Shoes to Lose

I am so overwhelmed by the comments on my last post. I seriously have the best readers and it is no wonder that I was doing so well when I was checking in regularly with you guys. You make everything sound possible. Thank you all so much for your love and support. I feel so blessed to have received your encouragement. Many of you gave me recommendations that I should get to a good place emotionally before I try to tackle my body issues. I've considered this and come to the conclusion that I feel better emotionally when I treat my body well. I've never regretted eating well or felt worse after a workout than I did before. I'm hoping that in an effort to take care of my physical self, that my emotional self will take care of itself. Tomorrow morning I'm starting anew. I'm going to count calories and am setting my goal at 1800. Even if I go over my goal, it will be a big step for me just to keep a journal of everything that I'm eating. I'm also making a goal t...

I stand before you a completely different person than I was when I last wrote. I'm overweight and unmotivated. I'm no longer a full time employee and am now a part-time employee and a full-time mom. Last June I gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl this world has ever seen. (There is a good chance that I'm biased.) I struggled with my pregnancy. I wasn't expecting the appetite that I developed and with an early warning of hypertension, I was on modified bed rest for over 12 weeks and unable to workout. I gained weight. A lot of weight. But I also gained one of these, meet Isla: Since the birth of my daughter I've had a hard time motivating myself again. I'm often tired at the end of my day and have no desire to workout. Having both hands frequently full, I've not made the effort to prepare healthy meals for my family. There is no room in the budget for a new pair of shoes for each 10 lbs lost and when I finally get to see my husband at the end of the da...

One of my biggest fears when it came to losing weight was that I'd gain it all back. The statistics are staggering. It seems that nearly two thirds of those who lose weight gain it all back, and then some within the same amount of time it took them to lose it. Why was I going to be any different? What would separate me from the others? I thought I would be good for a while. At least while I was young and childless. I'd be motivated by the shopping for clothes and shoes. I'd workout often because I'd have the time and energy. I would be just fine until I got pregnant. Long before becoming pregnant, I knew that I would struggle with it. I knew that I would put on weight (even if rightfully so) and have a hard time getting it back off. I was worried I'd return to my old ways of mindless eating and lazy evenings at home. Several of you have asked how I have managed to gain so little in my pregnancy and you've express fears that becoming pregnant will make you gain a...

Several months ago while dining at one of our favorite restaurants, Matt and I shared a dish that I still dream about. It was cheesy and buttery but not too heavy. It was flavorful and tender. It was ricotta gniocchi. We left assuming that it was a specialty item that we'd likely never get again until I stumbled upon a recipe for it at allrecipies.com. The recipe was highly reviewed and had several comments stating how wonderful and easy it was to make. I knew this was going to be on our menu. Since the recipe called for the dough to be refrigerated before cooking I decided to make the gnocchi the night before we were going to eat it. I also took pictures of every step along the way because I knew this was going to be something I'd want to share with you. I got all my ingredients lined up. Mixed them into a soft beautiful dough. Kneaded and formed the dough into rolls. and cut the dough into small dumplings. I laid the little puffs onto a floured baking sheet and placed in the...

GIRL! Isn't she lovely? I am now almost 23 weeks pregnant and I've gained a total of 11 lbs.

I’ve always loved magazines. The glossy pages, the full-color pictures, the perfume samples that make the whole thing smell good. Oh, I love magazines. Magazines have also been very helpful to me when it comes to my journey to get healthier. Its motivating to see success stories in magazines and helpful tips to get the most out of your food and your workouts. I subscribe to many fitness magazines including SELF, Shape, Weight Watchers, and Women’s Health. I may have a problem, but you can get them for so cheap! (Think $0.50 an issue.) I love that they give me extra motivation when I see them on my counter and they also give me wonderful recipes to try out. So, it is no surprise that I was beyond thrilled when I was interviewed for a magazine. A real-life, glossy-paged magazine. If you pick up “My Weight Loss 2011” (a Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Magazine) on shelves through March, you’ll find my face and interview on page 17. I was interviewed back in July before the cr...

I know this post is long, but hear me out. One of the biggest things that has helped me get back on track is the fact that Matt is currently participating in a "Transform Your Body" competition at a local gym. As part of his participation he has a free gym membership and a personal trainer for 12 weeks. He's been on track for almost 4 weeks and has lost 25 lbs. (Yes, irritating, I know) However, this has become a huge lifesaver for me because I know I can't really keep sweets and snacks around the house and I can't justify cooking him a fattening meal. Its easier when I put him first. I may want pizza, but my husband needs a meal that will fill him up and won't be too high in calories. (More on this later) As part of his participation he needed to attend a seminar at the gym. His personal trainer, who is also trained as a sports nutritionist, was putting on a seminar on nutrition and told him she wanted his wife to attend. At first I was hesitant because, I...

I have been feeling the love since my last blog post! I am so grateful to have such an amazing support system to come back to and I'm glad to hear that you all won't mind a few (a lot) of baby posts coming up in the future. Those of you that have been following me for quite some time know that the elliptical is my go-to workout. It was the only exercise I did when I started my healthy journey because it was something I didn't have to think about, and I could burn a lot of calories in not a lot of time. I was best friends with my elliptical for several hours a week and it really helped me to achieve my goals. I have to say that during my recent exercise hiatus I did miss it a little. I missed the feeling of my heart pounding in my chest and the sweat starting to form on my head. Thats not to say that I missed it enough that I actually sought it out. When I decided to resume my exercise routine I spoke with my doctor about it first. It used to be that when you were pregnant y...

I haven’t blogged in over a month and it is because I’ve been afraid. I know that sounds strange as there really is nothing to be scared of when it comes to writing down your thoughts but sometimes it makes it that much more real. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not scared to be pregnant (well other than the usual concerns, ya know) I’m scared of the changes that will be happening to me. Here are the three biggest reasons I’ve been MIA. 1. I’ve gained weight. There. I said it. I know that I’m pregnant and that gaining weight is acceptable and healthy for me and baby. My doctors (Yes, I had two of them. The first turned out to be a jerk. More on that to come.) both agreed that I should gain about 25 lbs throughout my pregnancy. However, before I even knew I was pregnant I had gained weight and I didn’t want to confess it to you. I struggled with my diet all through September and October before I even knew I was pregnant. That was probably a blessing since I don’t know if I would still be bles...