update

been awhile since i've posted...and i'm not going to bother to catch up.

bad news: my knees have been killing me lately (i have osgood-schlatter disease....argh....supposedly it gets better but mine never has and my knees always give me pain after working out for a few days) and so i haven't worked out in about five days. not good. when i don't work out, i eat more, and i eat crappier...and drink more coke. calories through the roof.

good news: i have actually lost weight in spite of this lack of exercise and overeating. i began my quest for weight loss at a whopping 184 pounds, yes, this is, in fact, in the overweight category and my BMI was not something i'd like to discuss. HOWEVER. i now weigh approximately 178 pounds. this makes a total weight loss of six pounds! in two weeks! woot woot. i am pretty excited.

down side: my prepregger pants are still too tight as my tummy is still...well....not pretty. the pants i have now are so big i can pull them on and off without undoing any buttons or zippers....so they look awful. pretty much like i'm wearing a denim sack on my rear.

plus side: um, hello! i've lost six pounds! and i feel smaller although i still have a long way to go.

six pounds down...eighteen more to go!

tuesday, april 20

breakfast: 261 cals
3/4 cup life
1/2 cup milk
1 apple

snack: 194 cals
fiber bar
tangelo

lunch: 565 cals
1/2 pbj sandwich
1 string cheese
6 triscuits
1 nutra-grain bar

snack: 369 cals
1/2 cup light yogurt
1/3 cup bran buds
2 cups milk

dinner: 359 cals (this was a ton of food and just delicious...and so few calories!)
1 cup roasted chicken sauteed in 2 T fat-free italian dressing
2 cups iceberg lettuce
1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 T chopped celery
2 chopped baby carrots
1/2 tomato
1 radish

dessert: 38 cals
1/4 oz chocolate

exercise: burned 743 cals
running approx 30 mins
walking approx 1o mins
ab workout approx 35 mins

overall: total calorie loss of 1466 with exercise and eating 723 calories less than target goal.
running is getting hard on my knees and hips...and i am not running as much as my goal but with the ab workouts i'm doing (which are killer, btw) i am hitting my goal of a 45 minute work out. it also seems that i am eating way under calorie targets, but i am eating a lot and i am full during the day. i'm just eating healthier. also, the "target" calorie intake is to maintain my weight and is over 2000 calories a day, and varies based on my exercise the days before (i.e. it increases almost daily). i am trying to lose weight and i don't need that many calories.

p.s. i think i've already lost two pounds! woot!

monday, april 19

breakfast: 352 cals
1 apple
1 peanut butter and oats fiber bar
1 cup milk

snack: 162 cals
2.5 oz light yogurt
2 oz bran buds

snack: 165 cals
1 shrimp eggroll

lunch: 414 cals
2 slices italian bread
1 T mayo
1 t mustard
1 serving sliced chicken
1 slice provolone cheese

snack: 194 cals
1 tangelo
1 fiber bar

dinner: 534 cals
1/2 c cooked carrots
1 cooked potato
1 T olive oil
1 baked chicken leg

exercise: burned 629 calories
running approx 3 mins
walking approx 15 mins
ab workout approx 20 mins

overall: total daily loss of 1313 calories with exercise, and eating 684 calories fewer than target.

sunday, april 18

thanks to my snazzy new iphone app...

breakfast: 415 calories
5 T vanilla yogurt
2.5 T bran buds
2 slices italian bread
1 1/2 cups milk

snack: 190 calories
1 string cheese
6 triscuits (rosemary and olive oil kind...yum)

lunch: 496 cals
2 slices italian bread
1 T mayo
1 t mustard
1 slice swiss cheese
6 slices thin chicken breast
1 tangelo

snack: 5 calories
1 t turtle chex mix

dinner: 1187 cals
1 cup canned corn
2 hot dogs
2 hot dog buns
2 T ketchup
2 T mustard
2 T dill relish

exercise: burned 329 calories-ish (i think it's less than this because i was starting and stopping a lot to watch the animals.)
walked around the zoo about an hour and a half. carried baby in front carrier for a bit, pushed stroller for a bit.

overall thoughts:
consumed 2294 calories, burned 329. total calorie loss of 544, exceeds planed calorie loss by 138 cals. (at this rate i will lose about 1.1 lb per week, which is about my goal of 1 pound per week.)
it is so easy to keep track of things with my new app. i also acquired a scale on saturday. my official weight? 184 pounds....ugh. my target goal? 160. (if i make it to 150 i will be thrilled but 160 is a little more attainable i think.) i also overate at dinner because i didn't really have a snack in the afternoon. AND those hot dogs were fabulous. hubby grilled them. i am doing better about the candy.

saturday, april 17

i had 4 leftover asian-style ribs for breakfast at 8:15 and a 20 oz coke at 11:30. after that...i didn't keep track and i didn't really exercise. plus i had taco time for dinner. not a good day...

