New State of Mind~

After I received some negative feedback about the diet I was doing and the fact that I am TTC, I talked to my doctor and we came to the agreement that I should not continue this diet while trying to become pregnant. Instead, I am going to make some HEALTHY changes to my routine. I am going to eat smaller, balanced portions, and get in my workouts for the week. SO BACK TO MY ORIGINAL PLAN! This is more about me being healthy, and getting my body prepared for a baby, than me losing weight. I would rather be a flub who is growing a human than a stick that is unhealthy!

I have been doing pretty good about quitting cigarettes. i have actually decided that I don’t want any kind of nicotine or chemicals in my system, so starting today, I am quitting cold turkey… I can already feel my jaw tensing up as it usually does when I am getting ready for a smoke. i bought some gum the other day though, and my mom always told me that helped, so it’s my sidekick for the next few weeks 🙂

My husband has also agreed to try to quit smoking, cold turkey with me as well! He had just bought a new pack of cigarettes this morning, so I told him he could begin after that pack is gone. It’s really incredible to have so much support from him right now. He even said he would smoke outside until this pack was finished so that I didn’t have to get any second hand smoke in my system. I am really excited about this, especially because he is so on board with the whole thing!

Speaking of TTC, we made our first attempt yesterday and it was so thrilling! I have this awesome app called Glow that not only give me tips on how to increase my chances of pregnancy, but also tell me exactly when I need to start using ovulation predictor kits, when I am ovulating, and gives me the percentage of chance I have of conceiving on certain days! I have been using it for almost a year now, just as a period tracker, but I can now use it to aid in my TTC journey! It has awesome tools to help me track everything from my cervical mucus to my basal body temperature, all my symptoms and everything that i put into my body by day. Depending on what I log into it, it gives me tips or ideas to increase my chances of pregnancy. I know I am ranting and probably repeating myself, but I must say this is the best app I have ever come across!

So here is to my goals: Becoming pregnant by October, learning to eat cleaner, and getting my body into shape again. I have never been this motivated in my life!

Not getting the hang of things.

I am the worst person in the world to develop new habits — new HEALTHY habits at least. I’ve been so bad at this 5 bite diet… i just get so hungry! But I am really wanting to learn portion control AND lose weight at the same time 🙂 Today is my second day sticking fully to the diet, and I am definitely not as hungry as I was yesterday, so there is hope! I drank a LOT of water and tea today, and was able to turn down a grilled cheese sandwich my husband had offered me. I am looking forward to the rest of this, and really feel that I can stick to it! I haven’t gotten a scale yet though. I am waiting until I complete a full week of the diet, NO CHEATS, until I allow myself to see my weight loss.

Quitting smoking is a different story. I feel as though smoking helps me feel full, so it’s been really hard to quit that. But as my previous post stated, MY HUSBAND AND I ARE TRYING FOR A BABY! Yay 🙂 I read that quitting smoking increases your chance of pregnancy by a whopping 50%! So I am really going to try to kick the habit, starting tomorrow. I’ve been really stressed lately and I know it will be hard, but I want this baby so bad, I will do anything I need!

On this diet, I am not supposed to work out for the first two weeks or so, until i kick start the weight loss. I do plan on resuming my BodyRock videos at the end of these two weeks, so that I can be toned when i reach my goal weight.

Here’s hoping I can make more progress in my goals than I have been so far! I really need to just stick it and really challenge myself to do better. I wanna look good pregnant, (i mean, all pregnant women are beautiful, duh) and not like an oompa-loompa! CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR ME GUYS!

IT’S A MIRACLE!

So It’s been over a year since my miscarriage… This year has been tough on my husband and I. We haven’t been actively trying, but we haven’t been preventing either. I kind of expected getting pregnant to be a lot easier than it is… I often wonder how it is so easy for some women! I recently had a friend get pregnant after one time with no protection – AFTER she had been telling me about all the problems she had with her ovaries and doctors telling her she wouldn’t be able to get pregnant easily… THE IRONY.

BUT!….. here is the big news…

My husband has agreed to actively trying for a baby!

YES! Finally 🙂

It may seem a little crazy, but I already have a whole arsenal of baby-making aids. I’ve been taking Fertilaid for about a month now, and I will be ordering some for my husband to take. I also have a tube of Preseed that I plan on using with Instead Softcups. I’m also a stickler for researching everything I can about trying to conceive, so I have a few other tricks up my sleeve!

The timing couldn’t be better either. My fertile window starts on Saturday, and I am beyond excited to start trying for my miracle baby! My goal is to get pregnant by May… My good friend just got pregnant and I want our kids to be playmates 🙂

YAY FOR BABIES! Here’s hoping for all the baby dust, and all the rainbows i can get. I am really excited to start this journey in my life. I know it will be a tough ride, but I am all in!

