Bump in the Road

Well it seems as though my steady decline towards my goal is taking an upward turn in the name of baby-making! I'm pregnant with baby #2! (I guess my hubby really liked my new body ;) ) I'm a little nervous about gaining baby weight after all my hard work but, on the bright side, after this pregnancy I can reach my goal without having to re-do my work after pregnancy. We plan to have 2 littles and that's it! 

During my last pregnancy, I had a difficult time staying away from fast food and did not exercise consistently (until they told me walking could kickstart labor and then I was all about it!). This pregnancy will give me a second chance to work on my downfalls from my first pregnancy. Luckily, I've established a diet and workout routine. Although I need to alter a few things, I'm hoping to keep up with my health and fitness regiment. 

Obviously my blog-posts are going to be geared toward prego fitness for the next 9 months but I hope you will still read and enjoy!

If Only My Stomach Would Look the Same Way it Does When I Lay Down!

I'm laying down poolside with yet another book to read for my MA Thesis, when I look down and notice that my abs (if you want to call them that) don't look half bad! This was due in part to my oversized sunglasses that gave me the false image of tanned skin, but also in part to the forces of gravity. You see, when laying down, gravity is on your side! Your stomach appears flat as all of your normal flabbiness makes its way to your back which is conveniently unseen (unless the surface you're laying upon has eyeballs. Anyways, in this moment looking down at my abs, I felt sort of proud. So proud, in fact, I snapped one of those ridiculous photos of myself. How disappointed I was when I returned to my apartment and my flat poolside abs were nowhere to be found as I stood standing in front of the mirror. All this to say, my new goal is to get my standing up abs looking the same as my laying down abs!

Best Fruit Dip Ever!

One of my favorite snacks is sliced apples with peanut butter. The problem is that my taste buds insist on having a wad of peanut butter for every bite of apple and so my healthy snack turns into a major caloric feast filled with fats that immediately take residence in my problem areas. I just imagine this peanut butter sticking to my insides while my body unsuccessfully tries to get rid if it, much like the ways dogs are unable to get the peanut butter off the roof of their mouths. Anyways, all this say, I've found a solution!

Take one scoop of peanut butter ( yes, you will still be ingesting peanut butter. It's called moderation people!) and then add in about 3/4 of a yoplait yogurt. I used the "Boston cream pie" flavor. Stir it together until you get a fluffy-like dip. It tastes good with apples, but also with strawberries or bananas! It is such an awesome way to satisfy your sweet tooth! So yummy! Try it!

Yummy lunch recipe!

I just ate a rather delicious lunch so I thought I'd share!

#1 grab 2 chicken breasts and dice into tiny bite size pieces then place in a bowl

#2 add lemon juice, diced cherry tomatoes, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of ginger, Montreal chicken seasoning and squeeze a half an orange into the bowl with the chicken



#3 add the contents of the bowl into a skillet on medium heat. Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly, add a handful of spinach to the skillet

#4 cook 1/2 cup of quinoa

#5 add the quinoa and chicken mixture in a bowl and add some feta cheese for a delicious meal!

#6 let your baby enjoy some quinoa! Malachi loves the texture!

Shopping update!

I've heard that losing weight will save you money, especially in regards to medical and grocery expenses. Lately, however, I've been feeling as though losing weight has some expenses if its own!

I am happy to announce that I have a job interview next week. The problem is that I have no business attire suitable for such a meeting! I went to buy some black business pants and cautiously chose some size 10s, some 8s and a wishful thinking size 6 pencil skirt. I tried the skirt first- perfect fit! All of the size 8s fit comfortably and I didn't even bother with the size 10s! Yay!!!

My next shopping excursion was for a swim suit. The only swim suits I owned were my maternity suit that falls off as soon as I begin walking in it and a tattered and faded black one piece that I've worn for over 3 years. It was definitely time to purchase a new tiny piece of colorful spandex to sport poolside. I was very hesitant to try on two-piece suits. Can moms even wear those? I wasn't sure if there was an unwritten rule or something. Well, if there is, I'm breaking it! I have decided to get my tummy tan, stretch marks and all. I've worked hard to lose weight and I want to wear a bikini!

My shopping excursion today was so positive. I remember a time when crying in the fitting room was a reoccurring experience. And now I sent Ernie to grab smaller sizes and found exactly what I needed!

Take a look at the bathing suit I bought (excuse the close-up of the chest on the last one) and also my outfit I wore out shopping! Feeling so good!

