Struggling with consistency

I feel like a little bit of a failure for not running yesterday. Like, WHY can't I fit a 30 min run into my day??? There's really no reason.

I am trying my best to fit it in where I can, but some mornings I just can't peel myself out of bed at 4:30, I just can't. I wasn't able to make it to the gym on my lunch because I had some errands to run, which meant I didn't even get to see my sweet baby girl! Hate it when that happens!

Today is looking about the same, no gym this morning and I thought about going at lunch, but I have a meeting right after. As much as I would like to come back to work a hot stinky mess, I probably shouldn't. Anything to keep co-workers away is fine by me! LOL But I didn't want to be too much of a mess at my meeting. Soooo I will spend my lunch with my girl! YAY!

I am hoping I can either make it out of bed OR get a good run on my lunch tomorrow! WISH ME LUCK! I freaking need it! Running makes me feel amazing and I feel even better when I have a really great run which is rare early in the morning.

I have to make it a point to hit the gym 2-3 days out of the week to run on my lunch and then hopefully fit in a weekend run somewhere. I would love to work in weights, but I am not promising that will happen soon. When I am ready, I will make it happen. For now, I will just try my best to run for 30 min a day 3-4 times per week. I think that is a very attainable goal for myself right now. I just need to let my determination be my guide. If I want it bad enough, I will make it happen.

That all being said, I LOVE the way I feel after a run and sometimes that's all the motivation I need. I just need to plan better and really put in the effort to make it happen. It's an ongoing battle! To be continued... =)

Things I ate today... please keep in mind that I don't post every single morsel of food that I eat! Just what I remember to take a picture of before inhaling it!

Pretzels with honey dijon mustard... for breakfast. LOVE THIS SHHHHH!!!! Even though the mustard burns the crap out of my nose I keep eating it, a lot of it!

Laughing Cow and Wheathins... MMMM!

I know a lot of people don't love the Dannon Light n Fit... but I do! The cherry was really good but I think my favorite has to be the pineapple coconut!

Salami and cheese on a sandwich thin. Looks boring but this is really how I like (and have ALWAYS eaten) my salami sandwiches. Dry w/ a little cheese.

Why, what are these cute little snacks?

Yes, yes those are Gerber Sweet Potato Puffs! I didnt' steal them from my kid, I bought my own to keep at work! It's almost gone after 1.5 days. Probably not a very cost efficient snack, but really really good!

I totally spaced on taking a picture of dinner... it was super healthy too... two slices of frozen pizza and a chunk of those yummy blondies from the previous post! Oh, and a light beer for good measure! Why not?

In case you can't tell, I really really really need to go grocery shopping. I usually eat more fruits/veggies. Promise!

Back at it

Well here I am, trying to get back at this whole fitness blogging thing.

I'm not going to pretend I have this hardcore workout that I have been doing, running 5+ miles per day, I wish!

Really I am just working on getting at least 30 min of cardio in a day where I can and right now I am trying to sneak in a quick blog post before Hailey wakes up.

I've been struggling trying to get to the gym in the mornings before work (at 5am!). I don't know about you, but I have a very hard time giving a run my ALL at 5am. It's way harder to push myself at that hour rather than later in the day when I am AWAKE. Everyone keeps telling me it takes time to get used to working out that early. I've been at it since January and I am not feeling it. I will say that if that's the only time I can fit in a workout, I will do it.

The last week or so I have tried a few different things...

Worked out at 5am at the gym,

Ran outside on my lunch hour at work (thought this was a great idea until some dude was yelling at me to "go back" when I was walking across the street from a body shop.... I have NO idea why. I looked at him and said "me?" and he said "YES! GO BACK!!!". I didn't ask questions, I turned around and didn't walk by that place again),

Took Hailey for a walk/run on my lunch break (Two birds, one stone! I love seeing Hailey on my lunch) which was a workout in itself trying to get back to work on time. This was my favorite because I got to spend a little time w/ my girl but definitely the LEAST convenient as far as my 1 hour lunch break goes. I think I only got to walk/run about 20 min.

 

My sleepy girl!

AND last but not least ran on the treadmill at the gym on my lunch hour. I don't think you really need a picture of that! BORING!

The scenario that worked best for me was heading to the gym on my lunch and getting in a quick 30 min run. I worked up a good sweat and was able to push myself harder than my usual early morning runs.

As far as food goes, yesterday looked like this...

Coffee has me by the cojones! It's a MUST every single morning!

This is what I brought to work... yogurt, LF cottage cheese, Wheathins, Laughing Cow cheese, honey dijon mustard (burns the crap out of my nose when I eat it but I LOVE it!), a salami and cheese sandwich on a sandwich thin, and a crap-ton (yes that is a technical term) of strawberries.

I didn't take a picture of my "breakfast" but I had the Wheathins, Laughing Cow and some of the mustard. I know, sounds odd for "breakfast" but it's what I like.

Strawberries and LF CC for a mid-morning snack

I fill this baby up w/ water 3-4 times a day.

