Ah, to compare

Yesterday my friend Laura at Get Pretty (ps. check out her awesome blog!) posted some comparison pictures of her preggo self now and her pregnant self with her first child to compare how much healthier she is this go-around.  I've been wanting to do a compare picture type thing as well-comparing myself four months after I had my first daughter, to now which is four months after I had my second.  So here goes:

I didn't even fit into these clothes a day after
I came home from the hospital after my baby was born. 
They were too big!

Oh how telling bathing suit pictures are!  This is after my first.
Wasn't she a cute baby??? :)

(Sorry for the blurr...) Me right now.  Ahhhh.... Such a nice work in progress!

Four months after my first, I hadn't even really started to try  to lose weight.  I think I was just kind of upset that I had gained so much (50 pounds) and I was overwhelmed with the amount I had to lose.  I weighed around 170 around this time. I remember when the light bulb had finally turned on.  I was in California visiting my family (this is where the pictures were taken), and I had wanted to run a 5k while there but I hadn't trained beforehand, so I just tried running with my husband and dad.  I remember feeling like I was going to DIE, and we hadn't even made 1/2 a mile.  I think I ran 1.5 miles very slowly.  I remember just feeling disgusted with myself because I was not fit anymore.  I hardly had exercised during pregnancy, I exercised here and there afterwards, but not like I should have to be fit. Immediately after I got home I decided to work up to 3 miles, and a week or two after being able to run that far I convinced my husband and father to run a half-marathon with me (the only way I knew I would do it was if I had someone to do it with me).  That was when the rest of my healthy life really started. 

Fast forward to this time around-I exercised and ate healthy my whole pregnancy.  I have been exercising since probably three weeks after I had my baby. And, I gained 35 pounds instead of fifty.  I couldn't fit into my old post-partem clothes (sounds nicer than fat clothes huh?), which were sizes 14 and 16 because they were TOO BIG!  I was elated.  Now I am down to size ten and I weigh 141 lbs!  What a contrast, and I love that it is a good contrast! The weight is coming off and I feel good.  I attribute that to nursing, exercising, and eating right- I still indulge sometimes, its just healthier indulges... I have been a member of the ymca since the beginning of January and I have loved going.  I'm slightly obsessed to tell the truth!  I did a killer spinning class this morning, and I get my daily dose of basketball in as well (I even beat a man at horse today!  Wahoo!). 

The best aspect of my losing weight this time around is that my mentality is different.  I'm not obsessed with it.  I'm not on a diet.  This is a healthy lifestyle that I've maintained for 2 1/2 years.  Eating well and exercise is the recipe for success.  The biggest difference is that I can now look at myself in the mirror naked.  From the time I was a teenager, I hated seeing myself in the mirror.  It got worse after I had my first child, and only started to get better once the weight was off.  I love my body.  I love what it can do.  I'm okay with where I am at and I look forward to being the skinny mini I once was that I know I can become again.  I get so emotional thinking that I finally feel this way about myself because I've struggled with negative body image my whole life.  When I take care of myself I feel so much better about myself.  I love striving to be healthy.

Life is great!

What are you doing today to become the you that you want to become????

New month, new goals

I'm always constantly thinking of new goals to make- things I can do to be better.  Life is about always striving to become a better person through learning new things and harnessing your bad habits to make new better ones. 

As I look at January I feel really good about it. My big goal was to exercise at the gym most days, and I did that.  Now I am highly addicted to the gym and can be kind of cranky if I don't get there.  I'm slightly obsessed because they have a daycare, and I don't have to worry about my children while I'm exercising.  My two year old begs to go now.  As far as eating goes I did pretty well.  I wanted to only eat sweets on  days that start with S and some weeks I followed it, and some I didn't.  I also wanted to not eat after nine, but soon realized that because I nurse I am often starving at nine and need a slight pick-me-up (usually in the form of an apple and some peanut butter, yum!).  I lost a few pounds last month.  Yay!  I came home from vacation at 145/146 and now I weigh around 142/143.   So, I count that as a big success!

