Wake Up Call

When I was pregnant with Matthew, I had Gestational Diabetes. To be honest, it sucked. I hated counting carbs, always eating a protein with everything, and checking my blood sugar four times per day along with my dreaded night time insulin shot. After Matthew was born, my blood sugars returned to normal and I had a normal A1c reading at my follow-up appointment in October. Everything looked good and I promised to start exercising and eating better.

Then life happened.

My baby was fussy and had a lot going on for the first year. Every time he would seem to get better, he would start crying again and it was enough to drive you batty. I was constantly asked what was wrong with him and it was rough. We had plenty of good moments and he grew out of it and finally started sleeping through the night consistently after his first birthday, but it was a rough time.

During that time, I decided that I was too tired and overwhelmed to watch what I ate and really exercise. It's sad and such a bad decision looking back, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20.

I went in for a physical a few weeks ago because I needed to get my A1c checked and everything checked out well! Then, I got the dreaded phone call that my number had gone up and they needed me to make some changes.

Metformin ::check::

Eat Less Carbs ::check::

Cut Back on Sugar ::check::

Exercise ::check::

I have to admit that it was a rough call to get. How on earth could my number be that high? It's not in the diabetic range, but it's close enough for comfort and the good old internet would tell me that it's considered "prediabetic" {shudder}.

So, I've been counting my carbs, eating balanced meals and snacks (carbs:protein) and just doing my best. I haven't started working out yet and I plan to get on that when my foot is back to normal, but let's just say this sucks, but I made my choice and this is what happens.

It took a few days for me to not feel sorry for myself and I've been doing better with this transition. It's been a few weeks and I've already lost a little bit of weight so that's definitely positive, but it's still hard. I'm working on the right decisions one day at a time and know that this has to be taken care of now so it doesn't develop into diabetes. It's reversible at this point and that's the plan...to reverse the effects and get my A1c down.

If anyone has any suggestions, encouragement, advice, or anything, please feel free to share!

Fit Fridays {Week 1}

It's that time again! Time to really work on being fit and healthy. I can't believe it's been almost two years since I was really dedicated to working out and eating right. Gosh, that sounds horrible, but here I am ready and willing to work hard.

I'm not going to lie. I've been lazy and super lax on my diet. I've eaten what I want, when I've wanted and have had to talk myself off of the ledge from eating ice cream all day long on more than one occasion, but that's all going to stop. I can still have ice cream, just in moderation and proper portion sizes. I would like to try to not count calories this time around, but we'll see how that goes.

My motivation is simple: I need to lose weight and get healthy so that my blood sugar doesn't end up too high. Yes, I've been checking my fasting numbers lately and they've been higher than I like which puts me in the *gulp* pre-diabetic category. That's about all the motivation I need since having gestational diabetes so here I am ready and willing to work hard and see where this gets me.

I've ordered a few crucial things (namely, a scale that works) and I've been working out for about a week already so it's mainly continuing that and changing my diet hard-core. I'm big into moderation and not giving up on any given food unless I have to. I guess we'll just jump on the bandwagon and see how this goes!

Here are my starting stats:

Weight: 214.6

Waist: TBD*

Hips: TBD*

*I'll be measuring tomorrow morning.

 

I would honestly love any and all encouragement along the way that I can get. Realizing that I'm at this starting place with my weight and fasting blood sugar is very sobering. I need to get healthy for myself and to set a good example for my family. Any tips?

Processed

With only being a couple of weeks away from the settlement on our house, I've really been thinking about what things we should be changing. It's no secret that my in-laws and I do things a tad bit differently and that's been a source of contention at times.

One of the things I was really moving towards when we lived in our apartment was to eat less processed foods. Now, don't get me wrong, I love me some boxed muffins and stuff, but there are so many things out there that are full of unnecessary chemicals and preservatives and it really bothers me. As with anything, it's all about finding and creating a balance.

I love food, but I've noticed that I'm sensitive to a lot of things which makes it very difficult. I'm even allergic to sweet-n-low and try to avoid sweeteners in most things. Some days I have a dairy sensitivity and I can get a stomach ache with so many foods. It's annoying really and it makes me want to change the way I'm eating.

