back on the wagon?

I cannot begin to tell you how many posts I have in draft status. It has been over four months since my last post. I’ve barely been able to think, let alone write, since the summer. My brain and my body are completely fried. I’m burned out from work and parenting and life. I went straight from the corporate Hunger Games (yet another post in draft status) to selecting my team, to implementing new processes, to picking up the pieces from all of the change. I’ve worked an average of 80 hours per week since April and it is killing me. Sure there have been a couple of weeks where I only put in 60 hours and the week of my daughter’s birthday (July), I only worked 40. But still…this is too much and it’s not healthy. I feel like a blob. I have been eating too much sugar, haven’t been logging as many miles as I’d like and I even gave up on Pure Barre for a few months. I think I’ve put on four pounds, although – thankfully - my clothes fit well. It’s time to find some balance. Since work isn’t going to slow down, I am going to try to hold myself more accountable to me. Step one – meet my new friend, the FitBit. I bought this bad boy as my birthday present to myself and I’ve been wearing it religiously. Now it’s time to make sure I hit my 10k steps every day. I like seeing how the little changes I make impact my calorie burn, so it’s a motivator. Step two – return to Pure Barre. I’ve started going once per week and I’m signed up for at least one class a week through November. Step thee – return to Mamavation. Here I am, ladies! I’m hoping that you will help me stick to this!

it pays off

Last week, I posted this photo online. 

I was excited to show off my child in the pool and didn't think too much about it.  Almost instantly, an old friend commented, "smokin' hot bod!"  Seriously?  Who would think I was "smokin' hot?!?"  Then I looked a little closer at the pic.  I've come a long way from my post-pregnancy body.  The fact that I'm willing to wear a bikini at the local family hangout pool is a testament to the fact that I'm comfortable with myself.  Sometimes I struggle with eating too much junk food and sometimes I have to force myself to work out, but this picture made me realize that it pays off.

Happy Monday!

Worse than a desk job

I have been sitting in interviews for over a week.  Seriously...40+ hours of interviewing candidates in the last week.  It has been intense.  On the bright side, I've found some really wonderful candidates for the manager roles on my team.  On the not so bright side, I feel like a complete slug thanks to all the sitting.

Seriously, sitting in a conference room doing all these interviews is far worse than sitting at a desk.  It's been like groundhog day!  I used four different versions of my interview guide, so I wasn't asking each candidate the same questions, but still...  It was really hard to keep organized and on track in the interviews.  Thank goodness that I practice what I preach to hiring managers about taking good interview notes!

So back to the sitting.  I was in the office, sitting in a conference room from 7a-5p each day last week.  Then I went to my office and worked for a few hours to get somewhat caught up on email.  Long story short, I didn't work out nearly as much as I wanted to.  By the time I got home from work, I was completely drained and just wanted to veg in front of the TV or go to bed.  I think I only got in one workout all week.

This week is off to a similar start.  We've had long talent calibration sessions and these conference room pow-wows are killing me!  I need to walk around.  I need to move!  I'm also suffering from some allergy issues and my throat is a mess.  I didn't work out last night as a result.  Tonight will be better though.  I'm planning on 3 miles and some strength training.  Tomorrow I'm scheduled for a Pure Barre class.  I'm not sure what is in store for the rest of the week, but I'm hoping for nice weather this weekend so we can go on a family hike.

Have an awesome week, sistas!

“ This post is sponsored by Noelle Katai and Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway ”

Sugar addition...Easter was tough

I've been very quiet recently and I'm sorry for that.  I feel bad about not commenting on your posts or sharing much here.  I've been going through a lot and haven't had the time or energy to spend online.

The last couple of weeks have been a roller coaster of sugar, family visits, travel, work stress, and hormones.  The Easter Bunny brought me a bunch of Reester bunnies which I have no ability to resist.  I've had a few of them and they just seem to feed my ridiculous sugar addiction.  I'll be happy when I get rid of them all! 

I completed 11 interviews for my job last week and should find out the outcome in another week or so.  At this point, the waiting is really the hardest part (thanks, Tom Petty).  Until I know the outcome, I'm sitting quietly and trying not to stress too much.

I'm working out plenty, thank goodness.  It's what is keeping me sane.  This week will be tough though because I'm a single parent for a few days and then as soon as my husband gets home, I'm heading to Texas for a few days. 

I hope you're all doing well!