Cut in Half!

Awhile back, my husband allowed me to do some major shopping for new and smaller clothes. Knowing that my next shopping spree would probably not take place until I hit my goal weight, I decided to buy some pants that were a little too tight so that I was all stocked up for style along my weight loss journey. Ever so often, I try on these pants in hope of a better fit. I'm happy to report that I wore my little pair of pants to the park yesterday! Sure, I had to wear a blazer to cover up my obvious muffin top, but I was happy to button and zip them :)

When I began my weight loss journey, I wore a size 14 pants. The floral printed jeans that I was sporting yesterday are a size 7! I cut my jean size in half!!!!! I realize that I am probably unable to squeeze my butt into every size 7 on the shelf, but I am so excited to celebrate this!

Flabulous!

Although I have spent many years of my life at an unhealthy weight, I like to think that my body is pretty well-proportioned. In fact, I have been complimented on my proportions even at my heaviest weight. Not usually by women but by boys who noticed the way those extra ten pounds gave me a booty resembling Kim K's. I managed to keep my waist relatively small but packed on pounds in my butt and thighs. Apparently men find this attractive (unless you're a indie/hipster cigarette smoking fiend who prefers the "bag of bones" type). In fact, this is what attracted my husband to me - that and the fact I was "nice", but we know that it was all about the booty!

Anyways, I give you this backstory to say that, since I've lost so much weight, my plumpness has turned to flab! I wish I could say this saggy skin is cute in the way those trendy hippie clothes hang off skinny people, but this is not the thing you want hanging from your body. I seriously feel like the guy from Austin Powers: Gold Member with all that extra skin. Okay, so I'm exaggerating. But I honestly am in need of some toning! So lately I have taken up some weight training in hopes of tightening up this body! Wish me luck! And, word of advice, add in some strength training to your workout to avoid the same dilemma!

P.S. I am in no way complaining about my weight loss. I am happy to have my flab problem as opposed to my obesity problem!

Emotional Eating

On Super Bowl Sunday my grandma passed away from cancer. She recently told us that she was sick and I was thankful to see her one last time before she went, especially so she could meet Malachi. I was shocked to hear that she had died when she did. I expected to be able to see her at least another time. After my initial tears, I was able to hold it together pretty well. Thoughts would hit me now and again but I was not taking it as hard as other members in my family. But then, on this past Sunday morning, it all hit me. As I was getting ready for church, I reached to put on this Avon unscented hand cream. My grandma hated smells. She had given me this lotion. I just started to cry.

The rest of the day, I went on an emotional eating binge. I was totally eating my feelings. Candy, burrito and fries, ice cream. I did not hold back. I'm fact, I felt sick by the end of the night.

I know this is not a healthy way to handle emotions. I wish I were one of those people who go on a run when they're upset. Instead, I go straight to the kitchen.

The thing that I realized is that that one day will not hurt me. I indulged and then woke up, ready to brace my healthy habits again. I'm not sure this is the best advice or example but I'm just keepin' it real. For many people their "one day" turns into everyday. Luckily I was able to move on from my binge with a 1.5 lb weight gain and that's it. Perhaps in the future, I will attempt a healthier way to control my emotions.


In memory of my grandma. A picture of her and grandpa bob at my wedding.

Preparing meals.

One of the things that I struggle with is the convenience of fast food or take out. After a long day with my puppy and my son, sometimes I don't feel like making a healthy meal no matter how easy it might be. And I definitely don't like doing dishes either. But I have to remind myself that weight loss is about choices. If the choices were easy or convenient, everyone would be fit! So this week I decided to prepare some snacks and meals in hopes of helping myself out during the week! I spent my Sunday night chopping up fresh produce and placing soups and such in containers for later consumption. We will see how it goes!

Shake it!

I have recently experienced another plateau in my weight loss (this is probably the reason for my lack of updates). I seem to be losing the same 2-3 pounds over and over again! How annoying. And, to be honest, the trips to the treadmill are not all that exciting or motivating. So, I decided to shake things up a bit...literally!

I participated in a few Zumba classes at the gym across the street from my house!

At first, I was so nervous to really get into the moves but then I took a look around. The room was full of women of all different shapes and sizes. In fact, a lot of these ladies had a lot more to jiggle around than I did. So I just let loose! I had such a fun time! It gave me energy and the relief of taking off my mommy brain for a minute to just dance!

I'm hoping this will get me moving in the right direction on the scale again!

