Just a quick {update}

Things are good.
I feel good.

Really though, this morning has felt... like... like I can breathe! Of course the simple fact of it being a Wednesday and not Tuesday or Thursday helps quite a bit.
I can breathe.

Read that again, just one more time; okay make it two.
The second time read those three words slowly, and as if you yourself feel like you can finally breathe once everyone in the dog-pile gets off of you and you finally have your breath after running as hard and as fast as you could for five minutes.

Do you understand now?

The feeling is so relieving, and exciting.
and terrifying. 

'What? Girl, why you sayin' it's terrifying??' (that's you asking me)
Because that means that at any moment the creeping fog will come in full force. Maybe slowly, maybe fast, maybe lightly or maybe so thick you can't see through it. That is why I try not to think about those moments where everything feels great, I can breathe and the mornings are smooth.

I have, however, been attempting to pay more attention to what I'm feeling these past few days so that I can provide a decent analysis for those of you reading. Over the past few days I've been feeling better, lighter if you will.

  (The weather is beautiful today, which also helped to keep my mood up. It's tremendously important to get out for even a few moments; especially when the sun is shining and the wind is beautiful.)

I've been taking vitamins regularly, incorporating supposed depression-fighting foods into my diet, as well as making it a point to ride my bicycle again. This morning there was even enough time to wake up to do a quick routine of morning yoga. (which I'll be doing again this evening as I've noticed my hips are getting a little tight.)

(We all know one of my strong points is confidence and over exaggerated vanity. Which is a bi-product of hiding my depression for so long...  Yet with that being said, it's important to find beauty in yourself. It's important to be silly and goofy.)

Unfortunately as hard as I try to keep some sort of routine going in my life it doesn't seem to fully stick. It's there, it's just not... exceedingly consistent. I'm currently seeing a handsome young man whom I find a little bit of comfort in his routine; it's actually a huge help for me. It's comforting and relaxing to know that I can rely on the knowledge of when I will hear from him. Yes it sounds silly, but it's true. I'm making a large conscious effort to build and maintain a set-ish schedule and routine. Apparently routines are a big help in our battle.
Thus far I know that keeping 2-3calenders is a big help for me staying on track. In each of them (well I try to keep them all synced) my attempts are to have most of my day scheduled, of course with room for movement.
For example I have:

• Morning yoga
• Shower
• Wake-up/Start getting LittleMiss ready
• Leave
• Study Time
• Class.....

and so forth... Keep in mind each day is different, this is a simple rubric I attempt to keep.

This all leads to....

Rule Four:
Establish some sort of a routine for yourself. Read my above routine again if that gives you so help. Keep it simple and short to start with. Maybe wake up every morning at a set time, follow it with morning reading/yoga/coffee/tea/walk what have you. Maybe take lunch at a within a set time frame everyday (such as between 1130 and 130, giving you wiggle room should something come up to hinder your leaving time). Maybe, just maybe your routine needs to be reading or journaling for thirty minutes everyday. 
Don't worry if at first it doesn't stick. This is all trial and error, do not, do not  stress about setting up and find your routine. Starting small is always easiest, always best. By starting small we are able to find what really works for us, what truly fits the best. 

;

Motivation Board

I am very serious about working out and staying healthy. Not to say that I don't have cheat days!! But now this are going to be different much different. My health, diet and working out now also affect my daughter; affecting her food supply (she's a breastfed baby!!), and her outlook on health.

I am posting these as a motivation for me and also for other mommies!

Pre-labor I really didn't focus to much on exactly what I ate. I did eat healthy but I did not exclude certain foods, which I probably should have. 
{Little side note for the breastfeeding mommies: Lots of babies are sensitive to foods so it can be best to cut the most common ones out a month or farther out before your due date. I really wish I would have, honestly. Pre-pregnancy my lactose intolerance was coming back as well as having gluten-sensitivity pop up. Now that SweetPea is here the symptoms have started to slowly come back. On top of them affecting me they are affecting her, making her very fussy with a side of spit up issues. I highly suggest cutting out all dairy, sadly this also includes goat/sheep, soy, eggs and gluten.}



I meant to take an 'after baby' picture sooner that 20days, but I was a little too wrapped up in Sweetpea. And trying to sleep. ;) Also the above picture is not of me sucking in. That's right, some how I still have control of my abs!! I'm crediting that to doing sit up/crunches/leg lifts with every work-out and almost everyday.
Since it turns out that SweetPea is intolerant of dairy(which also means no goat/sheep), soy, eggs and gluten, this diet change will help significantly with my weight-loss journey. In fact I will be adopting a more vegan/vegetarian/raw diet although I will be eating meat. The company I partnered with to start my own business is having a weight-loss competition!! While I won't be one of the BIG winners I am really excited! Not to mention I am very excited to share my journey with you!