Quick Mamavation Check-In

Another week has passed and I'm still in the middle of this waiting game.  Things have gone radio silent at work and that hasn't been great for my stress level.  Instead of assuming that no news is good news, I tend to worry.  Despite the worrying, I've done a good job with my workouts and made good food choices.  I'm working out to fight the stress and I'm 100% positive that is what is keeping me sane right now.  Every time I freak out about the possibility of not having a paycheck in a few weeks, I lace up my shoes (or promise myself that I will once I leave the office) and burn those feelings away.

Last night, I reached one quarter of my annual mileage goal, which felt good.  I like knowing that I'm on track with small milestones.  I'm working towards 300 miles for the year and hit 75 miles.  My elbow and shoulder are healing, so I'm back to doing pushups. I had to take this week of from Pure Barre because of work scheduling conflicts, but I'll be back at it next week.  Hopefully I can fit in some Tae Bo this week because punching really helps combat the crazy feelings I'm having right now!

What about you?  Are you having a good week?  Any suggestions for fighting stress?  It's going to be a tough couple of weeks and I can use all the advice I can get!

Way Too Busy

This week went by in the blink of an eye.  I've been so busy that I've barely kept up with Twitter, let alone the #2weekchallenge.  I feel like a complete slacker for not keeping the commitment, but I'm trying not to hold onto too much guilt about it.

First the good news.  I recently developed a work concept into a full program that was so well received, we decided to market it externally.  Over the course of the last week, I pitched the idea to another major company, developed sample materials for their review and guess what...they bought it!!  I have moved from being typical HR overhead to a source of revenue!  I am so excited about it...I can barely contain it.  What I'm thrilled about is the pitch.  I found the time to fully prepare myself and I knocked it out of the park.  I was confident, which made all the difference.  That confidence is a big improvement for me.

Anyway, so after the company decided they wanted to buy my program, I had to kick it into high gear.  I've spent the past several days on conference calls and emailing at all hours of the night trying to get this thing ready to roll out in a week.  Between this and my normal job (which hasn't slowed down), I haven't been getting much sleep.  I'm also preparing for my upcoming interviews and trying to be as ready as possible.  I've spent almost all weekend working from my house...and there's no end in sight.  I think I have another eight hours of work ahead of my and it's already 7pm.  I guess I should stop writing and get back to it.

So, back to Mamavation stuff.  I only did one day of the #2weekchallenge and then I strained my elbow.  It's almost back to normal now, but was a mess earlier this week.  I was able to get in several miles this week (I had to work off some of the stress), but I definitely didn't work out as much as I wanted to.  I was great about food though, so it all works out.

This week is going to be tough.  I have a ton of work to do, but I'm going to fit in as many workouts as possible.  Although I'm not officially on the #2weekchallenge bandwagon anymore, I'm going to try to do some of the workouts to support my sistas. :)

Have a great week, everyone!

Glass Half Full

My last few posts have been a bit negative.  It's been difficult for me to keep a positive attitude when my world has been so tumultuous.  The reality is, though, that what I'm going through is nothing compared to what some of you Mamavation Sistas are going through.  My stress is just my job.  I need to keep reminding myself that it's JUST a job.  It's not family drama or illness or even worse.  So I'm going to focus on seeing the glass half full.

The stress meter was up and down for me last week.  I had a good chat with my new VP and it's clear that I have a very good chance at staying in a role that I enjoy and will keep the lights on at home.  I'm going to be less involved in a few of the projects and programs that bring me true joy, but I'll still have a voice.  It will all be okay...I just have to get on the other side of this month.  My first task was updating my resume.  I know, what kind of HR person worth her salt doesn't update her resume?!?  Apparently, I don't.  Mine hasn't been touched in 4 years.  I think I've got it nearly done though.  It needs one more proofread and then hopefully, I can submit it tomorrow.  Then I wait.  I think I'll start interviewing the following week and will really need your cheers then.  The interview process will be a two week marathon!

I haven't gotten a good night of sleep in over a week, and it's really starting to show on my face.  I've been chugging a ton of water with the hope that it will make a difference, but nothing can cover the circles under my eyes right now.  Maybe I'll get to buy some new makeup as a result of this though?  Anyone have suggestions for a good under eye concealer?

