Weigh in Month One!

Hello everyone and happy Saturday! I was supposed to have this up yesterday, but we were out at Costco buying our weight in hash brown and cheesesteak. Speaking of really crappy fat food, how is my diet going?!

Well it's the end of month one. I have been doing a really good job at keeping it healthy most days. Yes I have eaten out, grabbed a burger, and indulged in ice cream, but I've also been keeping veggies and fruit on my plate and snacked on crackers or hummus and broccoli instead of chips. It hasn't been that hard really to eat healthier. I've always eaten my fruit and vegetables and kept things in proportion. I actually have the tendency to just forget to eat altogether. I don't get very hungry when I'm just hanging out at home with the kids, and between getting them lunch, cleaning up, stopping WWE fights, and then getting everyone to nap sometimes it just slips my mind. So I've tried to keep healthy snacks on hand at all times which has been super helpful. I'm going to do a post a little later on about fridge organization and having on hand snacks to grab for you and the kids. My biggest obstacle is water. Water, water, water. I hate it. It's so boring and tasteless. But I've been true to my word and consumed about 6 glasses of water daily. The trips I've made to the bathroom have given me flashbacks to pregnancy, but that's supposed to be a good thing. I guess.

Now for the exercise portion of month one. I made my husband buy me a Jawbone UP for our anniversary because my broke ass can't afford a Fitbit. But I'm happy with it! It tracks my sleep so now when people ask me why I'm so tired I can shove it in their face how I wake up 14 times  a night. **I have to admit the past two ish weeks my little 18 monther has decided sleep is actually a cool thing and only wakes up at about 5am for a bottle. But I'm afraid to jinx it. ** The recommended goal step count a day is 10,000 so I've been busting my buns to meet that goal every single day. Sometimes we go out for a run with the kiddos in the stroller, other days I literally run around my house for about twenty minutes a night to get there. I look like a fool, but you know what? The running alone has made butt and thighs slim and tight. After the first two weeks of using just the tracker and no additional workouts, my husband commented that my butt was firm and my legs were slim. I can't tell you how tall I stood that day. I was sexy. I was struttin'. Every time I looked in the mirror I gave myself a little butt wiggle. After two weeks I ramped it up to include either a half hour of dance, yoga, or strength training. Currently I'm doing a 30 day ab challenge with some women from our base.

All this pointless yakking and I'm sure all you care about is my flab picture. So without further blabbing, here is my progress! I have not lost a single pound. But I've lost three inches from my belly. And that my friends is perfectly fine with me! It's not a battle of pounds, it's a battle of health. And I'm feelin it.

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The Importance of a Routine

Hello friends! 

This is my first lesson in being healthy. And yes, it is a week late. We had some very serious and important family issues to take care of. Now that things have returned to normal, I'm back on my blog train. 

The first thing I can say the most basic and important of all lessons in being healthy is, create a routine. If you are anything like me, and I'm pretty confident that it is much more common than not, you forget things. If you have two toddlers, you've barely gotten any sleep, and you are running on 5 cups of coffee, it might slip your mind to brush you teeth. Or hair. Or get dressed. Actually that last one is probably on purpose. At night when you should be cleaning your makeup off and getting prepped for bed, you've probably just plopped on the pillow with your glasses still on. And maybe it's not always about forgetting, but it's about being lazy. That's okay too. I've had a lot of those days when you take up a permanent residence on your couch and binge watch Netflix. I like those days just as much as the next person, but one thing I noticed once I created a routine that got me up and moving, I not only looked better but I felt better too. The house started moving like a well oiled machine instead of just chaos (well for the most part) and we all seemed to have a little more energy and pep. I definitely felt prettier with makeup and real clothes on. My skin was clearer and my teeth whiter. I felt confident and ready to work out that flab. I felt like a badass, just because I combed my hair. I don't know statistics and I have no studies, but for me I was much more likely to get everything done on my list and then some when I woke up early and got myself together. I was also less likely to lay down and take a nap in exhaustion when the babies took theirs. I. Felt. Good.

