Losing My Way

As usual, it's been awhile since I've posted.  At least I'm consistent in that area ;p

The Summer was long and I definitely lost my way towards the end of it with my eating and exercise habits.  This resulted in me feeling sluggish, bloated and a few pounds heavier.  I still was exercising at least twice a week but I stopped doing PiYo regularly - which I LOVED - and strayed a bit from my Trim Healthy Mama.  Not so completely far from it that I was no longer following it, but just far enough from it that I wasn't feeling as good as I should.  The principles of Trim Healthy Mama work for me - it's the ONLY thing that has worked! So, what was my problem? Why was I losing my way from what they perfectly describe as "Food Freedom"?

So, about two weeks ago I was talking to my best friend and she follows the BeachBody program called the 21 Day Fix.  I had also heard good things about it. So, I decided to give it a try - because I then was watching TV and came across the infomercial, too.  So, I thought sure, why not give it a try.

Essentially the program is portion control which therefore limits calories consumed based on your current weight and activity level.  You get a certain number of protein, fruit, vegetable and fat allowances based on that with color coded containers to measure. There's also an exercise component to it which I didn't do but did do similar workouts - cardio, pilates, weights, abs, etc.  I will say that I do feel this program would likely be effective for most people who are looking for a healthier way of eating IF they are currently not following a whole foods/clean diet.  I don't feel that I was the right person for this way of eating.

Why do I say that?  Well, with Trim Healthy Mama, I was eating a very minimally processed, whole foods diet.  I eat large, healthy salads with protein and I eat wholesome carbohydrates.  So, one week on the 21 Day Fix and I GAINED 2-3 pounds.  I was perplexed and frustrated to say the least.

Image via google image search

Fast forward to this past Monday, I decided to refocus and get honest and real again and get fully back on track with Trim Healthy Mama.  I ordered some of their amazing sweeteners and baking items. I also started a Fuel Cycle and then yesterday made a trip to Barnes and Noble and bought the new books they have out - The Trim Healthy Mama Plan which is a less informative version of the ebook I already had and the new cook book :)

Today, I'm happy to report I'm already down 3 pounds I gained over the Summer and gone are the few pounds from the few days I was on 21 Day Fix.

Before Summer I was still bouncing around 153-155 pounds and I'm pretty much back to where I was now this morning at 155.8.  The scale had gotten pretty up there for a bit but I'm happy it's come back down.

So if anyone needs me I will be eating my skinny chocolate while reading my two new books :)

~Carly

NOTE:  As I always keep things real, this post does contain affiliate links.  If you choose to order from the Trim Healthy Mama store, I will receive some sort of monetary benefit. I do only recommend products that I use and love myself so please don't feel obligated or anything!

Coffee Cake Confessional

Hey everyone!

Things have been great around here!  My kids are off from school this week and even though they aren't in school all day or full time it's still been a long week.  I had been going to the gym or exercising at least 2-4 times a week and sadly this week I have yet to do any real cardio aside from walking around the neighborhood chasing my kids on their bikes.  Hey, still counts somehow.  At least that's what I'm tellin' myself.  I'm heading to the gym tomorrow morning for sure - get my spinning class fix!  Really, I may be addicted.

As you can see from the name of the post I have a confession.  And also, I've been eating coffee cake.
Delicious coffee cake.

Yep.
Mmmmm.

Sorry.  Thinking of yummy cake.  We'll get to that in a minute. But first, the confession.

A few weeks ago I did a Week Long Fuel Cycle on my Trim Healthy Mama diet.  After the third Deep S day I had reached an all time low weight of 158.4.  Sadly, the pounds creeped back up and I was back up to 159.6.  This morning my scale was 160 and was even a little higher a few days ago.

Before you start thinking "Wow, what a bummer" or "Aww, that stinks!" I shall stop you there.  I'm actually really okay with this number.  I recently shared my update on where I am in my journey on this diet - losing 9 pounds since starting.

