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I did a great workout at the gym yesterday. It was a workout I actually saw written down at the gym so I took a picture and decided to give it a shot. I’m not sure if there’s a group of people who do CrossFit’s together or if it’s for a class, but I appreciate them leaving it up for me to copy  .
That being said, I did not do the workout in its’ entirety. I’m not quite there yet. I tried my hardest though and modified it slightly. I am feeling sore today so I do think I worked hard enough!
I tried to do the first part exactly how it was written. I did the correct number of pushups (although some on my knees) as well as sit ups and leg lifts.
So, I can’t do a pullup without assistance. So, I just used the pullup machine and added some weight to it to help me out. I used between 40-70 pounds. I haven’t practiced pullups in forever so it was challenging but felt good.
I also didn’t do muscle ups because I’m pretty sure those require hanging rings which I don’t have access to. Instead, I did dips on the pullup machine. I used weights for those too but tried to use the least amount of weight I could so I used around 40 pounds. I started with 10 dips, then 15 and 15 again.
I only did 1 part of the TRX torture because to be honest, I don’t really know how to use TRX straps so I didn’t. I did the first part: chest press, back row, and jump squats. I used a 22 pound weighted bar for all the exercises (except the jumps). I wondered if that would be enough weight and it definitely was after 1 minute! I also added thrusters in there using the same weight. I didn’t do the thrusters for time, I just did 40 reps.
It was a good workout! I’m really enjoying my time back in the gym these days. Not only have been to the gym, but some days I do workouts at home and those can definitely be equally as hard! They always kind of surprise me…which is a good thing.
Happy Thursday!
Hey guys! Long time no talk huh? I was in Phoenix for a few days last week which was great. Brooke got to meet the rest of my side of the family which I think she really enjoyed…there’s no telling…she’s 8 weeks old. But, judging by her smiles, I think she liked it.
 little giraffe Things are going well on my end! Brooke is sleeping more and more at night so no complaints. As I mentioned above, she’s also smiling a LOT more. I love it. Every time she smiles (which is a lot) I try to snap pics or get people to look…it’s exciting every single time! I can’t wait until she starts laughing. I can easily see that taking over my life: spending all day trying to get my daughter to laugh. I suppose it could be worse .
Anyway, since I’m kind of getting into the swing of things, I’ve been hitting the gym more and have actually run a few times. The running is tough but it just feels good to break a sweat. As for the gym, I love feeling sore the next day. I’ve missed that feeling!
I’ve also been able to get in the kitchen a little more which is always fun. I’m really trying to focus on upping my vegetable intake. I’m not dieting or restricting things (although I am trying to watch the sweet tooth), I’m focusing on adding. In this case, adding vegetables. For example, right now I’m eating cauliflower, chicken, and carrots for lunch. I usually never have veggies at lunch…or breakfast. Pretty much the only time I eat veggies is at dinner which just isn’t enough.
Since I’m trying to stuff my face with veggies, I’m exploring new recipes. Last night I made cauliflower “rice” for the first time. I’ve heard of low carb eaters using this as a substitute for actual rice so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s really pretty simple…all you really need to do is process a head of cauliflower (in the food processor), then microwave!
If you don’t have a food processor, you could try to blend it, chop it finely with a knife, or use a hand held grater.
So, one head of cauliflower makes a lot of “rice” so heads up. Obviously, you could process less depending on what you want. We have a lot of leftovers.
Anyway, once it was grated, I took out a little and microwaved it in a covered dish. You don’t need to add water to it by the way. I microwaved it for about 4 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft.
I served it up with butter and greek seasoning. It was good! It tastes like cauliflower (obviously) but I actually really liked it. I think I’ll definitely make it again.
My next experiment with cauliflower will be as pizza crust. Have you heard of grated cauliflower made into crust? Sounds kind of interesting right…? The pictures I’ve seen make it look awesome!
Do you follow a specific diet? What’s your biggest dieting weakness? I think mine is sweets…and lack of nutrient dense foods like veggies!
Since I’ve been working on my diet a bit, I really wanted to have foods around that were convenient and healthy. I feel like most store bought snacks-which are all about convenience- are usually heavy on the carb end with little nutritional value. As much as I love snack bars (and I do), I would love some snacks that are more filling and less caloric.