But it's not just about me. I don't know about you, but I am the world's worst mom at remembering to get my kiddos teeth brushed. They aren't at the age yet where I can just tell them to go in the bathroom and do it, so I have to help them with their own routine. And when I was drowning in my stress and depression it was all I could do to get breakfast ready before I sank into the couch and let them wreak havoc. We barely went outside or anywhere fun to play (granted the place I live is literally in the desert. I wish I were kidding. You have to drive an hour to get to a Target let alone a cool place to play and explore), never made any friends, and just sat around. When I decided to get up and actually live, I realized that not only did I neglect myself, but I was neglecting the babies as well. Now that we are in the groove, my daughter loves brushing her teeth so much so that she has dubbed herself Brushing Teeth Girl (watch out for the comic and tv show). We go out to the playground. We go out for walks in the stroller almost every night which helps everyone. I get in shape, my husband gets some running in for his job, we all spend time together, and we are getting some much needed Vitamin D.

So here it is. Some tips for starting that daunting routine. Bedtimes, alarms, workouts, and scheduling meals might sound so cringe worthy, but I promise you that once you've started it just makes sense. And then you start getting used to it. And then you turn around and realize you don't even have to think about it anymore. And the good thing is, you don't have to do it the same way as me, or as anyone else. It's up to you. You can be super strict to the minute, or just have a checklist of things you know you have to do at some point. Your mornings don't have to be like my mornings just as long as you are doing the things that keep you feeling your best.

Write a list.

If you feel like you can't remember what you need to do before bedtime, write it down. Put a post it to your mirror to help remind you

Make a chart.

This helps me with the kids. And now my oldest can check things off as she starts to do them herself. This is great for children that are getting into school too. Mornings can be rushed trying to make it to the bus on time. Give them an incentive to take care of themselves.

Give yourself time.

You may think you can get everything squeezed into that one hour before your children wake up. And there are some days that probably works. But every day is not the same and you might be dragging a little. That's okay. Don't freak out if you haven't finished your to do list before someone is up asking for cereal. When you start stressing about what you haven't done yet, you board the Overwhelmed Train and that ride is straight downhill. Take a minute to breathe and relax, and you can get back to it later.

Don't pile it all on one day.

Don't stress yourself out by putting 14 errands and all your housework on Saturday. Do a little each day. Maybe Monday is your vacuuming day. Wednesday you clean up the bathrooms. Even if you are a working momma or stay at home, you can accomplish one small item each day rather than pile it all up on your weekend off. That way you can go out and enjoy your Saturday instead of being stuck with rubber gloves on.

Make a meal plan

Having trouble keeping up with dinner at night? Whether you hate to cook, forget to prepped or laid out, or are just swamped at the end of the day, knowing exactly what you are making at dinner time might make it easier to keep up with and less likely to dial pizza. Before your week starts, come up with a meal plan and create a shopping list. You'll know that you have everything in the pantry ready to cook when you get home. This will also help you stay true to a cleaner, greener diet. Give yourself room for a cheat day if you need to, we all know that schedules get busy and hectic. If you are having a particularly tiring day, or especially if you have picky kids, give a substitution meal or two. If chicken parmesan is just too much, swap for some hot dogs. Just make sure you add in veggies  

Make it fun!

When you wake up and dread everything you have to do for the day, it's never going to get done. You are going to stall, grumble, and procrastinate until you realize you are knuckle deep in a tub of ice cream and you haven't even bothered to wipe away the leftover eyeliner circles under your eyes. Wake up with an attitude of “I can do this!” Play some music while you work or make it into a game. You'll soon realize your to do list is complete, you look amazing, and it's only 9!

