Super Size Everything

This post is landing in the Food section of the blog because that's where I found these adorable toys- in the 'food' section of the local convenience store. Beanie Babies are cute and lovable, but it seems they weren't quite right as tiny little animals so someone decided to plump them up. Is this so kids nowadays will relate to the toy? A little girl of about 10 years old was at the ice cream counter with her dad and asked him for the 'fat Winnie the Pooh. He's so cute!' Dad gave her the toy and paid for their ice creams.

Why are these toys at the ice cream counter? Why are the toys 'fat'? And why are 10 year olds given ice cream as a regular treat? I don't know how often this particular little girl gets ice cream, but in general it seems that treats are a daily thing for kids. There's nothing special anymore about getting ice cream with Dad when you also get a cookie at school, a treat at your friend's house, and a piece of candy at the bank or boutique when on errands with Mom.

The amount of sugar kids are given on a daily basis, little by little, adds up to a lot. Before you know it your kid might be relating to these cute toys. Are you ok with that?

Mama Love

This blog post doesn't fall under Fitness, Food, or Fun but it's got to be said. If you're a mom you are beautiful. Can you say it with me? 'I am beautiful'

The single fact that you carried a child, fostered a child, or adopted a child makes you beautiful. But then there are the late nights, shuffling kids around, cleaning up scrapes and vomit that also make you beautiful. There are the things you've sacrificed to be home doing homework, bath time and early bed times that make you beautiful. And don't even get me started on how much you love your child, because that too makes you more beautiful than you were in High School, college, and probably even on your wedding day.

Because you are beautiful, it saddens me to hear you complain about your (choose one or all)
Stretch marks
Deflated boobs
Bags under eyes
Tummy pudge
C-section scar
Bigger feet
Extra weight
And on and on

Next time you find yourself complaining about the not-so-appealing side effects of having bore or reared children try pausing and taking a moment, or all day if you must, to compliment yourself instead. Dare I say that each time you criticize yourself you're not only harming your own beautiful self but you are also doing damage to the child that looks up to you, the man who might love lying next to you in bed, and God who created you? Yes, your body is different now than it was B.C. (before children), but you have a child now which is pretty special! You are beautiful.  Repeat it to yourself, even if it takes a little fibbing at first, until you believe it. My hope for you is that you'll see the aftermath of children- the tummy, the scars and all- as lovely reminders that you are a mom and that makes you... beautiful!

Oh Happy Day!

Today is the 3rd happiest day of my life, after our wedding day and son's birthday. Well, not really but I am super excited that we are now a microwave-less home. Yeah, there are all sorts of supposed health reasons to not microwave your food and drinks, but I'm most glad to see it go because it is just a big heap of clutter, and clutter makes me cringe.

It's taken a long time for my husband to be on board with this. When we were dating I was about to toss it from MY apartment but he wanted to use it when he was over. Then we got married and moved, and the microwave moved with us. But recently he let his guard down and agreed that it could go. But it's still here, months later. Well, we just got word that, along with some friends, we'll be helping someone move into an unfurnished apartment and a microwave is one of the items we'll be supplying. Perfect! The microwave is going to a new home where it will be appreciated.

Although I occasionally reheat food in the microwave, I'm glad to see it go. It'll be nice to not find coffee sitting in there that was forgotten by my mom or husband days prior- ew. It will be nice to see one empty space amongst a cluttered kitchen. Getting rid of things we don't need or use is fun! Is there anything you can part with an give to a greater cause?

We still need a few furniture items, like a queen mattress, and odds and ends for the apartment we're helping with before June 1st. Contact me for details if you're interested in donating.

Let Go

On April Fool's Day I let go of a lot of baggage. My beautiful and talented friend Jessica kindly squeezed me into her busy schedule to help me out. She cut about a foot and a half of my hair and transformed me into a stylish mama!

When my little sister was diagnosed with cancer last Spring and then talked of shaving her head at some point I told her I'd do it with her. We had always had long braids together as kids and shared the same thick brown hair. I thought it would be a good bonding experience to do this together, and for her to not be alone in it. But when the time came in the Fall and she decided to go for it she told me not to, saying that I have such nice hair and she wants me to keep it. She is so sweet!

Well, if it wasn't going to be shaved something had to be done with it. It had become a cumbersome unmanageable mess that always ended up twisted tightly into a bun high on top of my head. Although I kind of liked the look, it wasn't cute and I don't think my husband was appreciating the Bun + Headband style at all.

Another default hairdo was the ponytail braid. This soon became a dangerous weapon that would whip me in the face while doing jumping jacks. It would get caught up in my jump rope, nearly tripping me. Once my workouts are in jeopardy something's got to change!

