post-baby body check-in (diet & work-out included!)

i've received a handful of emails recently requesting healthy "non-boring" eating and workout advice. mostly from new mommies (i'm with ya ladies!).

i honestly didn't start seeing "real" results until i got "real" about the two dreaded C's:

1)cutting CALORIES
2) CARDIO.

i thought i was making progress. in my mind, i guess i was satisfied because i was getting to the gym most days of the week and, well, my maternity clothes were "way" too big and some of my bigger jeans were starting to fit loosely. and then, i got a wake-up call. pictures don't lie. my dad snapped this lovely photo of my siblings and i at my sister's graduation in early May. i didn't see it until he "tagged" me on facebook. as i sat there clicking (and "untagging") through those photos i was angry with myself. i'd reached the epitomy of a plateau and had been content with being complacent. complacent with my eating, my workouts and my body. i'd made some progress, but got comfortable along the way and let the intensity die. once i got over my little breakdown/tantrum over my reality check (thanks, dad) i obtained a copy of this picture and stuck it on my fridge. some people stick old "skinny" photos up as motivation...not me.

THIS was my motivation. i wanted to see a change. and i KNEW it had to start with my eating....

it was at THIS point that i realized sweating my booty off in the gym wasn't going to get me where i wanted to be unless i got serious about watching my eating. i wasn't eating horrible, but i was definitely not being disciplined with sugars, carbs and most of all, PORTION SIZE (motherhood makes you hungry!).

so with picture posted for strength on fridge, here's what i did:

1. i cut out "white" starches (breads, potatoes, rice, crackers, chips...)
2. i LIMIT dairy. i gave up my beloved cheese, yogurt, of course ice cream and even switched completely over to almond milk, which i now PREFER.
3. i eat breakfast EVERY DAY. either oatmeal or a flax/whole grain organic cereal with fresh fruit.
4. for a mid-morning post-workout snack i either make a shake or drink a muscle milk LIGHT ready-made shake.
5. for lunch and dinner, i focus on VEGGIES, VEGGIES and more VEGGIES. salads, stir-fry, soups paired with healthy whole grains like brown rice, black beans, nuts/seeds.
6. for dessert or extra snacks throughout the day= FRUIT!
7. i eat when i'm hungry, i just control my portions and make sure it's as pure and fresh as possible (not processed with a bunch of fake ingredients!)
8. i have healthy snacks on hand at all times (for me AND Kai!). this way i'm not tempted to sneak through the drive-through to satisfy my hunger! (I LOVE the south beach diet mixed nut packs! i mix em' with raisins and it's a great filling snack!)
9. i learn from Kai. i feed my baby natural, healthy, whole foods. why do we ever stop eating that way? i told my mom i was going to call my diet the "high chair" diet because i would often eat my lunch with him right off of his high chair (like chunks of avocados and cooked squash, sweet potato and asparagus!).
10. i treat myself. this one is key. i usually save my "treats" for social events. i'll have a yummy drink (or two!) or a piece of birthday cake or a cookie. this is neccesary and enjoyable.

my best friend when it came to finding healthy veggie or protein-packed recipes was the internet! seriously, if you have an internet connection you have all you need to whip up a healthy meal or come up with a good grocery list. plan for the week and sit down on sunday night and find a few meals you want to try...i will even make a bunch of brown rice and a big fat salad for the week on sunday night, that way half the battle is done!

on the WORK-OUT side things definitely shifted. i was no longer able to get to the gym 4-5 days a week for cardio and classes because G was gone in Vancouver for work and well, my Mom doesn't live at my house. i VOWED to make Kai's lovely long morning naptime my sacred workout time. NO EXCEPTIONS. and here's the kicker. i bought this dvd. at Walmart. for $10:

i followed this video religiously. i didn't cheat. i dripped sweat. i wanted to cry. i wanted to punch her in the face. but in all honestly, i started seeing results within weeks. i know i've blogged about it before, but seriously it's no joke. it's hard, and i LOVE it. it was just the "wake-up" call my body needed.

and for added cardio, i would throw Kai in the jogger and Honey on her leash and we would walk/jog for 40-60 minutes almost every evening. this is an enjoyable way that i can burn extra calories, get Kai outside and Honey some exercise. it's fun and something that i greatly MISS when life get's too full and we don't get to go.

and then, there is yoga. POWER yoga. i obviously do this every Thursday at the gym because i'm the instructor...but i like to throw it in the mix a couple of times a week as well.

So, about 2 months later, after making a CONSCIOUS effort to eat RIGHT and shock the body with a new, consistent and CHALLENGING workout routine, here i am (sorry about the picture quality--it's just me and my blackberry!)....

may 4th 2011 - june 30, 2011



blurry, i know.
but look! i'm getting tank top shoulders back! (finally...)

dirty mirror & lost inches in waist & thighs.

 It's PROGRESS!

and progress sure don't come easy.

one of Jillian's key phrases that i've engraved in my mind when tempted to eat crap:

"remember, you can eat your way through any workout."

you can log hours upon hours in the gym, but if your eating sucks, so will your results!

{cheers} to hard work and healthy living!

Could it be?? Post-baby body p-p-progress?!!

Good News, my dear bloggies!

I {finally!}NEED NEW JEANS (And NO, not a bigger size).

This week, I fit into an old pair of 6's (YES!)

and

Suddenly my two pairs of go-to pre-preg jeans are falling off of my hips (past the point of belt-help).

This got me thinking...

What could have spurred this sudden "tightening"? What have I been doing differently?

Here's what I came up with:

1. Chasing a crawling baby around a still not baby-proofed house. exhausting.

2. Honestly, LESS cardio. I know that I was overdoing it over those first few months, which was actually working AGAINST me. This is a mistake that many over-zealous gym-going females make. Now I'm doing an average of 20-30 minutes 4-5 times a week. I feel better, AND have results.