I'm excited to say that I've looked into getting low-pasteurized, hormone and antibiotic free milk! It seriously makes me SO excited to try. Of course, it's more expensive, but I figure that I can work it into the budget if it really makes a difference in the way I feel.

I'm tired of always feeling bad and I've been eating clean for a couple of weeks now so that's helped. I'm not sensitive to grains, but know that whole grains are healthier in general and I want to try to make my own bread again...just so I know exactly what's going in to our food.

I've chosen to make Matthew's baby food so that he has the same benefits as well. I'm slowly working towards getting some organic veggies into his diet and for some foods we have chosen to purchase organic purees or jarred food because they are grown in a controlled environment and is supposed to be safer (root vegetables?).

Either way, adopting a healthier lifestyle will benefit us all and I can't wait to teach Matthew how to have a healthy relationship with food!

Ab Challenge Week 2 Results {Husband Edition}

Phil is doing a fantastic job with the 30 Day/300 Ab Challenge and is halfway done!

The pictures from left to right are Day 1, Day 7, and Day 15.

Whether or not you can see the difference in pictures I definitely see a difference in person. I can actually feel abs now and can see him bulking up from Day 1. 

Have you tried the Ab Challenge yet? My husband {and I} have encouraged a few people and even my mom is doing it now!

Getting Fit- 30 Day Ab Challenge {Husband Edition}

Since I've been working on getting fit and healthy, my husband has been working on it too! It's so great to have such a wonderful support system at home and to know that he's in it with me and I'm not alone.

My husband and I each have our own different goals for getting fit. Mine is to lose weight and tone up and his is to take his super lean body and add muscle. I focus on more cardio and he's focusing on muscle-building exercises. Since I know more about fitness, he's enlisted my help to get him started. 

I've read that a few bloggers have had great results with the 30 Day/300 Ab Challenge so that's what I wanted him to start with first. I don't know about you, but I think that a man with toned abs is hot! So, with lots of guidance, my slightly uncoordinated husband got through the first workout. 

Every night since the first day, he's been religiously doing the Ab Challenge. I am so proud of him and he's already completed the first week!

Here are his results so far...

The picture on the left is Day 1 and the one on the right is Day 7.

As you can see, he's super lean. I'm not sure if you can tell in the pictures, but we can already see a difference! He's definitely getting more toned already and I'm so happy to start to see his abs coming through.

In addition to the Ab Challenge, he's now incorporating push-ups and squats alternating days to get more definition overall. 

My husband has inspired me to do the Ab Challenge and I have completed four days so far! Unfortunately, I have a little more fluff than my husband so my pictures won't show as much of a difference. 

Fit Fridays- Week 6

Weight loss is definitely a journey filled with highs and lows. This week was more difficult than last week. I got in four workouts (Sunday-Wednesday), but I had such a hard time with some of them. My allergies were crazy, I had pain in my left arch with walking, and my calves have been so tight. I still managed to work out, but some modifications were definitely needed.

Here's what I did this week:

Workout Schedule: Sunday-Wednesday...still planning a Friday and possibly Saturday workout!

Sunday 

10 minutes on the treadmill followed by weights. It was an arm day so we got that done. I wanted to do more cardio, but it was so hot and humid that my husband started to feel dizzy so we decided it was best to get him home. 

Monday

30 minutes on the elliptical followed by 20 minutes on the stationary bike.

Tuesday

30 minutes on the treadmill and 15 minutes on the bike. I also went back and did the 30 minute circuit class!

Wednesday 

This was the tough day for me. I tried to walk on my in-laws' treadmill since we're house-sitting and it sucked. The belt is looser than the ones I'm used to and my calves were on fire. I did 10 minutes and felt like I was going to die. I managed to go to the gym later that day and did 10 more minutes on the treadmill and 10 minutes on the stationary bike. It sucked and I was so disappointed in myself.