...except that it was AWESOME in that fact that:
a) i got a new dress
b) i got to hang out with my sister...we walked around the mall for an hour. i guess that counts as exercise
c) my sister babysat so hubby and i could go on a date (we haven't been on a date without kids since last august!)
d) hubby and i saw an awesome imax movie in 3D about the hubble telescope, and walked around an outdoor mall for a bit. more exercise, right?
e) i got an iphone! i am not kidding. hubby freaking rocks, he bought me an iphone.

as a consequence of such spectacular iphone, i now have this cool app to keep track of what i eat, how much exercise i do, calorie consumption and calories burned, my weight loss goals, nutrition, and other awesome things. my format will now probably change.

friday, april 16

breakfast: 7:15 am
1 slice white toast
1 T butter
3/4 cup milk

snack: 10:30 am
10 baby carrots

snack: 11 am
8 oz coke zero
1 fortune cookie

meal: 1 pm
1 apple
tuna sandwich (2 slices white bread, 1 leaf iceberg lettuce, 3 T mayo, 2 T dill relish, 1 can tuna)

snack: 3:30 pm
chocolate bunny ears (candy finally made it on the fridge instead of the counter so it's not a huge temptation anymore)
1 sugar-free fruit cup

dinner: 6 pm
2 cups apple juice
lunchmeat sandwich (2 slices wheat bread, 2 oz meat, 1 T mayo, 1 t mustard)
2 bites dill pickle
2 chocolate chip cookies
1 piece angel food cake
3 T whipped cream
1 c strawberries

exercise:
none

overall thoughts:
definitely overate today, especially considering i didn't exercise.

thursday, april 15

breakfast: 7:15 am
1 cup granola
1 cup milk

snack: 10 am
10 baby carrots

lunch: 12:15 pm
2 cups salad (iceberg lettuce, frozen peas, 1/2 tomato, 1/4 cucumber, 2 T chopped celery, 1/2 radish)
3 T italian dressing

snack: 2:50 pm
5 small slices canned beets
1/2 turkey sandwich (1 slice white bread, 3 slices thin turkey lunchmeat, 1 slice colby jack cheese, 1 T mayo, 1/2 T mustard)

dinner: 4 pm
1 vietnamese shrimp spring roll
1 t peanut sauce
1/2 cup white sticky rice
1 cup ginger chicken
1 fortune cookie
1 peppermint

snack: 5:30 pm
12 oz coke

exercise:
45 minutes walk/run
3o minutes ab routine

overall thoughts:
did pretty well today, overall

wednesday, april 14

breakfast: 7:45 am
1 cup granola
1 cup milk

snack: 9:45 am
1/3 apple (little buddy snagged the other piece, it was supposed to be 1/2 an apple...)

lunch: 11:45 am
5 1/2 fish sticks
1 cup fries
4 T ketchup

snack: 3 pm
10 celery sticks

dinner: 5 pm
1 breaded chicken breast
1 1/2 cups angel hair pasta
1 cup marinara sauce

...second dinner....: 6:30 pm
same thing as dinner....whoops...
plus four of those stupid chocolate eggs. drat that easter candy!

exercise:
40 minutes of walking and running

overall thoughts:
must come up with the self-control to stop eating soooo much. and get rid of the damn easter candy.

tuesday, april 13

breakfast: 7:30 am
1 egg
1 slice of white toast
1 T butter

snack: 10:15 am
15 baby carrots
2 small chocolate eggs (drat that easter candy)

lunch: 1 pm
1 piece fried chicken
2 caramel eggs (i'm throwing that candy away, i swear)

snack: 3 pm
8 oz. canned beets

snack: 4 pm
1 apple pie from mcdonald's
1 cherry pie from mcdonald's
(oops, my bad teehee)

dinner: 7:45 pm
5 fish sticks
1 cup fries
4 T ketchup

exercise:
approx. 20 minutes of really lame dance "cardio" (note to self: DO NOT continue trying to do any type of workout involving dance. you are a klutz. you cannot figure out choreography. the point to exercise is not to get frustrated and trip over yourself.)
approx 20 minutes of abs (pilates...ouch)
approx 10 minutes of a total body workout that didn't work much out because i have no weights.

overall thoughts:
i was in a terrible mood all day long. definitely shouldn't have had those pies, but oh well.
i really need to get rid of that candy.

perhaps i should have hubby hide it...

5 things i like about my body

1. i have big, blue eyes, that change color depending on the light and what i am wearing. hubby used to call me "pretty eyes," and i think they are my best feature. i have been lucky enough to bestow my big blue eyes on my children.

2. i am tall. i am 5'10" and i love that i have long legs.

3. i have long, thin fingers. they make my hands look elegant, i think. these are a gift from my mother. they especially look good when i grow my nails out and take care of them. (i used to chew my fingernails obsessively but i stopped doing that when i was about 18.)

4. i have a nice, straight nose, that is the perfect size. not too big, not too small, and it doesn't have any funny bumps and it doesn't turn up or anything. it's a classic nose.