I’ve seen egg cups multiple times and in a couple different forms. I’ve actually made something similar before (egg “muffins”- recipe found here) and they were awesome-just a little more work. They’re definitely worth the work though. You can easily make a large batch and freeze some or throw them in the refrigerator and eat them throughout the week.
 Egg Muffin This recipe was much more simple: just eggs and ham!
I used black forest ham but you could really use whatever meat you’d like-ham, turkey, etc. So, all I did was grease a muffin tin, then placed a slice of ham in each cup. I only had enough ham for 9 cups.
Next, I cracked 1 egg in each piece of ham then sprinkled some greek seasoning on top.
I cooked the eggs at 400 degrees for about 17 minutes. I wanted to make sure and cook the eggs all the way through just because I knew we would eat them throughout the week. If you were going to eat them right away you could cook for a little less like 12 minutes if you like your yolks runny.
They turned out great! I had 2 for breakfast this morning!
So, the ham I bought came out to about 70 calories per slice. 1 egg is also 70 calories so 1 cup is about 140 calories. It’s a little on the high end for a snack, but I don’t mind since it’s so filling (lots of protein). For breakfast, it’s perfect!
What’s your favorite way to eat eggs? Any good snack ideas that are low carb?
Now that I’m feeling a little more like myself again AKA getting more sleep, I’m ready to commit to “getting my body back.” I’m okay with what my body looks like now it’s more about getting strength back that went missing while pregnant. I did work out quite a bit during my pregnancy not necessarily to keep from gaining weight, but because I like it. I like feeling strong so I’m looking forward to building that strength back.
Anyway, I think I’ve sort of been throwing myself back into the gym like the whole pregnancy thing never happened which maybe isn’t the best approach. During my pregnancy, I bought the book How to Exercise When You’re Expecting: For the 9 Months of Pregnancy and the 5 Months It Takes to Get Your Best Body Back . First of all, 5 months? Yikes. I’m already being impatient with my progress and it’s only been 5 weeks!
So, back to the book. I looked at it a couple times during the pregnancy but probably didn’t need it. I think the book would be very helpful for someone who’s pregnant and hasn’t worked out very much prior to the pregnancy because it does give you good guidelines and workout ideas. I think a big part of working out while pregnant though is based on how active you were before the pregnancy and also if you’re having a healthy pregnancy (how many times can I write the word “pregnancy”). So, it’s very much between you and your doctor. That being said, I think the book will be helpful for me right about now. I think it’ll help me ease back into exercise and understand how to exercise my core effectively to bring it back to life.
The past week and half I’ve exercised and it felt great! I actually went for a 30 minute jog the other day. While exercising though I started doing crunches and other ab exercises to gain that strength back. I read in the book though and on a couple other sites that doing crunches right off the bat is not the most effective way to retrain your core.
The author breaks down recovering your core strength in 4 phases:
- Phase 1- Reestablish
- Phase 2- Recover and Retrain
- Phase 3- Condition
- Phase 4- Shrink
Reestablish is the first phase which is supposed to last from weeks 0-6. Basically, this stage is about finding your core muscles again and reactivating them with simple moves. They aren’t standard exercises at all but basic moves like core activation, which is just pulling your belly button in towards your spine and holding for a count, then releasing. Kegels and pelvic floor moves are also a big part of this phase. No crunches yet!
Recover and Retrain incorporates some of the same exercises and adds a couple “standard” moves like squats, pushups, and pelvic tilts with a march.
Condition and Shrink seem very similar to me. Maybe the only difference is the amount of cardio encouraged during the shrinking phase. At this point hopefully I’ll have most of the strength back in my abs, but in order to get rid of the fat I do need to do some cardio.
So, basically my idea of hitting the gym and doing crunches and other ab exercises was maybe not the best approach. I don’t know if I’ll follow this program to a T, but I will try to retrain those muscles from the inside out.