Get help

This might not work for your own hygiene, beauty, or health routine. But it will definitely help with cleaning, housework, or even fitness. Ask your significant other to give the kids a bath tonight while you wash the dishes. Don't assume YOU have to do every thing on your list. Split up the chores. My husband once told me that he would happily help me out if only I would ask. And I used to rebuttal all the time “well I shouldn't have to ask, you should just get in there and help” but the truth of the matter is, I had a list piled a mile high in my head and how was he supposed to know I wanted the floor mopped and pantry reorganized? Even if you think it's so incredibly annoying to have to ask your hubby to help you out, think about this. How much time and effort did it really take to ask someone for help if it gave you one less thing to do yourself? If you are sitting on the couch with a glass of wine watching a movie together in a sparkly clean house instead of still elbows deep in nasty dish water, what does it matter if you had to ask? Same goes for fitness. If you need help to get you moving, ask for it! Get a motivator. Go for a run with a friend, take a zumba class, or do something out of your comfort zone. Mix it up so that it doesn't get mundane.

If you need more help on getting your routine organized, check out my Organization Board. It will help you stay on track of your daily/weekly/monthly checklist, a weekly meal plan, and even a grocery list. 

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A Real, Raw Look at Me

I've never been good at intros. It's hard for me to start anything. I get a fabulous idea, dwell on it endlessly while I'm supposed to be sleeping, draw up plans and blueprints, giggle about how exciting it's going to be. And then months go by, and the plans sit. The "l'll get to it"s and "not today"s get tossed around, the kids have a bad day complete with meltdowns meltups and melted crayons in the floor, and frankly I'm just lazy. But we'll go with I'm just not good at that whole starting thing.

I'm also not very good at finishing things that I do manage to start. The first couple of days I'm eating all the vegetables and exotic healthy things I can't even pronounce, my workouts are aggressive and sweaty and I feel like an amazon woman afterwards. I can do anything! But then the excuses come. And I hate to even use the word excuse because anyone with children knows it's anything but an excuse when someone's pooped on the stairs or the downstairs is flooded because your potty training toddler tried flushing an entire roll of toilet paper and a towel. Some nights I have gone to bed at 11 just to be awoken at 1 for a bottle, 2 for a nightmare about bugs, 3:30 for another bottle, and 6 for a bed wetting accident and a baby who's ready to party. And you know what? I'm tired. And that's okay. Some days I have to attempt to explain to my husband that my day consisted of 14 tantrums, 2 accidents on the couch, 3 unexpected loads of laundry, and cat puke and I'm sorry but I dont want to cook tonight I just want Taco Bell. Some days it's a physical exhaustion and some days it's mental. I would never say or even think that I don't have the best job on the planet taking care of my two children all day long (I mean who else can say they work all day in pjs coloring and eating goldfish?) but some days you find yourself trapped in a bathroom clutching a glass of wine while 15 little fingers claw underneath the door and chants of "Mom-My! Mom-My!" ring in your ears when you start to think to yourself "I need a vacation." But a stay at home mom position doesn't come with vacation or sick days. No comp time, not even a quittin' time whistle. So some times I don't have the time to be beautiful or fit or even healthy. I'm just trying to survive.

But that's where we take a turn. Because while there are plenty of those days, and that's perfectly okay, it's not okay when those days become every single day. And that's where I found myself. And that's where we begin. If you already follow my blog, or just read above, you know that I have two children aged 3 and 18 months. That basically means I've been pregnant or under the "after baby belly" weight loss program for the better part of 4 years. When I had my daughter, I hadn't gained more than the recommended 30 pounds and bounced back almost completely when Surprise! I found out I was pregnant again. Then we reached the decision that my husband would join the army and Poof! He was off to basic training and I was left to raise a one year old and be severely emotionally pregnant alone (with the help of wonderful family and friends, which i owe everything to). So I ate. And sat around. And never got out of pajamas unless it was to change into other pajamas. And dubbed Tuesday "binge night" where I ate as many cupcakes and tacos (not simultaneously) as I could. I should also mention my baby was a big one. Baby #1 was barely 6 pounds. Baby #2 weighed in at 8.1 so my normally small frame was stretched out to the max already without all the sugar. As soon as little man came into the world and I was cleared to leave at 6 weeks, my husband and I packed up to move across the country to our new duty station. I had spent my whole life in one spot; I had never even been on the west coast. And here we were leaving our whole world behind. I was scared, nervous, and depressed. So I ate more, exercised less, and basically just lumped from one seat to another. I was physically unfit, but I was also emotionally unfit. And it took a really long time. I'm not going to sugar coat it, our marriage suffered and I was afraid I was going to lose everything. My husband tried to get me out of my stupor for the better part of a year, but I had settled into a dark little cave inside my head and threw candy wrappers at anyone who came near.