I kept saying I'd cut it after I lost another 10 pounds or so, but it was time to just go for it and embrace the change. It's about appreciating where I'm at in my life right now and not putting anything off for a special occasion or until I feel I'm more worthy. Other than my senior year of high school and a short time in college I've always had super long hair. I've played it safe and just kept it plain and simple.

To me short hair screams high maintenance. It requires more frequent cuts which takes time and money. It takes time and effort (if thick and frizzy like mine) to style it too. So it seems irresponsible for me, the girl who's always let her Step Mom trim it in the kitchen, to have short hair.

Another excuse to stay in my comfort zone was that my baby loves to play with my side braid and twiddle it around in his fingers. He gives the biggest giggles and explodes in laughter when I tickle his face with it, especially while he nurses. He swings the braid around while I hold him and he looks up at me with pure delight.

But refreshing change was much needed. The moment Jessica cut the braid off I felt instant relief- a load was lifted off my shoulders. My baby recognized me, thank goodness, and my husband is a fan. A few days later it seems my scalp and head have relaxed from not being pulled tightly almost 24/7. But best if all is the fresh feeling I've got now that I let go of some extra baggage.

Walk This Way

Our lives just got a lot more interesting; we're really in for it now! Not five minutes after my husband got home from work was Ari walking for us! Literally 'for' us and not really 'to' us- he was completely showing off and cracking himself up. He hopped up and took two solid steps. He was giddy with excitement and so were we. He proceeded to do this again with a giant water bottle in hand as well, which kind of freaked Dad out but I think it was helping him stay balanced. He did it for Sammy, the cat, then he scampered off down the dark hallway and did it some more.

He is most secure and able to walk best when he's gotten up on his own, unassisted. We've never been into holding his hands up to 'help' him walk. Both my hubby and I didn't naturally feel led to do so, and we didn't want him using 'walkers' or walking aids. He's always been so good at exploring on his own and we want to allow him to develop at his own pace, which seems to actually accelerate things. When we step back, he steps it up! This is true with pretty much everything for Ari.

This is a special night 'cause we aren't typically awake when Dad comes home from work. Ari must've been super excited for our family time and taken the opportunity to show off his new skill. We are so excited to have both been present!

He actually took his first steps yesterday though, supposedly. I really believe he's been practicing behind our backs for awhile, that stinker. His first steps were, where else, but at the gym! That's quite fitting for our family. He walked to Nick, one of the Childcare workers at The Belmont Athletic Club, just a few days after turning 11 months.

We hope and pray that we can continue to keep up with Ari! We pray he'll always have the confidence needed to move forward in life and that he'll step out in faith in all he does. We want him to know the safety and security of having us to fall back on whenever he needs or wants us. But mainly we want his confidence to come from knowing he is created with great purpose and loved and cared for by God.

The title of this post is a little something my dad has always said. His knees would give out while walking and, being the silly guy he is, he'd make fun of himself with this expression. It's always been a favorite of mine because it reminds me of him. Now with my baby son walking and exploring new territory I find myself only caring that he walk one way- toward love.

Here's a picture of Ari on the day he walked- Wednesday April 3rd, 2013.

Sneak Peak Into My Eats

What does a real-foods eating, chocolate craving, recovering life-long vegetarian eat to slim down, stay energized, and be well? There are no rules other than to consume ingredients that I deem ok/safe/healthy based on my own current food beliefs (which are always evolving as I learn more and try things out for myself). Although this isn't Paleo, vegan, GAPs, etc. I've limited the dairy, grains, and legumes and am only having sugar in the form of fruits and vegetables. Foods are mainly local, organic, and seasonal. Here's a list of my current go-to foods:


Helpers
I don't endorse any brands/products and prefer my supplements to just be extra nutrients and minerals not taken in pill form. This list of nutrients mainly gives me that extra boost, wards off sickness, helps me feel full (fats) and keeps sugar cravings in check
Prenatal Vitamin while nursing- I alternate between a few to mix it up
Fermented Foods/Probiotics: kimchi, sauerkraut, any vegetable I've fermented- so cheap and easy!
Apple Cider Vinegar- great for getting sugar cravings in check
Coconut Oil
Ghee
Raw Butter
Duck Fat for cooking when not using butter/ghee
Macca
Chia
Chlorella
Spirulina
Egg Yoke
Garlic
Ginger
Turmeric

Breakfasts
Fruit
Veggies
Eggs- I just found local farmers who don't feed their chickens corn!
Quinoa mixed w/ anything (I'm going to reintroduce quinoa into my diet starting today)
Homemade bone broth- so nourishing at 4:30am!
Leftovers
Whole Yogurt (typically goat)

