Catching up

Catching up. Do we every catch up? My answer is "probably not," but I'll still attempt to catch up just a bit here on my blog.

First of all, I have an almost-two-year old son! I used to internally roll my eyes when people said "oh, they grow up so fast," but seriously, they grow up so fast. Right now I'm in the process of planning Jude's second birthday party at the Henry Doorly Zoo. He seems to really love animals and we thought it would be a lot of fun for our friends and family. I'm hoping to get our invitations in the mail next week because his party is at the end of April. I love a good theme, so naturally, we're going with a zoo animal theme. A few weeks ago Jude's Montessori school was closed for staff training, so he and I spent the day at the zoo. We had an unfortunate run-in with a super-loud monkey, so I'm hoping any of the memories from that are gone by the time his party rolls around. I have brought up the zoo monkeys a couple times and he starts saying "no no no" and hugging himself. Sorry, little buddy!

Most of my friends and family already know this, but I have been working on my master's degree over the past couple years. I started out going full-time, but once I had Jude it was just too much. I was working a full-time job and going to school full-time. So, now I am working full-time and going to school half-time. I have no idea when I will finish, but completing my master's has been a goal of mine for several years. I'm really blessed that my husband is supportive of my continuing education. Late last year I had a practicum and the hours involved were killer. My husband was seriously super-dad, taking great care of Jude on the weekends and several week nights while I worked. This term just started and will end this summer.

We took a trip to Colorado in February and visited Copper Mountain and Vail. Scott and I had a wonderful time with Jude. Traveling was fun before kids, and I'll be honest--I wasn't sure how traveling would be after kids. It's different, and more challenging, but good. Experiencing different things through your child's eyes is magical. Before we had Jude, Scott and I always said that we wouldn't be the type of people who stopped going places because they have kids. And I'm really proud to say that we've been able to keep that promise to ourselves. However, you get really skilled at distraction, making up songs and games, hauling bags and supplies like a pack mule and teamwork.

Both Scott and I are making a better effort to eat healthier foods and exercise more. I started exercising at the YMCA again and it feels good. I'm in terrible shape compared to where I was when we moved to Omaha (and 45 pounds heavier!) but I'm working at it. One day at a time.

I'm usually someone who dislikes warm weather, but this year I'm really looking forward to summer. I can't wait for fun at the splash park, meals on the deck and time spent outside. And I'm hoping to blog more, too. I really enjoy writing and blogging, but over the past couple years, I've been doing so much writing for school and work that writing for pleasure has taken a back seat.

So that's it for "catching up." This week is Holy Week which is special to many people, including to me as a Catholic. Whether or not you celebrate Holy Week, I pray that you are blessed this week.

Kelly

#TBT

This photo was taken in 2009. I was healthy and happy. Running every night, lifting weights and swimming. I had completed my first triathlon just a few months prior. 

Sometimes I look at this photo and it evokes a sadness in me. I suppose because the body I have now looks and feels nothing like the one in this picture. 

But today, instead of feeling sad, I am choosing to look at this photo and feel hopeful. I am hopeful that my body can look and--more importantly--feel this way again. 

When were you at your best physically?  How did you feel?

Postpartum Weight Issues

The weekend I found out I was pregnant.

You've just had a baby. You are exhausted, your hormones have completely crashed, you are covered in a mixture of breast milk (or formula), spit up and baby pee (if you have a little boy you know what I mean). You feel lucky to get a shower and putting on makeup is a feat you would compare--at this point--to climbing Everest. Your body looks and feels completely different. The adorable, round tummy that you loved and once held your little one is gone and left in its place is a soft, poochy thing you don't recognize. And thank God for maternity clothes. Yep, you'll still be wearing them after you give birth. 

Postpartum body issues can be tough. Perhaps you're one of the lucky women who don't/won't struggle with these issues--and I hope you are. I, however, haven't been so fortunate.

Back in August 2013 when I found out I was pregnant, I had actually been trying to lose the approximately 30 pounds I had gained since Scott and I moved to Omaha. Why the weight gain? I went from working out almost daily (I worked as the marketing director for the YMCA at the time so I literally worked in a gym) to being really sedentary and the stress of a new city, new job and new home triggered my previously-resolved emotional eating issues. It was like the perfect storm for weight issues. 

I'm not going to lie--although I was thrilled to discover I was pregnant, my mind soon switched gears and I began to panic about my weight. I had hoped to lose 30 pounds and was now pregnant, which can typically cause the average woman to gain about 30 pounds (or more!). 