Besides exercise, diet will definitely make a big difference. Diet has always been my downfall. Although I will say, this week (yes, only a week) has been great in the regard. I’ve been eating more vegetables and staying away from sugar. Throughout my pregnancy, I think I ate pretty well but I wasn’t overly concerned with my diet. If I wanted ice cream, I’d eat it..if I wanted York peppermint patties (which I did often) I’d eat them. So I think I developed a little bit of a sugar addiction which is hard to break!
My approach lately has been if I crave sugar, have some fruit. It’s as simple as that. If I want chocolate, go eat an apple. It’s hard but simple enough that hopefully those sugar cravings will disappear soon.
I’ve also been working on my vegetable intake. I’ve never been one to eat a ton of veggies so it’s been hard! I’m just trying to choose veggies I like (seems obvious) so I know I’ll eat them. This week I’ve been chowing down on peppers…I love raw red peppers! Ironically my husband hates them but that’s okay, I’ll eat a whole one by myself. I picked up some hummus too to add a little flavor.
So, so far (again basically only this week) I’m happy with my diet and just hope to keep it going. It’s going to be tough as we get into the holidays, but I’m going to try my hardest!
If only abs were made in the gym…sigh.
Anyway, I was going to take a picture for you guys of my bod but I kinda feel weird posting pics of myself like that on the internet. I know, I’m being shy. Maybe I still will..we’ll see. :) I’m about 10 pounds over the weight I’d like to be, but more importantly, my pants don’t fit. I think that’s the best indicator of weight loss or gain..how your clothes fit. So, hopefully mine will be back to fitting soon because I’d really like to bust out some cute fall outfits!
How do you incorporate more veggies or fruits into your diet? This question is random, but anyone have a good recipe for homemade salad dressing?
Catchy title isn’t it? Not really, I know. I’m not feeling overly creative and it pretty much sums up the workout.
Yesterday I hit the gym for the 3rd time this week. Not only does it feel great to sweat again and have sore muscles, but it’s also nice to get away and have some alone time. As much as I love hanging out with Brooke, getting away for even just an hour gives me some time to regroup-just me, myself, and I.
Anyway, yesterday’s workout was a good one. I was thinking about doing an all leg workout but was feeling lazy in a way so I decided on a simple, CrossFit inspired workout I found on Pinterest. I changed a few things around because I’m not quite ready for an actual CrossFit workout. Here’s the original workout:
5, 10, 15, 20 Workout (from Fit Foodie Finds)
- 5
Pushups- So I did 5 box jumps instead
- 10
Box Jumps- 10 pushups for me. I tried as many as I could off my knees then dropped down when I needed to.
- 15 sit ups- I mixed these with crunches since I have zero ab muscles.
- 20 squats
The original workout says to repeat this 10 times. I repeated it 8 times and that was plenty for me! I was thinking I’d just do 5 rounds but I made it to 8.
I’m sore today! I feel it in my abs which is great since I really need to work on developing those muscles again.
This is a great workout because you could definitely do it at home. Instead of box jumps you could try jump squats. The next few days I’ll be without a car so no way to get to the gym so I’m in need of some home workouts. Any good ideas?
Have a great weekend!
The few weeks after Brooke was born were definitely the hardest-not only because of crazy lady hormones but because of the sudden lack of sleep. I’ve never had sleep problems in my life but now I totally understand the importance of getting a good night’s rest. Although I would never do this (I’m sure no one admits they would though), I totally get how some parents get beyond frustrated with their babies and shake them. It’s an awful thing to say and again I’m not saying that’s okay, but no sleep can make you feel nuts.
Anyway, my husband and I are both getting more sleep than we were so things are definitely looking up. Brooke is 1 month old-I can’t believe it!
How Brooke’s Doing:
It’s so tempting to think your baby is falling into a schedule. I definitely want to think this but I’ve been warned many times that baby’s do not have schedules. Once you think they do, they change it up on you! So, I won’t jinx us, but lately she has been sleeping better. The past 3 nights she slept in 4 hour chunks so we’ve only had to get up twice. That’s pretty much awesome. I can’t wait for the day when I only have to get up once!
