Toddler Truths and Spring Cleaning

My little angel, Natalie, was giggling this morning as I scrambled out of bed (in my sports bra) to help her in the bathroom at 6 a.m. I wasn't too amused to be so abruptly woken up but then she had to add fuel to the fire by saying, "Mommy, your belly is fat," and giggling some more. Ugh... toddlers are so adorable, aren't they?

I guess I can be grateful that her blunt honesty got me motivated to head to the 90 minutes spin class I wanted to go to this morning. Too bad I got there only to find out it had been canceled! Well, I tried not to be too upset and decided that since I was up, it was a nice spring morning, and I was right next to Sertoma Park, I might as well go for a brisk walk. I also went for a ride later this afternoon, it was a bit of a challenge with very strong south wind gusts, but the ride back home was excellent!

I have taken a few steps this week, both forward and backward, as far as diet is concerned. I made the turkey bowls from a blog I found on pinterest (Best Dressed Babes Blog). I prepped 3 days worth of lunches and it actually was too much to eat in the short time we have to eat so I still have some left over. I also planned and prepped meals for the evenings to make life easier at home and packed healthier snacks for work. My achilles heal was snacks that others brought to the staff lounge, treats for students' birthdays, and snacking at home... and snacking A LOT!! It's like a mental hangup that I can't get past.

Goals I have this week include; prepping again for the week, disposing of the junk food from our cupboards, buying more produce for family snacking, and getting my spinning in during the week! I am also going to try to get to sleep earlier, aiming for 9:30, since our family's schedule is getting more hectic with baseball season beginning and my continued physical therapy appointments.

I'm going to take advantage of tomorrow by updating my measurements on myfitnesspal, taking a "before" picture, and create a vision board to inspire me! We did our spring cleaning last weekend to our garage, now to spring clean my attitude and goals!!

(c) http://ecomaids.ca/green-spring-cleaning-ideas-for-your-home/

You Do Not EARN a Piece of Cake!

While lifting weights this afternoon I was thinking about all the workouts I've done and how I should be well within my BMI. So what gives? I have people watched many times in the gym and every body is unique. What makes some look so thin and trim and others, that do the same amount of exercise or more, not? It all comes down to the kitchen and the mind.

I have heard countless times from regular class attendees that they come because they "like food too much." There is a fine line between enjoying a treat every once in awhile and treating yourself to a big mac, fries, and a diet coke because you "earned" it from that intense cycling class. The amount of calories being burned has to balance the amount being consumed, in truth, if you're trying to lose weight, the amount going in has to be less than the amount being burned. It doesn't matter how many miles you run in a week, if you aren't tracking your calorie intake those little treats that you believe you earned negate all your hard work.

Don't get me wrong, you can still create strong muscles and increase your metabolism through your intense cardio and/or strength training, but all that hard work will be camouflaged with the fat and excess weight. I believe that many people, including myself, give up so quickly on workout routines because they don't see instant results. Some continue to stick with it (me again) because they feel the difference mentally and physically but may eventually quit because those long hard workouts continue to reap no benefits.

The only way to stop this viscous cycle is to take a hard look at your diet. What are you consuming? Are you allowing yourself to have a little taste of this or just a couple little cookies? Do you finish a run and stop to pick up a bag of chips on the way home? Are you consuming enough protein for all muscle you are building? How about those fruits and veggies? They provide the nutrients your body craves. And water? I know when I start drinking more water my body reacts positively within a couple days!

Take the time to critically look at the food you have in your home, especially now with the holidays! Don't allow yourself to obliterate all your hard work with a chocolaty treat that satisfies for a few brief moments.

Be mindful!

Calories don't count of vacation, right?!?

I'm trying so hard to be good, I really am! It's extremely difficult to be active AND eat healthy when driving across the country, stuck in a car for countless hours, limited choices in healthy food options and numerous temptations at each destination.

I've learned many new tricks along this trip to travel as a healthier me. We have been fortunate to find a few grocery stores and load up on fruits, veggies and sandwich supplies. I've made sure to get out and walk around every time we stop. We've taken our kids to parks and played ball, tag, hide n seek, etc. as well as taking the stairs whenever possible. I have discovered the hotel fitness centers which are very hit and miss but anything is definitely better than nothing. Hotel pools have also been a great benefit. My boys love to swim and it's fun to race them and play games in the water while burning some extra calories, plus I'm not as self conscious about being in the water knowing it's great family and workout time! Having a YMCA membership has also proven helpful since it can be used at any YMCA and many of the towns we've visited have one (however class schedules haven't always worked out in the traveling schedule).

I think the most important thing that I've learned and appreciated from my new habits is finding out how much more enjoyable a destination is when you run, hike or walk through it. I'm not talking about the tourist destinations (although I greatly appreciated the trails through Niagara Falls Park) but the trails and paths they have for the residents who run and bike. I would have never thought to venture out onto my own until I had started running and now I am so grateful for the new experiences it has given me. I have found beautiful neighborhoods, meadows, parks and scenery that I would have never seen otherwise. It's so easy to bring along a pair of running shoes and go out to explore while burning off a few calories (just avoid the "sketchy" neighborhoods and try to stick to the trails and sidewalks)!

I haven't been able to make it to a Weight Watcher meeting this week, not because I haven't tried, but they all seem to be at times when we are on the road... hopefully sometime this week so I can check to see how bad the food damage is costing me! A reality weight check may be necessary so it's not so hard to say no to that extra seafood platter or dessert! Until then I'll keep focusing on how to stay active and fill up on all that water and produce... :)

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