Thursday
I woke up and my calves were so tight and sore. It was horrible. I ended up using this as my rest day, stretching a lot, and having my husband use a rolling pin on my calves to attempt to loosen them up.

Friday

Ugh, I need to make up for this week somehow. I really enjoy working out, but this week has been awful. At least 30 minutes of cardio somehow, but trying to avoid the treadmill since it makes my calves hurt more. 

 Saturday

Something active. Either the gym or maybe hiking? If you knew me at all, you would know that me wanting to go hiking is a miracle.

Diet

I need to drink more water. I made sure to get in the 8 cup minimum per day, but I really like to stay around 12 cups per day. We have been at my in-laws a good part of this week and took Gram to dinner last Friday, but I managed to check out the calorie and fat content and did well with that. I'm eating out too much being here so I'm looking forward to my routine at home.

Starting Weight: 224

Last Week's Weight: 218.8

Today's Weight: 218

I'm down 0.8 pounds! I worked hard, but you can tell it was a hard week.

Measurements:

Starting Waist: 44"

Current Waist: 41"

*My natural waist

Starting Hip: 54"

Current Hip: 49"

*Right under my belly-button where I was the most round overall

I managed to stay the same in my measurements, but I've noticed my yoga pants are looser in the front so that's good!

Next Week's Plan...

Drink more water! I also want to get in more cardio and work up to 60 minutes per day. I also want to eat more fruit this week. I like having fruit as a snack and since we weren't home this week, I slacked in the fruit department.

Fit Fridays- Week 5

This week was a fantastic week for me! I was able to push myself and get in more time and hours working out than previous weeks and I felt great after my workouts.

Here's what I did this week:

• Workout Schedule: Sunday-Thursday...5 days in a row!
• Sunday- 20 minutes on the elliptical. It was supposed to be my "day off" but I really wanted to get in a workout. We had limited time, but I pushed myself and made sure to make up for it.
• Monday- 30 minutes on the elliptical + 35 minutes on the treadmill! I also did yoga at the end of the day.
• Tuesday- 10 minutes on the bike + 20 minutes on the treadmill. We also attempted to do the ab circuit workout, but I'm not a fan. I also did a yoga stretch video that night.
• Wednesday- 20 minutes on the treadmill. Yes, we were at the gym on the 4th of July. We also did a lot of swimming at Phil's Aunt's house. I did a yoga video again in the evening.
• Thursday- I tried out a yoga class at a studio here in town. It was definitely interesting and I would do it again, but classes are expensive.
• Friday- rest day. I might get in some yoga at home.
• Saturday- I'm hoping to do at least 30 minutes of cardio.
• Diet- I definitely drank a lot of water (about 10-12 cups a day) and added in a low calorie Gatorade knock-off to get back some electrolytes. I've also been using My Fitness Pal online to help track my calories and exercise and I've been under my goal to lose weight!

Starting Weight: 224

Last Week's Weight: 222

Today's Weight: 218.8

I'm down 3.2 pounds! I worked hard and it definitely shows.

Measurements:

Starting Waist: 44"

Current Waist: 41"

*My natural waist

Starting Hip: 54"

Current Hip: 49"

*Right under my belly-button where I was the most round overall

I lost 1" in both my waist and my roundest part!!!
.

My plan for next week: Continue with the water and try not to eat out at all. I want to try some new recipes and make sure that I'm incorporating more fresh fruits into my diet. I also want to make sure to snack on more protein-rich foods like Greek yogurt after my workouts.

Moderation is the Key

Everything in moderation. That's what I'm aiming for this year. I've tried eating gluten-free and reducing my dairy, but when they told me to also avoid all things containing corn...that's where I realized that it had to stop.

The reality is that the only thing I would be "allowed" to eat would be meat, fruit, and veggies. Most other things wouldn't work except for rice. Knowing how my body works, I've realized that this is not something that I could do.

Moderation is still allowing myself to eat some of the foods that I like with adding more foods that are anti-inflammatory.