I've decided that this year I want to try a new grain each month.  I have become pretty good at using wheat, so I figure I can now expand my hurizons a bit.  This month I think I may do spelt.  Its a wheat and I've read that I can substitute it in baked goods for white flower and you can't tell much difference.  I'm so excited to check this out and will share my findings!
As far as fitness is concerned, my goal is to do yoga at least once a week.  I'd like to become a really good yogi if I could.  There are quite a few yoga benefits, but the one that stands out to me the most is the fact that its good for arthritis.  I have arthritis and need some types of exercise that can help me strengthen my muscles in a way that is good for my joints.  My overall goal is to start doing research to find different ways I can exercise and still stay fit and strong to help slow down the wear on my joints because of the arthritis.  My mom has 3 types of arthritis and takes some pretty strong medicine for the pain.  I started showing signs that I had it at the same age my mom found out she had arthritis.  I don't want to take drugs to help with the pain.  My efforts in the next years are to find other ways to help with the pain and I believe that exercise is one of the best ways I can do this.  I will also share my findings in my research when it comes to arthritis too.  I know I'm young to have this, but for me it is purely genetic. So, I desperately want to find ways to avoid the heavy medicine.  Natural is what I want.  We will see what the future holds!
Eaiting goals- just making sure I eat a balanced diet, making healthy substitutes for the sweets and other foods that I like, making me feel less guilty. 

Yay for goals and yay for a better me!  What are your goals for this month?

Pineapple cutter

My husband got me this for my bday. I love it! It makes pineapple prep and eating easier. I highly recommend it.

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000GA53CO/ref=mp_s_a_2?qid=1327518904&sr=8-2

Create

We all have an inherent desire to create something. For me, right now, I want to create, or improve my physical fitness. I believe that because we are children of god we can do anything we set our mind to. Love this message.
Watch "Mormon Messages: Create" on YouTube

Yay for gyms

Monday night was one the best nights ever! Do you know why????

I joined a gym!

Wahoo!

BEST.DECISION.EVER!

I've gone every day this week and have loved every minute of it. The best part is the kids care center. I don't have to worry about the baby taking a nap while I'm exercising and I don't have to worry about my 2 year old being entertained the whole time. I can do my workout uninterupted. Yay!

Can you tell I'm excited? Because I am.

My goals for working out at the gym are two-
1. Go to the spinning classes and get really go at it. I did my first official one today and I know I'm going to be sore.
2. Increase my waits when I lift. It's nice to have heavier weights to work with.

So excited to this new workout adventure!

What are you doing this week/month/year to increase your fitness level?

Hope you have a good day and remember you can do anything you set you mind to! Go do it!

Vacation exercise and Christmas gifts

For Christmas I got Insanity, by beachbody. It's similar to p90x, but the focus is on carrion and using your body as resistance. I've done it a few times and love it! I am sweaty and tired by the end. The workouts are really challenging and I look forward to mastering them. When I get home I will focus on doing it more often (I think it has 6 workouts a week), supplementing it with strength training because I think that is still important. My husband also bought me three bob harper dvds for my birthday. I've done one and it kicked my trash! The others are kettlebell workouts and look forward to using those when I get home. To follow with the exercise theme for my bday and Christmas my husband gave me a "coupon" for a much desired gym membership at the ymca! I can't wait to start working out at the gym! I'm keeping with the biggest loser theme for this season by following their "no excuses mantra. I really have no excuses now!

  I'm still at my parents house for vacation and because I've had my parents to babysit, I've taken advantage of that.  I've mostly been playing basketball (they have a half court in their backyard), lifting weights and running while I've been here. My basketball skills have increased greatly the last few weeks and is lie if I didn't say I like it! I LOVE basketball and feeling almost as good as when I played in high school is pretty invigorating. The pick up games with my little brother have been pretty nice as well! We  usually follow up our basketball games with strength training in garage which is also really fun. Yay for family exercising together!

I'm looking forward to this new year and sharing my health goals and my weightloss success with you. If I believe I can do it I will.

I did it!

You know how I made that goal that I would only eat sweets on days that start with s? Guess what? *sing- songy voice*

I did it! I'm so excited!

My goal this week is to follow the same food rule. I'm leaving for California on Wednesday for three 1/2 weeks and my major goal is to follow this food rule the whole time I am there. It seems like last week when I made this goal, my determination to become healthier and more fit has increased. I am looking at this as a fun challenge. My birthday is Friday, so I'm making an exception for that but besides thus it is no sweets on days that don't start with the letter s.  I will post my complete list of goals later today. Now I must try and nap while both girls are napping. Wish me luck!