Getting Back on the Wagon

Everything was going on just dandy with phase one until Friday. Then with one little cheater meal (pizza) it was a downward spiral and before I knew it, I was eating sandwiches on the most delicious crusty white bread and eating the best soup ever full of potatoes. Sigh. I feel a little guilty that I didn't last all the way to day 14 but it was so worth it for the soup alone!

Now it's all about rebounding from the weekend of cheating and regrouping for this week. I don't want to lose the momentum I had gained over the past couple weeks, eating more vegetables and taking the spotlight off carbs and sugar in my diet. So I'm basically taking a slightly modified approach to another week on phase one. Translation: I'm eating according to phase one principle as much as possible but slipping in the occasional starch, fruit or treat.

I did lose 4lbs over the past couple weeks and I don't want that progress (small though it may be) to backtrack. I wasn't exercising as much as I should have last week either just due to life happening. I know, excuses, excuses. But sometimes that's the way it goes and I'd rather focus on getting back on track than on beating myself up for my failures. Here's to a new week and a better plan of attack. I've got a meal plan for dinner already set up and went shopping yesterday.

Monday - leftover turkey tacos with black beans
Tuesday - grilled chicken caesar salad
Wednesday - baked tilapia with sauteed crookneck squash/zucchini and salad
Thursday - probably takeout from either Panera or Chipotle (both offer good phase 1 options)
Friday - whole wheat spaghetti with turkey meatballs

Eating South Beach Style

So it's day 5 of our south beach diet and my body is definitely still adjusting. The good news is that my willpower has been strong and I've fought the intense sugar cravings over the past few days. High five to me! I'm hoping it gets easier, but I'm still missing my caramel frappes! Phase one of the SBD meant to re-program your body so it's very strict and luckily short. By eliminating as much sugar as possible, even the healthy sugars found in fruit and whole grains, the idea is that you re-train your system to recognize good vs. bad sugar. And trust me when I say that my body really needed to hit the reset button in that department! Even though I'm pretty sure frappes are frowned upon even in the third and most lenient phase, I intend to reward myself for getting through these two weeks of torture.

from Foodchannel.com

Eating on the SBD is a challenge at times, but it's not as hard as I expected. The most difficult part for us is breakfast. When all starches are off limits, you're pretty much left with eggs, veggies and lean meats if you want to stick to traditional breakfast food. If you're the type who can eat leftover chicken stir-fry for breakfast, then this phase would be a lot easier for you... but I'm not, so eggs are getting old. I've been trying to mix it up as much as possible and I'll admit that having a good dose of protein in the morning is more satisfying than a bagel or toast. We've also been incorporating Egg Beaters into the routine so we're not eating 700 eggs (and all the cholesterol that they contain) every week.

I especially like having meals that don't feel like they're missing something without the carbs. We had turkey taco salads the other night and they were filling, delicious and felt like a normal meal even though we would usually have standard tacos with tortillas. I also made a turkey and bean chili, and apart from missing the yummy cornbread side, it was really good. We topped it with avocado, cheese and sour cream and felt like we were eating a normal dinner. I made a chicken and broccoli stir-fry the other night, which was yummy, but felt lacking without even brown rice. The next time I do a stir-fry I might try serving it over spaghetti squash which is pretty bland and tastes a lot like pasta. Lunches are generally salads with plenty of stuff like chicken, hard-boiled eggs or beans to make them more filling.

Finding some substitutes for foods that are off-limits has helped too. I've been drinking diet coke to kill the soda cravings and for the caffeine. I don't like regular coffee and I don't think I could handle this diet and give up all caffeine as well. It's still limited because I don't really like diet coke so I don't drink that much. I also found that Jello makes an awesome sugar-free pudding called Dulce de Leche that helps me not miss my caramel frappes as much. It's not the same, but it's a decent fix for now. We're a third of the way through phase one and I feel pretty good. My daughter's preschool teacher told me I looked great the other day and asked what I was doing. I think I was just wearing some camouflaging clothes but it was the encouragement I needed to keep going!

Day One

One of the big goals that both the husband and I have for this year is to reclaim our health. That sounds like a lofty goal, but in essence, we just want to make health a priority, and with it eating right and exercising. It's hard. Obviously, it's hard or it wouldn't be the top resolution on so many lists this January. With a busy job, two little ones and lots of different things demanding our time and energy, sometimes taking care of ourselves ends up in last place. Our plan for this year is to change that.


