Taco Thursday: Dinosaur ed.

Workout: 25 min yoga + 25 min swim

I swam, I swam I swam I swam...

I could go on forever, so I'll stop there. It's been a little over two years (since I was last pregnant with my BB) that I went for a swim. After two years, they finally reopened the pool at the school gym and it was glorious.

I've been walking as much as I can, which I love, but the feeling you get mid-stroke is hard to beat. I also love that it's just me and all my thoughts, and quiet. I think I'll have to adjust my schedule some, but we'll try it out for a couple of weeks cause it is SOOOO worth it :)

Specially because we're planning my BBs 2nd birthday party, a little late but her cousins are coming into town for labor day and we couldn't resist. We're going with a dinosaur theme because, yes, she's a toddler who loves her dinosaurs.

I will be attempting baking the cookies for this tonight:

[source]

Should be fun! I'm kidding, I'm scared. I went to buy the pre-packaged cookie dough but they only had chocolate chip. I'm thinking about making my own, but don't know if making my own sugar cookies will be harder than a trip to the grocery store with a toddler. We shall see.

We shall also see if I make this for "Taco" night: 

[source]

I don't have that many ingredients at the casa for real tacos and am running low on tortillas, or duh, I may have enough for green cheese enchiladas. The point is, there is no point. Party planning is not for the weak of heart and I'm cutting it close!

ADios :)

WorkIt: Yes, pe-lease!

Workout: 20 min walk + 10 min spin + 30 min weights routine

Yeppers, I feel like I got a good workout today at my new and snazzy gym :)

I was able to get in a 20 min walk on my treadmill in the morning then headed to the gym during lunch.

That gym is AWESOME! By AWESOME I mean it has a pool, free-weights room, machine-weight room, tons of cardio machines (including a spinning bike) and an indoor track. Woo-hoo! So cool :)

Me and my belly we're one of TWO girls using the free weights room. I can only imagine what they think of me and ma' belly but I don't care. I was so overcome with happiness now that I could use more than the 8 lb weights I have at home.

It was also busy, so I will need to check out different times and since parking is a mess, I'm thinking of trying the shuttle. Don't know if that will be quicker or not. We shall see :)

All I know is I had fun today and it broke up the monotony of being at work. The only thing I'm dreading is not being able to leave by 4. Yikes!

ADios :)

Mommy Needs Coffee Tuesdays: and workout time?

Workout: 30 min weights + 30 min walk

I know, I do need me some of this:

After yesterday's post (which btw was supposed to be published last week) I've made a decision:

Option A: M-F 7:30 - 4:30, lunch in the AM to swim or lunch/PM to do weights

After talking with RC about it, I think I confused him with all the different times. I loved his answer: do the one that gets you more access to gym time. So simple. I agreed and now I'm just waiting on the go-ahead :)

I told one of my friends (who's doing an awesome job on her diet/exercise, btw) and asked her if she'd be interested in joining me 3 times a week for "lunch" at the gym. It sounds like she is so we may start up soon.

What got me is that she's feeling guilty working, then taking Zumba at 6 and not getting home until 7:30 when her kiddo is almost ready to go sleepies. That's right - MOMMY GUILT!!!

Ever dealt with Mommy Guilt? It sucks!

I told her I felt the same way and had resisted changing my schedule for that extra hour with my munchkin. I feel like such a bad mommy for not being able to get up at 5 AM, but I'm tired. I need that hour of sleep and I do miss my gym time, too.

I keep telling myself that the stress-relief working out gives me will make that time that I do have with my BB even sweeter. Plus, if I'm not liking it then I could always switch back, right?

We'll see how it goes, I just can't wait to get in that pool!!!

ADios ;)

WorkIt: Oh my?

Workout: 25 min weights + 30 min walk

So maybe this week was not a good choice to "revamp" my work-out schedule. RC had some work deadlines and those are always fun at the house!

Plus, I need my sleep!

The no-sugar days are making me feel more clean, very weird. Here's my mid-week "sugar-fix"!

The Hint drink was all water and no sugar, and pretty good.

So...I've been toying with the idea of changing my schedule to fit in some more exercise time. My Dad always told me to make a list of pros and cons when I can't seem to make up my mind. So here it is:

Current Sched: M-F 7:30 - 3:45, 1 day free for lunch

Pros:

• hello, no traffic both ways
• more time with the BB
• workout at home 

Cons:

• I can't manage to wake up at 5 am to work out so I'm limited to 30 min + walking during the day
• stuck in a workout rut at home (yoga/weights)
• feel like I'm not doing enough

Option A: M-F 7:30 - 4:30, lunch in the AM to swim or lunch/PM to do weights

Pros:

• I get to not feel bad about sleeping in til the ripe hour of 5:45ish
• get to do cardio/yoga at home for 20-30 min
• get to add swimming 2xweek and access to a REAL weight room 2xweek

Cons:

• more traffic on the way home
• parking is horrendous on campus
• hurried dinner making with a toddler when I get home
• less time with BB :(
• pay for gym membership and get good use of it

Option B: M-F 7:30 - 4:15, 2 "lunches" that I could use for swimming

Pros:

• I get to add swimming back into my life 2x a week
• continue to do weights/yoga at home for 20-30 min

Cons:

• traffic not too bad or not much of an impact
• only have to deal with parking the days I swim
• hurried dinner making with a toddler when I get home
• less time with BB :( - but not so much
• pay for gym membership and really only use swimming

So there are my options, laid out nicely with their pros and cons.

