Whole 30 and me

As you know I did Whole 30 back in October. You can read all about that here. I decided to do Whole 30 again to try and lose the baby weight. We started the Monday after Easter and I have been sticking to it for the past week.

Here are some of the meals I have ate.

When I read about people who did Whole 30 for a second time a lot of them said the second time was harder. I actually didn't find this to be true. Whole 30 the second time was a lot easier for me. I had a caffeine headache day 2 other than that no issues. 

I really like how I feel on the Whole 30 I sleep better (unless baby is going through a growth spurt or sick and need held or feed every three hours), my sleep feels more productive. It's easier to wake up! The biggest one for me is I don't feel like a sugar monster. Before  I started the Whole 30 this time around, I wanted sugar and I mean a lot of sugar, like 3 boxes of girl scout cookies a day was not enough. Now, I don't feel like I need it and when they had free cookies at work it was easy for me to say no!!! Although on one high stress day I did want a coke and ice cream. Scratch that I still want a coke!

Mondo also likes how he feels on the Whole 30 and we were talking about how to make this more of a lifestyle change. So we decided not to end after 30 days and to stick more to the spirit of the law. So when we went out to eat we wouldn't worry so much what the food had been cooked in but made sure to not eat non compliant foods. If that makes sense, example, we went to Mcdonalds for breakfast which their sausage has sugar and the eggs have diary so it's not compliant but, eggs and meat and potatoes are, so we got a big breakfast ate the eggs, sausage and hashbrown not worrying about the fact that those eggs, that sausage, and that hashbrown were not technically compliant. We also decided we would do 2 weeks on and one weekend off. Everything was going great!

Until I hit day 8, then my milk supply plummeted! Like crazy! Ainsley wasn't getting enough to eat and I was having to give her 2 oz of my back up supply. Which isn't a big deal since I have A LOT!! Still, I didn't like this idea. At first I chalked it up to lack of water over my weekend (Sunday andMonday) lack of pumping, and a sick baby. Two bloggers I follow did Whole 30 while breastfeeding and claimed an increase in supply. Tuesday night I did some research and realized that I was missing some stuff from my whole 30 diet while I was breastfeeding. I need more fat, more calories, more starchy veggies, and more carbs. I missed the fact that both bloggers stated they sipped on full fat coconut milk throughout the day, more eggs (I was usually doing one maybe 2 they did 4 or more.), and sweet potato with almost every meal.

Tuesday night Ainsley woke up every 2 hours to eat, with my milk supply being low this seemed impossible. Another google search and she has hit her 3 month growth spurt. So even though it completely broke my heart and actual tears were shed ( I resort this to hormones and lack of sleep) for breakfast Wednesday I had cheerios and banana. My child comes first and I need to up my supply. So my plan going forward is to add back in milk and grain Wednesday, Thursday, Friday(not adding in refined sugar), over the weekend allow the splurges like planned (Coke please!!), then on Monday if my supply is back up, return to Whole 30 Monday thru Friday, increasing fats, starchy veggies and carbs. Weekend (which will be spent in Seattle anyways) allow milk and grain back in. Then again on Monday back to Whole 30. Hopefully this will keep my milk supply up while allowing me to continue eating healthy.

One thing I want to mention during my 8 days of strict Whole 30 I lost 4 lbs. My goal is between Easter and Mackenzie's 3rd birthday (Can you believe she will be 3!!) which is May 30th. I want to lose 12 lbs (average of 1.5 lbs a week). Hopefully I will be able to continue the weight loss!!

Whole 30 and me

To start off this will be a boring post without any pictures unless I give a weekend update. My uncle, his wife and 6 kids visited this weekend! It was so nice having them here!! They never come this way we always go to them, so a nice change of pace. Pretty much the only excitement we had was Saturday. My parents picked me up after work and we headed to Greenbluff (a mash of farms and pumpkin patches near here). We only had time for one farm that day. My uncle and his family went into a corn maze while Mackenzie and I played in the pumpkin patch. We also looked around a little with my mom, dad and aunt, and tried a pumpkin doughnut. Mondo and I plan on heading back in a couple of weeks for a family day there and to get some pumpkins!

Mackenzie loved LOVED the pumpkins! I knew she would, she always points them out. She especially loved the "yittle" pumpkins. It wasn't a large pumpkin patch just an area where they placed a bunch of pumpkins, so at one point I just sat down nearby and let Mackenzie run and climb all over. She was having fun, ran by me and I yelled; "Where are your shoes?". Luckily they were together nearby. She also sat down next to me in the midst of a bunch of pumpkins and said; "a punkin for kenzie and a punkin for baby sister." She has been doing that a lot lately, talking about baby sister and doing things for her. So, cute and sweet!

