Exciting Announcement

I have some really exciting news!

I finally took the plunge…

And purchased my own domain and hosting for a new blog website!!

I have so loved blogging on Eat Well, Live Fit, Run Much, but over time, I feel I’ve outgrown my blog name and the Blogger format (which causes me to put .blogspot behind my blog name in the web address).

I started this blog back in 2009 and it focused solely on running. But I came to realize that it’s not just running that’s important to me, it’s living an overall healthy lifestyle. That means incorporating some cross-training in my workouts, and showing all of you some healthier recipes.

Most of all, what lead me to this vital realization of living a healthy, balanced lifestyle, is that I need to set a good example for my little one at home. I’m about to welcome baby #2 soon as well, so this spurs me on even more to be the healthiest I can be!

I’ve so enjoyed blogging over the past couple of years, and I simply can not wait to take this step of bringing my blog to the next level. I’m passionate about living a healthy and active lifestyle, and I want that to resonate in the best way possible to others.

I’ve taken some time off from writing in the past month as I’ve had to devote all of my time to building the new site. (P.S. I have NO idea what I’m doing… but I’m getting there and learning as I go!)

I’ll be making one last post here - probably around the end of the year - for a final farewell and to welcome you all to the new blog. Still me! Just amplified. :)

Thanks to everyone out there who’s been reading! Hope you can follow me on to my next big thing. :)

As Sara Evans put it:

Back from Phoenix

I'm back from Phoenix! Land of palm trees and sunshine. Definitely my kind of weather! Highs in the mid-80's... lows in the upper 50's. Life is so tough there. Right. :)

My hubby, Makenna, and I left from Omaha Thursday evening to join my in-laws at their new vacation home in Surprise, Arizona. We came in late Thursday, stayed Friday and Saturday then took off Sunday morning to head back to our snowy home. But I could have stayed in Phoenix forever. It was just beautiful!

The absolute best part about being in Phoenix is being surrounded by people living an active lifestyle!

I took Makenna for a walk both Friday and Saturday and never failed to run into someone out running, biking, or walking their dog. While Surprise is known for it's retirement-like communities, I've found that's also a good thing. My in-laws have access to two gyms within walking distance of their home.

To top it all off, a few minutes in a vehicle lead you to the White Tank Mountains. The whole family headed out that way to get some exercise on Saturday. I can't reiterate enough how much mixing up your routine and doing something enjoyable can keep a person active. Walking on the hiking trail didn't even feel like exercise and I was able to put in a couple of miles.

Even my little Missy had a great time on the hike!

She didn't walk the whole way by herself, though. She had to hang on to her "PoPo's" hand for a little while.

The rest of the time she wanted to run like her Aunt Chelsey and Uncle Taylor (Cory's siblings who decided to run the hiking trail while the rest of us walked). I can't wait for her to get a little older and more interested in staying active. My ultimate hope is that she'll want to start joining me on runs someday!

Anyway, I'm now back to the mecca of snow and cold. Oh the lovely Midwest. November through February = an increase in inactivity. Something we constantly have to fight here! But heading to a warm environment reminds me to stay at it.

Speaking of which, I better hit the sack if I'm going to be up for a workout tomorrow morning! :)

5 Steps to Reduce Stress in the Morning

Let me share a story with you: 

It’s 6:30 am. I’m bounding up the stairs from our basement feeling rejuvenated. My 45 minute walk is complete for the day! I’ve already been thinking about how I’m going to cook up a big ol bowl of oatmeal for myself as soon as I’m out of the shower. It’s going to be a great day! My husband’s ready to leave so I kiss him goodbye and grab my towel. 

I take my first steps toward the bathroom when I hear it. Rustling and mumbling coming from my toddler’s room. I look at my watch, it’s 6:35… could she be up already? How is that possible?? I pause and wait to see if I’m just hearing things. But the next mumbling of “Mommy” tells me I’m right. She’s awake. I’m instantly irritated. I barely have enough time to get myself ready this morning! How am I going to get everything done and entertain her at the same time?

After another cry of “Mommy,” I groan and drag my feet to her room. Let the day begin…  

The next hour of the morning is spent rushing around the house. Me trying to hurry my little girl through everything. Her crying because she’s hungry (and quite possibly still tired). Oatmeal is now switched out with cold cereal because it’s fast and easy. Now we’re both crabby as we rush out the door to get to daycare. 

I arrive at work, five after 8, hair half wet, and wondering what the heck just happened to my morning... 

Does this happen to anyone else? I’m hoping I’m not the only working mom out there who struggles to balance it all in the morning. 

My wonderful daughter has inherited my “morning person” gene, I’m afraid, and for the last two weeks has not slept past 6:30 in the morning. In fact, it was 6:20 this morning that she first woke up.

After a few mornings of this, I realized that I had a choice to make: Either I could keep complaining about how our mornings were awful (which would in turn would keep making them awful), or I could accept the fact that my little girl was just going to be awake earlier and I needed to be more patient and thankful to get extra time with her. 

