Here is the deal. I am NOT one of those genetic freaks that can eat whatever she wants and still be skinny (You know, like my sister and sister-in-law–how cruel, right?). I have to work and staying thin. I’m not just eating right, I’m working out, but I’m gonna focus on diet. Not only does it suck that I’m not genetically able to eat bad….I love food. LOVE. I love the taste, texture, comfort and feelings I get from eating. But this has lead to YEARS of overeating. Worst of all, I have an OBSESSION with cheese.

1) Research. You have to plan for what you are going to eat. You can’t just expect to wake up and cook healthy. I spend more time than I care to admit researching healthy foods, good recipes, family recipes, best meat deals, menus, budgets, satisfying foods, etc. You need to determine your weight goals and from there figure out your caloric intake. Do your research!

2) Plan. You have to PLAN so you can enjoy it. We have all done those diets where you end up eating the same thing over and over because you know its safe and then suddenly you are so burned out you can’t even look at those foods. It’s true! But if you PLAN you can account for those things. By doing the research and having everything in your back pocket your a lot less likely to fail. I plan ALL my dinners for the week, 3-ish lunches and 2 breakfasts (although I usually favor one). This includes planning for sweets. I have a skinny cow or some kind of ice cream EVERY night.

3) Track. After I have an idea of what I want for dinner, I put it all in a tracker. I usually am able to plug dinner and breakfast for everyday. Then I know how many calories to eat for the rest of the day. Because I stay at home and everyday is different (yet so painfully the same!) I may need more snacks one day, or maybe I know I ate half of one of my kids snacks–oops.

I heard a great thing when I did weight watcher. (which i LOVE by the way) You bite it, you write it. And trust me that SUCKS most days for me. Like Tuesday when I couldn’t eat enough. I had a serving of pretzels, two 100 calorie packs, an apple, yogurt, etc….. thats like almost 600 calories of mindless snacking!!! (And I’ll point out here that clearly I hadn’t planned well for the day or I would have been eating more satisfying foods.)

I track at SparkPeople. I’ve been using this site since before Kenlee was even a thought. It takes getting used to, especially in the beginning when you are mark favorites and entering foods not listed, but give it a few weeks and it will come easy. They have so many features on their site: meal plans, exercise plans, tracking of certain nutrients, food journals, community boards, etc… I’ll occasionally hit up the recipes, but mainly I’m there just to track my food. Like I stated earlier, I start my day off with coffee and plugging in my breakfast and dinner and my dessert. That way in the back of my head, even if i’m not near a computer, I know what I can eat.

Okay, so WHAT do I typically eat

B: 4 egg whites, .5 serving 2% shredded cheese, tbsp pico; 1 bagel thin toasted, 1 Tbsp PB topped with 1/2 sliced banana

Post workout: 1 scoop isopure; 6 oz 2%milk or water and an apple

Lunch: 4 oz chicken or turkey as a salad or sandwich or just with a side potato

S1: Horrible, i never know what to eat, usually yogurt and a 100 cal pack ((i know this needs to change because i’m not full!)

D: See link below

S2: Skinny Cow

I know, I know….this isn’t very “clean” eating. I’m supposed to be doing better. But it’s working for me.

Snack ideas (best to always mix protein and carb–but, hey, sometime you just want a SNACK!):

Baked chips or Veggies & Salsa

Strawberries and Yogurt

PB & Apple

Apple and Laughing Cow Cheese

Pretzels

Fruit Fruit Fruit

Wow, while writing this I just realized how terribly unqualified I am to write this.

Here are a list of my families favorite dinners, if we aren’t eating one of these then it is likely we are having Tacos, Spaghetti or just a Protein, Veggie and Fruit for dinner:

CLICK HERE

Bottom line: TRACK YOUR FOOD!!!!!! Calories in vs Calories out is how you will lose weight. I Can have my cake and still lose weight if I’m monitoring what I eat.

I had never even heard of such a thing. People drink milk that isn’t of cows and bought in the store?? NO WAY!

My mother-in-law has a friend that owns her own goats for milking purposes. (she also owns a health food store and is pretty much my first call in most situations) Merrilee milks the goats when this lady has to be away for a milking time or when she is on vacation. My mother-in-law LOVES this job. It’s therapy for her. Seriously.

Not long before I got pregnant I joined her to milk. This was a new experience for me. I was very unsuccessful.

Once SB was born my MIL filled my head with why it was better that babies be on goats milk rather than formula. I listened but i wasn’t quite ready to make the jump. When SB was 10 months I went out with her to milk. (for the life of me i cannot find the pictures!!!) This time I was very successful (guess you have to nurse to really understand milking –okay that’s kinda gross, sorry). I took home some of the milk and started giving it to SB and he loved it!!

I got some questions from my pedi about feeding my child something raw, unpasturized and from a goat….but it worked. SB was on goats milk until the goats stopped producing that year.