Then, last week I found a notepad and my tape measure in my bathroom drawer with some numbers on it.  Right before or maybe shortly after starting THM in December I had written down my measurements - bust, waist, belly, hips and thigh. So I thought, hmmm maybe I should re-measure.

Well I'm glad I did.  Turns out I lost 13 inches!  No wonder I look like I may have lost more than "only" 9 pounds! (At least that's what I've been told)

I couldn't believe it when I added up and calculated all the measurements.  I added it up four times to make sure it was accurate with a calculator.  Yes, I used a calculator.  No judgement!  I'm terrible at math.  Any math.  But, I can tell you I certainly don't need a calculator to tell me that Trim Healthy Mama is working.  Nine pounds and thirteen inches - GONE.

Buh-bye.

That is why I'm okay with being up a pound on the scale.  I'm learning to focus on the non-scale victories which are just as, if not more important than what the scale says.  I feel great, I've lost a bunch of fat, my clothes fit better, I'm more toned, I look better and I'm literally shrinking.  I slipped on a pair of true pre-pregnancy jeans the other day and wore them for the first time in 5-6 years. Considering I never thought I'd be 160 pounds again - EVER, I am so thrilled with where I am physically and emotionally right now.

Okay - enough confession time.  On to the Coffee Cake.

This is not my recipe. It belongs to the lovely Rohnda Sue.  She has a recipe for this coffee cake that is just beyond delicious.  I had seen it a few weeks back and came across it again on Facebook and decided to make her single serving version.  I was craving some sort of baked-yummy-good-muffin-type-thing that wasn't chocolate.  I've been eating chocolate for quite some time now and just craved something else.

So, I made it. Oh.My.Gosh.  With a few substitutions based on what I had on-hand, it was so delicious I almost ate it all before I could snap a picture.

Aside from the horrid scratches on my plates - just look at it!

Glorious coffee cake muffin

It was so crazy good.  The directions were easy to follow and I made a few tweaks.
First, I doubled this recipe to make this large muffin.  Second, I used almonds for the topping instead of other nuts - walnuts or pecans would be delightful.
Third, I used vanilla extract and caramel extract.
Lastly, since I doubled the recipe I only used one TBSP of the coconut flour and substituted the ground flax instead since coconut flour is highly absorbent of liquids in recipes and I like a fluffier texture. I find coconut flour to be very dense in recipes.

So yummy!

Then, today I got greedy.  I thought I'd make myself another muffin for a snack.  Then I sadly thought to myself, but what happens when it's gone?  Should I make two so I have another for later another day?

So, I made the large version.  A whole 8x8 cake of coffee cake gloriousness.  Yes. It's a word.
Again, I used less coconut flour and more ground flax meal and the almonds on top. However, this time, to go with my almond flour and almond topping I used almond extract instead of the caramel.

The full cake version I made today

Yowza.  Take a peek....it's okay if you drool. I am.  I literally just made this cake and haven't had it yet which is killin' me!  But my house smells fantastic right now!

Again, this is not my recipe - it's by the amazing Rohnda Sue and her single serving recipe is on her Facebook page.

~Carly

Cinch - Day 1...Again!

Good morning!
It's a beautiful and cool Wednesday morning and I'm happy that I'm starting the Shaklee Cinch Inch Loss Plan...again.

Yes, you read that right.  It's Day 1 again.  As I mentioned in my post from Monday, I should have just stuck with it all along - and who knows, by now I may have been closer to my goal weight.  But, we can't live in what if's - so I'm just getting back to it since it worked so well the last time.

To recap:

I began Cinch with a 2 week starter kit on April 9, 2012
Starting measurements were:
Bust- 40
Waist - 36
Hip - 44

April 17th update were:
Bust - 38
Waist - 34
Hips - 43

I had lost just about 6 pounds and 5 inches in one week! You can read that full update here.

So, here I am just about two months later.  I'm back up a few pounds in weight (although I have my "friend" so my weight is a bit higher due to that) so I'm not sure exactly how much I have gained back.  Nevertheless, my starting measurements again are:
Bust - 38
Waist - 35
Hips - 44

So, I'm still down a few inches total but up a few pounds.

