coconut oil

Method:

• n  Chop veggies
• n  Sautee veggies in butter or coconut oil, then put them aside in a bowl
• n  Crack eggs in bowl and stir.
• n  Make sure frying pan is hot, put some more butter or coconut oil in pan
• n  Pour eggs in.
• n  Tilt the pan so that the eggs cover the entire bottom of the pan.  Use a spatula to scrape in the cooked edges of the eggs.  Tilt the pan again so that the liquid eggs flow to the edges to fill in the gaps.  Do this repeatedly until the eggs are no longer liquid.
• n  Add the veggies one top of one half of the eggs.
• n  Use spatula to flip the other half of the eggs on top of the half with the veggies, forming a half-circle.
• n  Turn heat down and let it cook for a minute or two.
• n  Flip omelet and let it cook a minute or two.
• Remove from heat and let cool.

Banana Pancakes

These are really sweet, you don’t really NEED syrup.  Try them without syrup first.  If you do put syrup on them, make sure you get the 100% pure maple syrup, NOT the “pancake syrup,” such as Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth. 

Ingredients:

1 banana

2 eggs

2 tsp (estimate) coconut flour

sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)

2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Butter or coconut oil

Makes about 3 pancakes.  Double or triple the recipe if needed.

• Method:
• n  Smash banana in large bowl with a fork or an avocado/potato masher
• n  Crack 2 eggs in the bowl and stir well until eggs are incorporated with banana.
• n  Add the cinnamon and vanilla
• n  Add 1 tsp of coconut flour, stir in well, and wait a minute for it to thicken.  You may need to add another tsp of coconut flour in order to get your desired thickness.
• n  Heat skillet on medium-low heat.  Add butter or coconut oil.
• n  Using a large spoon or ladel, spoon the batter onto the skillet to make pancakes.
• n  Let them cook until you can slide a spatula under each pancake without it tearing the pancake
• n  Flip them and cook another few minutes, until they come up easily with spatula
• Make sure you cook them slowly (on med-low heat) otherwise they will burn easily

Soaked Oatmeal  (Prepare these the night before)

I’m not a huge fan of oatmeal as grains are difficult to digest.  Oatmeal also turns to sugar in your bloodstream and I prefer to start the day with protein and fat rather than sugar.  However, I understand that some people do not like heavy meals early in the morning and would rather have something light.

Ingredients:

Old fashioned oats

Water

1 Tbsp of an acidic medium - Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice, or Full-Fat Yogurt

Optional Toppings =

Honey or 100% pure maple syrup

Blueberries, strawberries, etc.

Raisins
Butter
Full-Fat Milk (I only recommend raw or low-temp pasteurized milk.  Usually found at a local health food store)

Method:

Pour desired amount of oats into the pot you will cook the oatmeal in.

Cover with water.  You want twice as much water as oats.

Stir in the acidic medium.

Put on lid and let sit 12-24 hours.

In the morning, you can either

(a)  cook the oatmeal as is. 

(b)  Rinse the oatmeal in order to lower the acid taste from the ACV or lemon.  Replace the water, and cook.

Either way, it will cook quickly since the oats are already soft.

Cook oatmeal on stove for a few minutes, until hot and soft.

Why soak it overnight?   Grains of all kinds are difficult for us to digest due to the anti-nutrients they contain.  Anti-nutrients are basically compounds that prohibit nutrients from being absorbed by the body.  Oatmeal actually has the highest level of an anti-nutrient called phytic acid!  When oats are soaked overnight in an acidic medium, the toxins and anti-nutrients are broken down and your body can then absorb the nutrients in the oats.  You will usually feel full for longer when you eat soaked oatmeal as opposed to unsoaked.  Up until World War II, it was the norm to soak oatmeal overnight – Quaker Oats even came with an overnight soaking packet!  

Yogurt Parfait

I’m not a huge fan of yogurt as a lot of people do not tolerate dairy very well and may not even realize it.  Yogurt contains a good amount of sugar and I prefer to start the day with protein and fat rather than sugar.  However, I understand that some people do not like heavy meals early in the morning and would rather have something light.

