Extreme Makeover-Me Edition

Amber at {aefilkins} does Extreme Makeover: Me Edition each week. I love it because there are other moms like me!

This has been a better week overall. I have not been to the gym. But I have walked every day, some days twice a day. And that is something I feel good about. I am trying to watch what I eat (and not in terms of watching the ice cream disappear as I eat it). I am drinking a lot more water. But. The scale is not moving.
I am still nursing O once a day. He is stuck on his bedtime nursing and at 14 months I am not in a hurry to wean him. If it is part of the reason I cannot lose the 5 pounds that I am okay with that. But as much as I would like to think it is the reason, I really don't think 20 mionutes of nursing a day will keep on the 5 pounds.

I am eating healthier. And I am walking. And I drinking lots and lots of water (and peeing lots and lots as well, but I guess that is the price I pay). It frustrates me that the scale will not move. I will not accept that this is my weight. I cannot accept it because I am not happy with the way parts of my body look.

I am considering dropping my gym membership and dusting off my exercise dvds. Becuase let's face it. As much as I would love to be that mom who goes to the gym at 5 am I am not. I like my sleep. And going to bed at 8 pm is not cutting it (especially since O is nursing at 8:15-8:30). I am thinking that it is time to dust off the old dvds that I bought after M was born in hope of losing the baby weight. They helped but it was hard with her on a wierd schedule to find time to do them. Now both kids nap in the afternoon, so finding a few afternoons a week to do my dvds would not be hard at all. I want to tone my arms and upper body. I have been looking at hand weights at Amazon.com. Any suggestions? I am thinking a set of 5 pounders becuase then I can double up in one hand for 10 lbs for some exercises.

I did go shopping last night and bought some cute shirts, a new skirt and a new pair of jeans. It is not my old size four *sigh* or my pre-wedding-no-time-to-eat size twos (yes I did wear a size two, but those clothes were quickly followed by "I am cooking for a new husband and happy" size fours again) but it is a size six and maybe that is what I am meant to be for now. I think I can be okay with that.

Except, I may be pregnant in the next few months (still trying to figure that one out). And then the clothes won't fit and this weight loss will be for nothing. Well, not nothing. But still...

I did well with my goals from last week. I didn't make it to the gym but I did make my other goals. So my goals for this week are:
1. Continue to walk with the kids each day, trying to walk farther this coming week.
2. Drink more water and less soda
3. Eat more fruit and vegetables
and the new goal for this week:
4. drink milk with dinner to help feel fuller in a healthy way.

Extreme Makeover: Me Edtions

Every week Amber over at {aefilkins} hosts Extreme Makeover: Me Edition. This week's topic is weight watchers.

Weight Watchers is something that I have thought about. Many times. They and nutri system are two programs that I have looked into. And what it comes down to is cost. I honestly have between 5 and 15 lbs to lose to get to me ideal weight. I would settle for 5 lbs and would LOVE to lost 15, but I haven't weighed that little since high school so I may be just a teensy bit unrealistic.

I also don't feel like I have tried as hard as I could. I already spend $20 on the gym each month. And I don't use that as often as I should. It's not about time. I could go in the evening or the early morning. It is about me not trying hard enough. And that is what gets me down the most, when I know I am not trying hard enough. I know what I need to do, I am just not doing it. And I cannot figure out why....

And then there is the talk that I will get pregnant in the next 6 months, so for me weight watchers doesn't fit in my lifestyle at the moment.

This past week was a little better. I have only made it to the gym one time, but Jon and I have been taking walks almost every day. Plus I have been getting back into the habit of putting the rugrats in the stroller and walking a few mornings a week. I was going to go to the gym today, but sleep was more important at the time.
As for eating, I have been more conscoius of eating breakfast and making sure there is something healthy, easy and appealing in the refridgerator for lunch as well. I always eat dinner, but the other two meals are ones I struggle with getting. I am trying to be more careful about how much soda I drink and making sure I drink more water. The final thing I have been doing is keeping busy in the morning so I am not tempted to eat all the time. If I am bored I tend to graze. If I am out and busy with the kids than I can't eat anything I don't bring with me!