I chose the latter. I’ve made a few changes to my “routine” to make the mornings easier for both of us, and I thought I would share what I’ve learned so far: 

Tip #1: Start earlier. 

I now start my morning routine about 10-15 minutes earlier in the day than I used to. These extra minutes allow for a little less rushing, and most importantly, time for both of us to get a healthy breakfast! It does mean 10 minutes of less sleep, but it still allows me to get my workout in in the morning before the day takes over. 

Tip #2: Prioritize to stay flexible.

There are several things I like to get done each morning. But I’ve learned I just need to let the little things go. If I leave a total mess in the kitchen from breakfast, it’s ok if I don’t get it cleaned up before leaving for work! It will still be there when I get home. Just as long as I don’t leave the house without my coffee. :) 

Tip #3: Lay everything out the night before. 

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but I will personally testify that laying out my clothes, Makenna’s clothes, and anything else that needs to make it out the door in the morning before I hit the sack, makes for less stress in the AM. 

Tip #4: Realize you can’t control everything! 

Even with all this planning, something’s still bound to go wrong. And even if I’m in a good mood, Makenna could still just be having a crabby morning (Don’t we all?). So I’m learning to just take a deep breath and accept it. 

Tip #5: Start with prayer. 

This is completely a personal choice for me, but I’ve found that if I can start my morning with a few minutes of prayer, I get out of bed with a more positive attitude. It’s nice to get my head clear before starting the rat race of everyday life. 

Well there you have it - Things I’ve just been learning along the way on this road called “Motherhood.” Trust me, not every morning is full of rainbows and unicorns! But I completely believe in the old saying: “Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference!”

Maternity Workout Gear

As I’ve researched and posted about before, one of the best ways to get motivated to workout when pregnant is to find the right wardrobe. Let’s take a moment to identify what is not the right wardrobe:

This was me earlier this week. Typical T-shirt and running shorts. Luckily I was just at home doing a DVD in my basement! Looking at this photo now, it in no way inspires me to conduct another sweat session. And maybe this is a good thing, but there’s also no way this stretched out Tee is going to fit postpartum.

So, this weekend I set out to find some clothes more fitting to be seen in public. When shopping for clothes, I usually know my favorite online store or shop to visit. But when I sat down at my computer Sunday, I realized I had NO idea where to look for maternity fitness gear.

I stared at a blank browser.

Ergo,I did what any sensible modern chick would do: I Googled.

Here’s what I found under “Maternity Workout Clothes”:

• Motherhood
• Old Navy
• Gap
• A pea in the Pod
• Destination Maternity
• For Two Fitness

After looking at each site, however, I found some issues: 

• Most places wanted me to spend at least $70 for a pair of yoga pants. One. Pair. I’m kind of a frugal person, so this seems like a lot for one pair of pants that are only going to be worn sporadically for the next 13 weeks!
• Some of these websites confused the term “activewear” with “loungewear.” Not the same thing. Some tops just did not look like they were designed for an actual workout. 
• Even though some of these sites had some cute stuff, there really was not a lot to choose from. 

All in all, I was kind of disappointed by the results.  So, I chose my best option: Old Navy. I got a few pieces (all for under the cost of one pair of yoga pants on other sites, I might add) that should do me for a little while. Here’s what I picked out: 

Just a few, simple pieces. But at least I know they will fit when I put them on each morning! I can't say the same for my T-shirt and stretched out shorts. As soon as these new clothes arrive, I'll be putting the shorts away. And, depending on how these turn out, I may be back for more! 

Oh, and as one last side note, while the For Two Fitness website was a little out of my budget, they did have a really cute tank that I would love to purchase for my next pregnancy: 

Fun, right? 

Ok, time to wrap this up and head to bed. It's now been snowing. YES. SNOWING. For the past two hours. I think my treadmill in the basement will be a little more welcoming than a cold gym in the morning. Hello, winter... 

Pregnancy Project Review

This morning my rise-and-shine workout was with the TracyAnderson! 

Ok, not in real life. Lord knows I would love to be able to afford a celebrity trainer to actually come to my house for a few sessions!

Though she wasn’t with me in person, I did decide to give her “Pregnancy Project” DVDs a try. She has 9 DVDs in this pack - 1 for each month of pregnancy. Kinda cool, right?

I wasn’t sure what to expect in a DVD for preggo women. My previous experience with workout videos usually end with me wondering how the heck these women can even finish a set without dying.

And, let’s not forget all of the P90X and Insanity infomercials we’re prone to seeing on TV. Yeah… not doing THAT at 7 months pregnant.

With all of this in mind, I still stuck Tracy’s DVD in the good ol computer and went to work, expecting to feel the same way I do after most DVDs… sweating and wondering if I’ll ever have the strength to finish those sets at the end.

But I was pleasantly surprised by this one! Tracy only uses a mat, a chair, and 3 lb. dumbbells to get you moving. And her main focus is stretching which is exactly what I feel I need at 7 months in.

