General update...

No, this is not my baby...I snagged the photo from the pregnancy web site I visit. I just love the shot! (This baby is 18 weeks as is my lil bean). Anyway, it's been a few days since I've checked in and I thought I would write a quick post. I just got back from a 2 mi run. I was tired tonight but forced myself out the door. The plan was to run 3 but at mile 1 I made the executive decision to turn and head for home. Round ligament pain had flared up (which is like a bad side stitch) and it hung on till I was almost home. Coupled with that, I wasn't sure my bladder would make it the whole way. The baby is sitting low and most of the run I felt like I might pee my pants...sorry if that's too much information for some of you. ☺
I still consider tonights' workout a successful one though. I got out and ran. Not sure how much longer I'll keep running though. At this point the baby is about 5.5" long and almost 6 oz. We'll see as the baby gets bigger. Plus, it's summer here in California!
Next week is going to be an interesting one. Some family is coming for a visit...not sure when they are getting here or when they are leaving (oy!). I've been doing pretty well eating clean. If I had to put a percentage on it I'd say 85-90% of the time. Boy can I tell though when I eat something that isn't exactly "appropriate". My body lets me know! It gives me more reason to eat well....

Boo-Yeah!

So yeah, I kicked some running butt this morning! LOL. Kinda kidding, kinda not. I ran the same 5K that started things off for me last year. This was the first race I ran after my son was born, and the first I had run since I started losing weight after having him. If you want to read that post, you can here.Anyway, I had a blast today. The goal was to finish under 27 min. and my time was 26:37...3 min slower than my PR but 4:30 min faster than 1 yr ago. I ran strong, I placed 1st in my age group and I felt great. While I couldn't catch my "targets", I didn't let anyone pass me either. It made me chuckle when the guy that was hot on my heels told me after the race..."I was running like hell to try and catch you but it just wasn't happening!". I decided not to hurt his ego and mention I was 4.5 months pregnant :)
What a fabulous way to start the weekend. Hope everyone has a great one!

I'm so excited...

First I want to say "Thanks" for all the nice comments on my bump picture. You guys are the greatest! For those of you wondering, I did iron out the details for childcare on Saturday morning so I will be running my 5K. I can't wait! This is kind of a meaningful race for me because it was the first 5k I ran last year after I started losing weight.
Food-wise I haven't tried anything really earth shattering lately so not much to share on that front. I did find out that I need to start my day off with a protein, like eggs. I was eating oatmeal and then NEEDING a snack mid-morning to make it till lunch. Protein holds me much better. I made turkey chili one night and that's been perfect as leftovers for lunch. I also made garlic/lemon hummus and add a little to my salads...can you say yummy? Anybody have ideas for tofu? I just cube it and heat/brown it up with a little red wine vinegar before tossing it in my salads. Any other suggestions?
Stay tuned...I have an interesting recipe waiting in the wings. Pictures and review to come soon!

Most boring post ever...

Quickly checking in... I'm doing well, still eating high quality foods when I get hungry. Have had a mild desire for a soda last few days but I think that's mostly because it's sitting in the fridge staring at me every time I open the door. One "trick " I've heard is to mix sparkling water with pomegranate juice as a healthy alternative. I might try that.
Just got home from a 3 mile run and my muscles are feeling tight...think it's time to do some yoga and stretch out. Keep moving forward friends!

New Bump Picture

I know I missed putting up a bump picture on the 1st of June. To be perfectly honest, I was pretty disgusted with myself and the weight I had gained in the month of May. And things weren't getting better. I was very out of control and I didn't want to have to memorialize my "failure". So here is a make up picture I took this morning... Little side note, I was pleasantly surprised when I got on the scale this morning. I'm back down to 165 lbs. Last week I about fell over when I got on the scale and saw 174. Let me be clear though, I am NOT trying to lose weight. I figure my body is just regulating after eliminating all the crap I was eating. But now I'm eating good food & I'm not hungry. And the best part, I don't feel disgusting after a meal either. I have energy and I'm back to running. These things are HUGE for me!
While I understand that a 20 lb weight gain at this point is pretty bad, I am back in control now. I still think my original goal to stay under 180 is doable, especially with the way I've turned things around. I'm feeling the baby move around more and more...which is always so much fun! My ultrasound is scheduled for July 2nd so hopefully baby cooperates and we'll know boy or girl soon. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Night & Day

Can I get a Hallelujah? Seriously, I feel fan-freakin'-tastic right now. It's CRAZY how big...no, how huge...of a difference eating well has made. I have been on point with my food. Eating clean and saying "No Thanks" to the other stuff. Hubby bought a bunch of stuff- ice cream, soda, candy. Momma just made hummus and bought some almond butter ☺
And guess what, I went for a run tonight...like I used to, after the kids crashed. My headaches are gone so I'm not ready to collapse after I put the kids to bed. Yesterday I considered registering for a 5K race that's coming up on Saturday but I refrained. Tonight I ran 3 miles without a problem so I'm seriously considering it. If I can iron out the details for child care I think I will. It makes me excited just to think about it!

Fruits & Veggies & Flax seeds... Oh My!

Okay people, I think I'm back. Note I said "think". Kidding. I've had 2 solid days of decent eating, which has been unheard of in the past 2 months or so. It's time to make some major changes in my diet. One main reason, headaches. All the sudden not only do I feel like crap after all the crap I've been eating, I'm looking like crap and getting these headaches that make me feel like my head is going to explode. Not good. Reality check. I can't treat my body like a garbage disposal and expect to feel good. After 2 days eating cleaner, I feel better. Enough to keep me motivated that I am on the right track. So you want to know what I'm doing. It's really pretty simple. I'm doing as many whole foods as possible. I'm also ditching dairy & gluten. Good fats like nuts, avocado and flax seeds are in. So are lots of fruits and veggies, lean protein and legumes. There's more to it of course, but that's a nutshell.
The goal is to keep me from blowing up any more than I already have. Again I'm working on training myself to eat when I'm hungry...not shoveling food in just because. This is going to be a challenge, but one I feel able to conquer. I want to be healthy and strong. I want my kids healthy and strong. I want to have an "easy" recovery from my c-section in November. If hubby can't get on board 100% (even though this was his idea) it doesn't matter. I will do what I need to do. I will learn to say no again -"No honey, we don't need 10 candy bars". And yes to the good stuff "YES I love my treadmill!".
Stay tuned. As I come across awesome recipes I'll share. Healthy me is back in the game!