My goals for this coming week:
1. continue to drink more water
2. continue to walk with the kids and Jon as often as possible (great family time and good exercise- pushing that stroller around!)
3. eat more fruit
4. get to the gym at least three times

Doing a little better

My last few posts have been less than positive. I know that. In a way it has helped to get it out.
But I don't want anyone to think I am normally a down person. I have struggled with depression in the past. And unfortunatly I am prone to low moods when I am stressed. And lately I have been stressed.
Luckily I am almost done pmsing. That alone will help me feel much more like myself.
I am trying to get out for walks again (twice yeseterday and today) which I got out of doing when it rained non-stop for three weeks around here. Getting fresh air really does help. Plus I am spending time with my kids and doing something that is good for me. This is great for everyone!
Jon and I talked a LOT about baby #3. I still really want a third child, I am just not ready for it now. I am enjoying my family as it is. I know a third baby will be a blessing and we will be just as happy, if not happier, but it will change things. And I am just not ready for that change. Plus I am not ready for the physical changes of being pregnant again. We have decided to put it off for at least one more month, possibly more. Jon is completley open to waiting another year if I feel the need for it. Just knowing that he is okay with this has relieved me sooooooooo much.
I am trying to just let the house stuff be. I know we will find a house when it is the right time. There is no need to stress over it now.
And lastly we started going to church again last week. I feel peaceful after going to church and I have not been since Christmas. I have no excuse, I just have not made it the priority it should be. But I had my wake up call when we walked in last week and big rugrat looks around and says "where are the christmas trees." Oops!

So things are looking up for me. I am getting more sleep and trying to stress less. I have not been to the gym this week and I am trying not beat myself up too much over it. I am actually comtemplating dropping my membership and just walking around my neighborhood more. I don't know though, that is just a thought at the moment.

A higlight this week- little rugrat is starting to say his first word (other than mama and dada). And what is it? more! it sounds more like "mo" but he says it when he wants more food. And this kid can eat! I love hearing him say "mo!"

And the great news around here is....big rugrat is completely potty trained during the day!!!!!!! No accidents in the past three weeks. (this is another You know you are a mom when...highlight =)

Off to watch Cinderell 3..did you know that they made two sequals?

Extreme Makeover- Me Edition

I just found ANOTHER great blog! Amber has set up Extreme Makeover: Me Edition. This is my first week joining in Extreme Makeover: Me Edition. This week's question is Share with us some of your vacation survival strategies.

My biggest problem is eating right. I don't take the time during the day to make healthy meals for myself normally. When we are on vacation I am even worse about eating healthy. Last weekend when we were in Maine eating meals wasn't the problem. The snacks that were so easy to grab were!
Then there is exercising. At home I will get up early and go to the gym. I aim for at least three times a week, sometimes I make it and sometimes I don't. When we are on vacation I take it as a free pass to sleep in. If I don't get out early in the morning I don't get in exercise. I sometimes can get myself to take the kids out in their stroller, but we didn't bring the double stroller with us so that was not an option this past weekend.
I can honestly say I did very little to help keep myself on track during our vacation. THe only good news is that I managed not to GAIN any weight and my in laws noticed that I have lost a couple of pounds as well (always a great compliment!)
We are going away again in the next month, once to Baltimore and once again to Maine. I will hopefully be able to do more of the following:
drink more water
walk whenever I can, to sight see or just to walk for exercise
use the hotel gym (when there is one)
swim (pool in baltimore, lake in maine)
eat smaller portions
when snacking put food in a bowl so I can see what I am eating- eating straight from the bag is decieving sometimes
try to keep it down to one treat a day

One thing that helps as well is how supportive Jon is. He is always telling me how beautiful I am and that I don't need to lose any weight, but if I want to go to the gym for me he will try to help me find the time. I always know that he has always been attracted to me, since my college days when we first got together through pregnancies and now in my post-baby body. He is very vocal about it! I wish I see what he sees more, maybe I wouldn't want to lose weight so badly, but there are so many days where I just don't see what he sees when I look in the mirror.

I really do need to get back on track. We are talking about trying for baby number 3 (somedays I feel more ready than others) and I still have not lost it all from baby number 1 or 2. Plus while pregnant I develop gestational diabetes (2 out of 2 times so far) and by being healthier BEFORE getting pregnant I will set myself up for a better, healthier, easier pregnancy.

The scale has moved!