With Starlet, I’ve been waiting for these goats to produce. Yes, I realize there are places in the area you can get milk, but I was okay with formula. (I’m only semi-crunchy remember — oh and I’m super frugal and that stuff is PRICY!).

Last week we went out, as we do almost every year, and played with the baby goats. SB & The Negotiator had SO much fun. TN is fearless and will pick up any goat. SB on the other hand prefers to see them from afar. Starlet enjoyed some goat love too….maybe a little too much goat love.

You can really tell how much SB isn’t really into this. He quickly left to play in the barn. (LOOK at TN’s face!!! CUTE!!)

Momma Merrilee in her element!!!

The Negotiator picking up more goats….

Starlet eating a goat. (poor baby. this was 20 min before her dr visit for strep i had no idea she was so sick!!)

Why is goats milk better?? Well truly I’m not 100% sure. I know that it is easier to digest. I know that it is the closest to breast milk and that anything in its raw state is better. But for the rest google it! Here is the frist link from when i googled. LINK

lunch meat. yes, i am serious. i am craving a turkey sandwich. i LOVE sandwiches. but suddenly, i’m scared of lunch meat….not the nitrate issues, but the look. it started the other day when i was making a sandwich with my usual packaged meat. just the look was freaking me out. i dumped the package and decided to but deli meat the next week. so i go to the deli and i’m sitting there thinking, those “turkeys” don’t even look like turkeys. they look like a balloon filled with turkey. fail. again. so, short of smoking my own turkey, are there any options?? crunchies? any advice??

When I started out three weeks ago I was signed up to attend 10 sessions. Because of my detour, I missed out on the rest of week one. Then, when I got started back up, I missed because EP was gone. Then this week I missed one session because Starlet had kept me up overnight. So, I made 5.5 of ten.

That first day, I thought I was going to die. Like, seriously, thought I may pass out right then and there. But, after completing this week I was blowing and going. I ran a mile with ease. I could jump without being scared (okay, maybe I’m still a wee bit nervous). My core feels tighter. My muscles feel good. I ran hills in the dark backwards. Learned about snot rockets. Peed in the grass. Worked out in 30* temps at 5:30 am. But most importantly I feel AWESOME and, an added bonus, the scale dropped 2.5 lbs. Overall, I am SUPER satisfied with this course.

The instructor, Anna, is a delight. She doesn’t let you quit, she pushes just right and she’s ALL about positive reenforcement. Okay, have to admit, all the positive talking wasn’t my favorite thing at first, but today when I was running and cheering on my group of girls, I totally understood. Anna’s influence had rubbed off, we were working as a team because of the environment created around us.

So, locals (and i can see you), go check out this site and think about it.   WWW.DFWBOOTCAMP.COM

Excuses? Here are my answers…

Yes, getting up at 5 to be there on time is hard. I have to say, though, I feel energized all morning because I’m up, have worked out, and dressed all before the kids wake up (also yielding to a pretty good morning quiet time!).

Yes, it’s cold. I promise you, once you get moving you don’t even remember that its cold. I honestly feel like my body is working harder in the cold because I’m working and trying to keep warm. (By the way, when its ridiculously cold or rainy, there is an indoor facility that is used.)

Yes, it’s hard, but nothing a beginner couldn’t handle. There are people of all skill level there. Some have never worked out, some are trying to get back into the swing of things, other are fitness freaks! Everyone works at their own pace. And no one is ever left behind!

{Thank you Kelly for telling me about them! }

Started out with a good warm up with soccer balls.  Part of this included throwing a ball against a wall and catching it.  Yeah, I really know why I wasn’t in sports. I couldn’t catch my own ball for anything.  I tried blaming it on my gloves, but after I took them off I still couldn’t catch the darn thing!

Next we headed to picnic tables for step-ups.  Ugh. Step-ups.  I had visions of training at Larry North all over again!  (Ahem ,yeah, that was 4.5 years ago – so what!) So lots of step-ups in different variations….after counting the sets and all we did I think we did about 100.  Also some tricep and core work in there.

During this, my stomach pain returned….I guess I need to flashback a bit.  A reason I did post anything last night was that sometime during the morning yesterday (Monday) I started having major abdominal pain.  I kept checking the calendar, period? ovulating?  nothing.  Very similar to the pain I was experiencing in North Carolina in October.  When I had the pain there it lasted about two weeks I kept saying that I’d go to the dr but never did.

Yall, I can handle my pain.  For pete sake, I had an unmedicated birth! But I had this too long!  I had to lay on the floor to take care of the kids yesterday…that doesn’t fly!  I hate taking medication, but I would do anything to make this pain stop.  But stopping pain isn’t the answer, what is causing the pain is what I want to know.