I've been really enjoying my workouts and stuck with my plan for last week.  The best news from last week is that I finished my 100 push-up challenge and I met it!!  I was able to do 101 uninterrupted push-ups last week.  I'm so proud!  My time with the Tae Bo DVDs has also been awesome.  There's something so freeing about punching along with Billy Blanks!  I made great food choices over the week as well.  On Friday night, my husband told me that we were going out for burgers and good beer.  Apparently, beer is a stress reducer and he thought I needed one.  I had my first beer in about nine months and it was sooo good.  The Chimay and blue cheese burger was just what I needed as a reward for all of my hard work.

I've meal and workout planned for the upcoming week.  We're eating lots of chicken and Brussels sprouts.  I'm taking the week off from Pure Barre, but am doing an extra elliptical workout to make up for it.  I even got to go for a short hike today. 

So, this is going to be a good week.  What about for all of you?  How can I help cheer you on?

Off the rails, but climbing back on

I've been quiet this week because the week has been pretty bad.  I haven't said much because there's nothing positive to share.  Instead, I've been eating my feelings and my stress.  To top if off, I'm PMSy, so I've been craving salt and sugar ALL THE TIME.  I know it's bad and I'm determined to move beyond this terrible week, so I think it's time to share the situation with my Mamavation Sistas.

On Monday, I had a meeting with a colleague and realized that the current and pending reorganization of my department was essentially already worked out.  I knew in my gut that the people I wanted to get the new roles weren't going to get them and it would likely impact me in some pretty significant ways.  Of course I couldn't talk to anyone about this, so I picked up some M&Ms.

Throughout the week, I watched my team become more and more nervous as rumors flew around about upcoming announcements.  I tried to keep quiet and stuffed my face with Oreos.

On Thursday, the new selections were made.  I didn't hear from my boss until that evening, and I could tell from his cryptic message that things weren't good.  I went to a networking event and tried to hold it together, but it was a little much.  When I went home, I couldn't force myself to work out and I just sat in bed, watching TV. 

Finally, on Friday, the announcement about the new structure was sent out.  As I predicted, the whole thing was predetermined, despite the last month of stress and interviewing for my boss and all of his peers.  The new structure will be fine and I know that ultimately, I will be fine, it's just really sad to realize that it was all a charade.  I've lost so much trust as a result of this...and I feel so naive for believing that things might work out differently.  On Friday night, I enjoyed some red wine and kettle chips.

So here we are now.  I'll be meeting with my new VP on Monday and hope to hear his vision for our department.  I don't know if I'll fit into that or if I'll end up interviewing for a different role in the company or if I'll have to find a new employer.  I probably won't know the outcome of this for a month.  I will have to handle my emotions for the next four weeks and need to find a way to curb my eating behavior while I work through this stress.  It's tough...my job is so much of who I am and I am struggling with the ambiguity.  It will be okay though.

I've signed up for the Mamavation #2weekchallenge - the timing couldn't be more perfect.  I need some daily accountability to work off my stress.  The challenge is still a week away so in the meantime, I have the following plan.

Sunday, March 3rd: Tae Bo 10 Minute Workout, 3 miles, #plankaday
Monday, March 4th: Final fit test for the 100 PushUp Challenge!!, 2 miles, #plankaday
Tuesday, March 5th: Pure Barre
Wednesday, March 6th: 2-3 miles, #plankaday, pushups
Thursday, March 7th: REST
Friday, March 8th: 2-3 miles, #plankaday, pushups
Saturday, March 9th: Tae Bo, #plankaday
Sunday, March 10th: REST

I'm going to stop stressing about the extra calories I ate this week and just proceed normally with food.  I'm planning healthy meals for the week and plan to avoid sugar.  I'm back on track...starting today!

Mamavation Monday 2/18

Last week was mixed for me.  I am still doing well with my workout routine, but I've really struggled with food choices.  I'm feeling very sluggish and I know it's because I'm eating too much sugar.  My carb/fat/protein ratio has been off kilter for a few weeks and I haven't been able to get back on track.  I'm eating too many carbs...it's those damned Cadbury Eggs!! I've told myself that the sugar splurges are okay because I'm stressed, but frankly, that's bullshit. I know I need to manage stress with exercise and just have to hold myself accountable.

This week, I plan to lower my calorie target a bit. I need to show myself that I have some self control. I can stick to a calorie goal, whereas it's hard for me to cut out something specific.  With less calories,I'm  forced to focus on eating healthy, whole foods and I tend to avoid junk.  Hopefully this approach will work for me.  Most of the dinners I've planned for the week include chicken.  My plan is to make enough to take some chicken to work for lunch each day. I assume that if I eat ,ore protein at lunch, I won't want chocolate at 3pm. :)

As for workouts, I have the following planned:

Monday: Cardio (3miles) and #plankaday

Tuesday: Pure Barre (I've found it to be a great workout and I'm so sore after!). We plank in class, so it also meets my #plankaday goal.