Mackenzie lined up all the "yittle punkins"

Ok, onto the title of the post whole 30. As you are reading this I am in the midst of Day 1 of my whole 30 diet. I decided to do this after my morning sickness with baby number 2 ceased and I was still eating like a pig, not healthy choices either. I had seen a blogger post on it and did some research. This fit all my needs it would help kick the sugar monster, I didn't need to count calories, and it would be safe for me and baby since I am just eating whole foods. I was going to start in September but, one of my friends strongly suggested I read the book first. So, I waited to check out the book at my library first before I started. That is how I came up with the Oct begin date. At, the dinner table I had been talking about what foods I could and couldn't eat, the testimonies in the book as well as online, and other stuff when my mom declared she thought the whole family should do it together. So, my mom, dad, grandma, husband, aunt and daughter are all participating in the Whole 30 together. I am super excited for doing this with Mackenzie, since the age of 1, she has had eczema on her knees and elbows. The Whole 30 has had success with ridding the eczema and finding the source of it, since it almost always deals with a food allergy. 

So, I am jumping in and am super excited, nervous, dreading, fearful, of the challenge of this diet. I will post updates every once in awhile as to my challenges and success along the way. After this month I plan on trying again in the first month of baby number 2 to see how it will effect my milk before returning to work. Most women report an increase in supply! This might be something I keep up at work to keep my milk supply up. I also plan on the challenge of this to reset my system and jump start me into making better food choices for myself and my family. I am not doing this to lose weight, that pretty much is impossible since I am growing a baby, but to create a healthy life style. 

Here is the website for Whole 30, you don't have to read the book to do it, but I highly recommend it. It helps explain why certain foods are being cut out, and how to healthy bring them back in while paying attention to what they do to your body. I also will post a few links to some recipe sights, I can't eat the same foods for 30 days in a row (blech), I am excited to try some of these.

Whole 30

Nom Nom Paleo

Stupid Easy Paleo

If you are on instagram look up #whole30 for a lot more recipes and resources. 

Weight loss: Final Check-in

I am just going to start right out and say it, "I blew it!" Big time ok, not that big but, I did not make my goal. In fact I gained 3 lbs and 1 inch everywhere. It's super upsetting but, time to get back up and try again. I could blame it on the moving and crazy schedule but, that really doesn't do me any good. I messed up, I quit tracking my eating and I wasn't working out. If I made it to the gym I didn't push myself. None of that matters it's how I go on from here. Like Raffiki says "It doesn't matter, it's in the past." So, here is how I am responding.

I have decided to become a runner! I'm really not sure why, I just thought it sounded like a good challenge. So, I found a running app on my phone and I have been using on my phone. I also figured out that I really didn't enjoy p90x and due to the smaller space in the house I quit doing it. I downloaded a workout trainer on my phone instead, you can get yours here iphone or android, and I use that. I like the variety I can pick what I want to do that day and do it! That has been great so far! Next is my eating, I really need to figure that out. My biggest problem is tracking it because, I know I go over my calories so I don't want to track it. I also know that if I would track my calories I would stop eating so much. So, I need to get over that head game. I also need to add more protein especially on my run days, when I run that whole day I am super, SUPER hungry. I also have tried adding smoothies to my diet once a week. Hopefully these healthy habits will start to stick. I go back to part time at work next week, I am sure that will help a lot.

Here is my next goal; Feb. 19 lose 6 lbs. That is a little more than a pound a week. I can do it! I know I can. Big goal is 15lbs by May 18.

Yesterday I ran and did elliptical. I only did elliptical while I waited for a treadmill but, I did burn 400 calories. Too bad I fed that with M&M ice cream! Oh well, it's a new day!

So check in on Feb 20thish.

Oh and yesterday I pulled Mackenzie around the yard, I am sure that burned extra calories!!

More on her new sled next time. Trust me winter clothes just make me look big, I really didn't gain that much weight back. I don't have a new picture but, here is a selfie of me and Mackenzie!

Hopefully I have a better report next time,

Dorinda

New Year's Goals

As I told you all last year, I am not one for having resolutions for the new year. I think you can get a fresh start whenever. We have an amazing God who gives us a new hour, day, week, month and year. With that said though I am excited to see 2013 leave; for us it was a crummy year. Loss of a friend and our pastor, moving 2 times (and yet we will have to do it again in June), Mondo losing his job, losing our church. Just a crummy, crummy year. I do look back at the positives, finding a new church home, Mackenzie walking and talking, finding a new dream and vision for our us, friends who reached out and helped us in dark times and more. I am excited and hesitant of year 2014. I do know that we love an amazing God who wants to bless us and see us succeed. This year will also bring about a lot of changes but, hopefully for the good. Mondo and I have sat down a wrote a list of goals for the next year. I wanted to give you a few tips. So pull out those ambitious goals and lets have a look.