• Ingredients:
• Full Fat Yogurt, preferably organic & preferable plain
• Do not get the mainstream brands you find at the store – Yoplait, Chobani, Fage, etc.  They are typically low or no fat. They also usually contain added sugars, preservative, flavors, etc.
•   Kroger has a good brand of yogurt called Dreaming Cow.  It is full-fat, grass-fed, and kind of locally made (made in Georgia).  Aldi also sometimes has organic full-fat yogurt.
• The fat (a) makes you feel full for longer, and (b) acts as a buffer to the sugar that’s naturally found in yogurt, slowing the sugar’s absorption into your blood stream.  Without the fat, the sugar will immediately spike blood sugar.  With the fat, your blood sugar will rise and fall more slowly. 
• Optional -- Fruit – berries, pineapple, banana, etc
• Optional – homemade nut “granola” – almonds and cinnamon in a blender until the texture of granola

Method:

Mix yogurt, fruit, and granola to make a parfait

What questions do you have?  Ask me anything and I will do my best to answer it or else point you in the direction of someone else who may know the answer!  

What will you be having for breakfast this week?

Leave a comment below! 

16 Months Post-Baby

I haven't done a "Post Baby Body" blog post in a while and I was interested to see if there's been any changes.  Honestly, I didn't feel like there has been much change in the last year. But when I look back at pictures, I can see the progress and it is really encouraging. 

Taking pictures of yourself is awkward, but I highly recommend it!  It is a great way to keep track of your progress -- much better than the scale! 

Jan, 2013  ---  March, 2013 --- Sept, 2013 --- March, 2014

Serving Graciously

Luke 17:7-10

 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’?  

Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’?  

Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?  

 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 

‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

 _________________________________________________________________________

 I came across this verse last week and it really hit home with me.  

I immediately highlighted it in my Bible and wrote the last part across my mirror.

In this parable, there is a man who has a servant.  When the servant is done with a portion of his duties, will his master tell him, "Good job, you worked hard.  Thank you.  You deserve a treat." 

No.  The master will instead give the servant more to do. 

Why?  Because that is the servant's job.  His duty.  His obligation.

I compare myself to the servant.

Most of the time, I want some sort of accolade after I've completed some task.

Examples:

I spend an hour cooking dinner and 30 minutes cleaning up the kitchen.

I want my husband and kids to say, "Thanks, that was great!"

I do have a cute helper, though!

I spend all day chasing the kids around, keeping the baby from eating stuff out of the garbage, 

and homeschooling my daughter.

I want my husband to say, "Wow, you worked hard today!"

 

I do the housework, cook 3+ meals per day, find time to exercise, and try not to nag my husband.

I want my husband to acknowledge this and say, "I don't know how you do it!"

WHY do I want all this praise and attention?

Pride.

Because I think so highly of myself that I think I deserve to be acknowledge.

Look who learned how to climb!

The reality is that I am just a servant doing my duty.

When I am finished with my day's work, I should ask God,

"What else can I do?  What can I do for you tomorrow?  How can I do better?"

When I am blinded by pride, I don't ask any of these questions.

I look at life from an extremely self-centered point of view.

I expect someone (usually my husband) to acknowledge my sacrifices.

Then if he doesn't say anything, I get offended and become bitter or resentful.

I have been thinking about this verse nearly every day since I read it last week, and every day I have failed to truly have a servant's heart.  But I will keep trying -- keep asking for grace, mercy, and a humble heart.

The Gaithers!
Because I'm an old lady at heart...

 

Why Drink So Much Water?

Step 2 -- Drink Water, Eliminate Soda/Sweet Tea

The first thing I did when I started trying to be healthy was to drink water.

Why drink water?

• Over 50% of your body is water.  Blood = 93% water; Muscle = 73%;  and Fat = 10% (Source)

• You lose water every time you breathe, sweat, cough, cry, use the bathroom, etc.  It must be replenished.

• Water is necessary to digest food and transport vitamins/minerals throughout your body. 

I started drinking a gallon of water a day, and did that for several months.
Why a gallon a day?
I have no idea, that just sounded like a nice, even amount to aim for.
A gallon/day is not necessarily the right amount for everyone, though, and I don't recommend anyone blindly start drinking that amount.

Anecdotal Evidence -- My whole childhood, I had severe headaches.  I remember having them as young as 8 years old.  In law school, I got a headache between 3 and 3:30 pm literally every day.  These headaches disappeared when I started drinking more water and now I rarely have headaches.