I bought a SMALL!

I know I already posted something today but I am really excited to share this too!
Yesterday, I was out shopping with my family and I found a skirt that I really liked. The last time I went shopping for myself I was still grabbing XL sizes, maybe L if I hadn't eaten yet. But I thought I would take a chance and buy a Medium, hoping it would fit. I was pretty excited about it, so when I got home I tried it on right away. It was TOO BIG! I was so happy!!!! We had to go back to the store later that night and exchange it for a size SMALL! It has been SOOOO long since I have even considered buying that size!

Another small victory! Pun intended ;)

fitness convo with a friend.

One of my friends recently wrote me on facebook.
 I am hoping that the advice I gave her will help someone else too!
Here is our conversation:

RACHEL!  Hello, beautiful! Long time no talk!

I know this is super random, but I have a question for you.

First off, I've been following your "road to 120" blog/lifestyle. Seriously, you have always been beautiful, but it's been honestly amazing to see the transformation that's taken place over these past months. Not only can I physically see that you shed pounds, but even your smile is more radiant. It's like I can see how happy this transformation has made you - on the inside and the outside!

Anyways, with that being said, I have a question. I feel like such a dork for asking this, but I'm doing it anyways.

The truth is, I've gained a good amount of weight since I came up to college. Sure, it's distributed really well, and I'm pro at hiding it for the most part, but still, I'm tired of HAVING to hide it. Not only that, but I want to be fit. It's not about losing the weight so much as it is about being healthy and feeling good about myself.

Last year at the beginning of the year I lost about 10 pounds because I was working out with a friend. Then I got in a car accident, got busy with school & graduating, and let it all go by the waste side. Now it's a new year (I've gained that extra 10 back .. and more!) and I really want to get back on the bandwagon. (ironically my goal weight is 120 as well!)

Ok, enough with story time. My real question is more so just asking for advice. What works? What doesn't? How have you kept yourself motivated and how do you make time to work out? I know you're incredibly busy so how does it fit in your schedule? Also, what about meals? I have an apartment so I cook for myself (ok, not much of a cook, I more boil pasta and microwave unhealthy stuff....) so I have the freedom to eat whatever I'd like ... however I'm on a tight tight budget so I need to keep it cheap if possible. What are some suggestions that you have?

Sorry, I know this is super random, but I thought you could give me some good tips. My roommates and friends tell me I'm fine, but it's more of a personal thing than anything else. Like I want to feel good about myself and my body. I'm sure that's something you can relate to and that's why I wanted to ask for our advice 

Thanks for even reading this rambling mess. Hahha. Hope you're doing well. You're family is beautiful and I'm so happy for you!  

Thanks again

Here is my reply:

• Oh my gosh, this message makes me so happy  I am so glad that you have been reading my blog. This whole blogging thing has been an amazing experience! I've never realized how great social support can be.

  I totally understand how much weight can determine our moods and attitudes. You totally don't have to explain! Sometimes you just need to feel good about yourself!

  To be honest, a lot of my motivation comes from my family. When you're married, theres someone else that can see your body without the benefits of slimming clothes. And when you have a baby, you get this overwhelming feeling of setting a good example for your little one. BUT....ultimately I really felt that I needed to prove to myself that I can reach my goal. Simply put, I just wanted to feel good about myself! The hardest part is getting started but once you start to see results, you get addicted to seeing progress!

  Advice:

  1. Find accountability. This is one of the main reasons I started my blog. I wanted encouragement and to hold myself accountable to people reading my story. Some people can just journal or use food logs etc, but just find what works for you!

  2. Keep the diet as steady as possible that way a few skipped trips to the gym won't kill you! I've been trying to follow the 17 day diet as close as possible (although that doesn't always happen). It is not as restricting as other diets I've tried and has given me great results! If you want to try it, I can give you the guidelines 

  3. I actually find a lot of motivation from the scale. I'm sort of obsessed with it. I like seeing the numbers go down and it drills it into my head that I don't want to un-do my hard work!

  4. I am super busy with the baby! and it is really hard to work out but I try and make short trips to the gym in our apartment complex. Just 30 minutes on the treadmill makes a big difference and, like I said, if your diet is on point then don't beat yourself up if you're exhausted and stay in for the night!

  5. I totally get the cooking budget deal! Try to buy meat in bulk because it's the most expensive (find someone with a costco card that you can pay back for a ton of chicken lol) and if you're eating a lot of produce and cut out fast food then it really isn't so bad!

