Things I'm Loving This Winter

Not going to lie, this winter has been ROUGH. Last winter there were some cold days and snow, but this one has been frigid. Didn't I leave the Midwest to escape this?! I'm hopeful for an early spring, as I've had to take too many runs to the treadmill recently, and taken my car to the car wash too many times to be de-salted, only to have it a white, ugly mess again within days. We've also had too many bouts with germs from kids being cooped up inside, and not enough outdoor fun. All that said, here are a few of my favorite things right now that have been helping me get through these winter months!

Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash

I can't use any soaps or laundry detergents with perfumes, and because of that, I've always been stuck using just bar soap, Dove Sensitive Skin being my bar of choice. Well now, Dove has an unscented free, sensitive skin body wash that I love. It's very moisturizing for winter skin and is also great for using as a shave cream.

Skinny Taste One Pot Cheesy Turkey Taco Chili Mac

This recipe is pretty easy (I use store bought taco seasoning to help with that, and only mild so it's not too spicy for little pallets) and makes a large portion for a lot of leftovers. Plus, it's an easy way to get more than just carbs into my little guys mouth, and still excite him with his favorite food, mac and cheese! The serving size is a generous cup full, so it leaves me feeling satisfied as well.

This Is Where I Leave You 

I had heard rave reviews about this book; I haven't heard as great of things about the movie (but after reading it, I know I'll see it once it's out on DVD). I just finished the book, and found it to be a great read. I loved the character development of this dysfunctional, yet loving, family. Highly recommend picking it up!

Halo Top Creamery 

This light ice cream is delicious, high in protein, and packs better nutrition facts than any other light ice cream I've tried. I like the vanilla bean a lot, either plain, or with a little nutella added on. =)

Under Armour Fly-By Headband

This headband is great for containing fly aways and staying in place. I got a questionable haircut in January with more layers than I counted on, and this headband holds them right in, without budging whether I'm running, spinning or doing bootcamp. I love the bright colors as well!

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Losing the Baby Weight, Part Two

I realized I have yet to update you guys on my work to lose the baby weight I gained during my pregnancy with Everett. The posts that I get the most "hits" on, and get e-mail responses in regards to are always about either Celiac, or baby weight loss, so I thought it only fair to keep them coming!

First, to look back, here's a recap of my weight loss after having Austin.

With my pregnancy with Everett I gained 48 pounds. So, two fewer pounds than I gained with Austin, small victories, yay! I felt so much better this pregnancy though, and moved more, ate better (but still not always great) and have felt the weight has in general come off easier. Even though I knew how long it took to feel more like "me" again weight wise after Austin, I've been harder on myself this time, wanting to lose every ounce of weight and get back into my old clothes NOW.

One Week Postpartum. Yes, I still looked that pregnant then

I started counting calories using My Fitness Pal around ten weeks postpartum. I needed a way to remind myself that four handfuls of trailmix is not power food anymore, it's gluttony, and that cookies are not the only snacks. Like always, I need accountablity and porition control monitoring in order to lose weight since weight loss for me is like it is for a lot of people, 80% what I eat, 20% exercise.

My Fitness Pal was a really helpful tool, and I loved that it synced with my FitBit for activity tracking. I did see a dip in my breast milk supply when I started counting calories, but was okay with it, because I needed to put me first in this aspect of my life, and we had to start giving Everett a formula bottle before bed anyway to help him sleep longer stretches for my sanity in that realm as well.

The boys who inspire me to stay healthy, and were worth every pound of pregnancy weight

Recently, I've been struggling with that last 7-8 pounds--I swear it's stuck to me like glue! So, I decided to rejoin my old stand by, Weight Watchers. I felt I needed to carb/protein/fiber ratio for my tracking, rather than just calories, to really kick the extra pounds to the curb. The nice thing about Weight Watchers. is that is also adds extra points to your plan if you are nursing, where as My Fitness Pal does not, so I had to account about 300 extra calories a day when I was using My Fitness Pal.

Right now, I am SO close to fitting into my old pants. I can put on one pair of jeans that have stretch in them, but most of my other jeans I still feel like a stuffed sausage in, and I don't want to stretch them out either, and then have them look frumpy when I can wear them everyday.

I've also realized how much I need a good closet revamp after being pregnant so often lately. So, I did take the leap and join Stitch Fix, like I mentioned in my last post. I know it can be pricy, even at their cheapest option, but my hope is to try it for a few months and get a few good signature pieces (like work pants, I REALLY need black work pants, I finally donated the ones I had from senior year of college).

I'd also like to set up some time with someone at Nordstrom and have them help me pick out a good pair of jeans that fits with my body. I've decided once I lose all the weight, and have kept it off for six weeks, I'll be doing this for myself as a reward.

So, stay tuned as I test the waters of my sanity while working full time, raising two kids and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to be at a happy weight!

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