::Get Fit:: Stretch Marks Before and After!

If you've been reading for a while, you know that right after Henley was born I posted my goals for getting fit and healthy post partum. As part of that post I mentioned that I started using a cream on my stretch marks. I was initially using Bio Oil but had read great reviews about Mama Mio's Goodbye Stretch Marks so decided to give it a try. 

The directions say to use it three times a day but I didn't have time to dedicate to that. I put it on in the morning and any time I got out of the shower. I didn't use it on my breasts if I knew I would be feeding Henley soon thereafter and the marks on my breasts are darker than my stomach. This makes sense since I was much more diligent about putting it on my belly, I really didn't want Henley ingesting the lotion. I am about halfway through my second bottle of this.

Here we are three months since that post (five months since Henley's birth) with results from using this lotion. We have been going to the beach lately and my hubs pointed out how light the marks were. I knew they were getting better but hearing someone else point it out was great to hear. I took pictures this morning and now seeing the pictures side by side is proof how well they look. I almost didn't believe it. 

Before w/o flash

After w/o flash

Before w/ flash

After w/ flash

I am so pleased with these results. If you are having problems with stretch marks I highly recommend this cream. It's $70 but worth it for me. I just wanted to share and let you all know there is hope!

Thanks to the short week it's already Thursday! Yay! 

Mere :-)

::Get Fit:: Clean Eating

Clean Eating---I have been hearing this term thrown around a lot recently and I thought I’d look into it. While I have been working out, I have not been diligent with my diet and nutrition. Breastfeeding uses a lot of calories and I am hungry very often throughout the day. This has resulted in me consuming whatever is available and while I am getting healthier and closer to my pre-pregnancy body, I feel like I need more---I still have a little ways to go to what I want my end result to be. What I eat affects my mood and how I feel overall, it even affects my self-esteem. I find myself feeling much better and much more confident when I eat better. All of this has led me to my interest in Clean Eating.

The best resource I have found so far for information on this has been The Gracious Pantry. She has explanations of how Clean Eating works, grocery lists, and tons of recipes! From what I've read and derived from online research, Clean Eating is eating as close to nature as possible. We need to limit processed foods overall. No white flour or white sugar, no chemically-enhanced foods, and no artificial flavors---a good rule of thumb is to shop the perimeter of the store and limit everything else to foods with less than 5-6 ingredients and to make sure the ingredients are foods we can pronounce.

Working full time and having an infant can make eating healthy difficult and while I plan to begin this Clean Eating, I am not going to kill myself in the process. My plan is to grocery shop with these guidelines as best as I can and eat out as little as possible. I feel with this as a starting point I am bound to get healthier and feel better overall.

Here is my meal planning for the week:

Breakfast: Oatmeal (either steel cut or rolled oats. Steel cut is best but I may have to ease into that since I wasn't a fan the last time I tried them)

Morning Snack: Greek yogurt with honey or fresh fruit

Lunch:
M: Chicken breast on Ezekiel bread with tomato and avocado
T: Salad with roma tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, chicken, and balsamic dressing (I’m going to look for an organic, all-natural one)
W: Brown rice with black beans and chicken
R: Chicken breast on Ezekiel bread with tomato and avocado
F: Salad with roma tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, chicken, and balsamic dressing

Afternoon Snack: Hard boiled eggs or fresh fruit

Dinner:
M: Stuffed Bell Peppers
T: Tandoori Chicken with brown rice
W: Whole wheat pasta with chicken, roma, and basil
R: Tilapia lime tacos
F: Grilled chicken with pineapple and brown rice flavored with pineapple and allspice

This is my busy week at work and I usually end up eating crappy foods when I am busy. My plan is to go grocery shopping today and arrive at work stocked so I don’t end up with temptation. My weakness is definitely going to be sweets, ever since I was pregnant I have had a craving for something sweet after dinner and that has continued since Henley was born. I’ll be sure to keep fruit around just for these situations.


Any of you try Clean Eating before? Wish me luck!---oh and Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Mere :-)

::Get Fit:: 30 Day Shred Results

It's a little delayed but here are my 30 Day Shred results. I have to admit that I lost steam. Level 1 and Level 2 were great and I didn't miss any days at all. Level 3 however is a different story. I actually liked Level 3 more than Level 2 but by the time I got there in the program I was a little burnt. 