Okay, back to this morning, I hadn’t had the pain when I woke up and it had gradually started during the step-ups…but I wasn’t going to wuss out.  As I said before, I pushed that baby out in under three hours without drugs, I can push through this workout.  But, I realized once the next activity was about to start, I needed to stop.  Ugh.  Such a pride thing.  I wanted to prove I could do this but my body HURT! So, after thirty minutes I bolted.

I came home, woke EP up, he laid hands on me and we prayed…it was time for answers.  We discussed which Dr. to call: GYN – since it was pelvic; Family – since it could be anything; ER – since we all know thats where they send you when they can’t determine anything else??  I made an appointment with my family Dr at 11:30 and then headed to my moms, stopping at the bank first. While at the bank drive through, I couldn’t take anymore. Crying, I called EP and said lets go to the ER.

I never understand when people immediately run to the ER. We have never been like that in my family. We always wait for our usual Dr and see him….but now I get it, sometime you just need to be seen.

First, I’m tested for kidney stones, negative.  Then, they check vitals and tell me I’m dehydrated.  Uh, really?  If you know me at all, you know I’m never far from a water bottle. But, I admit, i had sticky mouth and everything, so I didn’t fight it.  Bam, IV.

Saw the Dr  He did a lot of feeling around.  ”Knocking” on my body.  Nothing.  He says I need a CAT Scan.  Now, I’m just going to be very honest here and say that is the last thing I wanted to do.  I have an HSA (Health Saving Account) / High Deductible account because we are so healthy…but this is where it bites you.  (I’m going to blog on a financial revelation regarding this next).

CAT Scan reveals 3 stones in my left kidney (all pain is left side) but the dr says stones IN the kidney aren’t the painful part, its when they move down.  Then he says that my left ovary was significantly smaller than the right and surrounded by some fluid, so a possible rupture of an ovarian cyst.  I’ve had cysts before, very likely.  The cyst totally bore witness with EP…as we discussed it the general consensus was it probably grew in NC and ruptured due to the sudden impact of the new workout.  I was sent home with a RX for vicodin and told the stones may or may not cause me pain in the future.

Honestly, I’m glad I went and even though I realllllllly didn’t want a scan, I’m happy to know that all of my organs are working perfectly and in order. There is a peace in that right?  I’m happy that, even though I hate drugs, there is something to help me through this pain while it lasts.   So I guess I’ll chill out the next few days…. sigh.

Last night I slept in my workout clothes, yup my husband laughed too.  I figured it would be best not to have to get dressed on one of the coldest morning this fall.  I woke up all night long thinking I should get up.  1:45; 3:20; 4:45….seriously, don’t you hate that?

I get there this morning, we do a brief warm-up and then the leader says, “Okay gals, lets head to the track!”  Uh, the track? Really?  Didn’t I explain my current fear of running/jumping?  The goal she says is to maintain a pace two laps.  But somehow, I probably wasn’t listening, after the second lap she says we are doing a mile.  A MILE??  I haven’t run period since I crossed the finish line at the White Rock Half almost exactly 2 years ago.

I survived the run and actually impressed myself.  Go me.  Then we do some band work….shoulders (ugh – i just did shoulders, chest and tris Saturday).  Then she says “pony up.” I’m looking around like, “Huh?”  And a gal puts a band around her waist and says, “Hold on.”  This almost killed me.  After running a mile now I’m holding back another person running and then I have to run while that person holds me.  Thought I was going to die right there.  Repeat the bands and running three times.  Seriously, yall, at the end of the third I thought I was going to puke.  FOR REAL!

I’m still trying to collect myself and its off to walking lunges with weights…this lady doesn’t want me to survive, I’m sure of it. Following the walking lunges we work on core (praise the LORD most of it was lying down!).  Stretch and DONE!

I’m not lying when I say if I hadn’t already paid I may not be going back!  I.am.beat! Just kidding, I would go back.  I said yesterday that I hadn’t been going all out…today I went all out and it felt great. I miss that feeling (okay, not the almost puke feeling but EP would totally say its a good thing). I have ten more sessions until they have a holiday break.

The cool thing was, I came home and got all showered and dressed before the kids were even up.  BAH!  What an awesome feeling!!   I have the whole day ahead of me and working out isn’t staring me in the face.  Nice!

Off to track my food (I may try to figure out how to post that on this new blog like I had on a previous, but not sure how I want that….), wrap presents, clean the house, finish the laundry….the sky is the limit today folks!

So, why am I anxious?  I think we all know when we haven’t been going all out, right? I’ve been hitting the gym, working up a sweat, for three weeks now (ever since Starlet was able to go).  I wake up feeling sore and such, but I know I haven’t been going as far as I can.  I know that this boot camp, even if its “easy,” is going to be hard for me after my 1 year break from working out.  I’m fearing running and jumping the most. Any woman who has given birth totally understands this fear.  I plan to go prepared.  :P

I have run a half marathon and don’t remember feeling this anxious (well, until I hit the start line).  Anyway, I plan to update on how its going, but for now I wanted to journal my anxiety of such a small thing.