I learned this working at Costco when we had to do our own one year employee reviews. I HATE those, and I am so glad they don't do them anymore. After a year at Costco we would have to write down our S.M.A.R.T. goals for the next year and then sit down with a manager to discuss them. The S.M.A.R.T. part of the goals was something I have taken with me into my real world a.k.a. home and ministry life.

S- specific. Make sure your goals are specific. Sorry, healthier lifestyle doesn't count. Make it something like I will eat a huge salad in place of a meal once a week, or lose 10 lbs by 2015, pay off 2 credit cards, save x amount of money.

M- measurable. Spend less can't count as a goal if you don't know how much you spent last year. Set a budget and determine I will save x amount of money a month. Instead of go to gym more; say I will run a mile by June. How will you know when your goal is accomplished?

A- attainable. Be realistic people you will never look like Jennifer Aniston. That's good!! You are you, look like you!! So set a goal that will still keep you, you! If your goals are too challenging you will burn out and quit before you get there. Let's keep the positive changes going make them attainable.

R- realistic. Feels like a repeat of the last one, so it must be important. What is something you are willing and able to work toward. Are you really willing to give up sugar? How about instead you will keep the sweets to one day a week, or only have so many grams of sugar a week. Can you really go a whole year with no new clothes? Instead make it so you only buy x amount a month. 

T- Timely. If you still want to keep your big goals break them down into smaller time goals. Such as lose 50 lbs by 2015, by losing 4 lbs a month. 

One of my goals I had last year, and I missed it by one book! Is to read a non-fiction book once a month. I love this Empty Shelf Challenge given by John Acuff. Essentially you empty a shelf on your bookcase. Every time you read a book in 2014 you place it on your empty shelf, trying to fill your shelf by the end of the year. I want to do this but, since we are moving in 6 months I feel it would be in vain. I would also have to put some empty cereal boxes on the shelf for the ones I read on my kindle app. Next year I am trying this.

I also really like this 52 week saving plan. Mondo and I tried it once, the trick is to not take it back out of the box. A friend of mine changed it a little and she x's out the amount she put in. So if one week she has extra she puts that in. 

Here is the picture she took:

I think visualizing stuff helps make it more accomplish-able. Spell check says that isn't a word but, it is now!! Anyways, I like this idea too for weight loss.

Go make those lists and check them twice. Let's make 2014 the best 2014 ever!! Make positive changes that will stick!

Your new year cheerleader,

Dorinda

Weight loss journey part 3

So mind you I am sitting here typing this just getting over something super yucky. I haven't eaten much today with my upset tummy, but I wanted to get this post done. So, in warning it will probably be short.

Overall this whole time was not good. With moving and switching gyms and so much more I fell back into old habits. When I finally weighed in, I was beyond nervous hoping that somehow I maintained my current weight.

Here was my weigh in:

Bust: stayed

Waist: +.5"

Tummy: same

Hips: -.5"

Thighs: -.5" each

Weight: -2 lbs

I was overly joyed by these results. I was happy to see that not all my old habits came back and that I was maintaining some control. I am also happy because I have been able to bring back some of my good habits. I just need to find a place to bring back p90x.

I do think I owe a thank you to you knowing I had to check in kept me in line. Although I do know I missed my halloween goal I need to adjust and check back in, in 8 weeks with a goal of 16lbs. Lets see how  do!

Here is a new pic:

New me,

Dorinda

Get Movin'

With all this talk of getting healthy and working out; I thought I would post a few songs that get me movin'!

Now when I walk on the treadmill I don't listen to music, I either watch t.v. or watch my progress. Most headphones hurt my ears, so I don't like to wear them. But, there are a few songs that when they come on I want to dance to. I know some day this will embarrass my daughter while we are in the car but, for now she laughs and joins in. Don't forget dancing helps burn extra calories and I truly think that has been my secret to my weight loss, I just keep moving!!

Here are my favorite "Let's get moving" songs:

1. Wake - Hillsong Young and Free

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This song is a new single from Hillsong's Youth Group and it is so AMAZING!!

2. Who I wanna be - Kids On the Move

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Totally a kid's praise and worship song. Yet, I can't help but dance everytime I hear it!!

3.  Every Good Thing - The Afters

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4. Good Times - Manic Drive

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I personally prefer the remix. Although the original is good too!

5. Brand New Day - KJ 52

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6. Me without You - Toby Mac

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Anything by Toby Mac works!!

7. Move - MercyMe

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8. Incorruptible - Bekah Shae
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9. Bounce - Manafest
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10. NY2LA - PressPlay
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11. Wobble - Family Force 5
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This one is Mackenzie approved!!



All these songs are also clean and family friendly. They would be great for pre or post kid service or a family dance night!!