Basically it makes me feel better to not have so many restrictions. The chiropractor was always telling me to eat bread if I wanted, but just not to do it all the time. I need to make sure to make better choices overall, but a sandwich won't kill me. I'm not allergic to gluten, corn, or dairy...they just are more inflammatory.

Moderation is what I'm striving for. I hope to be able to make it work and make better choices overall.

Welcolme 2012!

2011 was good to me. I finished my first year of teaching, got MARRIED, went to Jamaica for our honeymoon, and began my second year of teaching. I also started my own business sewing purses and learned that through dietary changes and exercises, I don't have to be in pain all the time.

I am looking forward to this new year. I don't have any specific resolutions, per say, but one overall...

I want to make better choices.

This doesn't just pertain to any one thing, but to many things. Diet, exercise, overall health, and budgeting are just some of the things that I am looking forward to working on.

What are you working on this year?

Pain

It's incredible that I seriously thought that all of the pain that I experience on a regular basis was "normal". It's not uncommon for me to hurt if someone pokes me in the arm or for my back to hurt, but I just recently found out that this is not ok. It turns out that my body is incredibly inflammed and that is why I hurt so much all over. I seriously was beginning to think that I was just lazy and the weight that I have gained was the culprit itself. Fortunately, that's not true! Sure, the weight gain hasn't helped, but when I'm feeling good physically I actually enjoy doing things...go figure!

I am working with a chiropractor to get better. I see them three times a week and have changed my diet to eating gluten free and reducing my dairy intake to help the inflammation go down. I am hoping that soon enough I will feel up to working out again and be able to enjoy it. For now, I am taking it one day at a time.

I never thought that I would have to change my diet to manage my pain. Believe it or not, I thought that I was just sensitive to pain and that it was normal for my body to feel the way it does. It wasn't until recently that I even considered going gluten free. I read a blog about it and it sparked my interest, but even that want enough to make me try it full-time. It really wasn't until my chiropractor suggested it that I really wanted to give it a go.

The goal is to be gluten free for two weeks to see how my body reacts. Hopefully it will take down the inflammation and will help me heal completely. I have a positive attitude about it and am prepared with meal options for the next couple of days. If the inflammation does not go down very much, the next step is to remove dairy also. I am mentally prepared for that as a hopeful temporary solution, but you never know. Either way, I am going to give it my best and see how it turns out.

mcfatty monday

I'm still maintaining my weight despite multiple efforts over the past couple of months. I've been discouraged and took a step back for a few weeks, but am ready to get back onto the bandwagon. I want to be healthy and not focus on just the weight, but how I feel overall. I've noticed that I feel better when I work out and eat better despite the lack of weight loss and I really like how that feels.

Right now I'm going to focus on avoiding the foods that I crave when I'm stressed. Of course, it doesn't help that when I walked into work this morning there are chocolate cupcakes sitting out waiting to be eaten. So far it's been easy to avoid them. I had a bowl of Special K cereal this morning and have no desire to eat the cupcakes, but that's probably because I'm not super stressed right now so we'll have to see how well this afternoon goes when the kids are running a muck in the house.

It's so easy to run and pick up something through the drive-thru when I find myself hungry. Hunger hits me quickly and once my blood sugar gets too low I need to eat something right-that-second so that the dizziness, shakes, and weakness goes away. It's been easier to make sure that I'm eating plenty of small snacks to curb the starvation problem and often times I will stop by my house for lunch since there aren't many "ready to eat" things at my bosses' house and I can only eat so many PB&J sandwiches...seriously.

The other things I'm gong to focus on is my water intake and regular exercise. I like going to the gym and the feeling of happiness that brings, but it can be difficult to get to the gym. It's a lot easier to go with a friend, but sometimes no one is available to go and I must make the decision to go anyways. I like to think that I'll do a video at home, but usually I end up avoiding the at home workout and just watch a movie instead.

I believe that the weight will come off naturally with living a healthy lifestyle and maybe by focusing on being healthier and more fit and less on the weight itself, it will put me in a better frame of mind and perspective to be able to do more.

Does anyone have any tips for getting past food cravings or getting the right frame of mind for the gym? Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts!

