hi! how was your weekend? mine was rather uneventful, but i actually SLEPT, so i think that’s a pretty big deal.
yesterday morning we went on some errands, hoping fox would sleep in the car. i had a birthday party to go to, but fox refused to catch some ZZZs.. so i decided heading home and trying to help him nap was a wiser idea. he’s the boss!
cranky pants. minus the pants.
so after a couple not so awesome cat naps throughout the early afternoon, the little dude finally zonked out at 4:30. i was thinking this was his typical late afternoon nap… but an hour went by, i cuddled with the dogs. then two hours… so i made enchiladas for dinner (yes! i cooked. didn’t take photos but it was–>shredded chicken that i bought precooked from smiths, green onions, green chiles, cilantro, salsa, black olives, green enchilada sauce, all mixed together and rolled up in tortillas and topped with cheese and red enchilada sauce. i like mixing the red and green sauces. we topped them with guacamole and sour cream. this is a long ramble to be stuck inside a set of parentheses!) anyway.. three hours went by.. marshall and i texted videos of fox as a newborn back and forth (yes.. haha.) then four hours… i eventually had to pump, because, well, yeah. i decided fox thought it was bedtime, so i finally went to bed myself at 9. sure enough, he woke up at 10 haha. so i fed him and marshall took over and i went back to bed…. until 5:30 AM! holy crap, i got seven straight hours of sleep. for the first time since august! i guess marshall did his bedtime routine at 11:30 (we usually do it at 8:30) and fed him a couple ounces that i’d pumped and then he slept a six hour chunk. i don’t want to jinx myself by celebrating, but i am hoping this is a sign that his four month regression is almost over!
so, feeling pretty refreshed this morning, i decided to fold my laundry (ugh) and then get a plan in place for the week, since my family is starting our 12 weeks of focusing on getting healthier tomorrow! it’s a really loose plan, but some of you asked me to share the details as well as our mini-goals each week. momma b was in charge of setting week one’s goal, and she decided it will be to do 100 squats every day. we can break it up or do it all at once, just as long as we get them done!
i mentioned we will each be picking on nutritional and one physical goal for the 12 weeks. here are mine:
nutritional: drink one gallon of water a day. it’s silly i have to make this a goal, as i used to do this without thinking. for years. but i have really let my hydration situation slip, and i know drinking water is good for SO many reasons! it gives you energy (god knows i need it), it gives you better skin, it helps digestion, it helps your urinary tract (an area where i have chronic issues), and it’s also great for breastfeeding. so i need to make it a point to get that gallon in!
physical: work out at least 3 times a week. i needed to be realistic here. i think three is do-able! sometimes i may have to get it done at home, but i hope to get to GPP three days a week. mondays are super easy for me, and then i can usually get another two in between wednesday and saturday. so that’s the plan!
i have really, really, REALLY been meaning to clean up my diet and eat more healthfully. it’s been since before my pregnancy that i actually tried eating better. it’s like i am brand new to this clean eating thing again, it’s actually very weird. i kind of didn’t know where to start or what to do. if you have read my blog for awhile, you know i got my initial start in clean eating with body for life. i do really well with a plan and structure, that’s one thing i know about myself! so, i decided i should probably find something to follow to kick my butt in gear. body for life is 12 weeks and, to be honest, that was a little overwhelming for me. so i decided to do a modified, breastfeeding-friendly version of the advocare 24 day challenge.
i did the real one back in 2013 and really enjoyed the structure. it’s not intense or super hard, which is good for me right now because i can’t handle anything too crazy considering my current life demands. the plan consists of eating six times a day–three meals and three snacks (that’s actually the same as body for life) and then you are supposed to exercise (there’s not a set plan, it just tells you to get moving) and then there is some supplementation. like i said, i’m doing a modified plan because i am nursing, so the supplementation will be a lot less than the original plan.
