Boobs

In honor of Breast Cancer awareness month I feel it is necessary that we all take a moment to focus on our breasts.  I currently have a Love/Hate relationship with mine.  I'm not one of those moms who really loves breast-feeding and finds it relaxing and natural and amazing and wants to do it till my child can actually tell me their done...Don't get me wrong... I DO IT, and I recommend it and advocate for it, however, I don't love it.  What once was a sexual and intimate part of my body is now a feeding trough.  I realize that I am very fortunate, because not all women are able to breast feed their babies.  I feel very blessed and lucky that it has been easy for me.  That being said...I worry that my perfect, full of milk, large, juicy breasts won't be the same in a year.  Oh well, I guess that's the price we pay as moms, right?  And my poor husband.  He is fascinated by these big melons on my chest ~ but allowing him to enjoy them in all their splendor just isn't happening...sorry, dude. 

Big, small, full, or pancaked, our breasts are amazing and important and special.  They are like these soft magic balloons that make people crazy.  They have magic powers. We (men, women, babies) are fascinated by them! We should all be thankful for our breasts and we should embrace them and love them and make sure to take excellent care of them.  Check them, let your doctor check them, and get a mammogram if you have a family history of breast cancer.  I did, and it's not that bad.  Take care of yourself.  Mommies are important and and so are our boobs!

Just to say you did.

I've always hated when people did things "just to say they did". Like running a marathon, or something. I've always been more about doing it because I want to, or I enjoy it, or it makes me feel good. But I found myself in "getting serious mode" at the local park, ready to run on the trail and really not wanting to, but doing it basically, just to say I did. Ugh. I'm officially one of those people. I'm exactly that mom. That mom that I never said I would be. For example:

I said I would never eat my kids left over food (did it today), I would never spank my child (did it yesterday - and it was a joke, doesn't work), I would never count to 3 to get my child to do something (totally tried it - and it kinda works), I would make sure my child was potty trained by 2 years (my child pooped on the floor like a dog today, and yesterday and she's 3), and I would never do something just to say I did.

 Well, okay, I'm changing my attitude because I keep doing things mostly because I said I would and not because I want to. I've gone to the trail, like, 4 times in the past week and I'm so happy I did, but I really didn't want to. I used to run because it was fun and I enjoyed the experience, but now that I'm "phat" and really need to do it, it's less entertaining. But, I will not stop. I've got to keep on moving because I have goals and I want to be a good role model to my daughter...which reminds me ~ What's happening to the high school kids these days? Over the weekend we drove by a high school car wash and all (most) of the young girls look so unhealthy and muffin-top-y! We've got to get it together out there. This is clearly a result of poor diet and little exercise. Granted, it was the school choir car wash and not the cheerleaders, but still. Can't we be in the choir and still be fit? This was just another subtle motivator for me to get serious.

 Another, not as subtle, motivator happened today when I went to Kohls to get some "transition pants" (pants to wear as I lose the baby weight). I've never stepped foot in a Kohls before (not that there's anything wrong with it) but I'm just sayin, I'm not going to spend a bunch of money on pants in a size I don't want to be. Anyway, I went into the dressing room with the size I thought I was...and surprise...not even close. I wanted to cry, but that would be stupid. Crying never helped anybody get fit, so I just put the Jennifer Lopez originals back on the rack and carted myself right out of there. I just can't buy pants right now. Just can't. This second pregnancy has really done a number on me. I was checking myself out in the dressing room mirror, you know... all angles ~ and I totally have mom butt. I look like sponge mom square butt. Not cool. So, today is a turning point for me. I know how to work out, but that's only half of the battle ~ so it's also time to eat clean.

Here's what I'm going to do: 1.) Begin to eliminate processed foods from my diet. Anything in a package, box, can, and stored on a shelf in the middle aisles of the grocery store...OUT. I say begin, because this going to be difficult, but not impossible, and may take some time. 2.) Cut the cheese. I gotta stop eating so much cheese. Dairy really sticks with you, so cheese needs to be a treat, not a nightly staple. 3.) Eat raw. Raw fruits and vegetables nourish you and then pass right through with very little staying power. The best. 4.) Allow myself to feel hunger before I eat. Pretty simple ~ don't eat for any reason other than hunger. Not because I'm bored, or because there are left overs, or because I'm happy, sad, etc. Just because I'm hungry. Rocket science, right?

I'll start with these four goals, following them religiously for one week. Try it with me and see what happens... Even if you don't want to, do it... "Just to Say You Did".

Transitions

I'm sitting here reflecting on the last couple weeks and there is one word that comes to mind...transitions. I just don't know how many transitions one mommy can handle in such a short, little period of time. I'm managing, but it is like everything changed overnight. So, I'm learning to live in transition, and as much as I miss the way things used to be, I'm embracing the way things are now, too. When I say transitions ~ I mean it. I've gone from Dallas, Texas to New Jersey, One Kid to Two Kids, Lots of Friends to Zero Friends, Fit Body to Mushy Mess, Full Schedule to No Schedule, and Sleep to No Sleep. It's all good, though. Life if good and I love my family and we are all healthy and happy... So I'll motor on and enjoy these transitions and begin to work to change the things that I can...like the body situation. I'm starting today to work on helping this transition along a little faster. I want my fit mommy body back STAT, and I know exactly how to do it. It's the getting started part that gives me stress. It's enough already, it's time to get serious. So, I'm going to do that as soon as I finish this bagel. I forgot how good bagels are ~ NJ has good bagels and that's a plus for the state, and a minus for me. Seriously though, I'm doing this and if you're not happy with your body after baby, maybe you should, too. I'll help:) Stay tuned for my weekly rants, recipes, tips, motivations, successes and epic fails, as I get ready, to get ready, to get mommy strong once again!

