Thursday, July 29, 2010

Pregnancy Is Messing with My Mind

Pregnancy has made me more scatterbrained and clumsy. I don't know if it's some legitimate symptom of pregnancy or just the fact that I am distracted with thoughts of Baby Mount, but I find myself bumping into things, forgetting things, and confusing things. I also do not think things through as thoroughly as I should at times.

Case in point:

Last night I decided I would go for a 30-minute walk around our neighborhood loop. It was relatively pleasant outside compared to some of the other nights we've had, and I was just itching for some exercise, so off I went. When I walked out the door, my watch said 7:40. Great, I thought, at 8:20 I'll have my 30 minutes in.

Does anyone else see the problem with that math? I didn't, until around 8:15. Then I realized that in fact my planned 30 minute walk was a 40 minute walk. By that time, I had already started my third loop around and so I just finished that loop and ended up walking 45 minutes instead of 30! I even jogged for 12 minutes, too!

I suppose in this case, my scatterbrainedness (look, I made up a word!) had a positive outcome in that I got more exercise than I intended. Let's hope that trend continues. :)

Monday, July 26, 2010

Workouts (or Lack Thereof)

Okay friends, it's time to talk exercise.

I haven't been doing it.

Here's the thing: I am tired ALL. THE. TIME. I have been going to bed between 9:30 and 10:00 every night and sleeping until 6:30 or 7:00 every morning, and still I am tired! After I get home from work, it's all I can do to keep my eyes open, much less workout. It's really pitiful (just ask my husband!). I have read/heard that the fatigue lessens some when the second trimester hits, and I sure hope so! Still, I have a few more weeks before that happens (I'm 9 weeks along right now), so I need to figure out something. Maybe I need to tell myself I'll do just 10 minutes of cardio a day. That's not much, but it's less than zero. Every night I tell myself, "Tomorrow I'll work out," and then tomorrow comes and I'm tired, and it doesn't happen. Basically, I'm using my fatigue as an excuse not to exercise, and it's not doing my body (or the baby) any good.

Apparently I need a good kick in the pants, so readers, lay it on me! How do I beat this fatigue?

Friday, July 23, 2010

Pregnancy: A Weighty Issue

One thing that I did not anticipate about pregnancy is the wild, crazy dreams I would have. I have had a lot of very vivid dreams. From what I've read/heard from others, those dreams can sometimes be nightmares. So far, none of them have been too bad, save for one.

In that dream, I hopped on the scale for my weekly weigh-in, and to my dismay I had gained FOURTEEN POUNDS! I was horrified and immediately started crying, trying to figure out how I had lost control so quickly. It was awful, and the dream stayed with me after I woke up. I even went and weighed myself just to make sure I hadn't in fact gained that much weight (I hadn't).

This dream, while perhaps not a nightmare to some, was rather nightmarish to me, and it preys upon one of my biggest fears about pregnancy: gaining weight. I know gaining weight is a natural, necessary, and expected part of pregnancy, but I am still very nervous. I worked really hard the past 2 1/2 years and lost over 90 pounds, and it's going to be hard to see the scale going up. Granted, the reason for the higher number on the scale makes it more than worth it, but I am afraid of gaining more than I need to.

The week I found out I was pregnant, I weighed 170.2 pounds, so I am considering that my starting weight. I actually lost a bit the week after that and was at 168.8, but that did not last long. I've been fluctuating between 169 and 170.something ever since. I suppose that's not too bad, and I haven't gained an insane amount of weight, but I'm only a little under 9 weeks into my pregnancy! I have a long way to go, and I just hope that I can keep the weight gain at a healthy, manageable rate.

So what's my goal? To gain 25-30 pounds. That's a very healthy weight gain, and I could even stand to gain less than that because I am still overweight, but I think 25-30 is realistic for me. I know it's possible; I just hope it's possible for ME. I am hungry ALL.THE.TIME. right now, so it's been a struggle not to use that added hunger as an excuse to indulge. I have to remember that the food I'm eating is fueling my growing baby, and that is more important than satisfying my desire for ice cream 3 times a day.

I also need to remember that I only need an additional 300 calories every day, and that's not a lot when it comes down to it. Where I'm having trouble is figuring out what my caloric intake should be. When I was still actively trying to lose weight, I would eat between 1500-1700 calories a day. So does that mean that now I should eat 1800-2000? Or should I eat more than that because I'm not trying to lose weight and therefore am simply trying to maintain my weight? (I don't even know if that makes sense now that I've written it out!) Basically, I really don't know, and I guess ultimately the number doesn't matter as much as my attitude toward food and the choices I make about what I eat. I don't want to be so obsessed with this that I miss out on the joy of pregnancy, so I'm going to have to find some balance.