YES! I finally lost 2 pounds!! I am soooooooooooo happy. okay, I know it is only two pounds and it took me a month to lose it. But still, I actually feel like going to the gym now that I see it is doing something. Plus my main goal is to lose 10 lbs so this puts me 1/5 of the way there. Truthfully I could stand to lose 20, I would feel at my best if I did. But considering how hard it is for me to take off just 10 and I am not actually considered overwieght (just a bit heavier that I feel is my best weight) I won't change my diet completely to lose that extra 10 until I am done having kids. I mean, why work so hard to take that 10 off just to gain it back again? The first 10 pounds need to go BEFORE I get pregnant again.
The walking, elliptical and substituting popsicles for ice cream, and cutting down from two sets of sweets to one day ( I said I have bad eating habits) is finally paying off.

Just need to lose the last eight before a wedding we are going to in two weeks....

Weekly Gym Update

I am putting my membership to good use lately, so I can cross it off the list of things I pay for but do not need/use. I also have been using the jogging stroller every day for walks so another thing I can cross of the list (and not sell at our tag sale- whenever that is).
The downside is that I have not lost any weight. Not one single pound. NOTHING. It is soooooooo frustrating. I have been to the gym three or four times a week plus walking almost every day, sometimes twice a day. I have not changed my eating habits, I admit it. But I went from walking a few times a week to this new schedule. You think SOMETHING would change. I have thought maybe, just maybe, I am building muscle and losing fat so the number is staying the same. But I don't see a difference in the way my clothes fit or anything.
Well, my boobs are smaller so my shirts are fitting differently. But that is not really what I was looking for. Plus it has more to do with little rugrat cutting down on his nursing that with my exercising.

I guess now I have to change my eating habits. *sigh*

Gym check in

So the first week was a good week (but aren't they usually?). I went three times. Andeach time I was at the gym by 5 or 5:30. I even went the day I woke up without water (water main break). Luckily by the time I got home we had water again.
I have also been walking each day, once or twice. I am not becoming an exercise nut, I promise. The gym is me time, and something I need to do. The walking is good for the kids, the dog and me. We try to go each morning. Sometimes Jon wants to go again in the evening. The evening walks are more of a stroll, during the morning I get up a better speed. But it is good to get outside and to get moving.
The eating is not changing. But that is part of the reason for going to the gym. I don't really want to chagne my eating habits too much. I am working on drinking more water (not so hard with the heat we have been having). I am also trying to be more conscous of eating breakfast and more fruits.
So that is my week one check in.
Off to start week two.
Anyone want to join me?

Using my gym membership

One thing they say to do is only buy things you need right? Well I figure that includes a gym membership, which I do need. I have had one for about 2 years now and I have not used it in about 2 months.
I am a creature of habit. This is a good thing and a bad thing. It's good becuase when I get in a good habit I follow it. However, when I get in a bad habit I also follow it.
So for a few months I was going to the gym once or twice a week. Not great, but not all that awful. And then Christmas came. And afterwards I started going again. And then I changed jobs. So I went here and there when I stepped on the scale and got mad.
And suddenly it is May and I have not been in two months.
So yesterday I went.
At 5
am
What was I thinking? Well for anyone who is a morning person, you think I am normal. I am not not a morning person, I just don't believe that morning starts until about 6:30 or 7 am.
However when Jon is working from 6 am until 4 pm and gets home just before dinner my choices are limited. 5 am or 7 pm. 7 sucks. It just does since the place is PACKED and I have already eaten dinner and I am just tired. And I can come up with millions of reasons not to go at that time of day.
So I need to go before my day starts and I think of a million reasons why not to go.
And that brings us to 5
am
5 am
And I am going again tomorrow.
here is the reason- bathing suit season is coming. My sister in law had a baby 6 months ago and already has her pre-baby body back. I had a baby 1 year ago and am still about 20 pounds away from my ideal body, and about 10 pounds away from my realistic body (the one where I can still eat chocolate and ice cream if I exercise and be okay with how I look in a bathing suit). We are all going to Maine in July. If she looks better in a bathing suit than I do...well jealousy is a motivator right?
The other reason is that we are talking about baby #3. That means that I will get big. AGAIN. I don't mind being pregnant, I don't mind the belly bump (at least until I am about 2 weeks post-baby). But I do want to be at my best weight BEFORE I put on more.
And I am paying $20 a month for the membership. Use it or get rid of it right?
For those reasons, and the fact that I really should exercise because it is healthy I was at the gym yesterday.
At 5
am
And I will be there tomorrow
but not until 5:15 am
Yes, 15 minutes does make a difference at 5 in the morning.
Anyone want to join me?