Wednesday: Cardio (2-3 miles), #plankaday, and push-ups for the 100 push-up challenge

Thursday: rest

Friday: push-ups for the 100 push-up challenge and #plankaday

Saturday: Cardio (Tae Bo?) and #plankaday

Sunday: push-ups for the 100 push-up challenge and #plankaday

This should be my last week of the push-up challenge...I'm excited to see how many I can do at the end of it.  More to come on that next week.  I'm also very focused on water intake.  I do really well with the #64ozchallenge during the weekdays, but I've been struggling on the weekends.  I just need to be more conscious of it.

What do you have planned?  Have a great week, ladies!

The Topic of Dieting

Over the weekend, N and I were at a play date with one of her friends. We were over at the friend's house with her mother and father who are amazing Italian cooks. Both parents were born in Italy and have been in the US for since grad school and they’re known in our kids’ friend circle for making amazing meals. They fixed lunch for everyone and when we sat down to eat, seemed surprised by my choices. The parents made a salad with olive oil and vinegar, a bacon spinach quiche, pasta with tomato sauce, and rolls. They also served wine – at lunch. I brought these massive red velvet cupcakes from Costco for dessert because I didn’t have time to bake and I thought they were festive.

I chose a small piece of quiche, half of a roll and a large portion of the salad, with just the vinegar as dressing. No wine for me (I can’t drink and then work out), which was very shocking to them and caused the obligatory “Come on, live a little!” statement. Despite the peer pressure, I abstained.

I decided to have half of a cupcake for dessert. I work out hard and I do so because I like sweets. I never avoid dessert. This was also shocking to the parents. The mother made a comment about how she guessed I could handle having a cupcake because of my size, but she couldn’t.

The lunch conversation then turned to the topic of diets, which I really detest. My child and two other impressionable young girls were at the table. I don’t use the word diet in my house. I talk to my child about how I make good choices and I work out to stay healthy. When I was little, my mom was always on a diet and I know that impacted my view of food, my body, and my image. I don’t want that to rub off on N. I’ve made good choices so that N doesn’t feel that pressure from me as she grows up. The dreaded 4-letter D word came up though.

I’ve pondered the fact that in a few years, N’s friends will start talking about diets. When that time comes, I’m planning to focus my response around fueling and taking care of our bodies and being strong women. I know there will be peer pressure, but I feel as equipped as possible to help her through it – when she’s a little older. I never imagined that the topic would come up so early though. She’s 3 years old…I don’t want her thinking about this now.

We went home and after her nap, I asked N to help me make dinner. I talked to her about what we were cooking and shared how it was a balanced meal, full of protein and good carbs to give us energy and help her grow. For dessert, she had one piece of chocolate and thoroughly enjoyed it. She didn’t ask for more because she was full and satisfied. The topic of dieting hasn’t come up since and hopefully, it won’t for a while.

Overcoming Stress

This year, I resolved to change up my workout routine and find the joy in exercise.  I'm doing well overall and feel like I'm keeping the resolution.  At this point, I've finished 33/300 miles for the year, kept on track with the 100 Push-Up Challenge, done #plankaday almost every single night, started the #64ozchallenge, and added in a few new types of exercise.  I'm signed up for a Pure Barre class on Tuesday and I've started back with Tae Bo.  I feel stronger and I know I'm working muscles that I've previously ignored.  

I've previously shared that things are a bit stressful at work right now.  I'm used to stress and as a problem-solver, I tend to thrive in it.  This stress is a little different though.  This stress had me a little worried and caused me to doubt myself.  That's not a good scenario for me.

On Friday, I worked from home because I had several heads-down tasks that needed to be done and I wanted to focus.  I planned to spend the lunch hour with Billy Blanks and my Tae Bo DVD.  I was going out to dinner with my husband on Friday night and wanted to burn some major calories so I could indulge in wine and dessert.  My lunchtime workout was interrupted by work.  My IM kept flashing and email kept coming in and my cell phone was ringing.  It turns out that I didn't do a great job of communicating a project with my team and as a result they were worried about it.  I felt like I goofed and that didn't help the self-confidence that was already wavering.  