You can see in this earlier post where my weaknesses take hold. But if I ever want to get my body back (and maybe an even better body) then I have to learn not to let those weaknesses take control. Otherwise I'll never lose the squish! The husband and I decided we both could use a detox, but we're not into the whole starvation/lemon juice/cabbage-only situations that people get themselves into this time of year. I can't get through a day chasing my little hooligans on lemonade and maple syrup. If I tried I can only imagine how pleasant and loving I would be with my family! Instead we're doing a sugar/carb detox by means of the good old South Beach Diet. 


The basic idea of the SBD is that you have to first re-train your body to not look to sugar in all its various forms as the source of energy and fuel. The first phase (which we started today) is super restrictive and basically rules out as much sugar as possible. No starches, no fruit, no juice, etc. It's basically lean protein, vegetables, healthy fats and minimal low-fat dairy. It's noon and already I've had to fight the urge to raid the cupboards. This would be so much easier if we didn't have kids who need their healthy whole grains and fruits! Then we could just wipe out all the enemies in our fridge and cabinets. But my little one still needs those things so I have to resist the temptation, which makes it a lot harder. Thank God this phase only lasts two weeks.


To be honest the hardest part of this phase is breakfast because without any starches, you basically have eggs to rely on and that gets old pretty fast. This morning I had sort of a breakfast burrito bowl with egg, a little sausage and avocado. The man souped his up with a little salsa and hot sauce. Lunch was a BLTA salad and was super good and filling. I'm already jonesing for a mountain dew but right now that's more like a mountain don't. Sad day. Luckily caffeine is not on the restricted list so diet soda and coffee (minus all the good stuff) might help me make it through today at least! More to come on how I'm surviving without all the sugary goodness I've been letting myself have.

12 For 2012

2011 was a big year for our family. BIG. We started the year off with a brand new baby boy, added in preschool for our little girl, and threw in some major (but good) changes in the husband's business right in time for the holidays. I feel like we've been going at break-neck pace for the past couple months and I'm ready for the new year to bring a little restoration to our home and our routine. In honor of the new year, here are some big and not so big resolutions for the next twelve months...


1. Lose the baby belly ~ Both the husband and I are deeming 2012 the year that we reclaim our health. We've let busyness and laziness get in the way of taking care of ourselves as we should and it's time for that to end. Goodbye skinny fat, hello skinny jeans!


2. Get that baby sleeping through the night ~ Ah, the thorn in my side. Lack of sleep is a big contributor to the issue prompting #1 and I blame myself for being a softy on this one. My little ones have both been hard to sleep-train, but I vow to win the war on this one.


3. Break my little one of her computer/tv fixation ~ This one is completely my fault and one of the highest, if not the top priority on my list. It's slowly progressing to a better point but between bed rest and a newborn at the beginning of the year, we've let PBS kids and Dora take up too much time in our house this year. 


4. Remember to floss ~ Pretty sure this one is self-explanatory.


5. Take control of the clutter ~ Like any house with people living in it, ours is prone to the clutter that comes with daily life. Bills, school papers, mail, etc. all seem to find themselves in the wrong place most of the time. Add to that the toys that end up scattered around plus all the random crap that seems to forget where it lives and it can feel pretty chaotic. Time to take back the limited space in our house and use it efficiently.


6. Blog more and blog better ~ The past year was busy and difficult in many ways as I adjusted to having two kiddos and my husband's company became more demanding of his time. I really do enjoy blogging as a creative outlet so I'm hoping to make it more of a priority as much as life allows.


7. Read more ~ I love to read, but at the end of the day sometimes a magazine or home blogs just hold stronger appeal. I miss the feeling of being captivated by a story that is not remotely close to resembling your own life. 


8. Waste less food ~ We made a lot of movement on this in the past year, but I still feel like we could do better at using what we have and eating leftovers before they are so toxic they have nowhere to go but the trashcan.


9. Have regular date nights ~ We're pretty good at getting out semi-regularly but we've let it slip in recent months as life has gotten more hectic. Sometimes it's just easier to get time by yourself than it is together, but we both recognize that the cornerstone of a strong family is a strong marriage. Definitely need to get back in the habit of going out as a couple more often.