The salami sandich and some pita chips were for lunch. I am telling you, I have been horrible about planning so yes, it was a small lunch. I normally at least throw in some frozen steamed broccoli or something too!

 

My afternoon snack... (Stacy's Pita Chips are my weakness, I eat them just about every day!)

 I had my LF yogurt with pita chips!

I polished off the rest of the pita chips yesterday before leaving work.

I wasn't that hungry at dinner (probably all the pita chips I ate!), so I just had a salad w/ salami, tomato, cheese, carrots, peperoncinis peppers and light balsalmic dressing

I could NOT resist one of these Reese's PB Cup Blondies !

I should add they are not low fat or low calorie. I am a fan of not depriving myself! =)

So that's about it. How's that for my first day back?

How to juggle...

How do you juggle being a full-time mommy, wife and employee and not lose yourself????

That's what I would love to write about on this blog. That was the whole intention of this blog after all!

In all honesty, I haven't figured it out yet! I love, love writing, blogging, cooking, taking pictures of my food and life, working out, eating healthy and MOST of all being a mommy and wife, but juggling everything is an art that I haven't quite been able to master.

The term "There aren't enough hours in the day" has never been so true!

(photo credit)

I don't know how some of these "super mom" types do it! In a perfect world... well, in a "perfect world" I would work for myself, have more flexible hours and have a passion and enjoy my job and have more time with my daughter... but that's not the way it is. Don't get me wrong, I am SO thankful to have the job that I have, but I feel a huge emptiness and no fullfillment or passion at my job, which makes leaving Hailey for 8 hours a day REALLY hard.

On top of that, I have a hard time keeping myself motivated to work out at 5am. Actually, what makes it hard to stay motivated is feeling like I am not giving my work out my all at that hour. I feel like it's a waste, even though anything is better than nothing. Working out and eating healthy is a huge passion of mine, I really love it and I am having a hard time not being able to give it everything I know I can.

That all being said, I know that attitude is everything. If I would change my attitude about the cards I have been dealt and be happy to have all of the amazing things I have in my life (not that I don't appreciate what I have because I do, I really do!) and not dwell on what I can't change at the moment I would feel much better. We are the only ones who hold the key to our happiness. If I want a job where I have more flexibility and more passion, I can have it eventually, I just have to work for it. I have to decide what I really want and go for it. Funny, it really is that easy.

Ok, I didn't mean for this post to be so depressing. I guess I just had to write how I am feeling and get it out there. I need to make some changes to make myself happy. I want to make a good life for myself, my baby girl and my husband! I want to be the best ME I can be. Oh don't I know how cheesy that sounds, but it's so true. My family deserves the best of me.

The only way I can become the best version of myself is to make time to make myself happy and make the things I love doing a priority... make ME a priority.

There's so much more to life than living for Fridays!

Like enjoying everything about this...

My AMAZING family

Here we go, project "Live life to the Fullest" =)

Remember when...

I used to blog about health and fitness! Oh those were the days! Hopefully I will be back, someday!
I doubt anyone wants to read about my 30 a day of cardio and all of the salami sandwiches and handfuls of pita chips I have been scarfing on... nothing too interesting.
Being a mommy is hard work but the best job I've ever had!

Worst. Blogger. Ever.

That pretty much sums up my blogging for the past few months.

If it makes you feel any better, you aren't missing much in the way of my "healthy eating" or working out!

I thought it would be easy to hop back into some sort of a routine, but it's not easy... not even almost. To be honest, I could try a little harder but it just seems there aren't enough hours in the day. There are about to be even less hours in the day because I go back to work in TWO short weeks =(

As far as my eating habits go, going back to work might be better for me. I will have more time to throw together healthier snacks (I keep a lot of things in the fridge and in my drawer at work) and eat more often. Like the old days LOL Lately it seems like I grab a handful of carrots or pretzels on the go when I can. I've also been having a beer or cocktail of some kind almost every night since having my baby girl! Ahhhh 9 months was a long time to go w/o cocktails! LOL plus it helps me unwind after a long day. I can't keep that up. I have to get back on my healthy eating and no drinks during the week except on occasion.

The downfalls of going back to work...
1. I can't spend every day with my precious baby girl =( BOOOOO!
2. Finding time to go to the gym might be even harder!

I plan on trying my best to get into some sort of routine. I need to manage my time in a way where working out fits into my schedule. Working it is important to me and helps relieve stress and feel great. My baby will always come first but I'm hoping my hubby picking up Miss Hailey after he gets of work most nights will help me achieve a some what regular exercise schedule. If not, I will have to try to work out in the mornings before work.  That won't be easy!

So that's what's going on for now. I will try my best to post about my progress and how my schedule is working out, etc.

Wish me luck! I'm gonna need it! How do new mommies do it? Especially ones who work???

Oh and incase you were wondering... I am 10 weeks post partum and about 1 lb over my pre pregnancy weight.

MOST of my clothes are fitting, however, my hips have widened a bit so I have a little "muffin top" in some of my jeans. My work pants don't "fasten" as easily as they used to =( but I'm pretty sure that's because of the widened hips. I hear they go back to "normal" but I'm skeptical! I'll let ya know!