Level 3 has a lot of planking and other moves that require pressure on the wrists. My wrists bug me often and just doing the Level 3 workout 2-3 times was causing me aching wrists. This issue combined with the lack of motivation resulted in 2 weeks of no workouts. 

I went ahead and took pictures today to show you. I can definitely see some difference but not drastic changes. This is pretty humbling experience so please bear with me. :-)

Like I said, not dramatic but just enough to keep me going. I should note that I ate pretty much the same as always and didn't follow any strict diet or nutrition guides. I'm hesitant to workout and change my diet at the same time due to breastfeeding, I've heard it can mess with supply.

Next steps: I have Jillian's 90 Day Body Revolution and I think I'm going that direction for my next phase. Hopefully in 90 days these "afters" will be my "befores"!

Hope everything is going well. We've had some wakeful night lately so I'm pretty exhausted. Heading to bed!

Over the hump, Friday's around the corner!!

Mere :-)

::Get Fit:: Still Going!...and a Little Henley

I have to say that I am pretty dang proud of myself! I am still going on with the 30 Day Shred. I just completed Day 14 and am on Level 2. I have to say that Level 2 is way more difficult than Level 1----so much so that I am finding it a little more difficult to get motivated. The good thing about these workouts is that from start to finish, it's less than 30 minutes so once I start, which is the hardest part, there is really no point in stopping.

Level 1 went by rather quickly, Level 2 is dragging a little more. I took pictures at Day 10 and I am praying for even better results at Level 2---6 days away!

Tomorrow is FRIDAY! This week has been my "busy week" of the month and the first time I haven't been off in time to get Henley. I have really missed that little thing, every moment with her is special. Luckily I've been home in time for bedtime each night but I will be glad to be back to normal next week.

And because I have had way too many picture-free posts lately, here are some of the latest and greatest!

 This is one of my all-time favorite pictures!

Happy Friday! 

Mere :-)

::Get Fit:: 30 Day Shred---Level 1

Well I have completed Level One of 30 Day Shred. I'm glad that I'm onto the next round, it was started to get a little boring. When I can quote the "motivation" that Jillian is about to spout off, it's time to move on to the next one.

There was a noticeable difference in my endurance from Day 1 of this Level. What I have learned from this set is (1) I hate, hate, pushups and (2) Anterior Shoulder Raises are my arch nemisis! Even so, I was still getting better as those also.

Last night I took pictures for comparison and took my measurements again. My measurements were pretty much the same but with the pictures I could see a little difference. It wasn't significant by any means but just enough to show me that it's doing something! I can't wait to get to the end and see the results.

Monday, Not-So-Fun Day again. This is my busy week at work, first since being back, which means Dad is on Henley duty. I'm hoping not to work past 6:30/7:00 but we will see. Hoping for the best.

I hope your Monday is awesome!

Mere :-)

::Get Fit:: 30 Day Shred Days 4, 5, 6, & 7

Guess what---I'm still sticking with the 30 Day Shred workouts! It feels so good to spend 30 minutes at the end of the day working on me. I can feel my endurance getting better with each day. I've completed the first week and it feels great.

Day 4: This has been the best day so far! I was able to do more push up than I ever have before. I didn't fail out while doing the first set of arm raises with weights either (I did fail out on the second set but this is progress!) I felt great after this workout and felt very motivated to keep going!

Day 5: Today was the first day where I wasn't 100% gung-ho to get this started. Henley went to bed a little later so I didn't get started until 9pm .The great thing about this workout is that once you get started and get through the first circuit, you are more than a third of the way there, might as well keep going!

Day 6: Thought of the day---I hate push ups. I did 15 which is the most I've been able to do so I know I'm getting stronger but it still stinks! I don't enjoy them and I'm afraid if I go down too far I'm going to face plant into the carpet!

Day 7: The Level 1 DVD is getting a little repetitive but I do like that I know what's coming----only three days left and then onto Level 2! Good news is I was able to do both sets of arm raises without failing!! Score!

As you can see I'm sticking with it. I can't wait to show you the (hopefully great) results. I plan on taking pictures and measurements after each Level as a benchmark. I'll keep you posted!

In other news----tomorrow is Friday! Yippee!!

Have a great Friday---hope it FLIES by!

