Two Steps Forward... One Step Back

Why is it so hard to stick to a diet on the weekend?!

Admittedly, I didn't do too badly. I ate alright and even got some Wii time in on Saturday. I didn't do any sort of exercise yesterday but I figured I deserved a day off. I did indulge in wine on both Saturday & Sunday night but I had said that was a part of my plan all along.

I woke up feeling guilty about the wine this morning so that's got to be a relatively good sign. I'm hoping I'll remember this feeling next weekend when I go to top up my glass. It just makes me feel like I undid all the good I did last week. I didn't stray from my eating plan once last week! I drank lots of water and used my Wii daily. Perhaps it was in my head but I actually felt like I was getting a little bit slimmer & trimmer.

I rented a copy of Jillian Michael's Fitness Ultimatum 2010 yesterday and am gearing up to pop it in the Wii. My goal is to do that workout (not that I even know what it entails yet) 5 times this week. I'll carry on with my healthy eating and let's hope I have another good week.

I'm desperate to weigh myself but I'm going to hold off for one more week! I just don't want to be disappointed.

Okay, I lied. I had to weigh myself as a part of the set up for the Fitness Ultimatum and it said...

141.5lbs

Yay! That's a loss of 3.5lbs since last week! Can that actually be true?!

I was feeling pretty excited until D commented that he isn't so certain about the accuracy of using the Wii as a scale. Sigh.

5 Random Tidbits About Me

5. I can only tie shoelaces 'bunny ear' style.

4. I wear a tank top every day under whatever shirt I happen to be wearing that day. The kicker? I NEVER pull a tank top over my head and always step into it.

3. I like each forkful to contain a bit of whatever is on my plate.

2. I'm a lefty but do every thing with my right hand. That said, I can't use a right-handed can opener to save my life.

1. I'm obsessed with being on time yet I don't wear a watch.

BAM 101: Being a Mum

It's truly amazing how a woman's life changes the minute she pees on a stick and sees the big fat positive.

From that day forward, I obsessed about the health and well being of our baby. I have never eaten so well in my life or taken better care of myself. I was so aware of everything that went into my body and at the end of the day, I'd wonder if I did the fruit or veggie food group justice. I made sure I got lots of rest, oiled my tummy religiously, cut out alcohol & scaled back on caffeine. It was easy because I had the best reason ever to do so.

Fast forward to April 9th, 2009 when our little guy made his big appearance. He was a tiny baby at only 5lbs 15oz and with his birth, a whole new world of obsessions opened up. I obsessed about everything from feeding to pooping to sleeping. As he closes in on 9 months, I'm pretty pleased with how he's turned out. I still stress about things like how I don't really have him on a firm schedule yet or wondering if he's getting all the nutrients he needs now that he's eating more solids. But, all in all, he couldn't be more perfect.

Where am I going with all of this? Well...

M has been my sole focus for ages. I had 38 weeks & 2 days to make changes and get used to the idea of being Mum. I've had 9 months to continue implementing changes and adapting to my new life as a Mum. I've let things fall by the wayside and have no regrets. It's interesting how all that extra care you took with diet and exercise when pregnant seems to disappear the minute you bring your little one home from the hospital. It also becomes too easy to let your baby become your only focus and let relationships or friendships suffer.

I often joke that my life is like the movie 'Groundhog Day' where I live in 12 hour cycles that repeat twice daily, 7 days a week, months at a time. Sometimes I feel like I have nothing to talk about that doesn't involve a baby, belly or budget. Don't get me wrong because I absolutely love my life and the daily mundane it sometimes brings.

However, it doesn't mean I don't miss certain things from my not-so-distant pass. I miss the pick up & go at times. I miss not being able to pop out for a pint & bite with D whenever the mood hit us. I miss going out for drinks with co-workers & friends after work. I miss working and having another purpose. See, when you become a Mum, many of these things vanish into thin air. Friends stop calling after the initial cuteness wears off because they sense you're likely too busy to chat or pop out. I know I stopped calling people simply because I didn't think they'd want to hear about my "boring" day when they still had all the fun & pressure of work and a social life.

I can count on one hand the amount of times I've missed putting M to bed at night and for that, I have no regrets. I have no regrets about putting my family first on weekends when D is home and making sure that we have good quality time together. I have no regrets about the sacrifices I've made and will happily go without if it means M has every need met. I have no regrets giving up things because let's face it, my life isn't over... it's just beginning.