She mainly focuses on stretches to help the hips and a few arm moves to open your chest. I was slightly breaking a sweat by the end of the video, (and I won’t be surprised if my butt is a little sore tomorrow from doing different variations of the fire hydrant move), but I didn’t feel strained in any way or exhausted after I was done. In fact, I felt rejuvenated!

I even feel like this set of DVDs gives us expectant mothers zero excuses for not exercising or staying active. Let’s be honest, we all have a chair in our house. And if we don’t have 3 lb. dumbbells, I bet there’s a couple bottles of water or cans of soup somewhere. Other than that, all we need is 40 minutes. Seriously. Easy.

Anyway, to sum up my experience this morning, I have to say that I’ll definitely be using her DVD’s for the remainder of my pregnancy and would recommend them to any other preggo mama’s out there.

Thanks for the morning, pick-me-up, Tracy!

30 Days of Inspiration

I’ve been trying to write this post for some time now, but struggled to find the right words. I’ve gone into my Google Docs, read what I spent hours writing the day before, and then highlighted and deleted the whole dang thing more than once.

What I want to get across in this post, is what has changed for me over the past 30 days of blogging. No doubt you’ve noticed an uptick in posts - I wrote more in the month of October than the rest of the year combined!

*Confession time* At first, blogging in the beginning of October started out for selfish reasons. Blogging has always been an outlet for me - A way for me to organize my thoughts so I can finally lay them to rest instead of letting them keep me up all night. I was (still have been, if I’m being honest) going through a transitional time in my life where I felt I wasn’t in the right place, but I didn’t know where to move next. I wrote some about this in a post earlier this month. 

My goal for the month of October was to write at least twice a week about the things I was going through. As I was re-reading my posts for the month, I realized that most of it has to do with staying healthy and active during my second pregnancy. For those of you who know me, you know that I love running and staying active and healthy through my entire life is a high priority for me.

So, it really got me thinking… Are there other women out there going through the same struggles? The struggles of somehow making an active and healthy lifestyle a priority all while balancing family, work, and faith? Maybe I’m not alone. Maybe some of the stuff I’ve been writing about are things other women are thinking about, too. 

In light of this, I’ve taken the past week off of writing, and started really digging into what it would take to bring my blog to the next level. How can I share with other ladies what I’m learning right now? Not just workouts and recipes to stay fit (especially while being pregnant), but how to live an overall healthy lifestyle and keep everything balanced at the same time.

Because of this thought process, I’ve officially spent a few bucks and bought my own domain: FitandFreshLife.com. It’s going to be my new blog home as soon as I can get the design finished, and I COULD NOT be more excited!!

After taking the past 30 days to write, write, write, thinking it was all just making me feel better, I realized that sharing any info I find can help someone else, too. And that’s a much better goal for me than just spurting my ramblings out online. Over this past month I realized that a better calling for me is to blog to help others, and that’s what I intend to do with my new site. 

It’s been a crazy month of ups and downs, and it was definitely difficult to get my posts done at times, but I really feel that God is tugging on my heart strings to write and share for the benefit of others. Yes, my own personal musings will still show up every now and then (lucky you! ;) ), but us busy moms have to stick together if we’re going to make healthy living a priority for ourselves and our children!

Motivation to Workout When Pregnant

My alarm is blaring. 

I roll over and can’t believe my eyes. Could it be 5:10 already? How is that possible? I swear I just crawled into bed from getting up to pee 5 minutes ago! Maybe I’ll try to workout over lunch instead…

But the lunch workout never happens. And neither does the evening workout I tell myself I’ll do as my lunch hour ticks away.

Let’s face it - finding motivation to workout is tough! And perhaps I’m having a little pity party for myself, but it seems 10 times harder to workout when pregnant. I’ve contemplated the reasons for this and came up with the following:

• I feel huge.
• I’m tired from having to get up 3 times during the night to use the bathroom.
• My workout clothes no longer fit. (Lycra is the enemy of all pregnant women!)
• I can’t achieve any measurable results.

I can tell myself that I’ll feel better if I get up and workout, but how do I know if it’s actually doing me any good?

When weight loss or a healthy lifestyle is your achievable goal, you can tell the difference in the way your clothes fit, in the way your mile time decreases, and in the way your LDL has lowered.

But no matter how active you are during pregnancy, the scale continues to climb, you grow out of your clothes, and your “mile time” has become something you attempt to attain in less than 18 minutes. Unmotivating.

So what’s a pregnant mama to do?

I know I need a little help with motivation, so I set out on a search for ideas. What I came up with are 5 ways to motivate yourself to keep active while pregnant.