I'd love any advice/suggestions any of you have to share!

P.S. I've decided to keep my blog here for now, if for no other reason than the fact that all the cute URLs I thought of are already taken. :)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Beginnings

Man, I am SO GLAD the pregnancy is out in the open now! It was so hard to keep it a secret. Now I don't have to think of things beside pregnancy to blog about. :) You may have noticed that I changed the header on my blog. Since weight loss won't be happening for a while and my life will be decidedly focused on the baby, I think Baby Love is a fitting name. I considered starting an entirely new blog in which to write all the baby-related posts, and I may still do so. What do you think? Would you follow me to a new blog, or should I just stick with this one?

Currently, according to BabyCenter.com Baby Mount is the size of a kidney bean. I love reading about all the developmental milestones that take place each week. When we found out I was pregnant, I was four weeks along, and the baby was the size of a poppy seed. We had some poppy seeds in the kitchen (for a recipe I never made, ahem), and I couldn't believe how TINY a poppy seed is! Seriously, they are minuscule. It's so amazing that a little life can actually grow inside of me!

The first 2 weeks I was pregnant, the whole thing seemed very surreal. I didn't really feel pregnant and certainly wasn't showing any outward signs of pregnancy, so it was hard to believe that I even was pregnant. That all changed when we went to our first doctor's visit. I was 6 weeks along at that point, and Stephen, being the supportive husband and excited father-to-be that he is, went with me to the appointment. They confirmed that I was pregnant, which relieved me because even after taking 3 pregnancy tests I was still a little worried that I would find out I wasn't in fact pregnant. :) Then we met with my OBGYN, who examined me. She then decided to do an ultrasound to check for an ectopic pregnancy because I had been having some pain in my left side, and she wanted to rule that out. So we waited, rather anxiously, for about 30 minutes until they could squeeze us in. And then, after a few moments, we saw it: our baby. It was incredible! Then we heard the heartbeat, and tears sprung to my eyes because it made the whole thing so REAL. The baby was fine, and after talking with the doctor some more so I could ask her my list of questions, we left, our first baby picture in hand.

I am beyond thankful for this pregnancy. I know it is not something to take for granted, and I pray daily that God would remind me of the tremendous blessing and privilege and responsibility it is to bear and raise a child.

May we be worthy of the task.

Monday, July 19, 2010

A BIG Confession

I've been holding out on you, readers.

For four weeks.

But now, the time has come.

I can keep the secret no longer.

I'm ready to come clean.

Are you ready?


Here's a picture hint:





That's right, I'm PREGNANT! I'm 8 weeks as of today (the picture was taken at 6 weeks), and Stephen and I could not be more thrilled! We started trying at the beginning of this year, and we feel so blessed and overjoyed at the life growing inside of me. Our little baby is due February 28, and I'm so glad that 2011 is not a leap year. :)

So far, I haven't had any morning sickness, but I have definitely been more tired and have felt dizzy at times. Overall, though, things are going well.

I hope you'll all follow along with this new chapter of our lives. It's going to be quite the adventure. :)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

In Which I Blog About Hair

Yes, that's right. My blog has reached a new level of shallowness.

But friends, I am in a hair rut, and I need your help.

Currently, my hair is the longest it's ever been, but it doesn't really look great. See?


I don't really know what to do with it, and a lot of the time it ends up in a ponytail, which is less than glamorous. I definitely need a change, but I am not sure what kind of change I need.

Bangs?





No bangs?



Super short hair?





Chin-length hair?



Flipped out hair?




Longer hair with more layers?

(I have no picture for this scenario)

Help me out! Be brutal, if you must! I need a hair makeover pronto!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Mmm, Mmm, Good

It's been a while since I blogged about food, so I thought I would share some of the foods I am enjoying right now. I am always looking for good healthy foods, so if you have any to share, please let me know! I realize some of these are packaged and processed and therefore may not be everyone's preference, but I enjoy them and appreciate how they fit into my lifestyle.

1. Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat Thin-Sliced Bagels. The name is entirely too long (albeit informative), but I really like these bagels! I don't buy a lot of bagels because they are so calorie-dense and usually void of nutritional value, but these are sliced thinner and only have 140 calories compared to the 200 or 220 calories typical bagels have. Plus, the whole wheat packs in 5 grams of fiber! I spread a tablespoon of peanut butter over this and sometimes add a little honey, and it's a great breakfast. You could also use them to make a deli sandwich for lunch!

2. Kashi GoLean Crisp Toasted Berry Crumble. I have long been a fan of Kashi GoLean Crunch, so when I saw the GoLean Crisp, I had to try it. It did not disappoint. It has a good flavor without being overly sweet, and with 8 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein, it helps me stay full longer.