But I'm not giving up.  I'm off to the gym this morning and I am expecting the rest of my Cinch Transformation pack to arrive today - the tracking on the UPS site says it's "Out for delivery"!

Yay!

Have a great day and I'm looking forward to my results again from Cinch...again!
~Carly

Motivation...got some?

Hope you are well on this lovely Memorial Day Monday!  Thank you to all those who serve and have served our country.

One thing I've been struggling with lately is motivation. How to find it, how to keep it going and how to keep it at the forefront of all that goes on in day to day life.

I'm sure we can all agree that a huge part of weight loss, exercise, eating right and lifestyle changes all stem from motivation.

Aside from the obvious reasons for losing my toddler weight - my motivation was to not only look better but also feel better, too. I had really wanted to lose 30 pounds before my 30th birthday last year. That didn't even come close to happening. You can read more about that here.  However, my new goal is revised.

I'd like to lose 20 pounds by my 31st birthday. I'm just around the full 10 pounds lost so far and I don't plan on stopping any time soon.

As motivation wanes and disappears, I surprisingly got a little dose of motivation that has pretty much been exactly what I needed and seems to have really hit home.

So, what is this magical motivation?

I apologize for the blurriness of the picture - but if you look past my swinging iPod headphone cord, you'll clearly see that it is a walker in front of the treadmill next to me.  And, on that treadmill next to me was a very old man - close to 85 years old at least - walking on the treadmill.

I thought in that very moment:


WOW.  If he can get on that treadmill and walk then I sure as HELL can walk, if not RUN.


I mean, seriously - what on earth is my excuse?

The answer is - I don't really have one.  Not one good excuse.  If he can leave his walker and get on that treadmill despite his reasons or medical condition - then I can get my more than healthy @ss on that treadmill and work out.

I know the picture doesn't really do the power of the situation justice - but I ran/walked for 29 minutes this day.  What's so great about that?  Well, this situation really gave me a boost and reality check I needed.

I continued to be active for the rest of the week, too.  I went on a run Saturday morning and was going to go to the gym this morning - but they closed early and baby sitting was not available today. BUT, that's not an excuse, so I'll take a run on the treadmill in our basement in a little bit - too hot here to run outside today!

When you lose your source of motivation, where do you find it?  What re-ignites your passion for fitness and health?

I'd love to know!
~Carly

Beyonce, Mariah, Bethenny and me (?) in the news

That's right - just me, Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Bethenny Frankel mentioned in an article together.  Well - the article mentions them where I'm quoted.  So, kinda-sorta!
Anyways, here's the full article.  I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts.
Either way - enjoy.
~Carly

Celebrity moms lose baby weight fast, but slow and steady wins the race for most women

By Scott Gargan 

Call it the mystery of the vanishing baby bulk.

This month, Internet gossip sites gushed over Beyonce's rapid weight loss after giving birth to her baby daughter, Blue Ivy, revealing photos of the slender "Single Ladies" star in form-fitting dresses and sexy swimsuits.

It is a trick that Carly Kirsch, who delivered two children in three years, wished she could have pulled off. "The weight didn't come off as quickly as I hoped," the Cheshire resident said. "I tried low calorie diets, exercising more -- everything under the sun."

A lot of celebrity moms magically morph into their pre-baby shape within weeks of leaving the hospital, she added, "but for most women, it's not realistic."  Indeed, it takes most women six to nine months to shed the excess poundage put on during their pregnancies -- a fact they need to keep in mind, even as they're bombarded by images of strikingly svelte, postpartum stars, experts said.

Kirsch, owner of Newly Nested, a Connecticut-based baby planning and consulting service, said celebrities such as Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Bethenny Frankel enjoy a "support system" -- a team of nannies, trainers and personal chefs -- that isn't available to the average child bearer.  "You have to take that into perspective," she said, adding that "it's more practical to lose the weight a little bit at a time."