Mere :-)

::Get Fit:: 30 Day Shred Day 2

I did it again! Yay---I feel great. I did day two tonight after the baby went to sleep. I felt like I had a little more endurance tonight than I had last night. I was able to do a few more push-ups than I did last night and I got through a few more of the shoulder raises.

I feel hopeful that I am able to do this workout after Henley is sleeping. I started it at 9:15 and it only took 30 minutes. This looks promising!! Praying for commitment, motivation, and endurance through this.

Today was such a busy day---breakfast at First Watch Cafe with hubs and Henley, visited my mom at her church for an Easter Egg Hunt, First Birthday party for a friend's little one, church for Easter service, and then family pictures in the park. Henley was so well behaved---I feel so lucky to have such a good, patient baby.

Family Easter pictures to be posted soon.

Gotta go get ready, I think the Easter bunny is coming tonight!

Happy Easter!

Mere :-)

::Get Fit:: 30 Day Shred

Back of track...hopefully. After taking a little hiatus on working out since going back to work, I am ready to get back to it. I was a little hesitant to start a program too intense or hardcore since I have heard it can affect breast feeding. I researched a ton and have come to the conclusion that as long as I stay hydrated I should be ok.

I'm two weeks into work and starting to see that there isn't a lot of time for working out with my schedule. I could always work out after work but the whole point of getting out of work at 4 is so I can spend maximum time with Henley. After looking into some options, I have decided to try Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.

30 Day Shred is a month-long program with three levels. I'm planning to switch levels every 10 days. I went to Sports Authority and purchased 5 lb weights and got to it. (I also bought some for my sister with the hope we can motivate each other!)

Today I got home around 1:30 and decided to start right away. Since my sister was around, it was a perfect opportunity to start this journey together.

I took before pictures today and got all of my measurements. While I'm comfortable sharing my before stats, not so much on the before pics. Here's hoping in 30 days I'll have an awesome comparison to share.

Before:
Weight: 158
Bicep: 10.5"
Bust: 37" (I took this at the largest part)
Waist: 31" (smallest part)
Waist: 36.5" (at the belly button)
Hips: 39.5"
Thigh: 21"
Calf: 7"

If you have tried this program, please share your results. If you don't hear me updating about my journey, ask! I want you to hold me accountable!

I hope you all have a Happy Easter, we are planning to go to church and have lunch with my mom. We are also hoping to get some good pictures of the three of us since we don't have any since Christmas.

Have a great weekend!!

Mere :-)

::Get Fit:: Week 2

Week 2 of my "Get Fit" plan went rather well. I got a few runs in but I am starting to see that this getting in shape while having an infant is going to be harder than I originally expected. We will get into that into a minute----first let's discuss last week.

My sister and I went for two runs. I love running this time of year, the temps are perfect and there is virtually no humidity. Having my sister to motivate me to run is really nice to have. I'm excited for the time when Henley can run with my hubs and I in the stroller.

It's already Wednesday this week and I haven't had the chance to run or workout yet, hopefully I can get some in at the latter part of the week.

Henley starts day care on Monday and I start work on Wednesday. I cannot believe it's already time to go back. I am taking Henley to daycare on Monday and Tuesday for a few hours to get me used to that part before I go back to work. I had a girlfriend that did something similar and she said it really helped with the transition.

I spoke with my employer about my hours and am planning to work 7-4 to give me an extra hour in the evening. I could work 6-3 but I think that would be hard to get up and feed her in the am with waking up a few times at night. If I work 7-4, I have 9 hours at work to obviously get my work done, pump three time, and go to the gym over lunch. I can see how quickly my day is filling up. I'm curious to see how it will work. Any moms out there have tips?!

This post is short and sweet but I hope you all are having success in your plan to "Get Fit"!

Later peeps!

Mere :-)

::Get Fit:: Week 1

(Note: Since all of my workout trackers are on a calendar week M-F, this post is for last week's workouts)

This week is the first week where I can actually say I made a solid effort to get out there and work out. It feels so good to be on track to getting fit and toning up. I ran once on my own and my sister joined me for the second run. She is going to be racing in the Half Marathon with me in November so we are helping each other get back in the groove.

Both runs were two miles, each better than the one before. My goal is to get to a 10:00/mile pace before increasing mileage, this week I averaged 12:12 per mile. 

