Progress

Well I started out at 209 pounds post-pregnancy, and not being able to breast feed didn't help my weight loss either. So to you lucky Mommas who just breast feed and watch the pounds fall off- I hope you know how lucky you are! Anyways, I am now down to just about 160 pounds at 5 months postpartum and it has been hard. I should celebrate losing 40 pounds right? I did a happy dance, but I'm not going to celebrate until I reach my goal weight! The best feeling? Getting dressed, wearing my XL & L postpartum clothes and realizing they are getting baggy!

Today I finished week 2 of C25K! It was harder, but not unbearable! I'm excited and nervous to start week 3! I am not letting anything stop me from continuing my mission to get fit! Counting calories has been the hardest part. I found a meal plan on excel and modified it to fit my calorie intake and that has made life a little easier, along with MyFitnessPal.

Last night was my in-laws anniversary and J wanted to take me out to dinner just to get out of the house for a while and we went to the Mexican restaurant (yes he had to talk me into it, because it's not "on my diet"). So recluctantly I went, and got a chicken taco salad. I either got food poisoning or my body rejected the food I ate. I'm assuming my body has been accustomed to eating healthy and only eating fruits, veggies, healthy meals, and natural foods that it wasn't used to the restaurant food anymore! Lesson learned, next time I will order a salad. And just because Taco Salad has the word salad in it, does not make it healthy.

I also downloaded the Abs Trainer- similar to C25K, and did 185 reps! Not too bad for my first time. Or is it? At least thats 185 reps I wouldn't have done otherwise! Hope you're all having a great week!

Claudia's Chocolate Treats!

I've had a lot of requests via facebook and instagram for this recipe- so here it is! 48 calorie cupcakes!

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup oats (old fashion)
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup of a sugar substitute. I used Splenda. I ran out of Splenda at 1/4 cup and used another 1/4 of brown sugar.
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 egg whites- 3 TBSP of liquid egg whites = 1 egg. So if you're using liquid egg whites, you'll use 9 TBSP
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce. I didn't have unsweetened, so I used 1/4 cup of regular.
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 0 FAT Greek Yogurt (I used vanilla flavored)
1 Cup of hot water
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners (I had enough batter to make almost 24 cupcakes).

In a blender, grind the oats until they are well ground.
Add the remaining dry ingredients into the blender with ground oats. (cream of tarter, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, Splenda/brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa).
  -Put the blender lid on (mine ended up popping off and I had a cocoa powder mess).
  -Blend/Pulse until all dry ingredients are combined.

In a bowl (I used a medium mixing bowl) whisk together all of the wet ingredients (egg whites, water, applesauce, vanilla, greek yogurt).  Then add the dry ingredients all at once to the mixing bowl with wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.

I then placed 2-3 TBSP of mixture into each cupcake liner. Once all of your liners are filled, sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over each cupcake. (I ended up with around 4 chocolate chips on top of each cupcake).

Bake at 350 degrees for 13-20 minutes. Mine took about 17, but it just depends on how your oven cooks! Check with a toothpick to ensure that they are fully cooked.

Remove from the oven and let them cool for 5-7 minutes before you remove them from the pans.

Enjoy!

New Toy!

This post was written a while ago, but I am just getting around to posting it! I've been busy with the baby and making slideshows for senior open houses! And babysitting a set of 14 month old twins. Phew!

Okay, so I guess it's not really a toy, but I am so excited to use this new baby!

This is called a fitbit flex. I am in no way affiliated with this brand and was not asked to promote it or blog about it. I am just simply so excited to try it out and share my results with all of you!

I've been debating on whether or not to get a Polar FT4, a heart rate monitor watch that also keeps track of your calories burned, but it comes with a chest strap for the HRM, and I'm not one for wearing straps across my chest. I don't even like wearing clothes, at least not layers and heavy clothes. Stop thinking dirty, that's not what I meant!

Anyways, I've been searching all over the cities surrounding me, and even contemplated driving an hour to pick up a Polar watch. While I was on the phone with a woman at Best Buy, she asked me if I had heard of a product called fitbit. She explained to me what it was all about and that her physician actually recommended it to her! I did a little online research and read some reviews, and decided it was more of what I had been looking for (and it's sporty/stylish too). I've never been a watch person anyways- that's why I have my phone out 24/7-  without it, I wouldn't know the time, my plans, or phone numbers. Anyways, I called all of the local sporting good stores and no one carried the fitbit flex. So, I searched at Walmart and Target. Lucky me, Target carries them. I called and the young man on the phone said that he would run to the back and see if he could find one, because he knew they weren't on the shelf yet and he wasn't sure if he could ring it up because it wasn't supposed to hit the floor until June 16. Lucky me, he found one and he was able to ring it up! YES! 

So far, it's been easy to use, with an easy setup too! PLUS it's rechargeable- it doesn't take a battery. The charge is supposed to last 5 days, but we'll see! My favorite feature- it connects to MyFitnessPal.

I recently RE-started my C25K. Yep, again. Only this time, I have double motivation. I have a new tracker, and..... I got a new jogging stroller! Hallelujah! 


Thank you for following along ya'll.

-C-

Operation #GetFit

Hi friends!