Me at nine months pregnant--about
 a week before having Jude.

During the nine months of my pregnancy, I worked fairly hard to maintain a healthy amount of weight gain. At my first pregnancy appointment I weighed 174 pounds. For the first six months my weight didn't increase a ton and my doctor was pleased. Starting the pregnancy overweight, it wasn't recommended that I gain a ton. But as any of you mamas know, some gain is inevitable and I ended my pregnancy at about 205 pounds.

After Jude was born, I was so worried about the baby weight coming off. Now, I know it doesn't work this way for everyone, but breastfeeding really helped me with this. At first I was exclusively breastfeeding and was back to my pre-pregnancy weight within two weeks! I was thrilled, naturally. 

Breastfeeding was getting more and more difficult, though. He didn't have a good latch from the beginning and my supply was really suffering. Because he wasn't gaining weight, I had to begin supplementing with formula (which devastated me, but more on that in a later post). Soon, I found that because I was not breastfeeding exclusively, my weight began to slowly creep up. 

Two days after giving birth. Getting ready to leave the hospital.

So, here I am, just over six weeks postpartum. I've decided that now is a good time for me to get my body and health back on track using Weight Watchers. About six years ago, I used Weight Watchers to lose weight I had been packing on before taking my job at the YMCA. The program worked really well for me and I was successful. As someone who has suffered with eating and body image issues in the past, I like this program because it doesn't restrict foods and creates a supportive environment. I'll be using my iPhone to track my Weight Watchers points and progress. I would also stress that I'm not planning to get too stressed out about the numbers on a scale. My main priority is my health and being fit and healthy for my little boy, my husband and of course, myself.

Because I'm a first-time mom, I don't have a ton of advice or wisdom for other moms dealing with weight or body image issues after the birth of their babies. But I can say that I empathize with you. In a society that puts airbrushed celebrity post-baby bodies on the covers of magazines and applauds these women for "having their bodies back" within mere weeks of giving birth, the pressure to look a certain way is real. And while I don't think it's bad to be concerned with your weight or health after giving birth, I think the best thing we new moms can be obsessed with in the postpartum period is our precious little babies. Our weight will still be here in a few months and we can work on it in our own time. Newborns, however, don't keep. 

Well-being Wednesday: Success on the Scale!

Another Well-being Wednesday has rolled around and I'm happy to report positive health news.

My weight is down two pounds to 155!

The scale and I are typically not good friends, as I've always had to work, work, work to see weight loss. And this past week, I did just that. Between drinking tons of water, moving more and choosing mostly fruits, veggies and lean meats, the plateau I've been on may finally be breaking down.

The goal I've set for next week is to lose another pound. I'm planning to hit the gym even more and continue with the fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meat that I've been eating.

What are your well-being plans for the coming week? I'll be checking in again next Wednesday, so until then,  let's live healthy!

Well-Being Wednesday

Today I'm starting a new series of posts: Well-Being Wednesdays. My health, well-being and weight are issues I could discuss at length every day, but I don't want my blog to become a place where that's my only focus. Enter Well-Being Wednesdays. I'll post my progress as well as share health and well-being tips and information. Of course, it's a given that I'll at least mention health and fitness in other posts. This is a blog about my life and it just so happens that said topic is a big part of it.

And since I'm feeling bold, brave and inspired, I'm about to share something with you that only my husband knows. My weight. "Hi, my name is Kelly. I'm 5'3" and weigh 157 pounds."

Am I happy with that number? Quite frankly, no. Do I hate my body? No. Do I want to live a healthier life and feel better about myself? Yes.

There is no doubt that shedding excess weight will help me to not only look but feel much better. The past ten years of my life have been a complete roller-coaster with the scale, dieting and exercise. I've lived my life in extremes--at times being super-disciplined with my nutrition and fitness and at times being super-lax.

I know that my body looks and feels its best operating at around 135 pounds. I've been there several times and it's my ultimate goal to get back to that place. I want to reach my "feel-great weight." And I want to do it the right way, through healthy nutrition and exercise.

As I inch closer and closer to the big 3-0, it's dawned on me that I've spent nearly a decade of my life unhappy with my body. When I was thin, I was unhappy because I thought I could be thinner. When I was at my heaviest (170 pounds) I was unhappy because I knew I could be thinner and felt like crap.

It's time for me to re-claim my body instead of it claiming me. Period.