1. Set a different kind of goal - One that’s non-food and non-weight related. Even though you can’t get measurable results from working out while pregnant, you can reward yourself for staying healthy. For instance, my goal for this week was to get up and workout 4 mornings. I’ve made it 2 so far, and if I get up tomorrow and Friday, I’m rewarding myself with a pedicure. Think of something fun you’d like to do, or maybe some retail therapy you’d like to indulge in, and make that your reward for staying healthy.
2. Buy some nice-looking/fitting maternity workout gear. This is one area that would probably benefit me a lot. I have a hard time spending money on maternity clothes. My “gear” consists of my husbands old T-Shirts and my old running shorts. I’m so embarrassed to show them, I couldn’t even take a selfie for this post. Yikes. :/
3. If possible, find a workout partner. If you have any other friends or a spouse who are looking to get out and about, see if they want to join you for a workout a day or two a week. Just being accountable to someone can get you out of bed in the morning.
4. Try something new. A new workout DVD geared for pregnant mamas. A swim at your gym’s pool instead of a walk on the treadmill. Mixing it up will keep you interested. Just remember to keep it non-strenuous and check with your doctor first if you have concerns.
5. Most of all, keep your eyes on the big picture. We won’t be pregnant forever (thankfully!) and there are several benefits to keeping active while pregnant. On mornings when we just don’t feel like getting out of bed, even with snazzy new clothes and a new DVD to try, think about those benefits. And most of all, remember that a healthy mama = a healthy baby!

As I’m wrapping up this post with the information I’ve found, I’ve decided to set 2 goals. One = To keep up my morning workouts. I honestly do feel better! And two = Purchase some actual maternity workout gear for Pete’s sake! These stretched out T’s and shorts are unmotivating (and unattractive… let’s be honest). :)

Any other ideas for staying motivated to workout while pregnant? I’d love to hear ‘em! Please post in the comments below.

Weekly Workout Summary

Another week is in the books! I'd like to show you all a typical week of workouts for me. Right now I'm getting in 4 days a week of strong, physical exercise. Here's a rundown of this week: 

Monday and Friday mornings were beautiful, so I was able to get up and head outside to get some nice fresh air. I was able to conquer 3 miles each morning. 

Wednesday morning I decided to head to the gym. I found a nice arm workout to complete, plus threw in a couple leg exercises. Then it was 20 minutes on the elliptical. The perfect way to mix up my week! 

I always try to get in a workout at least one day over the weekend. This weekend we had beautiful weather so little miss Makenna and I headed out for a half hour walk. I'm taking pure advantage of any nice days we have left! 

Here are also a few things I learned this week: 

- It's nearly impossible to take a quality photo of your Garmin while standing in the dark under a street light. I wanted to show my proof of the 3 mile walks, but there is terrible light at 6:15 am. I'll have to start coming indoors to take those photos. I promise I really did walk those days. ;)  

- Working out always inspires me to eat healthier. It kick starts such a healthy cycle when I get up and get myself moving. Because of this, I've decided to push myself to working out 5 mornings this week. I want to stay healthy and in shape for the remainder of this pregnancy! 

- The weather is definitely getting colder. [Enter sad smiley emoticon and a low grumble.] So I've got to find some other workouts for when I can't get outside. SO, luckily, I planned ahead and ordered THIS from Amazon: 

I'm so excited to try something new! And made just for me! And... all the other pregnant women in the world, of course. I should have it this week so I can give it a try. I'll let you know how it goes! 

Alright, off to bed for me! It's supposed to be 50 in the morning, so I'm going to attempt one more morning walk before our highs for the week are only in the mid-fifties. :/

Pregnancy Update

I hit 24 weeks this week! Only 16 left to go. Here's a baby bump update:

And here's a few other updates:

Craving: Scotcheroos.

The perfect blend of peanut butter and chocolate. If you've never heard of them, they are A-MAZING. And quite possibly the devil. I wish when I was pregnant I craved fresh veggies! I'm also kind of avoiding a lot of meat. Ground hamburger or the smell of cooked bacon makes me nauseous. Yuck.

Weight Update: I've gained 16 pounds so far. Feeling pretty good about that. I'll be sure to keep honest about how much the total gain is so you'll all know how much I have to lose again in February. :)

Workouts: My current workouts include walking, the elliptical, strength training once a week, and pushing miss M in her stroller whenever we have time.

That pretty much covers it! I'll have to update again in a few weeks as time goes on. Time to hit the lights now... I'm planning on getting up early for a nice walk while this warm weather still exists!

The struggles of balance!

Lately, I've been feeling kind of lost. Like there’s a greater plan for me, but I have no idea what it is. And that is frustrating! I wanted to figure it out on my own, but truth be told, I just wasn't getting anywhere. 

Let me explain: It’s not really one thing in my life that I feel like I’m doing incorrectly, it’s pretty much everything. Do you ever feel like you’re just doing everything halfway in life? Like you don’t really have a strong focus on one thing? For example, when I’m at work, I make a list of all the things I need to get done at home, and on slow days, I think, “Geez, I could really be catching up on laundry, washing the windows, raking the leaves… [Enter a household item here].” 

On the other side, when I’m at home, I have a tendency to wake up in the middle of the night and think about things at work. “Did i send that email before I left for the day?” And, “Don’t forget to ship out that order when you come in first thing in the morning!” And this is just trying to balance work and owning a home! 