10. Find a kitchen designer and really take the time to plan our renovation ~ We are planning a large scale kitchen redo this year. Not the DIY kind but the DNDIY (do not do it yourself) kind where walls are blown out and new cabinets are put in and appliances are replaced and heinous countertops are removed. I'm really excited for how this will improve our little house but I want to be careful that we invest the appropriate time and energy into planning so this is done right.


11. Have at least one girl's weekend ~ Again... self-explanatory right??


12. Focus on today as much as possible and be grateful for how blessed we are in this life. 


Cheers to a fabulous new year full of possibilities!

Tis the Season

We got an early jump on decorating for Christmas this year. At 3 1/2 my daughter is finally old enough to really "get" the concept of Christmas, so we wanted to make it special for her this year. Plus since last year I was put on bedrest right before Christmas, this year feels like kind of a re-do anyway. We picked up our tree a little earlier than usual so I'm trying hard to remember to water it so it actually lasts until Christmas. I've been going crazy over all the fantastic decor floating around blogland. So here are a few previews of our home. I'll hopefully post more once the camera battery is charged again... woops!

Here's the most festive corner of the room. You can't tell because I cropped the picture, but we stopped the lights about 1/3 of the way from the bottom to prevent any accidents from curious little hands. (I took this picture at night so the lighting was pretty unfortunate. I swear our walls aren't actually pink.)

The mantel took a lot of tweaking until I was satisfied. I wasn't planning on the pointsettias but the hubs had ordered them from a fundraiser and they just showed up one day. I'm liking that they add some life to the otherwise faux greenery. More pictures of the rest of the house when it's done I have a chance to post them.

It's About Time...

for a new post I think. I've had a lot going on lately. As I type, I'm waiting out some serious bed-protesting and hoping the crying stops soon. Sigh.

As the first summer month just started, what better time than now to begin really working towards that post-baby bikini body?! I'm pretty sure you're supposed to do this before bikini season actually starts, but I like a little pressure to motivate me towards my goals. Fellow procrastinators rejoice!

So will it be fit mama or fat mama? That is the real question. I'll give you one guess which category I fit into right now. As much as people say to give myself a break because I just had a baby, I can't help but think "I don't need a break. I need a kick in the rear." I did just have a baby... four months ago. Tick tock, tick tock. Time to stop waiting around for the weight to magically fall off. In preparation, I've been trying to identify my biggest stumbling blocks when it comes to shedding the jiggly reminder of what my body just went through.

In no particular order, here are the rules I will need to abide by if I want to be a hot mama and not a hefty one.

1. Don't drink your calories.
This is a big one for me, especially given the abundant desire for caffeine I have most mornings since we're not sleeping through the night yet. I don't like regular coffee so I get my caffeine from soda or my new favorite, the McDonalds caramel frappe (cue the pangs of longing from deep within). I'm not good at drinking plain water so I was drinking a lot of juice to stay hydrated in the late stages of my pregnancy and early stages of breastfeeding. In my opinion, juice just barely trumps soda in the good-for-you category because it usually contains fruit, but the massive quantities of sugar and calories don't make it a smart option on a regular basis. I've weaned the juice out of my life pretty well in the past few weeks, but the soda and the frappes are a bigger problem because of the caffeine situation. Not to mention, I LIKE THEM. But a small frappe even without the whipped cream is still over 300 calories and soda contains all sorts of calories and crap that really isn't good for anything.

2. Don't use food/drinks as a trophy or a consolation prize.
I'm really good at rewarding myself with unnecessary junk food and drinks (see above). You know how it goes. You've been eating really healthy all day so you figure a little ice cream won't hurt. Or better yet, you worked out, so you've earned a treat, nevermind the fact that this little reward basically cancels out the exercise. But my biggest weakness has to be justifying something unhealthy because I'm having a hard day and in my mind a little treat will make me feel better. And while a better pick-me-up would be a a new book or maybe a pedicure, most days I don't have time for either of those things and a trip through the McDonalds drive-thru is usually feasible even with two littles in tow. But the root of the problem is using food to revive my mood which leads me to...