Just keep moving,

Dorinda

Weight Loss Journey: Part 2

A friend of mine told me that if you make a 1 degree change it will take you to a whole new destination. So, that has been my goal in this health journey make small 1 degree changes that will forever change my life. 

To review here is the start of my journey!

Here is how my weight loss/ healthy journey has been coming the last 7 weeks.

Week 1: Loss of 8.5 lbs and 2 inches. I about fell over the scale and still don't believe this loss! My mom had to convince me it was real (I still think wrong). No big changes, just watching portions, p90x and bumped up the hill intervals to a level 2. I still can't believe, really, 8 lbs!!!

Week 2: I was right scale was for some reason wrong, or I gained 5 lbs. Which I know that wasn't true. This week I really struggled with the p90x. I missed 3 times, but I still hit the gym. I also had a 2 inch weight loss, so, I know the 5 lbs gain was wrong.

Week 3: Only 1 lb weight loss this week.  No loss in inches. This week was tough, so I am glad nothing happened. I think it would have discouraged me.

Week 4: CRAZY WEEK!! I have barely been able to work out, which made me super sad. I also missed weigh in, which made me more sad. I was feeling good this week! The new jeans I bought seen in last weight loss post (here) were big, like falling off big!!

Week 5: Sorry for the TMI but Aunt Flo visited and the sweet cravings I gave into more than I thought I should have and continuation of crazy week made little time for work outs. I had little hope going in to weigh in. Loss of 5 lbs and 4 inches!! So excited, I like the results from missing a weigh in!

Week 6: I am beginning to hate crazy schedules!! I still lost though!! 2 lbs and 1 inch!! Which puts me below my goal!!

Week 7: This was the weekend of the road trip, I didn't eat great and was super nervous I would gain. Good news I DIDN'T!!! I didn't lose either though. 

Since I still hit my goal I get to go shopping!!
I will post my finds later as well as my tips for a healtyish road trip!!
Here is a pic of my results!

These shorts, I haven't worn in 2 years!!
In other news, I found my personal trainer notes apparently I am now at my pre pregnancy weight! I thought I was smaller! But I am still keeping my goal 24lbs left in 17 weeks.

Next goal; 14 lbs in 9 weeks (Halloween).

Half way there!

Dorinda

Weight Loss Journey

I titled this Weight Loss Journey but it truly isn't about weight loss, for me it's about being healthy and setting a good example for Mackenzie.

Now, I have never been a super thin girl, I have always had a tummy, and also never been healthy. So my goal isn't super model thin but healthy. Before I got pregnant with Mackenzie my mom and I got a gym membership and personal trainer together. I LOVED it!! Throughout my pregnancy I stayed super active even had worked out the day before I went into labor. I never slacked or went easy because I was pregnant I pushed harder knowing it would be better for me after. Once I had Mackenzie it was hard to figure out a schedule where I could workout. Slowly the weight kept creeping up. Even after I was able to get in the gym and figure out a schedule I didn't push myself the way I should have. I gained 50 lbs while pregnant, and 2 months after Mackenzie was born I was back to my pre baby weight. When I stepped on the scale 3 weeks ago, I found out I had gained back 35 of those pounds. At least while pregnant I had the excuse of a baby in there, this time nothing. So, I started on my journey.

I set an ambitious goal but not impossible 45 lbs by Christmas. Equally 1.5 lbs a week. This goal puts me 10 lbs less than pre pregnancy weight, and at the top weight for my BMI. To me the lbs. are not the important part, the important part is knowing I am healthy! So, I downloaded a calorie counting app to help control my food intake, kicked up the cardio at the gym, and started P90X.

Week 1; I just portion controlled, didn't even worry about what I was eating and pushed treadmill from a 3.5 to 4.0. I forgot to take my measurements but, weight wise down 5 lbs. AWESOME!! 

Week 2; Portion control, cut out "treats" to every other day (yes, I used to have them multiple times a day), started P90X without weights. Down 2.5 lbs and down 1 inch. I didn't take measurements everywhere like our trainer used to, just in the areas that I want to see change.

Week 3; Portion control, treats kinda came back in more that wanted due to holiday weekend, but I still kept them in check. Added hill intervals to treadmill and again P90X no weight. NO weight loss (insert sad face here) but, I lost 1/2 inch everywhere! So I just need to focus on the good!! Hopefully, I will do better next week.

Why am I sharing this with you?  I figured you guys would be a great accountability partner and encouragement. I, in return wanted to show you it is possible to make changes to improve your health.

My big goal is 45 lbs by Christmas, but I broke it into smaller goals along the way. First one was 7 lbs by July 12th (I DID IT!!!), Next is 12 lbs by labor day (8 weeks away). I will check in then with my progress. 

On my way to better health,

Dorinda