New moms pack on an average of 25 to 30 extra pounds during their pregnancy, said Barbara Schmidt, nutrition and lifestyle specialist at Norwalk Hospital who heads the organization's Transformations weight-loss program. If they stick to a diet and exercise plan, they can safely lose 1.5 pounds per week.

But that's often easier said than done, Schmidt said. After all, new moms have enough to think about. So they must make it a point to treat themselves right, Schmidt said. She urged them to avoid "empty calories" from juice, soda, cookies and candy and stick to "healthy choices" such as skim milk, water, lean meats and vegetables.

"You want to make sure to eat a well-balanced diet and, over time, you'll start to see the difference," she added.

Another important weight loss tactic will come a little more naturally. According to Kari Gravitz, a registered dietitian at Albany (N.Y.) Memorial Hospital, pregnant women store fat during their last trimester that is "meant specifically for the purpose of breast-feeding."

"While you breast-feed, you lose this fat," she said, adding that the activity burns about 500 calories a day.

Lactating women should drink plenty of fluids to maintain milk production and remember that "a healthy diet equals healthy milk," Gravitz added.

Of course, dieting and breast-feeding aren't enough to get back into those pre-pregnancy jeans -- new moms need exercise, too. And though they might not have a team of personal trainers backing them up, there are plenty of ways to stay active, said Linda Antignani, owner of Mother's Embrace Yoga Studio in Shelton.

At her studio, Antignani offers Postnatal Pilates Workshop, Zumba for New Moms and Mommy's Time Infant Support Group -- classes designed to "burn calories and get the metabolism working," she said. If they don't have the time to take a class, new moms can always push a stroller or strap on a baby carrier and go for a walk.

"I encourage everybody to be as active as they possibly can," said Antignani, a mother of three. "It can be frustrating trying to lose the baby weight, but once you start exercising, it will make you feel a lot better."

New moms also will feel better when they keep their weight loss expectations in check, experts said. Depending on their weight, activity level and rate of metabolism, it can take six to nine months for the scale to go back to the way it was. The average woman packs on 25 to 30 extra pounds -- sometimes more -- during gestation.

"We usually say that if it took nine months to put the weight on, it's going to take nine months to take it off," Gravitz said.

Moreover, jumping into a strict diet or demanding exercise plan post-pregnancy isn't usually the best way -- after all, new moms need time to heal and adjust to their new role as parents.

So, when images of postpartum personalities pop up on television with their bikini bodies weeks after giving birth, new moms needn't agonize over how they did it. Perhaps, it's best left a mystery. "People don't know how to talk about it or where to begin, and the media doesn't help," Kirsch said of the pressure put on women to reclaim their pre-pregnancy bodies. "It's better to be honest with yourself and just as important, realistic."

Baby Weight Loss Timetable -- After getting the ago ahead from the doctor, new moms can start dieting and exercising (typically six weeks after giving birth, experts said). Here's how new moms should shape up month to month.

First 6 weeks -- Dieting and exercise may not be recommended. Consult your doctor.

At 2 Months -- 3 pounds

At 3 Months -- 9 pounds

At 4 Months -- 15 pounds

At 5 Months -- 21 pounds

At 6 Months -- 27 pounds (A postpartum woman should have returned to her pre-pregnancy weight by this time, but may need to continue a weight loss plan if she gained more than 25 to 30 pounds during gestation).

At 7 Months -- 33 pounds

At 8 Months -- 39 pounds

At 9 Months -- 45 pounds

Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/health/article/Celebrity-moms-lose-baby-weight-fast-but-slow-3573662.php#ixzz1vWVIEZnY

My story

As far back as I can remember, I've never been considered overweight.  On the flip side, I've never been considered skinny.  I was just an average kid/teenager/young adult weight-wise.

I participated in dance classes as a young child, played youth sports (was one of three girls that played on the team) and continued to play soccer throughout High School at the Junior Varsity and Varsity levels.  My mom packed my lunch every day from pre-school right up until the day I graduated High School.  She cooked dinner every week night and we ate out.  She was (and remains to be) an excellent cook - always incorporating vegetables, lean proteins, fruits and grains.