the first ten days is meant to clean up your diet and prepare your body for maximum vitamin absorption for the final 14 days. i don’t like calling it a cleanse, because you are still eating 6x a day. you are just eating nutritious foods and supplementing with fiber, probiotics, and omegas. it’s actually an awesome 10 day jumpstart for anyone! after the initial 10 days, the diet stays the same (except you can add in dairy, which is recommended you avoid during the first 10 days) and the supplementation changes a bit. i will be taking BCAAs, omegas, a multivitamin with added iron, and probiotics. since i have not been taking any vitamins at all lately, not even my prenatal vitamin that i’m supposed to be taking, i think this plan will help me get back on track!
it’s going to be fun because a handful of my friends will also be doing the 24 days with me! strength in numbers, right? we will all text about how sad we are about not eating cookies for breakfast.. but we will be better off for it in the long run.
when i did this in the past, i took photos and focused on my physique probably way more than i should have. i won’t be doing that this time around. something changed in my brain after having a baby. i can honestly say i don’t care a single bit about my weight or what i look like in a bikini. it’s fine if you care about that, it’s normal to want to look good, and i am in no way knocking people who do it for looks. but for me.. it’s just not a priority. as long as i am at a healthy weight and don’t have to buy an entire new wardrobe, i am good. i am doing this to get healthier, have more energy, and find those good habits that i lost somewhere between pregnancy and today. i am also hoping that cleaning up my act will also help fox.. his GI issues are still present, and i can’t help but wonder if doing this will help out with them. it definitely won’t hurt, that’s for sure.
so that’s the plan! i am getting excited to have a little structure back in my life, i’ve been all over the place for the past 4 1/2 months, eating whatever was fast and convenient, but it wasn’t always the best option. wish me luck! i’ll need it, haha.
so i did a little meal planning this week, something i love and actually missed. here is what i came up with for this week:
breakfasts: eggs, eggs, eggs. scrambled, over easy, boiled, you name it. eggs are easy and nutritious! i will pair two eggs with a piece of fruit. i will also have my daily bowl of oatmeal. on days 11-24, breakfasts are a meal replacement shake, but i will add my oatmeal to that as well. i have to be sure to keep my calories up for nursing.
lunches: this week amanda and i are making a big batch of jamie eason’s turkey chili at work on monday and then will eat the leftovers. i also have some leftover enchiladas (i made a few without the cheese) that i will alternate with the chili.
dinners: spinach linguine with meat sauce & a spinach salad; taco salads; artichoke stuffed chicken, grain pilaf, & asparagus; and something with the pork loin i have in my freezer (any ideas?)
snacks: i bought a bunch of veggies (carrots, celery, mini bell peppers, cucumbers) and hummus. i have hard boiled eggs, rice cakes with sunbutter, cooked chicken from trader joe’s, bran flakes with almond milk, and fruit.
hopefully this selection of healthy eats will keep me away from grabbing fast food, taking a couple of cookies with me on my drive to work, and eating dinners out more than in. i bet we will save a lot of money, too! added bonus.
this post has been super wordy! how about a few photos of food and fox?
we got takeout from our favorite place for breakfast, sunshine cafe. i had the french toast combo with eggs over easy and sausage.
we went to my parents’ for dinner and had ham, scalloped potatoes, salad, and rolls.
brownies and nielsen’s frozen custard for dessert!
fox man watching the packers game today. he’ll be as big as a football fan as his daddy, for sure! (and YAY, they won!!)
hanging out while we made randy’s food.. we make his food every two weeks. it’s a task.
getting cozy earlier at momma b’s.
and loving tummy time.. he’s much happier today after so much sleep!
another work week starts tomorrow. sigggh. oh, but we are announcing some cool things over on the blend retreat blog! so that’s exciting. be sure to check it out.
i’m gonna log off and soak up the last few hours of the weekend. bye!
Qs~
1. what is your favorite snack?
2. how much water do you drink every day?
xo. janetha g.