This doesn’t even describe the guilt I sometimes feel for not being a Mom who’s always there or a wife who rarely puts her husband first! (Let me take this moment to publicly apologize to my husband for sometimes being last on my list with the assumption that he’ll always be there… Sorry, hubby!) 

With all this in mind, I went on a search for the best ways to balance work and life, which just lead me to opposing thoughts from articles with titles like “5 ways to correctly balance your work and home life” to “The Truth: There is no work and home life balance” and even to articles from Pepsi Co’s CEO stating that “Women Can Not Have it All.” Talk about a blow to the spirit. What the heck am I even working for then?

It seemed the more I searched for ways to balance everything, the more I felt like I was losing control over everything and not just one thing. *Sigh*

Yes, this is the journey I've been on for the past couple of months, but I promise there’s a positive ending to this somewhat dismal story! :) So what’s a busy working and family-loving mom to do when she needs a little direction in life?

I’m not sure about what everyone’s personal decision is on this topic, but I finally found a place of peace when I stumbled across Proverbs 3:5-6:

This stopped me in my tracks. It explained exactly what I needed to do - I needed to have a little more faith and spend a lot less time trying to figure it all out on my own!

So, with all of the time I’ve spent “soul searching” lately, I've finally decided to give it a break. I don’t understand what the plan is for me, or how I’m exactly going to finally balance work with my family time and relationships with friends, but I will continue to trust that eventually this will all work out just the way it’s supposed to. It’s challenging, but oddly enough, I've felt a lot less stressed. Not to mention I’ve been saving time by not looking up self-help articles, which just work me into a tizzy anyway. :) 

I’m currently just praying for patience. And the hope that some of my questions will be answered SOON because I’d like to know what direction to take and how to get through these challenges! Ug! What’s that you say? Oh right… patience… 

Any other mom’s out there struggling with this?

5 Benefits of Strength Training While Pregnant

Somewhere in the past, I believe it’s possible that pregnant women were told not to exert themselves. This included running, and basically any sort of physical fitness that could raise the heart rate over 140 bpm - Strength training included. Well the times, they are a changin’, and more and more information is being brought forward showing the pure benefits of prenatal strength training.

 First, let’s take a look at the past: A myth exists that women in China would give birth to children in the rice fields, tie the newborns to their backs, and keep working. Ok… this seems a little overboard, not to mention, extreme. There’s no need to go this crazy over staying fit while pregnant. However, let’s be honest here, labor is probably the most intense workout we’ll ever experience! I like to look at it like training for a half marathon. How can I do no training and expect the race to go well? I vote to stay in shape if it will help me in any way!

So, I did some research on reasons to keep strength training while pregnant. And I need to note first (as always) that I am in no way an expert, so please consult with your Dr. before beginning or continuing any workout plan!

Benefit #1: Strength training can help reduce excessive weight gain. Not only does it help to keep your body in shape, but it also keeps your mind strong (so you can turn down those extra 2 PM cravings). Plus, toning up will continue to turn your fat into muscle, reducing extra jiggle.

Benefit #2: Reduces or avoids common pregnancy and postpartum discomfort. Personally, I experienced some back pain with my first pregnancy. It was like my back wasn’t strong enough to carry the extra weight around my tummy. This is where strength training can be helpful as it puts importance on proper posture and focuses on your core, which helps to alleviate pressure on your back.

Benefit #3: Strength training can help to ease labor pains. Your body may be more prepared if you’ve already been keeping it in shape. If it can help reduce pain in any way, I’m all for it!

Benefit #4: Helps build adequate strength for carrying your baby and heavy baby equipment later on. We all know that those baby carriers are HEAVY. My arm muscles never looked as good as when I had to carry my newborn daughter EVERYWHERE in that 30 pound thing. Why not prepare yourself ahead of time?

Benefit #5: Happy endorphins! This is my favorite. And these can come from any sort of exercise completed during pregnancy - a walk outside, a short elliptical workout - Anything to break a small sweat and feel rejuvenated! Pregnancy (and especially postpartum) hormones can wreak havoc on one’s mind. Just a little exercise can help to ease these mood swings. *As a side note, I’m not sure my husband sees these as “mood swings.” I think some days he’s just convinced I’m a crazy pregnant lady. Most days, I truly wonder if he’s right… :)

In conclusion, after doing all of this research, I’m convinced now more than ever that continuing to do some strength training for the next 4 months is a must. Per my Dr.’s orders, I am omitting anything that would include jarring (So sorry burpees… Umm, not!), or anything that would completely overexert myself. So my next plan is to start doing some solid research on the best strength training exercises for pregnancy so I can mix it up. I’ll be sure to post anything I find along the way!

Oh, and total final thought: In researching for this article, I came across a lot of awkward photos of preggo women lifting weights. Let’s remember to keep our attire appropriate for the gym, ladies. ;)

What about you? Do you have any strength training exercises you like to do? I’d love to hear them so please feel free to share in the comments!