That being said, she tends to get fussy at night. It’s almost like clockwork. She cluster feeds a bit (just eats nonstop) but she will start getting fussy while feeding and I don’t really know how to calm her down. Usually sticking my boob in her face is enough but at night, she will fuss/feed for a couple hours before falling asleep. It can be frustrating not knowing what your baby wants or needs. It seems other people have had this problem though so I think it’s just a baby being a baby.
Even though she’s only 1 month, I swear I’m starting to get some smiles! Not just gas smiles either . I basically have no idea how to tell the difference but a couple days ago, she smiled more with her eyes if that makes sense. She actually looked happy. I love that!
Other than her sleeping and fussing at night, her life if pretty much the same: sleep, eat, and poop ’round the clock. The pictures I’m posting here are actually newborn pics we had taken a couple weeks ago. They were sort of a disaster-she would NOT sleep (she slept for literally 10 minutes then was up again). Who are these people that get amazing shots of their newborn dead asleep? I think next time, I’ll go with 1 year old pics instead .
Cryfest.
How I’m Doing:
I feel much better than I did. I’m getting more sleep and kind of getting back to a normal life. I don’t feel as scared taking her on errands with me so that’s getting better. I’m supposed to fly with her to Arizona at the end of October (alone) so I’m a little nervous for that but I’m sure we will make it through.
I’ve been itching to workout again and the midwife actually gave me the go ahead a couple weeks ago-just no running yet. Basically, she said to listen to my body. If I’m working out and I notice I begin to bleed more (sorry, TMI), then I should stop. If something hurts..stop. Kinda a no brainer.
I’ve been feeling better and I’m pretty sure my stitches have heeled so I’ve hit the gym the past few days. I’m not going hardcore because I definitely need to build my strength and endurance back up first. I’ve just been lifting some weights and walking on the treadmill some.
I actually did attempt a light jog a few days ago (don’t tell the midwife) but honestly, it hurt my boobs. I think I need a better sports bra…
Yesterday I did a pretty good workout that I found on Peanut Butter Fingers. I modified it slightly since I don’t want to kill myself just yet.
I ran through this workout twice and that was enough for me. I also took longer breaks in between the exercises just to make sure I was staying hydrated.
Instead of 30 squat jumps, I did 5 squat jumps and the rest just regular squats. Instead of 10 burpees, I did as many as I could so the first round I did 8 the next round I did 5. I did regular burpees too no pushup at the bottom.
I’m pretty sore! It felt good though to actually break a sweat.
I have another doctor’s appointment in about a week and a half so hopefully by then I can really start to push myself.
I’ll start to do some posts too on getting my regular body back. As far as that’s concerned, I’ve dropped most of the weight already but it’s amazing how little ab muscle remains. My tummy is so soft it feels weird having zero muscle. That being said, I’m pretty happy with how I look right now, but I still want to lose about 10 pounds. My regular pants don’t fit quite yet..some do, but they are way too tight.
I know I have some reader’s who are currently pregnant and probably some that have been pregnant, if you guys have any questions about anything, definitely feel free to ask! Not that I’m an expert, but I found that hearing people’s stories and experiences made me feel more prepared in a way.
If you’ve traveled with an infant, any suggestions? I am not looking forward to it!
So, I swear the baby posts will stop soon. I’ve just been meaning to write about my experience now for the past three weeks..I’m a little behind!
First of all, thank you all so much for the sweet comments on my previous post. I really just wanted people to know how I felt in case they had a similar experience-you’re not alone! It also made me feel a little better to hear that I wasn’t alone either.
Anyway, I went into labor on September 11 (what a day right?) around 5 in the morning. At first, I honestly thought it was false labor because it kinda hurt…but wasn’t excruciating. Also, the contractions were coming pretty close together, but they weren’t that consistent. They would be like 10 minutes apart, then 15, then 5…so I assumed it was not the real deal which bummed me out.
I started to get a little nervous though when I noticed I was bleeding a bit (sorry if this is too much information). That’s when I called the doctor. They told me to come in just in case but they didn’t seem to be in panic mode so I wasn’t either. I assumed if it was the real deal, I’d get there and they’d tell me to go walk around for a few hours because I wasn’t ready yet.
We showed up at the hospital around 11:30 and that’s when I found out I wasn’t going anywhere. Turns out, I was 7 centimeters dilated so yes, this was the real deal!