Then I read articles like this, that basically say you don't really need that much exercise to loose/maintain weight. Now, as noted, I'm by no means trying to loose weight. In fact, I'm doing pretty good on the baby weight gain train (all aboard) and am feeling really healthy about it.

After reading that article though, it made me think that maybe what I'm doing right now is enough to stay fit during my pregnancy. Which makes me lean towards Option 2, because swimming helped me so so much during my last pregnancy. But then I feel like I'm wasting the gym membership by only going twice a week.

Ahhhh!@##!

What to do, what to do. I will make a decision soon!

ADios :)

The Salad Case: Return of the No-Sugar-Added days

Workout: 25 min weights + 30 min walk

After some looking back at this week, I realize I have to bring back the no-sugar days. I really need to cut back and focus on eating healthy wholesome foods during this pregnancy. No more pregnancy card allowed for "sweets", specially at work!

This may be impossible to do, but I'm going to start saying "I'm just not eating sugar" at work from now on. Have you ever tried? Maybe if I repeat it enough, it'll come true!

My proposed no-sugar-added days will be: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Yikes!

I have noticed I need a sugar-fix after lunch, so to deal with it I'm gonna try chompin' on some of these:

Dried apricots. They're not technically candy, but they sure do pack a sugar punch!

In terms of healthy eats, I'm taking baby steps to getting back to my salad cases. The crunch for prep-time has got me prepping my veggies at work, so they're not really in a salad form - but at least they're there!

This week's case:

• 2 cups romaine
• 1 mini cucumber (so cute and yummy)
• handful of carrots

I had it along with a cup of this:

A bit on the pricey side, but oh so worth it! That Puck knows his soups!

If I had eaten that soup by itself, I would probably have been hungry an hour later. The added veggies definitely kept me feeling fuller longer so I MUST try and keep it up :)

What's your favorite way to sneak veggies?

ADios :)

The Sunday Plan

Workout: 30 min "brisk" walk - thanks swarm of mosquitoes - I enjoyed our rendezvous!

So yes, I post a couple of times then life happens. Then I post and try again - try to recommit to a healthy lifestyle that is.

I know I'm pregnant, believe me I do, but I have to keep reminding myself that what I do now (eat/exercise) WILL have an impact on the challenges I'll face when trying to get back to where I was post-pregnancy. Why is it so hard to get this concept?

I know the healthy lifestyle involves planning, so I'm gonna start a new Sunday theme: the Sunday Plan. So original, if only I do say so myself!

I'll try to focus on the things I want to focus on for the week and to include our "Eats" plan!

Exercise wise, this is the plan:

M: weights + 30 min walk
T: yoga + 20 min treadmill hill walk + 20 min reg walk
W: weights + 20 min treadmill hill walk + 20 min reg walk
Th: yoga + 20 min treadmill hill walk + 20 min reg walk
F: weights + 20 min treadmill hill walk + 20 min reg walk
Sat & Sunday: long walks + 1 mini-yoga session

Yes, I'm going to try and work on adding more walking. I also need to make some decisions on changing up my work schedule to accommodate going back to the gym (more on that in a different post).

Eats wise, as I noted in my last post, I've been going grocery shopping on Monday's sans toddler at my health food store. However, Monday evenings are a wreck trying to cook and sort everything out.

Today, I had grand plans of going during BB's nap time - but things did NOT pan out. Instead, we went  after dinner and I had to endure a crying toddler refusing to be put into the shopping cart seat. Luckily, she calmed down and enjoyed helping me put the veggies in the bags. She also loved pushing the cart. I don't know if I could manage waiting in line, paying and watching after her if it wasn't for RC, though!

So, I'm debating the best time to shop and if I should include BB or not. Any thoughts?

I did manage to get my Eats plan going, so yay for me:

1. CrockOrSghetti' Sundays: Mom's Spaghetti + broccoli
2. MexiOrMeatless' Mondays: Green Chile Enchiladas + squash
3. SurfinOrStirfry Tuesdays: Salmon + sweet potato fries
4. PaniniOrBfast Wednesdays: Blueberry + goat + bacon(optional) + asparagus
5. Taco Thursdays: Potato Tacos
6. PizzaOrMacNCheese Fridays!
7. Savory Saturday Breakfast: Huevo Ranchero bowls
8. Sweet Sunday Breakfast: Banana Skillet Bake
9. Breakfast Savor of the week: Eggs + Cheese
10. Salad Case: Greek + hummus

• Produce Isle
• broccoli
• Squash
• sweet potatoes
• asparagus
• potato
• cucumber
• lettuce
• Banana
• veggie on sale
• Staples Isle
• Lentils
• grilled cheese bread
• pita bread
• green enchilada sauce
• green salsa
• Dairy Isle
• shredded cheese
• goat cheese
• Protein Isle
• bacon
• eggs
• hummus

How do you plan your menus? Any tips?