I think all mamas can relate to this feeling. I'm happy and with no regrets but damn, I'd love a day or night off to go out with girlfriends, have a few drinks, stay out late and sleep in the next day.

Losing My Mummy Tummy!

I'm only on day 3 of eating well, avoiding alcohol and using my Wii and so far, it's going great. So great, in fact, that I'm trying to keep myself from doing the body test on the Wii to see if I've lost any weight. I'm afraid of being disappointed but I'd love to know if my hard work is paying off!

I wasn't initially going to post my weight on here but I'm going to now. I think it'll help to keep me motivated and push me to keep it up.

Current Weight: 145lbs

Pre-Pregnancy Weight: 140lbs

Heaviest Weight During Pregnancy: 157lbs

Weight at 6 Week PP Check-Up: 138lbs.

Sigh. Within 6 weeks of having M, I managed to lose 17lbs PLUS an extra two. In a perfect world, I would have weighed 130lbs when I got pregnant so I started the whole thing off a good 10lbs overweight.

I know exactly why I gain weight, which is snacking, red wine, beer, big portions, weekends and general laziness (in no particular order). Double sigh. Those are a lot of bad habits to break.

My goal is to lose 10lbs before I go back to work in April, which is definitely NOT impossible. I've got a few secrets up my sleeve as to how I'm doing this (all healthy, I promise) and at my next weigh-in, I'll share them... but only if they worked!

New Year! New Me?

Today was originally slated to be the official start of my healthy eating & exercise regime but I'm happy to say I started yesterday.

I ate well & Wii'd for a few minutes every time M napped (3 times in total). If only I could see some results already...

It was also one of those "yay me!" days. You know, the sort of day when everything goes well and all family members are in good spirits, things get done and you end the day feeling like it was just a good day. M was in a great mood and played happily all day. He went down for naps with minimal fussing and took to his new 3 meals a day routine well. I managed to get 6 loads of laundry done and start the process of taking down the Christmas tree. I showered, brushed my teeth and had a coffee. I even got into bed at 10pm and read for a bit before bed... what more could I have wanted?! Yesterday was a great day!

I'm hoping for a repeat today!

Mmm... Steak Sandwiches!

I can't take complete credit for this recipe but I did tweak it to suit our tastes. We've served these to friends & family during the summer barbeque season but today, I'm using leftover beef tenderloin.

What You Need:

Ciabatta

Steak (a cut like tenderloin or sirloin and preferably cooked to medium/medium rare)

Arugula

Provolone

Caramelized Onions

Garlic Mayonnaise

1. Prepare your garlic mayonnaise by adding a minced clove or two of garlic to enough mayonnaise to serve your crowd. Add in some fresh squeezed lemon juice, a dash of salt and a few good grinds of pepper. Set aside.

2. Slice 2-3 onions thinly and start to saute on low heat in a pan with equal amounts of butter & olive oil. Season with a bit of salt & pepper, if you like, and after the onions are soft & translucent. Add in a generous tablespoon of sugar. Continue cooking until the onions are brown & caramelized in texture.

3. Season your steaks and grill to your liking. I typically rub the meat with a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper. Slice thinly.

4. Assemble your sandwiches by spreading garlic mayonnaise on one half of your ciabatta. Top with arugula, steak and caramelized onions. Add your provolone and at this point, you can slide your sandwich back into the still warm barbeque to melt the cheese or put under the broiler of your oven for a few minutes. Top with the other half of ciabatta, slice into personal sized portions & serve!

Happy New Year!

I wouldn't say I'm the sort of person that makes New Year's resolutions but I'm pretty certain I say I'm going to do the same things year after year. You know... eat better, lose weight and those sorts of things. I never hold myself to them and they basically fall to the wayside.

So, I'm going to try something different this year. I'm going to set a few simple and small goals each month in the hopes that I'll follow through with them. Sounds easy, right? Well, we'll see!

My goals for January 2010:

1. Lose a few lbs by the end of the month. I don't own a scale so I'll go by the 'give' in my pants. It's time I dealt with my baby belly.

2. Cut out alcohol during the week. No more glasses of wine in the evening!

3. Set up & use my Wii Fit 5 times this month. Anything above is a bonus!

4. Finish the hall closet renovation.

5. Actually get 30 loads of laundry out of a container of detergent. I can't get over how often it seems like I'm buying this stuff.

See? Nothing to strenuous. I'm going to give myself until Tuesday, January 5th to start.

Stay tuned! I'm being held accountable here so I hope I do it!