3. Don't eat junk as a response to emotions or boredom.
Life can be stressful and tiring and emotionally draining. Life with a toddler and a new baby is the extreme version of all these things. Some days I feel like Supermom and some days I feel like a super failure. It's a constant rollercoaster and that takes a toll. It's easy to justify something tasty when you've been dealing with a screaming baby and a whiny toddler all morning. Sometimes I just want something for myself and a frappe is a little treat that I can enjoy while still performing all my motherly duties. A little indulgence never hurt anyone, but I've been taking it to a new level lately and it's hard to really enjoy something when you know it's biting you in the butt. Likewise, there are times when I'm not feeling motivated to conquer the ever-present list of household tasks and find myself raiding the pantry instead. Not the best option and it's not getting the laundry done either!

4. Don't let poor planning get in the way of eating right.
My mom always used to remind me of the 5 Ps "Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance" or as she preferred the 6 Ps "Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance." It's the truth too. Nine times out of ten when I eat unhealthy meals, it's because of poor planning (or no planning). When you're single or just a couple, throwing together a healthy dinner option at 5pm isn't out of the question. Once you have kids involved, it's a recipe for disaster. Improving my planning skills is one of my biggest goals because in this case, it's not just me reaping the unhealthy effects, but my family as well.

So there you have it. The four major rules that need to be enforced if I'm going to lose the squish. Wish me luck!

Letting Go

To say I haven't posted much this year is a huge understatement. The last six months have been pretty spare in particular but I thought it was only appropriate to write one last post for the year and to put it up on the very last day of 2010 (except that Blogger didn't post as scheduled so let's just pretend this went up on 12/31/10).

This year was big for our family. Both my husband and I celebrated milestone birthdays. October marked the end of our first year as a married couple. And in the summer we made the monumental decision to expand our little family. I am apparently one of those fortunate women who gets pregnant in a snap but the pregnancy itself takes its toll... hence the absence of blog posts. I spent the first few months in a fog of perpetual "morning" sickness with little desire to do much of anything. Finally I hit that blessed turning point and regained both my energy and my ability to get through the day without feeling like I was constantly one second away from tossing my cookies. I enjoyed a couple wonderful months and then last week the bottom dropped out just a little. 

Excessive contractions sent me to the hospital in the middle of the night just a few days before Christmas. I'm fine. The baby is fine. But now I'm on bedrest for at least the next month and possibly for the duration of this pregnancy, which leaves me stuck on the couch potentially until the end of February. Fortunately I was able to get home in time for Christmas. I was here to see the excitement on my little girl's face when she recognized that the formerly bare space under the tree now held dozens of wrapped packages. I got to watch as she inspected the empty plate of cookies and milk we had left for Santa the night before. I saw the joy and delight as she opened her presents and helped everyone else open their gifts as well. And I was home to see her spend the day playing with all the toys we had known she would love. 

I try to be thankful that I was here for Christmas and not stuck in a hospital bed. I am doing my best to focus on the fact that I see my husband and daughter each day and get hugs and kisses and snuggles. But I would be lying if I said that I'm full of joy all day. I spend a lot of time feeling frustrated, helpless and exasperated with my situation. I'm here but I'm only able to participate so much. I have a million things that I want to do floating around my head at all times and very little ability to get any of them done. It might sound like a picnic to have everyone waiting on you hand and foot but I thrive on being the caretaker. I'm sure I sound like a whiny little baby but at least I'm being honest. Every day I fight feelings of uselessness and helplessness. Instead of being a major contributor to our home running smoothly, my job is now to do as little as possible in order to keep this baby inside as long as I can. In my heart, I know that's a worthwhile task, but the daily reality is a struggle. 

So here is my resolution for the next two months... focus on the positive. Instead of worrying that I'm a burden to my family, I'm going to be thankful that I'm not in this alone and that I have an amazing husband and supportive family and friends to take care of me while I need it. Instead of thinking about how little I am accomplishing around the house, I'm going to try to take advantage of the ability to rest before the birth of our child which will most definitely demand a lot of energy. Instead of dwelling on how little I can do, I'm going to remember that no one else can do what I'm doing right now and that our baby depends solely on me to be born healthy and strong. All in all, that sounds like a good goal for the next eight weeks.


Happy New Year~