Back on track

It's been a rough few weeks for me gym-wise. It was tiring having the emotional rollercoaster going back and forth between gaining and losing and it not being consistent. Oh, and my gym buddy jumped ship and I'm not sure when she's going to go again. My average has been 1 day/week for the past 3 weeks...not good. Luckily, my trainer called today saying that she is back in town and is starting to train again NEXT week! I am so incredibly giddy about that you have no idea. I absolutely love my trainer 100% and was really sad when she had to leave  for a family emergency. I can't wait to get back on track and really blast the fat and feel good about myself.

My job is winding down and there's only around a couple of months left for me full-time here. I am so excited about that! Not that my job isn't a good set-up, but to know that God has something different for me is exciting!

I have a lot to look forward to and feel good about right now and that's what I'm trying to focus on when I get down and exhausted which is almost daily at some point...usually from the exhaustion. Once the gym routine is back on track and the weight decides to come off I should feel much better and back to my happy, hyper, super energetic self!

Results

The doctor's office called today with my lab results. I was super excited that it only took one day for them to process it and get it back so that we could know where the issue is.

And their conclusion: "All of your lab results have come back normal."

What? I'm pretty sure I didn't hear them right, but they said nothing was wrong despite my asking. At first I was super confused and frustrated as to why I have been feeling so poorly and there is no medical reason behind it. We are thankful that there is no serious problems and that I'm healthy.

Maybe this is just how my body is reacting to being heavy and once I lose the weight then I will start to feel better, but for right now losing the weight has been difficult and it hasn't wanted to come off--at least on the scale. Phil's dad told him that he is starting to see a little difference and that I'm looking a little better, but it's frustrating when it seems like the scale won't budge and all of my efforts have been in vain.

On Being Healthy

I did not post a McFatty Monday post this week mainly because I didn't work and totally forgot to weigh myself and only went to the gym once last week because of the insane scheduling with the kids I watch and their spring break.

I made it to the gym yesterday for Body Combat and it kicked my butt. Today has been another long day with the kids as the two girls were out of school for their last day of spring break so I had them all day and the little man for all but three hours of today's work day which is a total of 10 hours.

Yesterday was a great day! I love every minute of my "extra" days off and feel so alive, accomplished, focused, and refreshed. I am super positive and feel on top of the world! Then there are days like today where I battle back and forth between feeling pretty good and not good enough.

Right now I feel exhausted from just being with the kids all day and the heat. We ran some errands today, drove to and from preschool, and had to manage a day of "can I do this? well, what about this?" I'm pretty laid back on these days and unless we have something planned, they can have fun and do whatever suits their fancy within reason.

I was watching the Celebrity Fit Club Season Finale during nap time while the girls played outside and watched a show and played in the basement and noticed how these people feel about themselves after the 9 week program they are on. It's been about 6 weeks since I've been more active and have been striving to eat better and about a month since I've given up soda and I still feel terrible. I look in the mirror at myself during the classes and am honestly disgusted with what I see and feel defeated.

I'm tired of putting in so much effort and drinking so much water that I have to go to the bathroom every 10-15 minutes. I did it for a few days a couple of weeks ago and today I'm going to make the 1 gallon of water a day goal! I'm hoping to make it everyday and that my body will adjust, but it's just very consuming to be constantly drinking water and feeling slochy. It's exhausting when it's so hot outside and all I want to do is go home and sleep.  I've been putting in so much effort these past weeks and don't have much to show for it and it is not for lack of effort!

I miss when I was younger and I was comfortable with my body and could do more physically. I am the biggest person in all of the classes I take and it is terrible to look around and see how much everyone else can do and the little that I can really do. It also makes me feel bad to see how many people are working out and are healthier looking overall. I want to be there, to be the one that is healthy and in shape. It's not about being stick thin--because I will never be thin, it's just not in my genes--it's about being healthy and in good shape to do what I want to do without being overexerted.

It's been a tough road getting to my heaviest and it will be even tougher to get to be healthy again. I will have to face all of the demons that are in my past and overcome them to get to where I need and want to be.