Lazy, Fall Weekend

We had a pretty uneventful weekend here... and it was wonderful! They don't come around too often so when we get the chance to sit around and enjoy each other's company, we take full advantage. Here's a few pictures from our lazy weekend:

We discovered that an old keyboard makes the best toddler toy. And yes, she's incredibly comfortable running around the house pants-less. She must get that from her dad. ;)

While Missy Moo took an afternoon nap Saturday, I caught up on some reading from Runner's World and Self. Check out these adorable shoes I came across! I'm pretty set on wearing Asics, which neither of these are, but it definitely makes me want to buy some new running shoes! There are such cute styles out now!

Sunday, this little charmer and I took a walk to the grocery store. I know the nice weather will be ending soon, so I'm taking every chance I have for the two of us to go for a walk. She's not getting any lighter (and neither am I) so pushing her stroller combined with 3 bags of fresh fruit and veggie groceries actually made for a nice little leg workout!

And here was our Sunday evening dinner. Mostly what I had brought home from the grocery store. This recipe is delicious and so easy to make! I put 4 chicken breasts, a bunch of green beans, and cut up potatoes in a 9x13. Then I add a packet of Italian seasoning and drizzle some olive oil on top. Cover it with foil, throw it in a 350 degree oven for an hour, and you're good to go! And I promise it's husband and toddler approved. Oh, and as a side note, the original recipe calls for an entire stick of melted butter being poured over top instead of the olive oil. Yikes. I feel the olive oil makes for a healthier meal.

Well, that pretty much sums up the weekend. Tomorrow it's back to the grind, but I do at least have my workout clothes laid out and ready to go. Let's hope I can wake up to that early morning alarm!

Biggest Loser Inspiration

I’ve finally been catching up on some quality time with my DVR this week! Yay! I’ve decided that recording 3 shows is my absolute max because, unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day. So, I make sure that the shows I do record are totally worth it. There’s one show that’s near and dear to my heart and I’ve been watching for several seasons now:

Yes, that’s right. The Biggest Loser. Why? Oh so many reasons! First let me explain that this is not one of my husband’s favorite shows. He finds it cheesy and tells me each week that the weigh-in’s are fixed. In doing some research on reviews of the show, I can also tell you that there’s plenty of negativity out there from other personal trainers who are worried the contestants are working out too hard, too fast. And the lifestyle of living on the ranch and working out all day is not something that can be maintained when you get back home and back into real life.

I get all that, and the naysayers could be right. But when I watch the show, I’m not watching for drama, I’m too busy watching the contestants transform, both physically and mentally. Here’s the things I love about watching The Biggest Loser:

Seeing a Mom transform for her children. Something changes when you have a child. I can’t describe it, you just suddenly look at your own life differently. Your choices no longer effect just yourself, they effect those young-in’s, too. I’m always so interested and inspired by the Mom’s who join the show because they’re determined to do better for their kids. You go, Mom!  

A healthier relationship with food. Each contestant comes to the show wanting and knowing they need to change. Most of them get to the size they’re at because of some form of unhealthy relationship with food, but they don’t even know it when they arrive! It’s not until the trainers show them the healthy route and dig into their mental state to clear the reasons behind the binge eating that the contestants finally understand the correct and healthy way to eat.

Mental transformation. Biggest Loser is like boot camp to me. The trainers break you all the way down, then build you up with a different thought process on food and exercise. If only more people were willing to change their lives so drastically to a more positive state… what a wonderful world it would be. :)

Straight up positivity. The inspiration I see from each contestant’s personal victory drives me to want to be a better person through and through. It also drives me to want to help others achieve their fitness goals. The pure positivity and glow these contestants show after each small victory; The way their smiles get larger and more frequent from week to week. The positive attitude that takes over these contestants lives… Woah, sorry. Getting a little too into it again. Like I know these people personally, sheesh. (Another thing my husband finds funny about me watching the show…)

Anyway, to sum this all up, no other TV show motivates me more than The Biggest Loser. When I wrap up an episode, I want to jump off the couch and go for a run with someone who has never run before - So I can show them how awesome it is!  I’m always slightly envious that those trainers can do so much to help others. I think I’ve missed my true calling in life. Yep, I think I was meant to be a personal trainer on The Biggest Loser. Guess I better whip myself into shape like Jen if I want that to happen… #NewPersonalGoal #TooBadI’mPregnant

Staying Active While Pregnant

I don’t know about anyone else, but being pregnant occasionally makes me want to be lazy. I mean, laaaazzzyyyy. I’m carrying extra weight; I get short on breath and tired so much more easily than I did a few months ago. There are days where I would love to just sit on the couch all evening and drown my thoughts in Pinterest. But if there’s one thing I know to be true, it’s that staying active during pregnancy is incredibly important! Both my Dr. and my body tell me so.

