change the way you eat

this blog has been all about changes in my (our) lives.  the biggest being our sweet baby boy.  in honor of my 30th birthday i want to devote this week to the changes that we have made for the better.  most of these changes directly correlate in some way with my 30 before thirty.

i wish i had gotten a little more serious about my weight loss goal (see the list) sooner.  no, i will not have lost all my baby weight plus 10 by the time i turn 30 this thursday.  i won't have even lost all the baby weight.  so here i am nearly 17 months postpartum, and i still have 7-12 lbs to go before i reach what i was when i got pregnant (i am not exactly sure what i weighed).  it's really sad to think about- because now that i'm doing it- it's so easy.  i could have lost this weight months ago and saved myself the sadness of feeling fat most days. 

how am i finally doing it- it's all so simple.  1.  we have cut down on the amount of eating out that we do.  we have dinner out w\ dave's mom every tuesday night.  on thursday's if i'm at mom's group we do lunch @ panera afterwards.  that's usually it for most weeks.  dave & i do have our monthly out date (but even that doesn't always involve dinner) and we will occasionally pick something up if we're in a pinch- but it's not our fallback plan.  eating in not only saves money (more on that later this week) but it saves tons of calories.  we're not just eating frozen pizzas and junk like that either (although we do a frozen pizza (no greasy meats) 2x a week on the nights i work).  i plan 5-7 meals to get us through a 2 week period.  i either plan these meals from family favorites, blogs/online recipes or i flip through my collection.  by eating at home we get to eat together in a quiet environment with a well-balanced meal that ian can enjoy with us. 

2.  i am actually working out.  i hate working out.  i am lazy.  dragging myself to the gym 6 days a week is no fun.  some days it sucks (okay, most days), but i really can tell a difference in how i feel!

3.  i am tracking my calories.  this is where it all came together.  the 2 above items weren't good enough on their own.  i downloaded the myfitnesspal app on my phone (the info from your phone is also shared to an account that you can manage online).  the app is incredible- you can add the recipes that you cook and find meals from most national restaurants.  you can track all your nutrional intake + add in all your exercise.  everything that goes in gets tracked- that way i know if i have room for extra at the end of the night, or whether i am better without it!  when you can see everything you're eating in one place it really does make a huge difference. 

4.  i'm eating better foods- more veggies, more protein, less sugar.  i'm reading labels closely.  having ian makes this easier to do- i don't want him eating junk!  it really does make a difference!  sugar is my weakness- so now treats are extra special!

in a month i have lost around 7 lbs- which isn't half bad, but there's more work yet to be done.


i'm linking up with Blair for McFatty Monday over @ Heir to Blair

detox- week one- am i doing this right?

thanks for the super-supportive comments on my previous post.  it means a lot!  very encouraging!

as previously mentioned, i started my no-sugar detox monday evening.  i had a couple of sugary things in my house that i wanted to rid myself of (including a meal with fruit in it), so i had that for lunch monday.  i have been going strong ever since... maybe.

i can't decide whether i'm doing this right or not.  am i supposed to be having zero sugar?  because i find that sugar is naturally occurring in things i thought were "safe" to eat.  ie: milk, almond butter, tomatoes (i guess a tomato is technically a fruit, which i'm not supposed to be eating), sunflower seeds.  i haven't had a single sugar-free day yet.  here's the weekly breakdown (remember- i ate "normally" (not really b\c i was eating stuff for the sake of getting it out of my house) on monday).

monday - 102 g (holy crap)
tuesday- 16 g
wednesday - 11 g
thursday - 19 g
friday - 7 g
saturday - 12 g
sunday - 18 g

i mean, i guess when you look at monday- i appear to be hitting it out of the park.  but i am wondering about the other aspects of detoxing- such as the fact that my fat & cholesterol numbers are through the roof!  is that right?  i mean, i guess it would be if i'm eating a lot of proteins.  it just sounds weird.  here's what this week has been like:

eating:

breakfast- plain greek yogurt w\ cinnamon and/or almond butter.  or an omelet or scrambled eggs.  milk to drink

lunch- salad- spinach topped with various veggies, a small amount of cheese, seeds and a protein- either chicken or an egg.

dinner- i've made salmon and 2 salads this week (one steak, one shrimp).  tuesday we go out to dinner and i also had a salad.