Day 1

The motivation I had yesterday to get started with the trainer has really kicked in. Today was my first day with my new trainer...and...I loved her! She was everything I was looking for in a trainer. After the last trainer I had, it was great to have someone who seemed interested in my goals and what I have to say. I'm really glad that I requested her and was adament about it. I figured that if she is always in the gym working out, then she must be pretty decent at it and seemed nice.

We talked and figured I would do 3-4 days a week with her and some extra classes of cardio when I am not working out with the trainer. It was a bit costly, but will hopefully be worth it. She was so encouraging and made sure to give me only one homework assignment for my diet for this week which was to eat one more fruit or vegetable per day than I normally would. Easy enough! She said she didn't want me to get overwhelmed with the workouts and completely changing my diet all at once because then I would be more likely to give up on it....See? She rocks!

I have another appointment with her tomorrow morning since she has decided to come in even when it wasn't in her original availability. It is so great to work out with someone who is encouraging and will push me when it needs to be done.

Hopefully we will see some results next month when we do the next set of measurements and weigh in!

The Gym is Totally Kicking my Butt

I've been slacking lately on going to the gym. In the past three weeks I have been once per week. I have been eating better since Friday and have already lost .8 of a pound! I've decided to try to go to the gym more often, but not to pressure myself or there's no way I'll go.

This morning there was a Combat class (like kickboxing) and I went to that right after the little one got picked up from school. It is one of my favorite classes and teachers at the gym and it was great to be able to go. The class is an hour long and I stayed for all of it except the last part where they do some crunches, push-ups, and stretching. Throughout the whole class I...thought....I....was....going....to....die. It's a great workout, but it's exhausting!

They say the gym is supposed to make you feel great and give you tons of energy, but it doesn't so much when you are out of shape to begin with. I am so ready for a loooong nap right now. Hopefully I can continue to go more this week and start to feel the "energy" from going to the gym afterwards, but for now I need a nap!

Weight Watchers Anyone?

I've been reading a lot of blogs recently and have noticed that one of my favorite blogs to read mentions that she is doing Weight Watchers with her husband and it is working for them! I've been struggling with weight loss and especially over the past few weeks my nutrition has really been aweful. Phil and I even had a talk about it to try to get me back on track. We decided that I needed a plan to work with instead of blindly going in there. We considered a couple of things:

--A supplement aka Alli. After reading the many reviews (good and bad) we decided that the oily discharge and general leakage problem from the rear end is NOT ok in any circumstance. Other supplements have high levels of caffeine and I am caffeine sensitive...it puts me to sleep--literally.

--After shooting down the supplement idea, I thought of Weight Watchers because I have been reading about the success over at this blog and thought it would be a great idea to try. You get your points allowance and get to do a lifestyle change without counting calories!

After making the decision last night, calling Weight Watchers to talk to them about the program, we headed out to BJ's to get a Momentum Cookbook to get an idea of recipes that are allowed. We also purchased a starter kit online today that should be here in a few days to get the ball rolling! I am excited to try this out and see what can happen as a result of it.

Back Home

The boyfriend and I had a great trip to California and are now back home! It was definitely a nice vacation, but nothing like coming home to the normalcy that I love.

I am happy to report that another vacation has been scheduled already! This one is going to be in August and the boyfriend, his parents, and I are travelling in their camper-trailer to Florida so that we can go to DisneyWorld!!! On the way back, we are stopping by the Outer Banks in North Carolina to go to the beach! I'm uber excited about this.

And there is one more exciting thing...I now have a Wii and a Wii fit that I absolutely love! Once again, major thanks to the boyfriend for totally pitching in for my birthday (as if he hasn't already done enough, I know ;). Because of my new Wii fit I worked out for 45 minutes yesterday!!! Surprisingly I was sore today too! I also did a little this morning before church and am going to do some tonight before I go to bed. And the boyfriend and I are eating better with more meals at home, less eating out. Can I get a heck yes for weight loss and getting healthy?!