Alright, how many of you are one of those women (or men) who are constantly saying "I'm going to start tomorrow," or "I'm going to start on Monday.." -which really means you're going to pig out all weekend and eat all of the chocolate and salty goodness that you can consume. I'm so guilty of this. In fact, I just did it this last weekend! But I'm sick and tired of continuously feeling like a fat failure. 

        This was me pre-pregnancy:

This was me post-pregnancy:

                                                           My 5'1" stature doesn't help!

I know it looks gross, and I know it's not a lot of change, but it's something. And something is better than nothing right?! I wasn't one of those women who only gain the baby belly weight. I gained weight in my flabby arms, my face, my hips, thighs, feet, toes- you name it, it got bigger. We wont even mention my hind end. I think I could balance a can of diet coke on this thing. Kidding, but it blew up like two balloons. No more Miss Me jeans, bye bye Buckle jeans- hello borrowed jeans from my mother and wearing my maternity clothes 4 months post-postpartum.

Here is the progress I've made in the last 4 months. I know it's not a lot, and I forget to remind myself that the weight isn't going to fall off all by itself.

Please, keep the rude comments to yourself. I already know that it looks gross. Hey, guess what?! I am the one living with it! If you don't like it- you can just click your little back button and never return! 

Those of you who have been supportive and sweet, thank you. Your support keeps me going!  

But wait! There is light at the end of the fat tunnel, and the fat train stops here. Last week I started Couch 2 5K (C25K), an app I found on my phone that is supposed to have you running a 5K in about 8 weeks. Now, running a 5K has never been a huge dream of mine. In fact, I used to absolutely despise running. Until I went through a horrible relationship, started my life over, and used running as my release. I fell in love. I found all kinds of new running music, music that made me want to run harder, faster. When I became pregnant, I stopped running, in fear that it would harm the baby. Then the morning sickness kicked in, which in reality was all day sickness. Morning, noon, and night. There was no break, I practically hugged the toilet, trash can, pot on the stove- whatever I was closest to- during the first 7 months of my pregnancy. And then I found a solution around the beginning of my second trimester. Food. As long as I continued eating, I wouldn't feel as nauseated. As long as I ate what I was craving, I usually could keep it down. Lucky me, I craved McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Buffalo Wild Wings. So I went from weighing about 125 pounds, to weighing 203 pounds on the day of my induction. It's okay if your mouth dropped open, but you can close it now. 

As of now, I have lost about 30 pounds. No, I'm not a breast feeding mother, and no, the pounds don't just fall off of you- at least they didn't for me while I was breast feeding. So this means that I have about 40 pounds to go until I reach my goal weight- but I am trying really hard not to focus so much on numbers, but focusing instead on inches. Size 27 jeans, here I come. 

For my operation #getfit, I will be using C25K and another app called MyFitnessPal. 

So I encourage you, no- I challenge you to join us! And by us, I mean Brittney and I- look for Brittney's post soon! And, it's free! No need to buy those expensive shakes and drinks! Whether or not you use the C25K, Jillian Michaels, or yoga (or whatever), I challenge you to join us in operation #getfit! Follow us and tag us on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest! Show us how you're getting fit! Check back for daily posts, healthy recipes, tips, tricks, and more! Also, feel free to leave a comment or send us an email! We'd be glad to hear from you!

Mothers Day 2013

Claudia here!

Well, yesterday was my first Mothers Day! I spent the first half of the day over at my Moms house for a BBQ. My baby girl and I got her one of those Hallmark cards where you can leave hand and feet prints- adorable! She loved it and said she was going to frame it. Best child award goes to me! Kidding.  Then I took the little miss over to J's grandmothers house. We then went back to J's parents, and his nieces and nephews came to play! I love having a house full of kids! I even tried to take a quick nap when M fell asleep, thinking my 4 month old daughter would sleep for at least an hour. HA, that didn't happen! I did however get in a 30 minute power nap!

J also took me to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. I got a drink called The Wallaby Darned. Oh. My. Gosh... Heaven in a glass. I have a picture of it on our Instagram, check it out!

Today I am teaching 4th grade. One plus about a small community, everyone knows everyone- and when you show up and they squeal with joy and want hugs, you must be doing something right!
Speaking of small community- it's about time for planting! Which really means wives wont see their husbands until they come in from the fields late at night and want a hot meal. Which also means I get the house to myself for a while! I love J dearly, but I also like my me time. I get to watch whatever I want on television, I can watch my "chick flicks," use the computer because he's not browsing the web for truck or tractor parts, or new vehicles. Men.

I hope all of you mothers out there had a fantastic mothers day! When I was younger, I had always tried to imagine what being a mother would be like. It's nothing like I had imagined. It's better. Having a child gives you an unexplainable bond. There's an unexplainable love, one you cannot possibly dream of, until you have a child of your own. I thought I loved mexican food, there's a big difference. HA! I am so blessed to have a healthy, beautiful baby girl! We are so lucky that she is a good baby, one that only cries if she is sick, hungry, or overly tired. Thank you Jesus. I know J wouldn't be able to live under the same roof otherwise- M must have taken notes while she was in the womb. I kid. I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful man to be the father to our sweet girl. His love for her makes me love him even more.

Happy Monday ya'll!

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B & C