And then one day I looked in the mirror. I saw the weight I had packed on that couldn't just be blamed on a baby, the breakout of an unwashed face and too much chocolate, the gross t shirt I was wearing for the third day. But more importantly, I saw the bags under sad eyes, the lack of confidence in the drooped shoulders, the loneliness. I stared at that broken shell of a really awesome woman and realized that this had to change. For all of us. I had everything in the world and I was letting them down as a mother and a wife. And dammit, I was hot once, who's to say I can't get that back? So I put on my big girl panties (the confident lacy ones, not the faded 5 year old pair I kept pulling out of the clean clothes basket) and fixed myself.

                  

 

                                           The way I was before kids. Look at those legs! Look at that tan!  

             The height of my flabby "i really don't care what my shirt looks like at this point" attempt at being in public. 

And that's what I've been doing. It's not something I've finished yet, but I'm not giving up on myself this time. I'm not shuffling it under all those ideas of a complete play kitchen out of an old entertainment center and murals on all the walls. I wanted to share this journey with everyone. Not just the physical side of getting back into shape, but also the emotional, mental journey. Because it's hard when you lose yourself. It's hard to find that tiny hand of that great version of you reaching in the dark, but she's there. You just have to open your eyes and reach out. So here goes, this is all of me. Documented from day one to day "oh my God look at me!" And it won't just stop there, because a great journey like this is never done. I want to teach anyone who may be where I stood that you can love yourself again and you can be healthy. Once your mind is healthy, your body will follow suit. Your confidence. Your self esteem. You will be a better you.

And let me tell you something. It's funny because there will always be body shamers no matter what you look like. People have said to me that I'm chunky and frumpy. But when I explained my mission with my blog, I literally had people look at me and say "you aren't fat enough". Excuse me? Who's to tell me what is an acceptable amount of fat to be ashamed of? I am and always have been 100% for love your body for what it is, and even what it is not. You have stretch marks? Curves? or flat chested? Love it. Own it. If you've pushed three babies out of that beautiful body of yours, or you are a lean, muscular dancer, you earn a badge for the way you look. But it's not about that. It's about being healthy. And not just your body, but your mind as well. It doesn't matter the number you are trying to lose, be it 2 pounds or 150, It's not about numbers at all. It's about your health. And if you don't feel healthy and confident, how can you expect to love the body God gave you? This also goes out to those struggling with eating disorders, because I was there with you at one point of my life as well. Healthy isn't about skinny or fat. Who has big boobs or the Kim Kardashian butt or who has the thigh gap. It's about feeling your best, being your best, and giving your mind and body the nutrients they need. And that doesn't just mean food.

So here's to all of us. Let's be proud to look in the mirror. Let's ditch those yoga pants (unless it's just one of those days, in which case you go get that ice cream girl and don't feel ashamed). Let's strip down all that disgust and shame and let's put on confident. Follow me as I help to give you meal plans and tip for diets, fun workouts to get you through any day, reviews on health products and DIYs for making you feel beautiful, sexy, and confident, and motivation for whatever you may be going through. Together we all can achieve. This is Day One.

           

  

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