Plan for next week:

• Run 3 times, 2 miles each run. Hoping to get my pace into the 11's
• Saturday morning yoga
• Eat a little healthier than I have been (although making a homemade chocolate cake today may not have been the best idea to facilitate this goal :-) ! )

I didn't weigh myself this week but I did take "before" pictures. I'm not confident enough to post those just yet...maybe once I get back in shape and I have awesome "after" pictures I'll share (here's hoping).

Also, I added my Daily Mile widget in the sidebar of my blog for those that want to follow along.

I have seen on Pinterest tons of these "at home work out plans" like this one:

Has anyone found any of these to be worthwhile? I've never been one to workout at home but I was thinking that these might be worth exploring. If you have one you love, please share!

Did anyone out there have a productive week? Any tips or pointers you'd like to share?

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!

Mere :-)

::Get Fit:: Getting my Bod Back!

Henley has been in our lives for two months. I have loved every single minute of it. While some moments have been challenging, each moment has been worth every pound, every stretch mark, each and every bout of nausea and heartburn, and every, single ache and pain. Speaking of pounds and stretch marks, I am now ready to reclaim my body. I thought I'd do a weekly check in on my weight, fitness, and any other goals I have, I'll post once a week. I need an accountability partner and nothing is better than all of you!

Just to recap, here was my last picture before Henley joined our family:

I delivered six days later. On that day, I was up 36 pounds. I thought I only had stretch marks on my breasts but once she was out, I discovered more stretch marks on my lower abdomen (I guess something was obstructing my view).

Throughout my pregnancy I tried to stay active, I ran on the treadmill a handful of time and in the last 3-4 months, the hubs and I walked about 2 miles or so a couple times a week. 

Here are some pictures from then to now:

I wasn't posing for this picture but it's a perfect picture for what I looked like postpartum. This is 12/22/2012, which was 4 days after Henley's arrival. I think I look about 5 months pregnant here.

This is me now:

I don't typically have pictures of just my body, especially when I'm not happy with it but these are the best pictures for what I look like now. At my 6 week postpartum appointment, I was down 31 pounds,which I am totally happy with but there is a lot of work to do. My stomach is larger and flabbier than I would like and I've lost tone pretty much every where. I just want to get in better shape overall so I feel confident and happy with everything.

So....here we go!

CURRENTLY:

Weight: 157

Fitness: Since being cleared by my doctor three weeks ago, I ran once---1.26 miles in 14 minutes. 

Races: Signed up for Fort Myers Beach Half Marathon in November

Stretch Marks: Red marks all over breasts and some on my lower abdomen.

Stomach: My arch nemesis 

Diet: Eating everything in sight, including tons of baked goods--uh oh!

GOALS: 

Weight: 150

Fitness: Run 3-4 times per week, able to run 5 miles under one hour. 

Races: Run a 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon by the end of the year.

Stretch Marks: Successfully find a cream/oil/lotion/magic potion to lighten them

Stomach: Confidently wear a bathing suit (I'm in FL, we wear bathing suits A LOT! and I feel I need to be comfortable before boating and beach season arrives)

Diet: Healthy foods that keep my milk supply up and thriving for Henley as that is priority numero uno!

Like I mentioned, I ran last week for the first time outside in about a year. It felt great to get out. I ran with no end goal in mind, just to make it back to the condo alive. I ran to our downtown area and started feeling winded and tired so I thought it was a good time to turn around. 

Overall the run felt great, my biggest complaint is my sports bra, I have one that I read would offer the best support for a breastfeeding mom but I may need more. My legs felt great. I stopped about a quarter of a mile from the house and walked the rest of the way. At this point, I got a little lightheaded so right when I got home I drank a ton of water and rested. Today my legs feel a little sore but that's to be expected after this long of a hiatus.

As for stretch marks, I have been applying Bio Oil twice daily but seeing little change. I ordered a cream from Mama Mio that got great reviews for minimizing the appearance. This cream acknowledges that there is no miracle for stretch marks but claims with proper application, stretch marks appear lighter after three months. I figure it can't hurt. I took before and after pictures, fingers crossed for some results.

Ok I think this is everything. Any new mama's out there want to be accountable with me?? Let's get fit together!

...and because I can't resist:

My cutie patootie!

Mere :-)