5. i have very thick hair. when i take the time to do it, especially when i grow it out long, it looks really pretty.

that was harder than i thought...i got to three and i was stumped. i think i should work on this a little more.

my peace plan

my postpartum peace plan.

here is the white flag, fat cells!

P-pamper yourself
my way of pampering myself, is to spend a few minutes--even if it is just three--blogging, playing the piano, or drawing, every day. these are things that help me relax and feel better about myself, good outlets for negative feelings.

E-eat with a regular meal schedule
three meals and two snacks every day. i will eat smaller, appropriate portions, and less sugar. i will also try...very, very hard...to drink less coke. i will also keep a food journal and track what i am eating and when.

A-actively move your body
i will exercise AT LEAST three days a week, preferably five, for at least 45 minutes of cardio. in addition to the cardio i will do crunches and ab work at least three times a week, minimum of 10 minutes.

C-calm your stress
how on earth do i do this one? i will practice deep breathing, stretch and relax my muscles. i will be more optimistic.

E-embrace your new body
this is going to be a difficult one for me as well. i will contradict negative thoughts i have about my body. when i think, "i'm so fat," i will mentally say, "no. i am not fat." and maybe if i'm alone i just might say it out loud. i will remember the amazing things my body has done. i have created and carried two children. i have felt tiny fists, tiny feet, tiny heads moving inside of me. i have nourished and helped two babies grow and develop. i have given birth to two beautiful children, using my body and my strength to bring them into the world. my body has, and continues to, make milk to feed my baby. i nursed my first child nine months, and have been nursing my second for six, and i will continue creating a life-giving substance for the health and well-being of my daughter. i will also make a list of five things that i like about my body and look at it every day.

with these goals in mind, i will work hard and lose weight, gain muscle and self-esteem. i will remember that it takes time. it took eighteen months of pregnancy to gain this much weight, it will not come off in a day, or a week, or a month.

outsmarting the female fat cell--after pregnancy

in my quest to lose weight, and do it right, i have visited the library several times. i have read up on diets. i have read up on work outs. i have been very confused....what should i do? one book tells me to do one thing, the next says absolutely don't do it.

i finally found a book that i like that i think is basic, that will help me. it is called "outsmarting the female fat cell--after pregnancy: every woman's guide to shaping up, slimming down, and staying sane after the baby" by debra waterhouse.

in her book, debra talks about the nature of fat cells. what they do and why they do it--namely, storing and releasing fat. in this book she specifically discusses how and why they retain fat during and after pregnancy. she talks about how we need to make peace with our fatcells, working with them instead of against them. this way we can really get them to do what we want them to do.

she calls it her postpartum peace plan.

P-pamper yourself
E-eat with a regular meal schedule
A-actively move your body
C-calm your stress
E-embrace your new body

according to debra, there is no way we will lose any fat if we are unhappy with ourselves. we need to embrace our new, post-baby bodies. we need to be positive. we need to get rid of unnecessary stress in our lives. we need to make time for ourselves outside of our responsibilities as a mother and wife. and--we should absolutely NOT diet. she is as anti-diet as they come.

cutting out fat, carbs, or whatever else only makes your fat cells hold on to the fat even more, because they interpret the diet as "starvation." you will lose weight, sure, but the second you go off your diet, they will retain more fat than before, storing up for the next famine (aka diet). what she says is to keep track of what you are eating--eat proper, smaller portions, instead of cutting things out. eat three small meals with two snacks, drink a lot of water, don't eat too much sugar (like that bowl of easter candy i've got on my counter) and you will start to lose weight.

she also says that it is necessary to exercise. well duh, we all know that, right? but what i didn't know is that you don't start to burn fat until after you have been exercising at least 30 minutes with an elevated heart rate. she advocates exercising at least 3 times a week for 45 minutes. she also suggests weight lifting twice a week. and, in order to get that flat tummy, crunches crunches crunches. doing crunches doesn't help unless you're burning fat, because it will only strengthen the muscles under the fat. and losing the fat won't help unless you're doing crunches, because the muscles will be slack.

so. the best way to lose weight isn't always the fastest way. i keep having to tell myself this. because i am very impatient. i will lose the weight, at least most of it, if i eat right and exercise.

now, i just have to actually do it.

starting off!

this is going to be my new, baby fat burning blog.

i need a place to keep track of what i'm doing to lose this weight, so why not another blog?

there are several reasons why i want to lose this weight.

• i am unhappy with the way i look
• i am not healthy and i want to be
• i want my hubby to be more attracted to me
• i want to have enough energy to keep up with my kids better
• i want to know that i've put in the hard work and been dedicated
• i want to improve my self esteem

so there you go. i will be tracking what i am eating, the exercise i do, and the inches i lose. i do not have a scale and to be perfectly honest i don't really want to know exactly what i weigh. that would be pretty depressing. i will also be tracking my feelings about my weight loss journey, my ups and downs.

if anyone wants to join in with me, the more the merrier!

so, onward and upward, on my fat burning journey!