How Much Water Should We Drink?

You've probably heard the "8 by 8 Rule"... Drink 8 oz of water 8 times throughout the day.

Jillian Michaels (love her!) recommends 128 ounces for men and 88 ounces for women. (source)

Some people say that if you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated and you should continuously drink water to avoid feeling thirsty.  

These are all fine recommendations, but what I tend to apply is...

The "Urine Test."  
What color is your urine?
You want it to be the color of lemonade.  
Not clear.  Not the color of apple juice.  
If it's too light, drink less water.  If it's too dark, drink more water.    

There are times, however, that you may need to drink more water to compensate for greater than usual water loss. 

When Should You Drink Extra Water?
-- physical activity for 2+ hours
-- spending a lot of time outside 
 (ie at beach, gardening, hiking, etc)
-- you are breastfeeding
-- you are constipated
-- you are running a fever

If any of these apply, just drink a little bit more water than you feel is necessary.


What NOT to Drink...

1.  Soda or Sweet Tea

• A can of Mtn Dew has 46 grams of sugar.  That's about 12 teaspoons of sugar.  In ONE CAN. 

• A can of Dr Pepper has 40 grams of sugar.  That's about 10 teaspoons of sugar. 

The sugar is in the form of high fructose corn syrup.

There are 3 forms of sugar: glucose, fructose, and sucrose.
Glucose is the only type of sugar that our bodies need, and our bodies are designed to produce glucose if we do not consume any.
Fructose is they type of sugar found in fruits.
Sucrose is table sugar, like you would bake with.

Why is High Fructose Corn Syrup Bad?

1. Makes food/drinks more tasty, making it more likely that you will overeat.
2. Spikes your blood sugar.  What goes up must come crashing down, leaving you feeling tired, lethargic, and reaching for another soda to boost you back up.  This can cause sugar addiction.  It can also cause insulin resistance (i.e. Diabetes).
3. Cancer cells feed on sugar.
4. Sugar leaches your body of necessary vitamins and minerals such as calcium (think: osteoporosis)
5. Unabsorbed fructose remains in your gut to ferment, which can lead to candida, leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome, and other digestive issues.  
6. Unlike glucose and sucrose, fructose is metabolized directly by your liver.  Consuming lots of fructose puts strain on your liver, which can lead to liver disease.  In fact, consuming HFCS can have the same effect on your liver as alcohol.  (Source)
7. If you don't immediately metabolize the 40+ grams of sugar you just consumed, your body will store it as fat.

2.  Diet Soda 
Why do people drink Diet Soda?  Usually because it has less sugar and therefore fewer calories.  But what replaces the sugar?  Artificial Sweeteners!  These are not ok!  They are man-made, chemically altered substances.  They have little to no calories because your body is not able to process them, not because they are healthy or nourishing.  All types of artificial sweeteners have been linked to health issues. 

Artificial sweetener are bad because they mess with our metabolism and our taste buds.  

First, artificial sweeteners trip your body's desire for sweetness without actually satisfying it.  Artificial sweeteners are actually 600 times sweeter that real sugar.  But consuming them doesn't satisfy our sugar cravins because our bodies cannot absorb the product (hence the zero calories).   So after the diet soda, we are still left craving something sweet.  Recent studies shows that people who drink Diet Sodas actually end up eating more than people who drink regular Soda.  And what do you think we're eating after the diet soda?  A piece of fruit?  Unlikely.  We get used to that super-sweet taste, which makes us need that higher level of sweetness to be satisfied.  Therefore, natural sugars (such as fruit or honey) don't taste sweet enough for us.  So we grab some chips, cookies, or Little Debbies.  

Second, these sweeteners affect our metabolism, which is the process by which our bodies take what we eat and turn it into energy.  The additives used in artificial sweeteners actually alter the way our body metabolizes the sweeteners.  Instead of operating as they are supposed to, our cells start wigging out and releasing a type of molecule that is linked to inflammation, obesity, and other chronic diseases.  (Source)

Articial Sweeteners to Avoid:
Sweet n Low
Splenda
NutriSweet
Truvia
Equal
Splenda

If you use a lot of artificial sweeteners and want more info, here is a good post.