  I hope all of this helps! If you need more info or have more questions just write me! 

  
  

  
  

  Hope that this will help everyone. Thank you for you love and encouragement friends!

Goodbye 160s!

As you all know, I have been working hard to get below the 160 mark. I have had the hardest time! But this morning...victory is mine!!!!! Weighing in at 159.0! I am so happy to finally be done with the 160s! I haven't been in the 150s for years!!!! (Sorry for all the exclamation marks but I am just so excited!!!!!!!!)

Yesterday I didn't cheat on my diet at all and I'm pretty sure that is what did the trick. I was also able to get a little more rest which I'm told helps out with weight loss.

My next goal is to get to 155 because that is the shopping spree goal that my hubby set for me a while back. Only 4 pounds!

Thank you for sharing in my small victories :) Your encouragement means a lot to me!

Trader Joe's is my best friend.

Here are some of the things I've been making on my 17 day diet: totally yummy!

Breakfast time!
Trader joes has amazing low-fat chocolate yogurt. Put some in a bowl with a handful of sliced almonds and 3-4 diced strawberries. It is a great alternative for other sweet tooth cravings!

Lunch time!
Fill a bowl with dark leafy spinach. Throw some boneless chicken tenders in a skillet with low-fat Italian dressing. Use some of those almonds and strawberries from breakfast to throw in your salad and top with a yummy raspberry vinaigrette! Yum!
*sorry there is no picture of this. It looked so good and I ate it all up before I remembered to take a picture :)

Dinner time!
Buy the Asian stir fry mix at trader joes and a bag of sea food stir fry. Dump them both in a large skillet with a an Asian stir fry sauce and enjoy all that protein and veggie nutrition! Super easy!

17 days: accelerate!

I have definitely hit a wall in my weight loss. It has been a week with no signs of improvement! I was trying to reach my goal without sticking to any particular diet but after hitting this plateau... 17 day diet, here I come! I was loosely following this diet before I got pregnant and shortly after Malachi was born. Each time I used the guidelines, I was successful. Why did I ever stop? Duh Rachel! After re-reading the text, I saw that you can lose 10-12 pounds in the first 17 days! Sounds good to me!

The thing that I love about this diet is that you are allowed servings of fruit! It is balanced and easy to follow. If you are interested in this diet or want to learn more about it, check out this website:

http://www.the17daydiet.com

I will keep everyone posted on my progress! Fingers crossed! Time to get through this plateau!

Retail Motivation

I have been working hard the last few days to break through my 165 wall on the scale and head into the 150s! The other morning I was sharing my fight against these numbers with Ernie. In the midst of our conversation I was also able to joyfully declare that I have shrunk out of all my jeans! This means leggings will be my garment of choice for a bit of time. After hearing me babble on for a little while, I could see that his wheels were working."how about this: if you're able to make it to 155 by the end of the month I will give you some money to go on a shopping trip." Music to my ears!!! Instead of rewarding myself with a cheat meal, I will just push on and buy smaller clothes as my treat! It really has helped me get into the gym :) I let my mind wander with thoughts of cute jeans as I run!

concerning jessica alba's abs.

Last week, my sister came over to my apartment to visit malachi. In the midst of discussion, she asked me if i plan on letting Malachi drink soda. Ernie and I have recently cut out most of the soda from our diets so I said that I don't want it to be a habit and I plan on keeping it from him as long as possible. she replies that I can do what jessica alba does with her kids- give them juice with sparkling water and call it soda!

The other day we were all gathered around my parent's dining room table eating a carb-a-licious meal with diet pepsi cans all around (a definite cheat meal on my part). i had mentioned the conversation i had with emily about jessica alba's soda solution for kids. my dad, who keeps up with daily celebrity gossip on yahoo news, chimes in with how AMAZING Jessica Alba looks in a bikini even after having kids. I quickly try to end the conversation there as Jessica Alba is Ernie's all-time celebrity crush and I didn't really want him to have a reason to look up pictures of her in her skimpy post-partum bikini. My efforts failed and this conversation about Jessica Alba went on for quite some time. My dad made a comment about how you could "bounce a quarter off those abs". To which my mom and I banter back that a quarter could bounce off of our abs too, it would just look more like something bouncing off "the blob" at fat camp.

The next day, my "jealous girlfriend" persona came out and decided to look at the pictures for myself. She really did look amazing! In her interview she attributes her physical success to eating organic, drinking lots of water and completely cutting out high-sugar, processed foods.

