Daily Challenges

Week 5 quickly passed and I just completed week 6 back on Jenny Craig. Since I restarted, I've lost 18 pounds. It's been helpful having my cousin living with us as we push each other to either stay on track, to work a little harder, to drink more water, or to go be active when we feel like lounging around the house.

I was worried about being able to find the time to go to hip hop but with help from my parents and my husband, I have been able to go 3-4 times weekly. They have a new studio which is closer to my house and my favorite instructor, Jacque, is working her way back to instructing more classes again.

I have a great group of ladies (and some gents) who have consistently been there to push my along in this journey but no one can possibly be there with me all day long. So, with the help of my Up band I have been setting daily challenges for myself. Each day brings a different difficulty... rare is there a day for me that is completely easy.

Some days I am so tired, other days I want to go eat out and indulge a craving, some days I want to go work out but can't figure out the coordination of the other aspects of my life and other days I can be a victim of laziness.

Two weeks ago we had a birthday lunch at a mexican restaurant. My goal for the day was to eat absolutely no tortilla chips and to not order queso. I really want it but I knew it would through off my week. I made it through.

The Up band challenged me this week to get a certain amount of sleep and a certain amount of steps in. I bought a jug of water that hold 8 cups (the daily recommended amount) and I made it through 3 of them... the amount I need according to my body weight. To meet the step challenge I went out on my lunch hour and walked for 45 minutes. Then I went to hip hop later that night and ended up logging more than 14,000 steps.

In terms of food the Up band rates your daily food and gives you a score based on nutrition (it syncs with myfitnesspal). I have been trying to up my score and learn to cook more recipes without relying so much on frozen meals. One thing I am pondering is my calorie burn and caloric intake and how they relate to how much I lose each week. I have been consistently losing 1-2 pounds which is normal. But I used to lose 3-4 when I was previously this weight.

My Up band tells me to eat more to keep just a 500 calorie deficit daily. On hip hop days those require me to eat back about 1200 calories. In two weeks I will experiment by eating back what it tells me but with fruits, veggies and protein (no junk). I can't wait to see what next week will bring and how I will have to challenge myself to push through.

Superwoman I am Not

How do you get back into an exercise routine when you have two kids? Specifically, how do you leave your newborn and your 3, almost 4 year old, to go work out when you’ve already been gone all day long? I miss nursing my baby when she needs throughout the day and I miss cuddling my girls. But, now that I am back at work I want those cuddles, those nursing sessions but I also want to get back into the routine I had finally established. But… what would that realistically entail?

 

That would mean getting up between 5:30 and 6:00 AM to prep for leaving for work no later than 6:30. Then being at work at least until 4:30. I usually get home between 5 and 5:30PM. Most of my hip hop classes start at either 6:30 or 7:30. To make a 6:30 class I would be better off bringing my things and heading straight to class with no time to stop at home and take care of my babes. At 7:30 I could be home anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour before I would need to leave. Then I’d be home and it would be time for both kids to head to bed. Sure, the newborn will be up at least once but in order to get enough rest, I need to make the midnight feedings as short and sweet as possible.

 

The other crux of my problem is childcare. My cousin, our nanny, is home all day with both girls with nary a moment of respite for herself. Being truthful, we all love the kids but it does not negate our need for personal time. I don’t think it’s fair to ask her to stay an extra 1.5-2.5 (including travel time to and fro) hours watching the kids.

 

Oh, and there’s my husband. Sure he’s home but he’s worked third shift and he doesn’t always get to sleep right away so he usually is in bed before going back to work in the evening. I hate asking him when I know he’s tired. He’s also going to be on and off working two jobs.

 

Sure, I could just work out during the weekends but it doesn’t feel right to me. I need to balance it out. I need to do something a little bit each day to continue to feel motivated and energized.

 

So, what’s my solution? Well, I am still not quite sure but I hope to start with one week day hip hop class where hopefully my parents will watch the girls at my house, one weekend hip hop class where the girls will go to their grandparent’s house, and one where my cousin may help me with at least Henna or they can stay with daddy, then I’ll do some Just Dance after work and once the weather warms up things will get easier as I can do my C25K with Reyna in the stroller and I can walk with both girls.

Week 3 and 4

Week 3 was rather unremarkable in terms of weight loss for me. It was the week of our office Christmas party and I had planned on dinner out at P.F. Changs as well as my first post baby martini. I stuck pretty much to my plan but I had 2 additional drinks and ate an unplanned appetizer. It wasn't my finest choice but I knew that my calories still were not over enough to merit the 0.6 lb gain I saw.

Dinner at P.F. Changs with the office crew

Week 3 was a great week in the terms of exercise. It was my first week back to hip hop and I went twice before my weigh in. This is why I assume I saw a gain, muscle soreness. When you work out your muscles get little tears that then need water to repair them. I was so sore and my body was working overtime to heal itself and therefore it showed as a gain on the scale. Luckily, I am far enough along in my journey that these little fluctuations don't get to me like they used to. It's easy to get discouraged when you're doing more right than not and not to see the results. But, you must realize that weight loss is not and will never be completely linear. It's an up and down process and you must look at much more than the scale to determine your progress.

My biggest struggle in week 3 was my water intake. I kept meaning to get to Walmart and buy my decaf instant iced tea mix. It helps me get more water in because it tastes better than just plain water. The first few weeks after I delivered Reyna I was really good about staying hydrated but as fatigue set in, I got lazy.

Week 4 was great. I lost 3 pounds on the dot. I even had lunch out at Chipotle and was able to customize my order to fit within my daily caloric allotment. I love any and all restaurants that offer nutrition calculators online (such as Chipotle and Subway) I made a few meals instead of relying on the frozen. Now, I still leave room for error because no one making my Chipotle order is actually measuring what they're scooping for me.

4 oz grilled chicken with Bayou Bourbon Glaze and Chicken/broccoli flavored pasta with zoodles

I was also really good about logging the majority of my food first thing in the morning. I left a little bit of wiggle room for some freedom in which fruits/veggies I chose. I kept a paper log as well as myfitnesspal. It really helps me to physically WRITE everything down. It makes me more aware and I have to stop and reflect before I eat anything. My goal is to always write it down PRIOR to consuming it. Waiting to log until later can be very dangerous for me.

This week was also a measurement week. Jenny Craig measures bust, waist, abdomen and hips. In total of those areas I lost 10.6 inches over the past four weeks. That is the number I am most proud of. Since starting on Dec. 12 I've lost just over 13 pounds total. I am very proud of this.

As I start back at work on Monday I will focus on keeping my food on point. Temptation will be real to eat out during lunch but honestly, I plan on napping most of my lunch hour to catch up on sleep. I will not be breastfeeding as much and will see how well pumping at work goes. I am bumping down my calories soon as well with the guidance of my Jenny Craig counselor. I hope to get to hip hop at least twice a week. Saturday is my certain day since I combine my weigh in with my workout. I just need to see if I can lockdown a week day where either Moctar or my parents may be able to watch the girls for me. I can take Henna with me but honestly, I don't usually get as good a workout because I'm constantly having to move her out of the way of others.

Here's to an awesome week 5!

Cherishing our nursing time