ADios :)

The Salad Case: No Save!

Workout: 20 min weights + ~35 min walk

Where did the "Save" button go? Oh Blogger - I guess you just wanted to post that pic of my lunch choice ASAP.

As you may have guessed, there was no prep for salad cases, but I did grab this pita hummus plate since our salad bar was closed too.



It was tough saying no to the chips, but I feel so much better about it afterwards :)

I've recently been going grocery shopping on Monday's after my chiropractic appointment. My health food store is down the street and it makes it easy for me to get in and out. After thinking about it over the weekend, I'm going to start posting my shopping lists to ensure that 1. I have a shopping list and 2. I can always pull up and old one on my phone in a jiffy if I didn't plan ahead.

So here's a simple list of how I TRY to pull dinners together at home:

1. CrockOrSghetti' Sundays: Mom's Spaghetti
2. MexiOrMeatless' Mondays: Creamy Lentil + Kale + Potatoes
3. SurfinOrStirfry Tuesdays: Shrimp + Potatoes Po Boys
4. PaniniOrBfast Wednesdays: Peach, Bacon(optional) + Gouda Grilled Cheese + veggie on sale
5. Taco Thursdays: Potato Tacos
6. PizzaOrMacNCheese Fridays!
7. Savory Saturday Breakfast: Potato Hash + Eggs
8. Sweet Sunday Breakfast: Banana Skillet Bake
9. Breakfast Savor of the week: Eggs + Cheese
10. Salad Case: Greek + hummus

• Produce Isle
• Squash
• Potatoes
• Bell peppers
• Kale
• Peach
• Banana
• veggie on sale
• Staples Isle
• Lentils
• grilled cheese bread
• pita bread
• Dairy Isle
• Creamer
• Gouda
• Protein Isle
• bacon
• eggs
• hummus

How do you plan your menus? Any tips?


ADios :)

The Salad Case: Choices!

TT: The Pregnancy Card

Workout: none + 30 min walk

I have a confession, I partly blame the Olympics for my lack of energy this morning, no this entire week - I've been staying up way past my bedtime. It also didn't help that we went out on a week night to visit with some friends who were in town. Good times last night, no so much this morning!

Olympic side-note 1: I've been a little disappointed in online coverage - it's so hard to find out what's going on but the best site I've found so far is: USA at the Olympics 2012. Thanks wiki!

Olympic side-note 2: pregnancy hormones + olympic moments = teary combination. Those MOM commercials get me every time!

Speaking of being pregnant, I've recently been thinking about the "Pregnancy Card." I won't lie, I've pulled it out a couple of times; it's gotten me my pick of different restaurants and first dibs on goodies at work. It's also given me a pass to be a little lax about nutrition and to snack on-demand. And bloggies, I've also pulled it to explain my lack of posting.

That's right folks, yes - the first trimester was grueling and all I wanted to do was sleep, eat and avoid food that made me want to gag. Not blogging was understandable. Now that I have more energy, that card has to be stashed away.

I'm trying to have a fit pregnancy, but if I had to grade myself (which I'm making myself) I'd have to give myself a C. I hate C's. To me, the C indicates my lack of effort and commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Here's a glimpse into some of my thoughts:

• Meal plans? What are those? What - I have to plan them? We can't just live on mac-n-cheese even if it is organic?
• Blogging? What do I blog about now that I'm not trying to loose weight?
• You mean, now that my back is feeling way better I can actually do more than yoga/weights/walking breaks?

After some horrendous food choices yesterday, I "made the effort" to pack a prep-at-work lunch of a cheese+avocado sandwichthin with grapes. Then I had a craving for some chips and some of that Honest Tea that I've been loving recently. But that would add a whopping 300 calories of junk to my day. I almost pulled out that Pregnancy card, but I'm happy to say I stopped myself and opted to get a salad instead, go me!

I failed to pack the avocado, but a cheese+roasted red bell pepper sandwichthin was a good sub. I was so full, I didn't even finish the salad so I have some for tomorrow. #doublescore

It's really all about choices. I need to understand that back pain/pregnancy has shifted some of my fitness and nutrition goals, but it doesn't mean that it's obliterated them. To raise my average, here are some of my goals:

• blog, blog, blog - I need the accountability
• add a workout page
• try new workouts (just bought a zumba groupon)
• make time to do some prepwork or give eMeals a shot? I heard of them today, have you? Side note: they stole my idea! Not really, I had thought about adding a weekly post of meal plans and grocery lists and have even setup 4 of them - but there's just not enough hours in the day. I may try them for a week and see how it goes.
• eat cleaner, less sugar, less eating out
• keep that pregnancy card stashed away

Any tips for challenging yourself when all you want to do is cruise in the nutrition/fitness field? Ever have an idea that went on to make someone a millionaire?

ADios :)