I'm horomonal and all I wanted was salt.  The last phone call was the beginning of my potato chip fueled downward spiral.  Before I knew it, I had eaten 800 calories worth of kettle chips while reading and rereading my notes from my project plan.  I managed to put the rest of the chips away and pull myself together.  I was still frustrated and dinner out with the hubs wasn't great.  I ended up being over my calorie goal for the day, which stressed me out even more.

Yesterday was more of the same.  I was feeling stressed and just wanted chocolate and salt.  I ate too much bad stuff but kept pounding water for the #64ozchallenge.  I was so full that I felt like I could vomit. This is my natural reaction to bingeing.  I don't even have to gag...even after 10 years, my body still naturally ties to purge when I eat way too much.  I found myself in the bathroom, trying not to vomit and realzied that I've quickly hit a breaking point.  I've lost control because I'm stressed and I need to kick myself in the ass.  

Stress is, well, stressful.  But this is life and life is full of stressful events.  I have to get over it.  My family shouldn't have to deal with my weird moods, poor food choices or ultimately, poor health because I'm stressed out.  I have an obligation to pull myself up by my bootstraps and move forward.

So I have.  I scheduled a massage for next weekend.  I woke up and drank lots of water.  I fixed a healthy breakfast for my family and then went outside to shovel snow.  I shoveled our driveway and sidewalk and just kept going.  I listened to upbeat music and shoveled three of my neighbors sidewalks and I felt much better.  I came inside cold, but sweaty and invigorated.  I've finished a work project, meal planned and cleaned.  I feel like the Energizer Bunny and that's when I thrive.

I'm going to keep focusing on the positive and try to stop stressing because it's not healthy.  I'd like my Mamavation sisters to help.  Please check in on me via Twitter occasionally over the next few weeks and ask me how things are going.  I know that things will be tumultuous this month and I'd love to feel your support.  Let me know how I can support you too!  

Eyes on the Prize

In my quest for core strength, I've been doing a lot of planking recently and one night last week, I did my #plankaday in my sports bra. I made the mistake of looking down and practically burst into tears as a result. My tummy, it just looked so...so saggy. I hadn't previously realized the full effects of pregnancy on my body. Sure, I knew that my boobs weren't what they used to be, but I didn't think they were bad.  The saggy tummy  realization caused me to rip off my bra and see that my chest is in the same shape. OH...MY...GOD.

Fast forward to today. I was at Dick's this morning to pick up a new resistance band (I broke my old one this week) and noticed that they had running shorts on clearance.  I grabbed a pair of mediums (smalls just seemed so small) and paid just $5.98 them.  When I got home and tried them on, I realized two things.  First, the mediums were big (yay)!  I never really saw myself wearing a size small, but that seems to be the norm for me these days.  Such a victory.  The second, and most important thing is that I have really great legs.  I'm fortunate to be tall and (now) lean with some muscle definition.  All of my hard work over the last year plus has really paid off for my gams!

I've never been proud of my body.  As someone who survived an eating disorder, I clearly have some residual body image issues.  The recent realization that my upper body is showing evidence of mommyhood didn't sit well with me.  However, seeing a really great part of my body helped to put things into perspective. My chest is the way it is because I proudly breastfed my daughter for 15 months.  She was a gloriously fat baby who never had a single ounce of formula and I love the fact that my body was able to provide for her.  What I saw earlier this week is evidence of that triumph, not something to be ashamed of.  My legs look this way now because I've worked my ass off in the gym.  I may not be able to significantly improve my chest, but I can certainly keep working on and show off my rockin' legs!  Now, I have a new reason to do a few more squats.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put on a short skirt and then find my husband. ;)

Admitting I'm tired...

Recently, while perusing Pinterest, I saw an eye concealer with a caption that read “No one will realize how tired you really are.”  It caught my attention because I have some pretty serious circles under my eyes.  I looked at the link and I think I might have even pinned it to my “For Me” board.  Then I promptly went on with the rest of my day.

I’ve been really busy over the last few months.  When I think about it, I’ve been busy for years and years.  It’s just my nature to always be active.  The trouble is that now, in my thirties, all the hustle and bustle is catching up with me.  I never sit still and it’s getting worse.  I’m pretty sure that my activity level is overcompensating for my exhaustion.  I don’t want to admit that I need to slow down and chill out.  I want to be the perfect mom.  I want to prove that I can work full time and be a great mom and be in shape and be stylish and be…everything to everyone.  I keep taking on more and more and more and more.  To that end, at the beginning of the month, I committed to extra workouts, an annual mileage goal and a ton of strength training.  I’ve been doing it, but in retrospect, I’m pretty sure that this is another example of overcommitting.  This activity level isn’t sustainable given my busy lifestyle.