3.  Fruit Juice
Fruit juice is just concentrated fructose.  Avoid it for the same reasons you avoid the HFCS in soda.
Instead of drinking your fruit, eat it.  Then you will get all the vitamins and  nutrients from the fruit itself.  Including fiber, which helps your body (especially your liver) process the fructose. 

4.  Sports Drinks & Flavored Water

Nothing good about them.  Just avoid them and drink water!  There's nothing nourishing about them, they are filled with artificial colors, sweeteners, and preservatives.

Here's the labels for Gatorade and Vitamin Water...

Interesting factoid about Vitamin Water.  They were sued recently for deceptive labeling; allegedly their advertising campaigns stated that the drink was healthy.  As part of its defense, Coca-Cola stated that "no reasonable consumer" would believe that Vitamin Water was healthy.  Hmmm.  So they advertise the drink as being a healthy product designed for athletes, but then when pressed, they say that no reasonable person would believe that advertising.  In my opinion, naming the drink "Vitamin Water" is misleading and deceptive considering the amount of sugar, additives, and artificial chemicals that are used. 

Check out this commercial below and decide for yourself...

So, How Do I Quit Drinking These Things?

1.  Identify your triggers.  When do you crave these drinks?  
When it's hot outside?
When you're driving in the car?
When you finally settle down for the evening?
When you're eating salty foods?

2.  Recognize why you crave them.
Your physical body does not need these drinks.  Rather, consuming these drinks over time has changed your brain chemistry and metabolism.  Your brain is telling you that your body wants the influx of sugar that it is used getting.

So when you start to reach for a sugary drink, think to yourself  "My body does not need this, but my brain wants it."  Then you will be able to make an informed decision as to whether or not you drink the drink.

3.  Start slowly. 
You do not need to immediately replace all sugary drinks with water.  That type of dramatic change is usually the result of an emotional decision, will result in extreme cravings, and is not likely to be sustainable over time.  Instead, slowly decrease the amount of sugary drinks and increase the amount of water.

So, if you typically drink 4 sodas per day, start by reducing that to 3 sodas and 1 bottle of water per day.  Then next week, reduce it to 2 sodas and 2 bottles of water.  And so on until you have cut out soda and drink mostly water.


Questions to Ponder... Leave a Comment Below! 

1.  What sugary drink do you crave?  When do you crave it?

2.  What do you think about the Vitamin Water lawsuit?  
Do you think a reasonable person could believe the Vitamin Water is healthy based on Coca-Cola's marketing?

Taking Control -- An Incremental Way to Regain Your Health

Tired of feeling lethargic?
Of not having the energy or desire to do any physical activity?
Want to be able to play with your kids or grandkids
without experiencing pain or exhaustion afterwards?
Tired of spending most of the day thinking about when and what you're going to eat next?  
Growing older and starting to feel the aches & pains, brain fog, and other ailments that society has told us are "normal" and just a part of the aging process?

If so, I totally understand.  I've been there.  And sometimes I still have days when I feel all of these things.

There is hope; there is a way to make all of this go away, no matter what age or stage of life you are in.
Of course, we will still grow older, but we can do it with significantly less pain and discomfort if we change certain aspects of our lives.

It's not easy, but it is SO worth it! 

This is going to be a blog series detailing some of the changes I've made in my life in the last few years.  I want to give you the steps to take, the "why" behind each step, and the way that each step can change your life.

I changed my lifestyle habits a little bit at a time,
and am still changing!

Some people may prefer to go "cold turkey" and change everything all at once.  If that suits your personality and you can sustain such drastic change, more power to you and I'd love to hear about your experience.

However, that is not what I've done.
I have made many small changes over the course of the last 4 years and am still learning and tweaking different things today.  So therefore, all I can write about is incremental change as I have no experience with drastic, "cold turkey" type of change. 

That being said, I am not a dietician or personal trainer.  I have no medical training or licenses.  I am just a regular mom and wife who has done a ton or research in the last few years.  I've read dozens of books, listened to hundreds of podcasts, and read a boat-load of blogs.

I don't profess to know everything (or anywhere near everything) about health and fitness.

But I do know what has worked for me.  And I want to share that with you.