My Dr. recommended I refrain from doing any high-impact workouts that could cause a lot of jarring, so I've been doing some research on workouts appropriate for pregnancy. Here are the five workouts I found to be the most commonly recommended:

Walking. This is my number one go-to workout while pregnant. Since my workouts happen first thing in the morning, this is the perfect way for me to get some fresh air, clear my head, pray, and get my heart rate up a little bit.

Yoga. I have to admit, I haven’t tried this yet. But I’d love to start! I know that colder weather is on the way so my commitment level of getting up and walking to the gym will begin to dwindle. I’ll have no excuse to stay in bed if I can just go down to the basement and throw in a workout video. I think I’ll venture over to Amazon to check into this as soon as I finish this post…

Swimming. I can totally see how this would be a great workout during pregnancy. It’s low impact yet a great way to stay in shape. Unfortunately, my small town does not house any sort of indoor pool, and the outdoor pool is out of commission until summer – Not that I would be interested in swimming outdoors this time of year anyway, let’s be honest. So, I may have to pass on this one, but I love the idea.

Elliptical. This is my go-to when I have to hit the gym. It gives me a welcome break from the “dreadmill” and I feel it gives me a little tougher workout while still remaining low impact. I don’t do it every day, but when I’m in need of breaking a little sweat, this is where I turn.

Light Strength Training. I think this is a must during pregnancy. Cardio helps get me going, burn calories, and raise my heart rate a bit, but strength training makes me feel strong and in all around better shape. Plus I don’t need to remind other mother’s out there how much strength is needed during labor. And that’s all I’ll say about that. J

So, to sum this up, I believe whole-heartedly that staying active while pregnant is important.  While I’m just as guilty as the next person on having a “lazy” day, I know deep down that the benefits of staying active during this point in my life is crucial as ever. I’ve noticed that when I do workout, I sleep a lot better, my head is clearer, and I’m in a much more positive mood. So I’m going to try to mix the above activities into my workout routine as much as possible and get myself off the couch. Besides, I can look at Pinterest on my phone while I’m on the treadmill, right? J

*I would like to note that I am not a certified trainer and most definitely do not have a degree in pre-natal care, so please check with your Dr. before beginning your own pregnancy workout routine!

Hanging Up My Running Shoes

It’s officially October! My absolute favorite month of the year (of course, this could be because it’s my birthday month...), but I also love the beautiful colors, crunching leaves, and let’s not forget fall means it’s leggings and sweater weather - The best, most comfortable attire there is. Pardon me while I open a window and take a second to breathe in this cool, fall air…

Beautiful. Ok, now back to reality! I can’t help but think about what I was doing this time last year – Training and nervously awaiting the Market to Market Relay race, a mere 12 days away. I remember hoping and praying not only that I wouldn’t let my team down, but that I would also just survive the 9 miles I had signed up for months ago. And guess what?  I did! In fact, the best part about it is that it sprung me back into running. And I continued to run, day in and day out, races here and there, another appearance at the Lincoln Half Marathon (with a PR at 2:07), until about the middle of July.

Why did I quit running in July? Well, I’m happy to announce that the hubby and I are expecting baby #2 in February! I could not feel more blessed about this new addition to our lives and we’re both over the moon excited for our growing family. And yet I must (selfishly) confess that I still have days where I struggle with my personal decision to put running on hold for the remainder of the pregnancy. I love to run. I feel like it’s part of who I am. Some days I miss running so much, I actually crave it over the ice cold, blended margarita that I haven’t had since Memorial Day weekend. Some days, I’m even afraid I’ll forget what running feels like… Eek! The horror!   

But deep down inside, I know that taking a few months off of running to ensure a healthy baby is such a small price to pay. So I remind myself every day that my legs and my Garmin are still in good working order and there’s no reason to give up on exercise all together. In fact, my Dr. recommends I keep moving! So, my running shoes are now walking/elliptical/light strength training shoes and will stay that way until I can pound the pavement again this spring.

To take an even more positive spin, I’ve decided  I’ll take the next few months to blog about what workouts I’m doing, how I’m coping with running withdrawals, and how I’m attempting to stay healthy with those blasted pregnancy cravings (hello, McDonald’s French fries… we meet again). I’m hoping that by writing everything out, it will keep me on the right track and keep me accountable!

So, dear running shoes, while I revoke your running privileges for the time being, please don’t fail me in my quest to stay active these next few months!

With Love,

Kris

Helmet Update!

[Such a big girl!]

We are continuing to cruise through our helmet routine! Makenna has had it now since February 10^th, so just a few days shy of 4 months. We recently had her 6 week checkup and received amazing news. Makenna will be helmet-less by her next appointment on July 2^nd!! We could not be more thrilled!