I was able to spend some time thinking over the weekend and I remembered that Pinterest eye stuff.  The thing that struck me was the phrase “No one will realize how tired you really are.”  I’ve come to the realization that I’m expending a lot of energy trying to make sure that no one realizes that I’m worn out.  I’ve been hopeful that the extra exercise would give me more oomph, but I’m literally too tired for that oomph to stick with me.  When I finish a workout, I feel good.  The next day, I have to drag my tired ass out of bed to fight through my daily routine again.   Tonight, for example, I am so worn out from the stress of work, my sick kid, the whirlwind multi-state trip I took this weekend, and cleaning up my house, that the last thing I have the energy for is working out.  I’ll go do it, but I really just need to go to bed.  Tomorrow, when my kid yells for me to get up at 5:30am, I’m going to be resentful… resentful of her and resentful of my decision to prioritize exercise over sleep.

I need to find a balance.  I’ve been so positive about my lifestyle change.  I need to get that positivity back and chill out.  I need to stop stressing about exercise and find the joy in it again.  Until I find that joy, I’m going to cut back a bit.  I’m still keeping my mileage goal and will be doing my regular push-ups and planking.  I’m going to put the rest of it on hold for a week or two and spend the extra time in bed.  I’m hopeful that with a little extra rest, I’ll come out of my funk and get my workout mojo back.

Mamavation Monday Post #3

I'm sore.

Since jumping on the Mamavation bandwagon, I've been sore.  While I was on winter break, I kept up with most of the hazing workouts and some of the moves really kicked my butt (lunges in particular).  At that point, I realized that my workouts haven't been doing everything that I'd like, so the soreness prompted me to change my entire workout routine.  I'm doing a 100 push up challenge and although I'm almost done with week 2, my shoulders are STILL sore.  I've started doing planks and have more than doubled my time over the last week.  As a result, my abs are sore.  I bought a couple of Tae Bo DVDs.  I loved Billy Blanks 10 years ago, but this afternoon, when I popped the 10 minute workouts disc in, I cursed him.  Now, my quads are sore.

Sore, sore, sore, sore, sore...

Here's the thing...I'm not really complaining.  I like the feeling of achy muscles.  I know that I'm working hard and I love the fact that my body is responding to it.  I can feel myself getting stronger and becoming more powerful.  When I picked up my 38 pound daughter to put her in the cart at Costco today, it was easy.  That was exactly what I hoped would happen.  I'm literally becoming healthier for my family.  Today, N asked me if I was going to do push ups.  She wanted to join me.  How cool is it that at the age of 3, she understands that exercise is good for you.  I've been very careful to ensure that she doesn't associate my lifestyle with weight loss, rather it's all about being healthy.  At dinner tonight, she told me that she loved the quinoa I made for her and my heart melted.

The best development of the week is that my husband started a couch to 5k program.  He's in great shape as a result of eating well and strength training 3-4 times per week for like, forever.  His downfall is cardio.  He will attempt the elliptical, but gets bored immediately and gives up.  He doesn't have a bike and frankly, the weather in our city doesn't make biking easy.  Anyway, he's been paying attention to the fact that I'm shaking up my routines and he decided to do the same.  He went for his first run yesterday and really enjoyed it.  I think he's also really liking the alone time that running affords. :) 

So, although I'm sore, I'm thankful.  My family is healthy and continuing down this lifestyle change with me.  I couldn't be happier about the aches and pains in my muscles because they're proof that I'm doing something right.

Mamavation Monday Post #2

For those of you who don't know, I was invited to join the Mamavation Sistahood last week!  The last two weeks have been up and down, so I'm using my Mamavation Monday post (a day early) document the struggle.

For my family, the holiday season is ending today as we just finished the last of our winter travel.  I have to admit, the holidays have been a little harder than I anticipated.  I felt like I was doing well until these last few days and now…well, now I feel like a slug.