5 Bite Diet – Day 1

I thought I would start a series of posts specifically for this diet, because the group i am in is always looking for people who blog their journey!

I will start with the reason I am doing this diet.  I have gained a lot of weight the past few years and I generally feel like crap. I have a hard time working out to lose it, it just doesn’t seem to work very well. I am really hoping that along with the other lifestyle changes I am making, losing this weight will help me be motivated to keep it off, and help my body work its best (and hopefully be baby ready)!

The basics of this diet are:

• You eat nothing for breakfast, but are allowed a cup of BLACK coffee or tea. A multivitamin is also strongly recommended, so that you get the nutrients you need.
• You can have anything you want to eat for lunch and dinner, as long as it is five bites. You can have multiple different foods, but you must only take 5 bites total.
• These bites can be however big or small as you wish 🙂
• Lunch is recommended to be around 1 or 2 pm.
• Dinner should be about 4-5 hours after that.
• YOU SHOULD NOT EAT ANYTHING AFTER 6 PM!!!

I cook for my husband every night so I am planning on cutting my 5 bites out of the portion of the meal size I would normally eat. Then, I will portion the rest of it out into small containers to have for lunch the following days 🙂

Today I did pretty well:

• A cup of black coffee for breakfast.
• For lunch I had a small 6 oz yogurt and 2 strips of turkey bacon (which I will not be eating again…)
• For dinner I will be having 3 bites of chicken and 2 bites of green beans.

I read from one woman that chicken broth can be used to curb cravings during the rest of the night, but I have reservations about the amount of sodium in broth, so I will just drink a ton of tea!

So far I am feeling hungry (obviously) but not to the point where I feel like I NEED to eat something. I have a bit of experience with not eating much though, so I fell like this might be easier for me than I am expecting. Today is only Day 1 though, so we shall see how it goes from here! Cheers!

Holiday Meltdown!!!

Hello! I am so sorry about the stretch of silence, I have been so impossibly busy, what with the holidays and work and crafting, I haven’t even had time to think! I wanted to write a post today about how I have been doing the past week or so.

I got MAJORLY off track with my workout routine. I tend to come up with excuses as to why I can’t work out that day, and the next, and then eventually my husband just stops asking. My depression has a huge part on this, making me really lazy and not motivated to do anything. As much as I am aware that this is another excuse, I can’t help but let it weight me down.

I have still been eating healthy, however, this past weekend I ate out A LOT. Way too much. Saturday I ordered food for every meal. YIKES! That is a huge disappointment for me, considering I am trying to lose weight. I started at 145 lbs, and over the course of my eating healthier and controlling my portions, I lost a few pounds. i gained them all back this past week! I now weight exactly 144.6 lbs.

This next part might bring some controversy. I am starting the 5 Bite Diet by Dr. Alwin Lewis. Although I have not read the book, I have read many reviews and have talked to many women who have done this diet with success. When I first heard about this diet, I was a little skeptical, considering it to be a type of eating disorder jump-start, if you will. However, after extensive research and a deeper consideration for it, I decided that I could make this work. Because I am already starting my portion control, this is an even better way to get that done fast and easy. This diet is not meant to last forever, only until the weight is lost. When I lose this weight, I feel as though I will finally be motivated to STAY the weight I am, and to make it look even better: which is where my fitness plan will come in 🙂

I have started this diet today, and a head start to my new years resolution to GET SERIOUS and GET FIT! This morning I had a cup of black coffee (which will have to be switched to tea, because I absolutely cannot stand black coffee… i’m one of those “would you like coffee with your sugar?” type women). For lunch I had a small serving of Activia yogurt, and two strips of Turkey bacon. Tonight I will be having 2 bites of Chicken cooked with cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup, and 3 bites of green beans. I also read that drinking chicken broth works to curb the appetite at night, but I would assume that has a few calories in it… not to mention a ton of SODIUM!

On top of this diet, I will be taking FertilAid three times a day, along with my Maca capsules.

I have also begun my journey to quit smoking. I purchased another battery for my vape pen, so there are no excuses. I am also swearing off alcohol for awhile. I am determined to get healthy and even more determined to have a baby!

Who the Heck Am I Anyway?!