On the drive over, I told my husband that I thought I’d just get an epidural. It sounded like it made the whole experience easier so what the hell..why not? Once they told me I was 7 cm dilated though, I thought I’d hang out a little longer, see how I felt, then make a decision on the epidural.
I got in the bathtub (which I highly recommend..felt awesome), walked around (which was harder), sat on the birthing ball (still hard), and laid down (yep still hurt). Even though I had the intention of getting an epidural, I kinda let it fall by the waist-side. I guess because everything was progressing so nicely that I thought I could hang in there.
Finally, it was time to push. I’ve heard this is the quickest part of labor but in my case, it was not. So, I was still without any medication at this point which I basically regretted (ouch). If the pushing part had been like, 20 minutes or even an hour, it probably wouldn’t have been a big deal but I was pushing this little lady out for 3 hours.
I honestly thought it would never end. I couldn’t push her head through my pubic bone no matter how hard I tried. I swear I tried hard too. So, her little head was basically stuck there forever. The midwife finally told me that if she didn’t come through in the next 20 minutes, they were going to have a doctor vacuum her out. I guess that was motivation enough because I managed to push her out within that 20 minute time period! They should have told me that 2 1/2 hours earlier.
Since I didn’t have an epidural, I could labor in different positions which I guess(?) was helpful. I tried on my sides (did not like that), on my back with legs up, on all fours, then finally, the best position for me was legs up with feet on a bar.
So, I managed to make it through a natural childbirth. The question now is, would I do it again? Honestly, I think next time I’d probably try an epidural. The pain was manageable (I guess) for the most part but if that epidural took away just a little bit of the edge, I think it would have helped. The problem was it was just so exhausting pushing for that long not to mention all the laboring beforehand. I remember asking my husband a million times “when is this gonna end? I just want this to be over.” So, if an epidural could take away a little pain leaving you slightly less exhausted, I’m all for it.
I honestly don’t think there’s any right or wrong way to go into labor. If you want an epidural, use one…if not, that’s cool too. The experience is so personal and different for each woman it’s not really fair to judge someone based on what they choose to do.
Like I said, if I had pushed for 20 minutes, maybe I’d feel differently…but it was way longer than that! Brooke finally came at 9:13 pm and was 8 pounds 1 oz-bigger than I thought! It was a long day, but definitely worth it. Pretty amazing experience overall. She was perfectly healthy and that’s all we could have asked for .
What are your thoughts on epidurals or pain meds during labor?
Hey everyone!! It has been forever since I posted…I apologize. I honestly thought I’d have my life together by now and be back to posting daily. I’ve meant to…but the days have pretty much been blurs since Brooke arrived. I guess that’s what happens when you get zero sleep.
On the sleep front, things are getting better. She still wakes up about every 2-3 hours to eat which is rough, but I’ve been able to sleep more at night thanks to my husband and finally been able to nap during the day. I totally thought at first I’d be napping basically all day but those first two weeks, I could not fall asleep. I never had a problem napping before..I think it was the pressure I’d put on myself that I had to sleep. Finally, a few days ago, I fell asleep-thank God for naps.
Anyway, I titled this post “Baby Blues” because it’s something I was dealing with for the first few weeks and to some extent, still am. The reason I wanted to share it with you is because I haven’t heard much about it. The only things I’d ever hear were how overjoyed and happy new moms were (which is awesome..seriously). So, obviously, that’s what I expected. You’re so excited to have a baby for over 9 months..then you have her…you expect to be on cloud 9 right? I did, but I wasn’t.
Not feeling that overwhelming sense of joy made me really sad. I felt bad actually…like what was wrong with me? I should be happy!!
The feelings I did have were ones of fear and even sometimes regret. Like, what did I do? I’m not ready for this at all. I was also feeling trapped and somewhat isolated even though I had my husband and family around me. I hated these feelings. I say hated because most of these feelings have gone away by now-thank God.