You may not have the time or desire to read articles or listen to podcasts, so I want to summarize and condense what I have learned so that you can have the information without the burden of doing the research.

Please, if you have any physical issues or any hesitations whatsoever, disregard what I say and ask for your doctor's advice.

That is my disclaimer.
Because I'm a lawyer.
And that's how I roll. 

And please ignore all my comma splices.
I always, overuse, commas.


Step 1.  Find Your Motivation!

There are 2 types of motivation -- intrinsic and extrinsic.

Intrinsic motivation is when you desire a goal in and of itself.  The achievement of that goal is sufficient enough to motivate you to work towards that goal.
Extrinsic motivation is when you work towards a goal in order to achieve a reward upon completion of the goal.
The carrot on a stick scenario.
You do not desire to do the work, but instead are motivated by the chance to get the reward.  Doing the work is simply a means to an end.
When you get the reward, the work stops. 

Does this make sense?

Let's look at an example -- Physical Fitness.

Intrinsic Motivation -- You want to exercise because you enjoy the exercise and its immediate effects.
You enjoy the type of exercise that you do... 
You like to challenge your body...  
You feel healthier and more energetic after working out...   
Staying fit allows you to enjoy other daily activities...


Extrinsic Motivation --You want to exercise in order to achieve a certain goal. 
You want to fit into skinny jeans...
You want to make the football team...
You want giant biceps...
You don't want a muffin top...
You want to lose fat...
You want to improve your health...
You want to avoid chronic diseases or illness... 

Which one is better?

I think that extrinsic motivation can definitely be useful, but that intrinsic motivation is necessary to maintain your fitness throughout your whole life.  To have a healthy lifestyle, you must actually enjoy the physical activity that you choose to do. 

So... What motivates you?  Why do you want to be healthy?  What benefits will you reap if you are healthy and fit?

Here's my intrinsic motivation --  I actually enjoy the type of exercising that I do.  I enjoy lifting weights.  I like to challenge myself and see if I can lift heavier things this week than last week.  I went through a phase where I thought the best exercise was running.  So I tried to force myself to be a runner.  Needless to say, exercising was a burden and I didn't stick with it.  Now that I found something I enjoy, I actually look forward to going to the gym. 

Also, I like the way exercising makes me feel.  Exercising gives me energy to take care of my family.  It allows me some "alone time," time to think and be consumed by my own thoughts. 

My extrinsic motivation -- Exercising decreases my chances of getting a chronic illness.  Increases my chances of being an active senior citizen when that time comes.  I want to do everything in my power to make sure that when I'm old, I am still physically and mentally sharp.

Also, a superficial extrinsic motivator is to be the hottest chick in the room.  (Not that I ever am the hottest chick in the room, but that's sometimes my goal...)  I hate to admit it; I try not to concentrate on this and tell myself that physical appearance doesn't matter.  But I'm human, self-conscious, and grew up in a media-induced, sex-crazed world where we are bombarded with images of perfect looking women everyday.  That is my struggle. 

This post was long and kind of deep.
The rest will be shorter and more practical.

...QUESTIONS FOR YOU...

WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION TO BE HEALTHY?
WHICH DO YOU THINK IS MORE IMPORTANT -- INTRINSIC OR EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION?

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW! 

September Update -- 9 months post baby

Hi, there!  It's been about 2 months since my last update, so I guess it's time to check in again.  By looking at the pictures, it doesn't seem like much has changed in the last several months.  Kind of discouraging.  However, I feel very different.  I feel stronger than I was in July and I also feel healthier.  Been doing pretty well eating clean. 

     JULY 12         SEPTEMBER 10

120 LB                  108 LB*

 

 

So overall, I am happy with where I am at.  I definitely feel like I'm in the best shape that I've ever been in.  The scale says I'm at 108 lbs, but I find that hard to believe.  I feel like I'm closer to 120.  There's a new scale at the gym that I might try next time and see what that one says.  The number itself doesn't matter very much to me, but it is interesting.  I have actually been trying to gain weight the last 5-6 weeks, trying to add muscle, so I was very surprised to see 108. 

I didn't take my measurements this time, but I probably will do that in the next few days. 

Post-Baby Body

It's been 2 months since my last update, so here it is!


July 12                       May 11
120.4 lb                     124.5 lb