Just to put myself out there a bit, I am going to list a bunch of facts about myself, some that not even my closest friends know 🙂

1. I am an operations manager for a trucking company, and I have been here for a little over two years.
2. I have 4 adorable cats.
3. My favorite color is pink!
4. I love food. Mexican, chinese, japanese, seafood, pizza, fruits, veggies, junk food, all and every kind of food! Except for beets… and cabbage (cole slaw included). Those can stay far. away. Mashed potatoes are my favorite. But they have to be red, and I prefer if they weren’t skinned! 🙂
5. I prefer to be barefoot.
6. I hate when my fingernails are painted.
7. I can pretty much get down to any type of music.
8. I used to struggle with gender identity. I often thought I was a boy trapped in a girl’s body, but over the years, as I have discovered more about myself, I have become very much a FEMALE.
9. I almost lost myself to drugs, but I managed to pull myself out of the abyss (more on that later).
10. I have six younger half-siblings.
11. I loved school… i sometimes wish I could go back!
12. I have the biggest girl crush on Troian Bellisario
13. I’m pretty decent at double dutch– for a white girl.
14. I have had the same two very close friends since I was in elementary school. 🙂
15. I used to want to change my name to Elyion.
16. I used to have a HUGE imagination… (pretending I had a twin, pretending to be psychic etc..)
17. I got arrested for shoplifting once.
18. I am terrified of tornadoes. It’s the one thing that can come and rip your life apart in a matter of seconds.
19. I am also deathly afraid of spiders. Like, sever arachnophobia. I can’t even LOOK AT PICTURES of spiders. I blame the “adults” who raised me.
20. My soul mate is not my husband.
21. I believe in the supernatural. 🙂
22. I used to lie about everything, and now I am bothered by dishonesty.
23. My biggest pet peeve is when people don’t use their turn signals.
24. I get a little obsessive about pregnant women. I want to know everything!!!
25. I am finally learning so much more about myself and I am so excited to keep growing as a person.

How important is the ring?

I am a woman who does her research on everything, from shelf life to Mercury’s retrograde, but I came across something the other day that puzzled me. I found a study that suggests the more money spent on the rings and the wedding itself, the shorter the marriage, and higher chance of divorce. How true is that? And why? I would think spending more money would mean a higher commitment to the marriage, not the other way around. Why blow a bunch of money if there is a chance things won’t work out? Another point made in the article says that men who skimp on rings also have a higher divorce rate. THAT makes more sense to me than spending way too much. If you have the money but choose not to spend it, there has to be some kind of reservation.

Another interesting topic I came across was “upgrading” wedding rings. I read this article about why it is “bad” for your marriage, but none of the reasons given are actually valid, they are more so opinions of the author. I can understand the reasons why she thinks upgrading isn’t the best idea for her, but what about women in other situations? What about young couples, like my husband and I? When Erik proposed, there was no ring. It was a very in-the-moment proposal, and he meant every word of what he said from the bottom of his heart — anyone could tell — and that was what mattered. When there was a ring, it was one that he noticed at a faire and thought I would like. I DID 🙂 It was a beautiful, simple sterling silver ring with a crystal in the middle. It had pretty leaf details and I absolutely loved it! For $40 it was good enough for me at the time.

Just a few months later he decided that I needed a better ring, one that would shout “I’M GETTING MARRIED SOON!” So we went and picked one out together. It was a cheap, but beautiful set, totally practical for our financial situation at the time. And I love it. My ring is gorgeous, and it is dazzling in the sunlight, and it is not too huge or obnoxious for me.

So, knowing my situation, I looked for articles that would validate my experiences, and let me know that I wasn’t alone. And I found this one 🙂 She has 4 different rings that she found over the years, and she coordinated them with her outfits. I love the concept she has… To me, marriage isn’t about the size, price, or sentimentality of the ring…. it is about the love and friendship you share with your spouse, no matter what jewelry either of you might be wearing. Heck, I even just bought my husband a fancier wedding band, for when he wants to look a little more refined, and to me, there is NOTHING wrong with that 🙂 Why not dress your finger up like you do the rest of your body? Plus, if you accidentally lose a ring, knowing that it didn’t cost a million dollars will help, and you can always replace it.

I guess the point I am trying to make here is that everyone has their own opinions on this subject. So to answer my own question… The importance of the ring lies on the wearer, and their views, morals, or traditions that go along with it. I will have no reservations about upgrading my ring again when the time comes. Maybe my next one will have real diamonds 😉

Progress!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine consisted of babysitting, which is always a pleasure, and getting some Christmas shopping done, which was very last minute but much needed! 🙂

My post today is about my progress with my health goals. This weekend I got off track and had fast food…. way too much of it. I also didn’t “have time” to work out, so I will be doing two videos today to make up for Friday and Saturday, and two tomorrow to make up for today.