Our missy has been seeing such great results from the helmet, the Dr. was even surprised. So let me run a few statistics: When Makenna first had her head scanned for this piece of plastic and foam, her head was off by 12 millimeters – just shy of a half inch and what they call a moderate case. At her checkup last week, she’s now only off by 7 – nearly half of the distance from where she began! The Dr. also said that if other babies with this issue are within 5 millimeters of being completely round, no one can even tell the difference. And to be honest, I’m having trouble seeing the difference already. She looks great to me! But it’s also nice to know that it’s not a biased opinion or wishful thinking on my part. J 

For all the stress I went through before this process began, and for all the tears shed thinking my daughter would look silly, be uncomfortable, or be too old to achieve results, it all pays off now. The Dr. is going to let her continue to wear the helmet for 6 more weeks, and then we’re calling it quits. He also mentioned that she’s getting the same results that a 6 month old would get, which is incredibly wonderful considering Makenna is almost 15 months old.

Also, if anyone heard in the news lately about the study that came out Europe claiming that these helmets don’t work, I beg to differ! If anyone is even considering using a helmet to correct a flattened head on their little one, I strongly encourage them to do so! It’s so worth it and Makenna is the proof!

4 and a half weeks and counting… ;) 

Pinspiration Inspiration

I'm feeling very inspirational today and happened to come across this picture on Pinterest:

With so much going on in the Larson household right now, I could not have found this picture at a better time, or put these thoughts into better words.

I've always had confidence that God will carry me though any rough roads, but sometimes I forget to just give it up to Him and remember that I can't change some of the things that happen in life.

Every time I read this quote I just think of pure freedom. So, I'll just let this sink in and keep it short and simple for today. :)

Week One is Done!

We've made it through the first week with the helmet! How was it? Well it was... easy. Seriously! I can't believe how fast little Missy adjusted to it. If someone would have told me how smooth the first week would go, I would have never worried so much! Here was the rundown on our week:

Tuesday, Day 1: Wear the helmet for 1 hour on, 1 hour off, no naps, and no overnight time
Wednesday, Day 2: 2 hours on, 1 hour on, no naps, no overnight time
Thursday, Day 3: 3-4 hours on, 1 hour off, begin wearing it at nap time, but not overnight
Friday, Day 4: 4-8 hours on, 1 hour off, wear during naps, and wear overnight
Saturday, Day 5: Full time use

Friday was the first night she had to wear the helmet to bed, so I was prepared for the worst! But Makenna was a total champ. She didn't wake up once. Not even a little fuss! I actually got up 3 times just to check on her and make sure the helmet hadn't rolled over her face and sufficated her. (Which, I'm quite sure would never happen, but my mind goes to weird places in the middle of the night.)

So now that we're on to full time, here's kind of our schedule:

Take the helmet off for 15-20 minutes in the morning to give her a little break from overnight. Her poor little head sweats quite a bit so this helps to air everything out (Cuz let me tell you, that helmet starts to STINK after a while. Pew!) and then we put it back on until after her afternoon nap when we take it off again for a 15-20 minute break. Then it's back on until bath time in the evening when we get to leave it off for a whole hour before bed. During the hour, she gets a bath and we rub the helmet with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol to try to keep it clean. And then it's back on until the next morning.

When we first learned of the helmet, we were told she would need to have it on 23 hours a day, and that seemed like a lot! But at the appointment they told us we had to leave it on for 20-23 hours a day, so she has it off for about 1.5 hours a day. And the day goes by so fast, it doesn't even seem like she's wearing it that much! See? Easy! Who knew?

As one last note, I had to share a pic of her wearing it this weekend. We're (still) redoing the bathroom so this tool bag of Cory's is a popular attention-getter.

[Hmm... I think I'll help dad with his tools :) ]

So, now we wait until her next appointment on March 10th. But so far, so good!

Cookies

Ah, Peanut Butter Patties... my arch nemesis. I may seem like a healthy eater, but don't let that fool you. I've definitely over-indulged a time or two on these babies in the past.

Here's how it used to work during Girls Scout season: I would convince myself that I could go without eating these decadent delights. You can do it, I would tell myself, It's just a silly cookie! But let me tell you, after two straight days of "convincing myself" and constantly remembering that they were in my cupboard begging to be eaten, I would inevitably give in. And before I knew it, the box was more than half gone and I'd only be 10 minutes into my recording of the The Bachelor. 15 minutes into the show, I was in remorse and guilt. I can't believe I ate all those cookies!

It took me a long time to figure out that by completely restricting myself from sweets, I was actually setting myself up for failure. I didn't want food to control me and I should be able to indulge in Girl Scout cookies every now and then, right? So, I decided to make a change. Why not enjoy a sweet every now and then and quit beating myself up about it? Seems so simple... I can't believe it took me so long to figure it out!

Now I actually make it a point to keep chocolate in my house. Seems backwards, I know, but it actually works for me. If there's no chocolate, I crave it. And then crave it so bad that before I know it I'm in the drive-through at Dairy Queen ordering a large Chocolate Extreme blizzard.

There's no harm in balancing your diet with some chocolate every now and then. Or, in my case, every day. :) My favorite is to eat a Dove Milk Chocolate candy every night after supper. It's so delicious and melts in my mouth... it cures any craving I have and keeps me from going overboard. Plus, who doesn't love an inspiring quote with every piece! Thanks, Dove! :)

Here's to chocolate eating!