snacks- mixed nuts, hummus with veggies or terra chips, almond butter with terra chips or jicama, brie with veggies, string cheese

water:  i am weird.  i could go an entire day without drinking ANYTHING.  i don't know anyone else like this.  it's odd.  so to drink anything- esp water- it's like forcing it down my throat.  i'm trying.

exercising:

we worked out 6 days this week, which is our norm.  we take sunday's off b\c dave plays hockey (so he works out 7 days) and thursday i don't really go work out, i just go to work, which is 4+ hours of standing, walking and lifting.  i re-learned how to ride a bike.  they say you never forget, but "they" are liars.  i have scrapes on both legs and a nice bruise on my tail to prove that i forgot...

side effects:

i keep getting wicked headaches.  they flare up for about 10-15 minutes at a time and go away.  i'm guessing it's either from caffeine or sugar- or both.  oh, and despite all the protein i'm eating- i find myself hungry a lot.  i'm a BIG eater.  i always have been (i know where my poor child gets it from).  i can put food away- and then be hungry in an hour.  that's still happening.

set backs/cravings:

i am actually doing really well as far as dr. p goes- i haven't felt any real need for it.  i am having the desire to tear into a bunch of bananas or just eat some fruit.  i also really want a coconut frappuccino.  so i love chocolate- like- a lot.  i was so desperate for just a bite by saturday night.  dave & i went to the grocery store to pick up a movie and i bought  box of unsweetened baker's chocolate thinking that would do the trick... hello.. that stuff is SO BITTER.  gag.  still, no sugar.  today however, i did get a lindt 90% cocoa bar- 4 squares has about 3 g of sugar, so i had 1 square.  i felt that would work- and dark chocolate is so good for you anyway.  it was a perfect treat.  and now i might be a cheater.

weight loss:

i don't feel smaller and i don't think i look smaller.  my clothes don't feel looser either.  however, i stepped on the scale monday and i stepped on the scale sunday night and sunday night was reading 5 lbs less!  eek!

recommendations:

if you are looking to lose weight or just to track your calories, i can't recommend enough the myfitnesspal app.  the fabulocity of this thing is unmatched.  it has just about every food you can imagine (you can use a bar code scanner for the things it doesn't have) and it has foods from many major restaurants listed.  plus, you can put in all the ingredients from a recipe you're going to make with the servings and it will split up the nutritional value for you.  plus, you can track your workouts and water intake.  i love it!

i probably won't complete a full detox b\c my family is coming into town this week and we will probably hit up some fun chicago spots- but i will be watching what i eat very carefully and probably be eating 95% of what i eat according to my detox plan.  that won't be until this weekend though!

also, i have an exciting giveaway coming up this week!  stay tuned

i'm linking up with Blair for McFatty Monday over @ Heir to Blair

10 months

ian turned 10 months old on november 20.  it's scary to think that my baby is in double digit months.  where has the time gone precious boy?

ian now has  2 teeth on the bottom.  they're really cute, and really sharp- and he does bite fingers.  biting while nursing hasn't been a problem yet though- it's the top teeth i'm worried about- and i think he's working on one!

there isn't much new going on.  ian is still army crawling, although he is trying to work on a regular baby crawl- he usually just rocks back & forth and then plops back down on his belly.  he's still not really pulling up- he'll pull on us, and can crawl over our legs, but that's about it.  a friend gave us her baby jumper, so we have been putting him in there and trying to strengthen his core.  he's also not interested much in standing, but has stood up a couple times with us on the bed or couch. 

he is still eating well, as always.  he should be a poster child for an "eat your vegetables and fruits" campaign.  he nurses 4 times a day, has 1 bottle a day, and 3 meals a day.  we've introduced a lot more fruits and veggies including pineapple, pinto beans, brussels sprouts, beets, eggplant, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, spinach, potatoes.  he's also started eating finger foods: cheerios, puffs, rice, barley, edamame, grapes, banana, and turkey.  this kid can put it away! 

we celebrated halloween.  ian dressed as a pickle.  we were going to go trick or treating, but he had his first accident and was inconsolable for quite a while.  next year it will probably be a little more enjoyable, but mommy was pretty sad. 

he loves to laugh- he thinks the dogs are hilarious, he loves being tickled, he's working on clapping his hands- if you say "yay" he will clasp his hands together, he loves to blow raspberries and makes the "sucking in your breath" sound (i don't know what else to call it), he imitates you- ie: you cough, he coughs.  still more interested in books than toys, but likes his musical toys.  oh, and he's totally working on a mullet.  blech.