Inspirational Video YouTube sharing

Running Strong

We are well into our second session of Mommy Strong Run and, WOW, I'm so impressed with the strength and determination of the beautiful moms in the group. Mommy Strong Run was created as an outlet for fun, friendship, fitness, and motherhood (plus, running is really great for the post baby body) ~ a place for moms to hang with their babies, and meet other moms, all while running (or sometimes walking).

Don't get me wrong, we chat and share ideas, and drink Starbucks, but we also really really work out. This workout is no joke. Running is hard, especially after you have a baby. Never before (Never!) have I enjoyed running as a form of exercise. I know that it is a great way to focus, be one with your thoughts, find your zen, relieve stress, etc., but for me, I have always found my zen while sitting on the couch enjoying reality tv. Unfortunately, the sit-on-the-couch-watching-tv- workout didn't whip me into shape - I should know, I tried it for 6 months after having my daughter, Clover.

I didn't really get it until I started running with Clover. Now running is a totally different experience for me ~ I can share it with her, and she can share in my joy when I accomplish my goals. Not to mention that you burn far more calories pushing a 22 pound stroller carrying a 22 pound toddler (do the math)!

Mommy Strong Run meets every Tuesday for a strength building, esteem boosting, super sweet, smile filled training run. I really love it, and I really love seeing other moms love it, too!

For more info on training with the coolest of cool Dallas moms visit my Stroller Strides website or the Stroller Strides of Dallas Facebook page.

Run Strong Moms!

One Year Later

Today I had my One Year Anniversary with Stroller Strides of Dallas. Wow. Can't even believe it's been a whole year. I watched Clover run around the playground today, and immediately thought back to last May when she just sat/lay quietly in her jog stroller - not making a peep. No so much now. She is like a little adorable maniac baby person. She has come so far in one year (and so have I). Right after I had her, I spent most of my time on the couch. I got very cozy with the couch for the first 3 months - this was a couch that I couldn't even get up off of by myself while holding my baby. Even though I worked out during my pregnancy, I really felt like I left every bit of muscle and all my flexibility in the hospital when I left. I was like mush. And, I needed my husband to give me a "boost" off the couch. So embarrassing.

One Year Later, all that has changed. I'm able to push myself to do exercises I never dreamed I could do ~ and I get to help other moms push themselves physically, too. All so we can be stronger, more confident women, wives, moms, and role models. I am so proud of my little business, and of Clover, and of each and every mom I meet in class who also puts her health and personal well being first. You can't take care of anyone if you don't take care of yourself first! All the moms in my class inspire me more than they know, and I'm grateful for all the support and friendship I've gained in the last year. Congratulations, Stroller Strides of Dallas. Congrats and thanks for giving me the strength to be better in every way.

One Wheel too many...

This blog post comes to you immediately after finishing an entire wheel of BRIE. What's wrong with me? Well, nothing's wrong with me, I just really like brie. Obviously. But, no matter how much I like (love) it, I shouldn't be eating an entire wheel for dinner. Not necessarily considered a balanced nutritional plan. What's even better is that I started this blog post yesterday (right after the last and final brie "incident") and am just getting back to it because my husband came home from work and I shamefully hid the empty brie plate and shut the computer in fear he would read about my cheese indescretion. So stupid, really.

So, this is for everyone who has ever loved something so much (food-wise) that you eat more than you know you should. And for everyone who continues to practice self-sabotage (food-wise) when you finally see some significant results with your workout/weightloss/gethealthy plan. Take a moment and think about this. I'll tell you how I self-sabotage (obviously, still today) and have for years, hence a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. It must end.

This is me:
I work really hard on eating right, cutting out sugar, or fat, or diary, or meat or whatever the fad of the season happens to be, I do it. I see results. My pants are a little looser (or they actually fit), and I have noticable results. Yeah! Well, then comes the sabotage. I feel so great that I've done it, so great that I stuck to something and I'm feeling all good and successful, so now I can order fries with my turkey sandwich, right? Super wrong. You have to keep doing what you did, to stay where you are! Duh. It has taken me a long, long, long time to do what I have always known is right. We all know WHAT to do. It's just actually doing it that makes change happen.

So, knowing this is my problem and has been for 20 years (well almost, 20 sounds more dramatic than 17), I feel like now is the time that I just squash it. Last night I relapsed with the cheese, and I'm sure I will again, but the great thing is that I realize it today and make today better because of it. I'm on a mission. This mission will end when I can look at brie and say "I worked my a** off today in class and you aren't worth it". Besides have you ever melted brie on a bagette? It looks like butter - basically I ate a wheel of butter. But it's okay. I know what to do. Messing up is normal - it's how quickly you correct that matters.

My challenge to you is this: Think about how and when you self sabotage. What is your thing? Write it down - refer to it - don't forget it, and eventually you won't do it (as much). Whatever your goal may be, you can't lose site of it - ever.

My goal is to get strong. This means so many different things to me. But today it means; strong enough to not sabotage my own success. Celebrate it. And do it today, don't wait till you've had one wheel too many...