I continued working out in the campus gym, played intramural volleyball and walked a lot (to the bar!) and all over campus.  I pretty much ate what I wanted and stayed active.  I did gain the "sophomore 15" when I had moved onto campus after commuting my first year, but then lost it after realizing it crept up.

I think it would be safe to say that exercise has always been a part of my life.

When I first met my husband, we played tennis, hiked and were pretty active.  When we moved in together in June 2005 to our first apartment, we worked out in the mornings and weekends at the complex gym.  For our second apartment, we purchased a treadmill.  Again, we stayed active and I began to diet for our upcoming wedding.  With a combination of South Beach Diet and doing pilates and cardio - I looked rockin' for our wedding.


Well, at least I thought I looked rockin'. :)

Fast forward to 2007 - just nearly a year later, we found out we were expecting our first baby!  We were over the moon thrilled and excited.  However, I gained wayyyyy too much weight over the course of my pregnancy.  I'm pretty much I set myself up for the inevitable during the first trimester when I gained a ton of weight too fast because all I wanted to drink was milk.  My milk consumption went up 500% from having milk in only cereal to drinking 3 glasses a day!  However, I tried to continue to be healthy for myself and our baby and tried to maintain a healthy diet and took walks with the dog each day.  In the back of my mind was always my weight that I tried to keep from rising and rising.

However, the "damage" was done and I gained more than the recommended pregnancy weight by doctors and experts everywhere.  I decided to shake it off and figured after the baby was born, my decision to breastfeed would get my pre-baby body back in no time, flat!

Then, finally, we met our baby girl via emergency C-Section and life was forever changed.

And, so was my body.

By the time she was 8 months, my return to moderate exercise, combined with diet and the benefit of breastfeeding - I was within 10 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight in early 2009.  I was thrilled to fit into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes and it was just in time for our trip to Florida!

However, when we got down to Florida, trying on a pair of capri pants that fit just before we went as I was going through and packing, I found them to be a bit snug and hard to close. Whaaaat?  They JUST fit a few days ago - how are they not fitting.  Later in the week, after realizing I was "late", I suspected I might be pregnant again.

After sending the hubster in a somewhat panic to the drugstore, he shortly returned with two digital pregnancy tests.  Both of which turned up "not pregnant".  However, you and I both know a woman knows her body.  The Monday upon our return home, I tested again with a non-digital test - the one that promises to provide you with an accurate answer even before your missed period!  To my already-knowing "surprise", I was indeed pregnant again.  We were very excited - although unsure how 2 under the age of 2 would go.

As many of you know (or if you'd care to know), taking care of a baby and being pregnant is exhausting - especially in the first trimester.  However, I didn't let that stop me.  I continued to work from home part-time while staying home with our daughter.  We joined a mommy group, went on daily walks and continued to go out and about.

As I entered my second and third trimesters, my weight creeped up again and of course, life happens.  We sold our condo and bought a new home and moved in the summer of 2009.  Moving, being pregnant, taking care of a now very active toddler and working from home was very stressful and I did the very best I could to ensure I was taking care of myself and everyone else.

I entered the hospital in early December 2009 for my repeat Cesarean Section at the highest weight I had been - EVER.

Like most white lies we tell ourselves, I confessed to myself: "It's okay, I'll lose it all again in no time."

The months passed and even though I could not have been happier with our family, I was frustrated and down about myself.  Despite my weight loss with my first child, I found myself not losing weight as I had hoped as easily the second time around.  I breastfed again but found myself hungry, tired and turning to not always great food choices.  I decided to safely diet while breastfeeding to help lose weight, but nothing I tried worked.  My body didn't respond to the ways I used to lose weight pre-pregnancy.  My ever-faithful South Beach (Phase 2 for breastfeeding) didn't even help.  I tried and tried...and tried.

Needless to say I'm here today still stuck at the same weight as I was about 9 months post-partum with baby number 2.

Two years later, I'm here.  I still have the weight to lose - and that's right folks - you guessed it.

It's not called toddler weight.

~Carly