::sigh:: he's really growing up...  ha.  i say this at 10 months...

and pictures...

 socks?  we don't need no stinkin' socks

comfy casual.

they keep putting me on their shoulders

sock monkey boy

halloween pickle

10 months old!!

myobf

#20 on the 30 before thirty - make ian's baby food.  let's just say the making of it is easier than figuring out when to give him what, when to start mixing, and what to mix.  sheesh.  behold, i will show you how to myobf (that's make your own baby food)...

i went with sweet potatoes- which will be food #2 3 that we are introducing.  we started with acorn squash, which made ian's skin break out, and if i had to write a blog on how to make baby avocado- then i shouldn't be blogging. 

i decided to make ian's baby food because of how easy everyone said it was + i'm always here + i love to cook + i have nothing better to do.  it also tastes better- have you ever eaten jarred baby food?  at my baby shower, we played a game where i was blindfolded and had to taste several different flavors of baby food and identify them.  i didn't do well- you couldn't even tell what many of them were!  ick!  fresh food just tastes better!  i also think it helps us to eat healthier- i just buy extra- cook it all at once, and then there's enough for husband & i to have what ian has.  more veggies = healthier.  healthier = thinner.  thinner = me fitting into my clothes.

here's how easy it is!  myobf- sweet potato style. 

1.  scrub your potatoes.

2.   prick holes into the potatoes

(those poor potatoes)

 

3.   microwave potatoes until tender (you can also bake in the oven for 60 min, but this was much quicker).

4.  remove potatoes from microwave carefully (hot potato isn't just a game- it's a fact).  slice potatoes open to let cool- this way you can handle them without receiving 3rd degree burns.

 

5.  scoop the delicious, orange sweet potatoey flesh out and into your blender/food processor.

 

6.  add 1\2 cup of water to potatoes and puree to desired consistency, adding more water if necessary.

 

7.  desired consistency.  

 

8.  pour potatoes into ice cube trays if freezing (i suggest freezing because most foods are good for a month- some 2 months, while refrigerated food needs to be used within days).  i got my trays from my Fresh Baby So Easy Baby Food Kit, but you can buy them anywhere for cheap!

9.  freeze 8-10 hours or overnight!

10.  once frozen, remove cubes from trays and store in ziploc baggies.  be sure to label baggies with date and food.  my potatoes were still frozen, but here are my frozen apricots & acorn squash!

and there you have, 10 easy steps to making your own baby food- all it takes is 30 minutes.  done and done.

oh, pregnancy, you are fickle

so the point of this blog is to be real about my pregnancy, and not just to sugar-coat it. there are many wonderful things about being pregnant (that i will try to blog about later), but there are other things that aren't so fabulous too. i try to post from both sides of the coin... here are some of my top mysteries/things people don't tell you about being pregnant:

1. buy your maternity clothes in your "pre-pregnancy size." first of all, if i could wear my "pre-pregnancy size" i would be. second, this is not even true because it seems the stuff that is "my size" is either falling off me or has in my final weeks become so tight i can hardly wear it

2. why are the panels of maternity jeans blue? sometimes i'd like to wear a WHITE shirt without having the world see a blue panel up to my chest.

3. speaking of: heartburn is so bad you consider burning your bras.

4. zofran will cure your nausea/morning sickness, but as a result you will be so constipated that when you finally do go you stop up your in-laws toilet(s), and flood their house, resulting in them buying new toilets for the entire house.

5. you shouldn't really "eat for two" but if so, then why am i starving ALL THE TIME!

these are just a few things that have bewildered me during this rollercoaster called pregnancy!

the first 3 weeks of "fall" / trip to Ft. Fun

So it has hardly been fall for 3 weeks and we are already talking about snow around here. Really? That disgusts me. I barely felt like I got a summer, and now I don't even get a fall?! COME ON! If anything, it has given me the chance to dig into my delicious fall/winter maternity clothes. Luxe sweaters in a variety of colors and shapes. Yum.