Two weeks ago, my mother visited and brought all kinds of delicious goodies with her.  There were homemade truffles, an apple cake, chocolate peanut butter cookies, a sticky toffee cake…you get the picture.  Sweets happen to be my biggest weakness.  I did really well with not overindulging in the goodies while she was here.  She also brought my favorite cheese ball and on the few days where I went over my MFP calorie goal, it was because I snacked on that.  To quote my mother, “That cheese ball is better than sex.”  Really, it is.  Anyway, I was good while she was here, but when she left, the cookies started to worry me.  I ate one, then another, then another.  I decided after a few cookies that I should chuck them since I was struggling with self-control.

So, with the cookies gone, I was in a much better place.  Then New Year’s Eve happened.  We had people over for dinner and I realized that I didn’t have a dessert to serve.  I made yummy coconut kiss macaroons…TO.DIE.FOR.  On New Year’s Day, I those started worrying me too.  I decided to pack the rest up and leave them in the car so I could give them to my grandmother, which worked well.   Out of sight, out of mind.

Finally, we traveled through Ohio to visit my beloved grandmother on Friday.  After way too many hours in the car (PA and OH are freakin’ huge states to drive across…I might as well have driven through Montana!) we arrived at my aunt and uncle’s home.  My aunt has limited mobility due to some hip issues and I didn’t realize how much that would limit my own physical activity.  Between hanging out with her and with my 85 year old grandmother, we didn’t move around too much.  I realized on Saturday night that I was in a completely foul mood and it hit me.  Exercise makes me happy.  Exercise helps me deal with the stress of parenting.  Exercise makes me a better person.  It has only been a few days, but OH MY GOD, I miss it!!

I’m home now and excited to hit the gym tonight.  I’m putting together my meal plan for the week and penciling in a couple of new workout moves.  For starters, I’m going to join the #PlankADay Revolution.  I’m trying to find an evening this week when my husband can pick up our child so that I can catch a hot yoga class.  I’m about to finish week 1 of the 100 Push Up Challenge that I’m doing with a few other Twitter mamas.  This is going to be a good week.  Just writing this post has improved my mood and my outlook.  I will no longer be a slug! J

Have a great week, folks!

Mamavation Monday Post #1

I've been following #mamavation on Twitter for a while and love the sense of community.  I've used the topic hashtag a few times and am so impressed by the fact that (now former) strangers have instantly communicated and cheered me on.  It's a new year, so I've decided to pledge the Mamavation Sistahood so that I can continue to be encouraged by the community, but also so I can give back.  I'm a firm believer that if you put yourself out there on social media, you'll see a great return on the investment.  As a side note, I met my husband on Match.com; found my job on LinkedIn.com, made friends on MySpace and Facebook; and have hired people for my work team from Twitter.  The online world has been good to me.

About me...I'm 32 years old and live in the state of PA.  I'm happily married and have a 3.5 year old daughter, N.  I work full time as the director of an HR team.  I love my job and really love being a working mom.  I get stressed out by it all every now and then, but I don't think I could work inside the home.

A little over a year ago, I began a weight loss journey.  My goal was to lose the 25 pounds I packed on since moving to a new (less active) city and having a child.  A couple of months into the diet, I started using the MyFitnessPal app religiously to track my food and exercise and it worked!  In fact, I blew my 25 pound goal out of the water and lost a total of 40 pounds so I'm now the same size that I was before starting grad school (for some reason I gained 15 pounds while in school...probably because I didn't have time to work out!).  I've maintained my weight for about 8 months and have no intention of waining it back.  Here's the before and after pic.

Recently, I've become bored with my workouts.  I work out primarily at home, after my child, N, goes to bed.  We're lucky to have an elliptical and weight bench/rack in the house, so I don't have to go far to exercise.  I generally do 2.5-3.5 miles on the elliptical 3 times per week and incorporate upper body strength training into each cardio session.  I'm pretty strong and feel very fit.  After trying a couple of the Mamavation hazing workouts, I've realized that I need to work on my lower body and change up my routine.  I don't want to just hang out on the elliptical.  I don't want to just walk or jog...I want something that will challenge me.  I'm not a huge runner thanks to a high school knee injury.  I need people to share their workout ideas and motivate me to do something more than my normal, boring routine.  That's why I'm here.

I posted my resolutions yesterday.  Specific to the Mamavation community, I need your help with #3 - Focus on wellness, not just fitness.  Change my workout routine to include more yoga and strength training to help me feel calm and centered. 

I hope this will be the first of many Mamavation Monday posts and am exited to pledge the Sistahood!