Lunches
Shakes & Smoothies (no boxed 'milks' with carrageenan, otherwise anything goes)
Leftovers
Loaded Salads- veggies, meat, egg, beans, avocado, fermented veggies
Tuna Salads
Egg Salads

Dinners
Rice Pasta- occasionally
Brown Rice occasionally w/ toppings- kimchi, veg, meats
Quinoa w/ Avocado or other veggies/stir fries
Cauliflower 'Rice' w/ toppings
Spaghetti Squash w/ mix-ins as a pasta dish
Sweet Potato Hash w/ Egg
Roasted Whole Chicken
Organ Meats- mainly liver which I buy extra of for super cheap
Wild Salmon- FYI, Alaskan is always wild and Atlantic is farmed
Beans
Stews
Lots of Veg- roasted cauliflower, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, chard, spinach, squashes, kale
Polenta- might start using

Snacks/Random
Avocado- this should be in every single food category as we eat it anytime with anything
Bananas- not local but a big food staple in our house
Nut Butter (raw cashew & almond) w/ Celery 
Raw Nuts
Jicama
Oranges & Grapefruits from the in-laws and Mom's trees
Fresh Fruits
Sliced Veg
Dips- garbanzo, lentil, black bean, tzatziki and other concoctions we make in the blender
Roe
Olives
Seaweed

Treats
Kombucha
Cocoa

Substitutes for Vices
Switch out latte & pastry break for a walk to the beach break
Switch out snacking on sweets at work desk for sipping water with added fruit
Switch out snacking on chocolate at home for taking walks, cleaning, and reading

We do have more food than this in the house. My hubby's staples are flat bread for his spicy dips, sourdough bread, cereal, oats for his smoothies, granola, coffee, and dairy in the form of milk, cheese, and yogurt. He would also love to have the fridge loaded with hot dogs, sausage, bacon, "luncheon meat", beer, and every type of hot sauce and mustard known to man. He's got some crafty friends that make beers and hot sauces which are the ultimate gifts you could ever give him :)

The baby eats what I eat. He just turned 10 months and his current favorites are chicken, avocado, strawberries, egg yoke, carrot & cucumber sticks, and Daddy's fruit purees.

I hope you've enjoyed this sneak peak into my kitchen. Please share some of your favorite food staples with me!

Hott Mama's 12 Week Challenge

And so it begins. I've submitted myself to a weight loss challenge. I'm not a fan of weight loss challenges because I strongly encourage clients, friends, family, and even perfect strangers not to focus solely on weight and, instead, find additional indicators of health and vitality. But with that said I'm actually super uber duber excited for this challenge! It's a 12 week challenge with a bunch of Facebook strangers and one friend- the "Hott Mama's" group dispersed across the USA. We pay $10 via PayPal, submit our before photos, measurements, and goals/plan and then weigh-in weekly. At the end of the 12 weeks we each get three votes on our favorite transformation and one winner takes all!


Here are the two main reasons why I'm excited about the challenge
1) Encourage other moms and be encouraged by them, and maybe make a few friends along the way as we get to know each other via Facebook over the next 12 weeks. I've seen pictures of these moms in their underwear- the least we could do is 'friend' each other on Facebook now and strike up some conversation.
2) I'm using it to kick-start my new journey away from just 'Fitness Professional' and into 'Wellness Coach' since my passions lie not only in helping others workout but also in helping them create clear paths to overall better health and wellness. So I will use myself as an example. This isn't just a weight loss challenge but a chance for me to transform my life in many little ways that will add up to one big healthy overhaul.
3) When this is over, rocking a pair of bright pink workout capris I just bought for $9.99 at Marshall's as well as the super cute shorts worn in the before pictures which fit loosely a month into pregnancy and now are so tight.
4) Going to Lululemon with Nicole and picking out fun new clothes for our transformed bodies!

For now I'll share with you my goals and action plan. Check back in 12 weeks and you'll see me in a sports bra and booty shorts 'cause at the end of the challenge I'll share with you the before and after pictures, weights, and measurements!

Goals: Decrease body fat (maintain nursing), tone arms/abs/legs to feel good in bikini/shorts, improve shoulder acne + redness on back of arms
Plan: Eat real food + increase activity

It's really this simple. Clients are always encouraged to elaborate on their goals and action plans, being as specific as possible to account for 'life stuff' and not leave any room for interpretation (excuses) along the way. But I've chosen to keep my plan as simple as "eat real food and increase activity" because I believe those two things will address all my goals.

Please leave your comments, stories, and encouragement in the comments section. I'll share some progress reports along the way and post the before & afters after May 24th.


Stay tuned!

Amanda
PS- Regarding the attached picture: you can notice changes in your body well before 4 weeks! And please don't hang in there for 12 weeks just for the sake of  others noticing, do it for yourself first and foremost ;)