3. I don't know if this stuff works, but i've been drinking it...the chai flavor is yummy (hot AND iced!)

4. Eating (mostly healthy!) five times a day, without fail, and NEVER skipping out on breakfast.

5. YOGA (3-5 times a week) and WALKING. Yes, I said walking. I used to think that walking was just for old ladies or people who were too wussy to run...but honestly, it's my go-to form of cardio right now and just may be the change i needed to start seeing results. I still run, but because of my hip injury i'm down to two 4-6 milers a week, which honestly, is working out just fine. I love that as the days get nicer I get to get my cardio in WITH Kai and Honey AND get my daily dose of vitamin D. As far as the yoga goes, I've always done it, but not really challenged myself like I have of late. I think putting together classes for the gym has really stretched me in my own practice and I am so grateful for that. I swear that it spikes weight loss!

...........................................

I've still got some post-baby softness to clean up (I don't measure my progress on my scale-weight, I go by how my clothes fit AND my measurements...TONING=size drop, not neccesarily weight drop!) but for now, I'm going to celebrate my progress with a new wardrobe item...

Time to go shoppin'!

What can {yoga} do for YOU?

Yoga is invigoration in relaxation, freedom in routine, confidence through self-control.

Energy within and energy without.

~Ymber Delecto

source

i remember back a few years ago when i was just beginning to explore what {YOGA} was all about.
i was intimidated by the sad indian music, the idea that flexibility was a requirement, the barefeet and the balance poses.

i put off diving into a yoga practice for a long time because i was too afraid to go to my first class.

{thankfully} another cold, gray, rainy Seattle day forced me inside for my workout and i couldn't bear the thought of another second on the dreadmill or elliptical. i needed a change, an awakening, a good class.

i needed yoga, which as luck would have it was offered right there, in my gym, beginning in five minutes.

it was destiny.

i won't lie, i wasn't "hooked" after my first class. i think that yoga is one of those things that, like wine and friendship, get's better with time. if you really apply yourself and listen to your body, you'll sink deeper into your poses and postures with each class, increasing all of the wonderful benefits that yoga offers.

i did yoga once a week for a long time. just once a week, at my gym. never on my own, never really more than once a week....

until i moved out of the city and began researching and practicing yoga and pilates on my own (let's just say that a few years back there was a lack of yoga/pilates classes in the vast expanse of North-Eastern Oregon, where now there are a handful of gyms/studios that have popped up in our area that offer classes, thank goodness!)

the point of this post is:

there are many people out there who stay away from yoga because they don't know what it's about. they think they have to be outrageously flexible and master the advanced poses right away. they think it's just for hippies and Indians. they think it's just for women....i've heard several excuses.

but guess what? it's for EVERYONE! that's whats great about yoga--it can be practiced by all ages, and it's benefits can be reaped by individuals in every walk of life.

yoga stresses focus and self-discipline. you are in charge of your body, so you work as hard as you want to on a class-to-class basis. One day you may want a slower-paced, stretchy class and the next day you may want a challenging, sweat-inducing class. you can press into the postures as deeply as you desire, and challenge your strength and flexibility at your own pace.

Yoga has really helped me get in tune with my body. It has GREATLY increased my flexibility and core strength and has most definitely enhanced my half-marathon training as it's low-impact nature feels great on tight hips and quads that high mileage running inevitably brings. I also have been blessed (and cursed) with a body type that puts on muscle rather easily. However, it can make me appear somewhat "bulky" and Yoga and Pilates is a great counter-exercise to weight lifting as it really lengthens your muscles and gives you a more toned, lean look. In addition to the physical benefits, practicing Yoga has also affirmed how vital is is for me to have "quiet time" at least once a day. Some meditate, I pray. Overall, yoga has taught me a great deal about taking care of my mind, body AND soul. It's not just about getting a work out, it's about working on myself.

wondering what yoga can do for you?

I found an incredibly informative article on all of the Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga. it's lengthy, so allow me to summarize:

Health benefits within: blood pressure, pulse rate, circulation, respiratory, cardiovascular endurance, organs, gastrointestinal, immunity, pain, metabolism.

Health benefits without: aging, posture, strength, energy, weight, sleep, balance, integrated function of the body, body awareness, core-strength, sexuality.

Emotional health benefits: mood, stress reduction, anxiety, depression, self-acceptance, self-control, mind/body connection, positive outlook on life, hostility, concentration, memory, attention, social skills, calmness.

Body chemistry: cholesterol, lymphatic system, glucose, sodium, endocrine functions, triglycerides, red blood cells, vitamin C.

Exercise health benefits: low risk of injury, parasympathetic nervous system, muscle tone, subcortex, reduced oxygen consumption, breathing, balanced workout of opposing muscle groups, non-competitive, joint-range motion, eye/hand coordination, dexterity, reaction time, endurance, depth perception.

Disease prevention: heart disease, osteoporosis, alzheimer's, type II diabetes.

Symptom reduction or alleviation: carpal tunnel, asthma, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, cancer, muscular dystrophy, migraines, scoliosis, chronic bronchitis, epilepsy, sciatica, obsessive compulsive disorder, constipation, allergies, menopause, back pain.

*if you want to read further into these benefits, please visit the article where each of the benefits is explained in greater detail. it's a good one!

source

If you are intimidated at the thought of dropping in on a yoga class, there are several good DVD's available out there for at-home yoga practice. However, there is something to be gained by being challenged by an instructor in a class environment.

....i hope that you are inspired to take some time for YOU and explore some of the ways that yoga can invigorate your body, challenge your mind and enhance your life!