Here's my whole-body, well-being plan to reach my goal:

• Eat a clean diet (Mostly clean, allowing room for a few treats. No deprivation!)
• Drink more water. My goal is at least 40 ounces daily.
• Exercise four times per week (to start). A combo of cardio and weights.
• Plan meals and snacks every day. Be prepared.
• Implement a "reward" system for extra motivation and to celebrate achievements.
• Work to get more sleep at night, going to bed earlier.

So, here I am, all 157 pounds of me, getting ready to embark on a new, well-being journey. And I want to clarify that this isn't all about body image. It's about feeling good, being healthy and living a life of balance. That's the ultimate reward.

Are you on a well-being journey? I'd love to hear it. Even better, let's travel together.

Healthy Inspiration: April

Here is my inspiration board for April. Here's to making it a great month!

Airplanes and animals

I can't believe tomorrow is already Wednesday. This week is flying.

I wanted to share a few snapshots from our weekend. We stayed busy with Scott's parents visiting us for a trip to the zoo and to a local air show--I really enjoyed both.

























I have officially declared tomorrow Weigh-in Wednesday. Why? Because I have got to start being accountable for this weight I gained after moving and starting a new job (a year ago!). I have been ultra un-motivated lately. Does anyone else struggle with this? Of course they do, they're human.

My plan is to begin writing Weigh-in Wednesday posts each week to stay accountable with my progress as it relates to healthy living, eating and exercise.

It's time to do something. My body is feeling totally "eh." And so is my mind. The spring has been missing from my step for quite a while.

My plan? Eating right, keeping a food journal and MOVING more. The old, time-tested method of burning off more calories than I take in. I don't believe in crash diets or shortcuts.

You can follow my progress here. I plan to share the good, the bad and of course, the ugly. My goal is to not only motivate myself, but others who may be reading this blog. After all, there is strength in numbers. Surround yourself with others who share and respect your lifestyle, struggles and goals.

I'm getting excited for the weekend. My husband and I are hosting a little get-together at our home. Drinks, appetizers and fire-pit time. I have a few things to get prepared, but other than that, we like to keep things laid back, so I'm not stressing the details too much.

To end this post with a little dry humor--my favorite type--I leave you with a quote from the beloved Jack Handey.

"If when you die you get a choice between pie heaven and regular heaven, choose pie heaven. It might be a trick but if not mmmboy." -Jack Handey

I hope you're having a great week.

Mini Meals

I've always possessed a big appetite. I've never been one to leave uneaten food on my plate or eat a few bites of something, saving the rest for later. As I get older, my big appetite has posed a big problem--issues with portion control and weight gain.

Something that's really seemed to help is eating more frequently--mini meals, if you will. I eat about five to six times each day, starting with breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid-afternoon snack and finally, supper. Sometimes I'll sneak in a low-calorie snack before supper, so I'm not tempted to graze while I cook.

I like to keep my mini-meals (snacks) light and satisfying. No cardboard-tasting food for this hungry, Midwestern girl.















In order to prevent a re-creation of the famous Godzilla scene at my office and home, these are some of my go-to foods:

• Mini bags of light popcorn
• Single-serve bags of pretzels
• Cheese sticks
• Yogurt
• Apples with peanut butter
• Hummus and veggies
• Oranges
• Oatmeal
• Celery with peanut butter
• Carrot sticks
• Berries
• Almonds
• Grapes
• Mini whole wheat bagels
• Cottage cheese
• Serving of dry cereal (such as Special K)

Let's talk about journaling

No, not the type of journaling you did in fifth grade using your Lisa Frank unicorn-covered journal.

Food journals.

I was first introduced to the idea of food journaling when I started attending Weight Watchers meetings back in 2007. The concept involves writing down everything you eat. The purpose of doing this is to see--right before your eyes--what (and how much) you're actually consuming. If you've never done this, I highly recommend it. I was eating probably two to three times the food my body needed. What a wake-up call.

When I journal, I like to be able to do it quickly and have the ability to know how many calories I've eaten, so I use Livestrong.com. They have a great (free) nutrition log that allows you to enter what you've eaten and feature a massive list of foods and their calorie values including name brands and restaurants.

To take journaling one step further and to increase your chances for weight loss success, try adding meal planning to your journaling. This involves planning out your day's meals and snacks by writing it in your journal. I like to do this for a couple days at a time. The night before, I'll look at my journal (which is a pad of legal paper--nothing fancy) and get my food in order for the next day.

Okay, this may sound like a lot of work but I can genuinely tell you that the work works. It pays off. I hadn't used a food journal in months and found the scale gradually increasing so for the past two week's I've journaled nearly everything I've consumed. I have lost five pounds. I can't speak for you, but that five-pound loss is worth the five to ten minutes each day it takes me to plan out my day and write down my food.