The Motivation Board is going to be hung up in the kitchen/dining area so that I can see the reminder every day! Hopefully you noticed that I don't have a POUNDS lost area; instead I have INCHES lost. Inches are more telling than pounds and a scale because muscle weighs MORE than fat. For example you could weight 125lbs wearing a size five pants, start working out get to a size 2pants but weigh 135 or 140. I'm sure I'll update the board, adding things around the frame so every time I do I will make sure to show you!!

Opening Shop and Baby Prepping

I have been terrible at posting this week! With about 10weeks left until SweetPea makes her debut I have so much to do!
I would also like to announce that I am opening a little shop on etsy!! Which means my post won't be quite as frequent as before. There is so much excitement from not only getting everything ready for SweetPea but also making things for the shop! This is something I have wanted to do for several years, now my daughter is a huge inspiration which kicked me into gear.

Broccoli Quesadilla??

I would like to think that this will be toddler approved. Because I love it. And if I love it, SweetPea is going to have to eat it. Right? ;)

About a two weeks ago, I bought some broccoli to make Broccoli Cheddar Bites (don't worry at some point I will make this and give you the recipe!!). Needless to say I have not made the bites. I would like to blame it on the fact that my shredder is still lost in transition from moving. Either way I needed to use it, wanted to use it and am kinda craving it.

Pooping.

I really did try to think of another way to title this post. Going the direct route seemed to be the best! Plus I'm sure it will catch your attention. ;)  This is a post for pregnancy and after birth. (another bit of research I've done)

Most pregnant ladies have this problem. I won't lie I've had a day or two where I can't say I've gone. Being constipated can be very uncomfortable and unhealthy. A great way of fighting constipation is to stay hydrated. As well as eat a healthy diet with lots of fiber!

New Diet

So fun story!

Not only am I sensitive to gluten (it makes my joints hurt), but I am also lactose intolerant. So no more ICE CREAM. No more CREAM BASED ICINGS. Pizza I can have, ricotta I can have, and I'm pretty sure yogurt won't hurt me, but I'd rather not chance it to be honest.

And because it is SO HARD for me to find any good recipes or snacks this blog is going to have a lot of food stuffs going on!! I hope you're as excited as I am. :) !!

Lets start with snacks! Oh and Red Lobster.
I had lunch with a friend yesterday at Red Lobster, ordered the shrimp jambalaya, was very disappointed. It was way to oily, had a dairy based sauce which wasn't listed in the details(yes I should have asked,but I've never heard of a jambalaya like that). So I do not recommend it.

I forgot to grab some snacks and a lunch from my house before work, so I stopped by a very awesome gas station with a sweet grocery market. I grabbed some yummy foods: a few larabar's, almond yogurt, and almond thins.

This one not so great. It's the cookie dough flavor. It has a little bit of milk because of the chocolate chips.

this one is delicious. Chocolate is not quite the best for dairy free but for gluten free its amazing.

 This was my lunch yesterday. Oh my gosh. The banana bread flavor is yummy. The almond yogurt is delicious. The consistency is a little different but not far from dairy yogurt.

Well I've got to head over to spin class and then the grocery store! Hopefully I can at least talk mom into coming out with me. :)

New Work Out Routine

Oh goodness..
Good-good-goodness..

Oliver and I are finally getting on the same page.
ONE: He does not like small spaces.

Example 1:tore his cage up. from the inside.

TWO: He will not walk up stairs.


But he does great out in the openness of the apartment. The apartment which I already want to change again, furniture wise anyways. I'm craving a purple sofa, a round dining table, and an iron head board. The last two will happen, I've got to just get some purple accessories instead of a sofa. As much as I love purple, I don't know that I could handle a purple sofa for too long.

So I'm pretty sure I gained like six pounds last week. Hence the NO weight-loss photos!


Which brings us to the new work out routine:

*Walking Oliver every morning and night, about half a mile(I think I'm not good at guesstimation).
*Carrying Oliver up FOUR flights of stairs.
*At least three times a week going to the gym.
*Running at least four times a week. I"m going to start training for a marathon.


Now the new Diet:

*No gluten. My body honestly doesn't like it. SO the most I'll have it is once a week.
*Barely ANY dairy, unless it's organic and even barely then.
*Only organic meat.
*And the KEY: as much LOCAL as possible.


This girl is kinda goin' hippy.