Husband & I went to our storage unit last weekend and put away the majority of my summer clothes and brought back all my winter clothes. I spent some time going through what I think I can still wear without my belly stretching it out. I may be dreaming to still think I can wear my non-maternity clothes- but I'm going to keep that glimmer of hope alive!

One thing I definitely think I'm going to need- a winter coat. I own at least 8 winter coats that I have collected over the years- some had gotten a little snug, so those stayed in storage- but my 3 most recent coats made it back to the house with me. My newest coat I got this summer- a quilted Nike jacket with a tiny Georgia "G" on it. It's nice because it's fleece-lined, has a hood, and was only $20 (regular price $100+). I've been wearing it daily since it rains daily, but there's a slight problem- I'm already having trouble zipping it. My other 2 coats I haven't tried on yet, but they button/toggle, so I'm hoping that provides me a little extra room. If not, I've already started researching maternity coats and I'm hoping for a Ft. Wayne shopping excursion this weekend!

Ft. Wayne: We are off to Ft. Wayne, IN in a few hours to have a baby shower for my sister-in-law, Shannon. I will post pictures as I am in charge of food, and love this kind of thing! Plus, a whole weekend without work, means a whole weekend of wearing regular clothes- and as I already said, I have a lot of maternity stuff I can't wait to put on! Plus, Dave's grandmother has at least 10 pairs of my hand-me-down maternity pants that she's taking up for me- so excited to have more than 1 pair of pants finally!! Oh, and did I mention there's a Chick-fil-a in Ft. Wayne? Because there's a Chick-fil-a in Ft. Wayne, and I'm hungry.

Enjoy your weekends!

eating while pregnant

today for lunch i had:


spanish rice

a hot wing w\ blue cheese dressing

a slice of pizza

and some chili cheese dip w\ chips

1. i should've known all along I was having a boy. 2. what is wrong with me and how is this baby going to come out. 3. I hope this doesn't have an ill-effect on my stomach at work tonight...

stomach maladies!

boy, has baby McFadden gotten mommy's stomach all out of whack. first it was non-stop cramping (this was before I had taken a pregnancy test). the cramping still comes and goes, but it was pretty bad to begin with. then came the constipation, which I really didn't mind- I mean, not having to poop = awesome. then came the nausea and vomiting, which has lasted through my current week (week 18), but seems to be tapering off! with that I was finally unconstipated, but won't go into detail. if you are friends with me on facebook you may have seen that I flooded the basement of my in-laws house, not once, but twice (all in 1 week and 2 different toilets). now, part of this was the fact that their plumbing is really bad (this is according to the contractor who was remodeling their bathroom and saved me from the 2nd flooding by turning off the water in the entire house), and part of it was me (and probably his other pregnant sister who stays there a few nights a week). thanks to me though, there are 4 new toilets in the house, and they are fancy!

my latest problem is the inability to feel full sometimes. i really felt it last night. for dinner we had breakfast and I ate 3 pieces of bacon, a couple spoonfuls of eggs, a bowl of cheese grits, 1 blueberry pancake and 3 pecan pancakes (pancakes were small). Dave and I then went to Target to get our nephew a present for his 1st Birthday Party tomorrow, and on the way back home I wanted a hot fudge sundae from McDonald's (they have delicious sundae's). I ate all of that and then drank a glass of milk. needless to say I wasn't awake much longer after all that! I hope this calms down. I hate feeling gluttonous!

Update on my OCD Baby List.

There are now 34 women on my list. 8 have already given birth with 1 due any day now. 5 of the babies were girls, 4 boys.

7 people on the list are related to me (8 including myself). All are cousins, with the exception of my sister-in-law. 2 have been born (boy and girl). Of those on the way 2 are girls, 1 is a boy, 1 isn't finding out, and 2 aren't at 20 weeks yet.

The next 5 babies due are all boys. After that it's 7 girls, 3 boys and 1 mystery!

10 are at less than 20 weeks with me being the next to find out. 3 of those have announced their pregnancies THIS WEEK!

I made this list to keep up with names b\c I want to be safe on the baby name front- so far I am. This thing has turned more into a kind of math project!

Let's just say that baby fever is in the air. Every day at work I come into contact w\ at least 10 pregnant women + a few with newborns! Must be a good time to have a baby!! Does this mean the economy is turning around?!

Next Dr.'s appointment is on Monday!!