Later that night, I find myself thinking about her comment. "Of course! Your personal trainer, chef and upcoming role as a stripper (classy) have nothing to do with your amazing body. Let's just all buy eight dollar apples that become rotten the moment they make it to the refrigerator- THAT's the secret!" I was obviously still thinking with my "jealous girlfriend" thinking cap. After my sarcastic rant I had a second thought: I'm sure that having a seemingly unlimited bank account aids in wonderful fitness tools but when it comes down to it- motivation is motivation. Who's to say that I wouldn't be one of the yo-yo dieters of Hollywood? Maybe I would be in the Oprah, Janet Jackson, Kirstie Alley crew. Whether we like it or not, these people ARE motivated! They take their jobs seriously. In fact, we should be grateful that such people find themselves in Hollywood instead of infiltrating our work fields and showing all of us up with their drive to success and money.

The point that I concluded with is that having a nice body has to be taken seriously, choices have to be made, your lifestyle has to change. thanks for the motivation Jess! ;)

this is so embarrassing.

Well part of the reason I wanted to write a blog about my weight loss journey is so that I can feel accountable to the people reading it. So here is the truth: my weight has been going up and down all week long. I have been active but a little too indulgent in the eating department. This morning happens to be an "up" morning on the scale so I resolved to take some action.

Although I have lost 35 pounds since the birth of my son, I don't want my progress to stop! This HAS to be the year that I hit my goal weight! I have decided to post a picture of the truth, how my body looks today, in hopes of coupling this picture with a "new hot body" picture months from now. I have totally dreaded doing this, hence the reason I avoided pictures of me at nearly 200 pounds. I know that this picture is more like a "mid-progress" picture but I thought it might motivate me and possibly encourage others. I totally feel like the people on The Biggest Loser who have to weigh in the first day on campus, but I'm hoping it'll have the same results- to get me on track to lose a lot of weight. Here we go! Ahhhh!

Hiking & brownies

Yesterday was my dad's 51st birthday! In an effort to throw in some fun family exercise, I suggested that we go on a family hike up mount rubidoux. It was nice to visit and chat! I started to feel happy about embracing an active lifestyle. My buns are actually sore today! I can't say that the birthday dinner was super healthy but the hike cancelled the extra calories and I'm ok with that! I'm finding that balance is important!

treadmill wars: the joys of a gym workout

We recently moved into an apartment complex that has a small gym. Inside there are two treadmills. This often times denies the luxury of the third treadmill buffer, leaving no other choice but to run side by side with another apartment gym rat.

Every time I walk up to the glass door, I secretly hope that I will have the place to myself. Last night I was not so lucky. Two high school boys were finishing their lifting routine as I entered. Obviously uncomfortable with sharing the confined space, they both left.

So I'm running (*speed walking at a slight incline), when a grey-hooded man enters and takes up the treadmill next to mine. As he begins his workout I immediately feel intimidated at his initial incline choice. Is this guy training to hike Everest or what? I increase my speed. Soon I hear his footsteps pounding on the spinning belt at double the speed of mine. I shoot a quick glance to see a 6.0 speed. I begin to run but am sure to show more control than this amateur, landing as softly as possible with each step. We keep this up for some time before he moves to the elliptical. Yes! I stayed on for a few more minutes to have the last laugh.

I'm pretty sure I made up this friendly competition in my head but it totally works! The joys of being in the gym!

surprise, surprise

So it turns out that I am joining the rest of America with a resolution to lose weight for the New Year!

Although I have not been faithful in documenting my weight loss journey for the end of 2012, I have made some progress! I now weigh 165 and have successfully said goodbye to the 170s! So I'm on my way!

My plan for the new year is to lose weight but also to write about my journey and to share any type of success I might have...tips and whatnot.

I wish I could begin the new year with a helpful hint for weight loss success. here is my alternative experience:

This morning I was up before the sun at 4:45am. I was beyond proud of myself. I took the puppy outside to go poddy. I had my florescent nike running shoes on and was about to head out the door to the gym. I grabbed the keys to lock my baby and hubby safely inside the apartment. Of course, all of our keys look exactly the same (especially at 5am). Turns out, I grabbed the wrong set of keys. One step over the threshold and I hear a whining from the bedroom. Surprise, surprise Malachi was awake and wanted a little snack.
So much for a trip to the gym!

I climbed into bed and Ernie says, "guess we'll keep your workout time in the evening."