I just felt like I was trapped now…stuck here, in my tiny house with this tiny person 24/7. In a way, I am…but I know now my husbands here to help me and we can and will get out (Brooke and I). I didn’t understand why I had these feelings because I knew newborns were a lot of work..everyone knows that! I knew she’d want to eat all the time and have a crazy sleep schedule…so why did I feel this way? It’s just so much easier beforehand to think “I’ll sleep when she sleeps.” Sounds so simple but it doesn’t always work out like that. Plus, I don’t want to sleep all day. I want to have a life.
The nurses did give me a heads up that you might feel the “baby blues” for about 2 weeks after giving birth, so I knew I could blame hormones, but it didn’t make it any easier. Crazy hormones coupled with zero sleep is never good.
Like, I said, I just wanted to talk about my experience because I assume others have gone through the same thing? I’ve just never heard about it. It seemed to me that most people I know who have had a baby were beyond thrilled-never sad.
Today, I feel much better. I still get overwhelmed and cry sometimes but that’s gotta be normal right? For the most part, I feel pretty good…just trying to get back to normal. Today I’m actually going to try to get to the gym for a little bit which will feel awesome.
Brooke is beautiful and a great baby. I never want to feel anger towards her because she’s a baby…she needs us.
Speaking of Brooke, I just heard what had to be a major poop so I should sign off. I’ll try to get back to posting regularly!! I miss it!
If you’ve had a baby (or know people who have), have you experienced any sort of baby blues?
Hi guys! Been a while right? Everything fine on my end…I basically got tired so I took a little break. While taking that break, we had a special arrival:
Our baby girl Brooke Aspen Gray was born on September 11th at 9:13 pm. She weighed a healthy 8lb. 1oz. and is 19 inches long,
She’s so perfect .
Mom and Dad are doing well too just adjusting to life with a newborn.
Thank you all for your love and support! I’ll try to get on later and give you the lowdown on our new life. Thanks again for the support!
SO CLOSE! A part of me feels like I’ve been pregnant for an eternity but on the other hand, I can’t believe we’re a week away from her due date.
Physically, I feel fine. Mentally, it’s another story . I’m pretty good for the most part. I just go in and out of being super anxious which makes me a bit emotional. I get really excited (I’m always excited) but then sometimes I feel irritable for no reason. This morning I just woke up like that…why? I have no idea. I think these whirlwind emotions are just stemming from the fact that I’m anxious to have her. I know it can “technically” happen any time, but I also realize it could be another few weeks if she’s late. Few weeks? It’s crazy after 9 months how a few weeks can sound like forever. Don’t do that to us baby!
Anyway, here’s a picture we took this morning (looking pretty beat):
By the way, I feel like a pumpkin. Not a small one either.
Here’s an awkward belly picture!
Someone needs a tan bad!
Here’s a little breakdown of how life as a super pregnant lady is goin:
Total weight gain: Almost 30 poundos
Maternity clothes? Of course. Do people not wear maternity clothes at 39 weeks?
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: It’s okay. I’ve been getting up like, 4-5 times a night to go to the bathroom which is a little inconvenient. Sometimes it helps though because my hip hurts so I feel like walking around makes it better.
Best moment this week: Doctor’s appointment! She estimated the baby is around 6 1/2 pounds right now. So big!
Miss Anything? Yeah..I’m ready to be back to “normal.”
Movement: Yeah. She just feels so crammed now almost like she can barely move.
Food cravings: Just York peppermint patties and Junior Mints…I think I crave those anyway though.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.
Gender: GIRL!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks! They feel a bit like menstrual cramps these days which is different than earlier in the pregnancy.
Belly Button in or out? Kind of out. Weird stuff going on there.
Wedding rings on or off? Off. Fingers are way too fat.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, excited, anxious. A little moody.
Symptoms: Lots of standard symptoms. Nothing too crazy though at this point.
Looking forward to: Her coming!! I want to know when!
Exercise: Haven’t been to the gym this week (it’s actually closed right now for maintenance). I did go to yoga though and plan to go again this weekend. It feels pretty good, especially after. I’ve also been going on walks to stay a little active.
So, all is well. Just want her to come already!! I’m thinking she will come this weekend on Labor day…that’d be perfect right?
What are you Labor Day plans? I plan to take it literally and go into labor!!
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