I am also cutting a few more things from my diet… Bread, any kind of pastry, soda (even though I RARELY drink carbonated drinks anyway), and BEER! This is going to be a bit difficult for me, but I am determined to lose this weight and get into shape, both on the outside and inside. I really want to be in the best shape I can possibly be in before I get pregnant, and work my butt off to stay that way. 🙂

I have also set daily reminders on my phone, around the time I got for lunch, so that I remember to take my maca pills and prenatals. It never hurts to get those nutrients in, guaranteed!

I am hoping to start to get my husband to work out with me and treat his body as well as I am starting to treat mine. I just ordered another Vape Pen to help me quit smoking, and I want to really influence him to do the same. I read that quitting can increase your chances of conceiving by a whopping 50%! Imagine what would happen if we both quit! I am really excited about the changes I am making and look forward to all the good that will come from it. ❤

Brainwashing my husband.

When I first met Erik, he was one of those picky eaters who would eat CRAP all the time and not think twice about it… and I must admit, I feel deep into that trap! I was, at that point, already used to eating only two meals a day, IF THAT, so eating whatever was presented to me seemed reasonable. I can’t begin to explain how much i regret thinking that would never take a toll on my health.

I’ve never been a breakfast person, and neither has my husband, but more recently we have started getting into the swing of eating when we wake up. It started with bacon, egg and cheese bagels every Saturday morning, and now it has moved into actively waking up and eating before we start our day, every day. I usually stick to yummy fruits or yogurts, or both! (This morning I mixed kiwi and strawberries into my raspberry yogurt… YUM!)

I have also started paying attention to my “full sigh”. When I was little, my mom taught me how to stop myself from over eating. When you are full, your body tells you! You just have to listen. For me, It is a big sigh… and for awhile I stopped paying attention to that. Combined with the amount of beer I have been drinking over the past few years, I would say that is a pretty big factor contributing to my weight gain! But i’m getting used to listening to that again and controlling the amount of food I eat, even if it is so delicious I want to eat 4 helpings!

On top of changing my eating HABITS, I have also changed WHAT I am eating, and I think my good sense is rubbing off on my husband. We are eating a lot less processed foods, and more home cooked, balanced meals. Last night I made Lemon Garlic Tilapia and lightly buttered rice and peas. HE LOVED IT! (1 point for me!)

It was healthy, and delicious, and I made just enough to satisfy us both without having too much left over. We don’t have a microwave and are still getting into having to actually use the oven or stove to reheat leftovers. At that point, I would rather just make a whole new meal 🙂

It’s really awesome to see him subconsciously choosing healthier snacks too. He usually opts for a big bag of chips, but i’ve started seeing carrots, fruit, veggie dips, and popcorn. It’s refreshing to see him making smaller changes as I make big changes for us both! I love this fast track to a healthy lifestyle, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for us. 🙂

My first health post….

Back in high school, I always had people commenting on how skinny I was. I was sickly skinny. When I first graduated, I gained some weight and was a perfect 125 lbs. Over the past three years, however, I stand at 5’3″, 145 lbs, and really starting to feel like crap.

I have had issues with my back ever since I was a little girl. I was diagnosed with scoliosis at 10, and the doctors promised it would get better on its own. Guess what?

IT DIDN’T!

So here I am, 145 lbs, suffering from acute scoliosis and chronic sciatica (which is a recent development. This affects my entire leg and both knees, causing excruciating pain and sometime paralysis), and just feeling generally unhappy about my health. I have lost one angel baby (more on that in a later post), and I feel that if I have a chance any time soon of conceiving, I need to get on the right track and start treating my body like a temple!

Because I am taking a few steps at a time, I am focusing right now on eating healthy, and being active! This is what my general meal plan looks like every day.

• Breakfast – cup of yogurt, bagel with low fat cream cheese or eggs and fruit.
• Lunch  – some kind of sandwich, or salad with meats, cheese and light dressing.
• Dinner – usually something yummy I find on Pinterest. 😉 (i made this Margherita Chicken skillet last night and it was PHENOMENAL!)
• I drink green tea and water in copious amounts during the day.
• Snacks consist of assorted nuts, granola, or fruit.

I am also staring a workout regimen, all in the comfort of my home! I am basing my fitness plan on BodyRock’s YouTube fitness videos. Let me tell you, these get you going! My plan is as follows:

• Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays – I am doing the Catching Fire 30 Day Challenge (Day 1 last night has me satisfyingly sore!)
• Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays I am doing the 21 Day Bootcamp (Day 1 of this bad boy is challenging, but well wort it!)
• Sundays are rest days, because we all need one!

My goal weight is back to that perfect 125 lbs, so I can looks and feel the best for myself, and my future children. So far I am feeling FANTASTIC! Now to work on quitting my smoking habit, and taking much needed vitamins. LETS GET THIS BODY READY FOR A BABY!