There are so many options available in the world of food journaling. For instance, if you aren't a pen-and-paper gal, try the method I recommended above--online journaling. Here are a few of the great, free online resources, that I've tried, for food journaling:

• Livestrong.com
• Sparkpeople.com
• Dailyburn.com

In the end, food journaling is all about accountability. Accountability to yourself--to your goals.

"We are accountable only to ourselves for what happens to us in our lives." -Mildred Newman-

The scale! The scale!

Perhaps it was the grogginess I felt this morning after my husband left for the office at 5 a.m. Perhaps it was the fact that I'm in a good mood, as it's Friday. Whatever the reason, I decided to step on the scale this morning. I've been avoiding it like the plague.

The scale doesn't lie. Especially not when you use a purple, five-pound dumbbell to test its accuracy first.

So in an effort to 'fess-up to my past eight months of sloth and gluttony, I present you my results: 149. That's up 11 pounds from where I was when Scott and I moved eight months ago. And 11 pounds on my short 5'3" frame is visible. What's more, I'm running out of clothes. All my jeans are snug in the hips and waist and uncomfortable.

But I'm not going to focus on that. I'm going to choose to focus on the positive. Like the fact that I've been doing my workouts every night. And I've been more conscious of my food choices. And I've been drinking more water.

The way I see it, you can choose to focus on the past or the future--and the past only keeps you at the same place or behind where you are now.

I didn't put that weight on in a month and it won't come off in a month either. Patience isn't a virtue I posses a lot of, but it's going to have to be something I strive to find.

I can say that it feels good to come clean. I've definitely been in a bit of denial about my weight gain. So now that I have that out in the open, I think it's time to move on.

Here's to health, happiness and the peace a $5 bathroom scale can bring you when you are willing to accept what it tells you. (And how you got there)

30-Day Shred

My dear friend Anna invited me to join her (and a number of her friends) to participate in a Facebook fitness challenge. The invite found its way to my inbox right before the New Year. This timing, coupled with facing the fact that I've put on about 15 pounds since moving in June, was enough for me to click "attending."

She set the challenge up on Facebook and encouraged us to invite other friends to participate. The concept is simple--work out using the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred DVD. And of course, be more mindful of what we're eating. The challenge Facebook page is a spot for us to post comments, questions and encouragement.

I already owned the DVD (suffered a failed attempt at the Shred a few months ago) so that was the easy part. The challenge is finding the motivation to do the workout daily. So far, so good. I found that if I turn down the volume of the DVD and turn up my iTunes playlist, I enjoy it much more. I'd much rather listen to Snoop Dogg's Drop it Like it's Hot than Jillian tell me that I can't get abs for free. Really? [insert sarcastic tone here]

You see, I'm not one of those people who feel lost without a workout or can't function without a run. Fitness does not come naturally to me. I know that if I seek results, I must find motivation...somewhere. Anywhere.

When I don't want to put in my whopping 20-minute workout, I need to remind myself of these things:

• My health--my family has a strong history of heart- and vascular-related disease.

• Energy--being able to do daily tasks (such as shopping--hey, whatever you gotta tell yourself, right) with more vigor.

• Confidence--being able to wear my clothes with confidence and not be worried about a bulge here or a stomach-pooch there.

• Stress--exercise has been touted as a great, natural stress reducer. And who doesn't need that?

• Balance--finding time to exercise gives me 20 minutes to clear my mind so that I can be a better, more "together" person for those who count on me.

And if these aren't good enough reasons to knock out a quick workout every day, promising yourself a new pair of jeans or shoes might just do the trick. Again, whatever works, right?

Photo courtesy of Jillianmichaels.com

Are you there, Snickers?

Are you there, Snickers? It's me, Kelly.

I'm simply writing to tell you that we won't be seeing much of each other any more.

You're poison to me. I fall apart at the very sight of you--losing all control.

I'm sure this will be harder on me than you. Seriously.

We'll always have our memories, except mine are stuck on my waist so I hope to be rid of them soon. Really soon.

Love,


Kelly

Eleven Pounds

I stepped on the scale last night. Eleven pounds to go until I'm at my "goal" weight.

Can I do this?

I think a better question is "will I do this?" Because I already know I can. I've come a long distance. (I lost 30 pounds in 2007/2008) I've put about five of those back on since moving.

My plan is to check in on my blog every Wednesday to update my progress. Wish me luck.