My baby girl is here

...and has been for 4 weeks now! I am such a slacker!

I have been meaning to get on here and post, but honestly I haven't had much to post about over here. I had my amazing little girl, which you can read about HERE... but I haven't been back on the fitness or health food band wagon yet.

The stats...
I was trying not to go overboard and gain a ton of weight during my pregnancy. I was shooting for 30-35lbs... I ended up gaining a total of 45 lbs! I was a little bummed, but I thought about it and I ate pretty healthy and worked out up until the very end. 45lbs was just what I was meant to gain.

The good news...
I've already lost 35lbs of the 45! YAY! 10 more lbs until I hit my pre pregnancy weight. I am happy about that.

I was shocked that in the first two weeks post partum, I had already lost 30 lbs. I've lost the other 5 over the last two weeks. I must have gained a lot more water weight than I thought.

I have to say that losing a big chunk of the weight was a HUGE relief to me. I was totally prepared to work my a$$ off (and still am) to lose whatever I had to... but the less I have to lose, the better for me!

I'm still not fitting into all of my pre pregnancy clothes but I have a couple pairs of jeans that fit again! They are a little more snug than they used to be, but that's just motivation!

My doc told me to wait  "a few weeks" to start working out at all (just light walking, etc)... things needed to heal a bit and now I know why. I don't think I could have worked out that first 2-3 weeks if I tried! Just walking fast at the grocery store killed me. My "things" needed time to heal!

Last week (week 3) I went for a nice, long walk with my baby girl. The first 30-35 min felt really good, but the last 10-15 min started to hurt a little. I got crampy and tired toward the end. I think I tried too much too soon. I really felt like I could jump right back in where I left off, but now I am realizing I am going to have to ease in.

Monday of this week I hit the gym for the first time in a month! I walked 30 min on the treadmill. I got a gnarly side cramp when I first started but it wore off and I felt great. I even tried to jog a little. The jogging felt great, but it only lasted a few minutes. I haven't ran in about 10 months... since I found out I was pregnant. It will be hard to ease back in, I am so impatient... plus it's hard to find time to get into the gym. I could take the baby on more walk/runs, but it's getting colder outside. I think I would feel better waiting for daddy to get home from work and watching her while I hit the gym.

As for the healthy eating, I have been doing pretty good but my "diet" isn't perfect. I don't mean "diet" as in I am putting myself ON a diet, I just mean my normal healthy eating routine has had a wrench thrown in it. It's harder to make actual MEALS during the day. I find myself snacking on things I can eat with one hand! Toast with PB, pretzels, apples, salami, crackers, sandwiches, etc. I am eating a lot of salads with dinner and small portions of less healthy things... like lasagna and pizza. I don't normally eat a lot of heavy/fatty stuff but I've been making due with either what the hubby makes or what we have in the house. That's not an excuse... I need to get back on the healthy eating band wagon! I just feel better when I eat better.

So... I am working on getting back into an exercise routine. Slowly but surely. I am going to work on getting my running stamina back and I would LOVE to possibly run a half marathon next spring/summer. That's good motivation!

That's all I've got for now... I am also going to TRY to work on posting here more regularly and making some healthier meals during the day and for dinner. Maybe posting more here will keep me motivated with that!

Another "Not so Fit Mommy" Recipe

Ok, so I have to admit I haven't been the healthiest eater since I have been pregnant. I try, but I don't
always succeed. The cravings are killing me!

This morning I had the usual Honey Nut Cherrios and some coffee for breakfast... not too bad.

It's a stormy Sunday morning

(Daisy won't even go out in this storm to go potty! I don't blame her... it's nasty!)

I had already eaten but I still felt like whipping up something a little more special, so I decided to surprise the hubby with something yummy!

He's not much of a calorie counter or healthy eater, so I like to experiment on him with more indulgent things. If I can't enjoy all of that good stuff, why shouldn't he? Plus, I need to practice making some goodies for my baby girl when she's old enough to enjoy them! Mommy's always make the BEST stuff, right?

Rewind to yesterday... hubby and I had to stop at Target to pick up some necessities and we couldn't resist the Halloween candy aisle!

Ok back to today...

This morning I decided to make PANCAKES with THIS recipe.  Just a simple pancake recipe from the Food Network website.

I like to add things into my pancakes, so I decided that some of the Halloween candy we got yesterday would be the perfect "add in". The HEATH BAR to be exact! I had so many options... LOL Heath Bar, Rolo, Snickers, Milky Way... etc. I thought the Heath Bar pancakes sounded the best plus that was the whole reason hubby picked the bag of candy he did yesterday... the Heath Bars.

For your viewing pleasure...

I didn't have a whole pancake to myself but I did have to "taste test" them and they were AMAZING!!!! Hubby was "very happy and excite!" LOL

I didn't take a pic of my boring breakfast, but I think next time I will skip my boring cereal and have at least one of these babies!

Now we are ready to spend the rest of our stormy Sunday morning watching movies and waiting for our baby to come greet us!