3. Grapes. Okay, I admit I have blogged about these before, but I LOVE grapes! They are so juicy and crunchy and delicious, I could eat my weight in them. :)

4. Fresh blueberries. I just bought some of these at the grocery store this weekend, and I had some to accompany my peanut butter bagel. Fresh blueberries have the perfect sweet and tart combination, and they are so good for you!

5. V8 Fusion Light Strawberry Banana. I am not a fan of regular V8 because I think it is too thick and has too many calories for a juice. I don't really like to "drink" my calories, but this juice only has 50 calories and contains a combined serving of fruits and vegetables. I make sure to only have the 8 ounces recommended as a serving so I don't go overboard on the calories, and I find that the juice leaves me feeling satisfied when I am done. I know that it's always better to eat REAL fruits and veggies, but I have to be honest and say that I don't get enough servings of those in my diet, so this is better than nothing to me.

Now, I'd love to hear what foods you all love! What should I add to my grocery list the next time I go to the store?

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Sometimes the Little Things Make a Big Difference

Back when I was 261 pounds, I hardly EVER wore skirts or dresses. The reason? I hated my legs, and I especially hated the way my thighs would rub together whenever I walked in a skirt or dress. After a few hours of that, my inner thighs would be red and irritated. Wearing skirts just wasn't worth it.

However, now I've been wearing skirts more and more recently, mainly because I've gotten over some of my dislike of my legs and because it's just too hot to wear pants! Today when I was walking to my car on my lunch break, I realized something:

MY THIGHS WEREN'T RUBBING TOGETHER.

I couldn't believe it! I was ecstatic. I don't remember my thighs ever not rubbing together. I drove home with a smile on my face, basking in the joy of my newfound realization. I may not have seen a ton of changes in the scale recently, but I am so happy to have noticed this one tiny change in my body. I still have crazy thunder thighs and will probably never be comfortable wearing shorts that don't cover most of my thighs, but at least I don't have to worry about that pesky chafing!

I had Stephen take an updated picture of me in front of our house to celebrate this momentous occasion (pardon my hair-it was a lazy hair day):



And for comparison's sake, here's a picture of me taken on March 30, 2008, roughly 2 months into my weight loss journey:



What little thing can you celebrate today?

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Challenge Update and Home Sweet Home

I just can't seem to get back into consistent blogging! I sincerely apologize, as I know my updates are sporadic and rather random. Unfortunately, I can't say this one won't be more of the same.

First, a quick rundown of my progress with my goals:

1. Exercise 4 times. SUCCESS! This is the first week I've managed to do this in a while, and I am really proud of myself. The total minutes I exercised were just a little over 2 hours, but that's better than ZERO, if my limited math skills are correct. :)

2. Log all my food 5 out of 7 days. SUCCESS!

3. Read my Bible every day. Mostly a success. I did this 6 out of 7 days.

All in all, I am proud of how I did, especially compared to the week before last. I am hoping this week will be another solid week.

This weekend Stephen and I went to visit his family in Illinois, and we had such a great, relaxing time. His parents are always so welcoming, and his mom had lots of yummy food for us to eat. It was great to see them, but sadly we didn't take a single picture! It seems like that happens almost every time he or I go to visit our families, and we need to break that pattern!

Speaking of pictures, I have FINALLY uploaded some pictures of our house to facebook. Here are a few of the highlights:


Living room


Master bedroom


Guest bedroom

Kitchen

Dining room



I thought I'd try out the new riding lawn mower. :)

Can I just say having a house is immensely more enjoyable when the air conditioner works?? It is so nice to look forward to coming home instead of dreading it! I am so thankful that all the A/C drama is behind us (as I am sure all of you are, so I'll stop talking about it).

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend and are striving to reach your goals!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

At Least It's a Downward Trend, Right?

The good news is when I did my final weigh-in for June, the scale said 167.6! That's almost 94 pounds I've lost!

The bad news is that my starting weight for June? It was 167.8. So I lost a whopping .2 pounds for the month. But hey, it wasn't a gain, and considering the fact that I was 170 not too long ago, I'm glad to have ended the month with even the tiniest of losses. Still, I need to stop losing and gaining the same 2 pounds!

But now for more good news: We have a working air conditioner!! The part came in Monday afternoon, and the company came over and fixed it on Tuesday! By the time Stephen got home from work, it was a cool 75 degrees in the house! It has been AMAZING to have cool air in the house. The first night I just kept exclaiming with awe about how great it felt. I'm so happy to have the whole mess behind us, and I hope that the unit keeps working for the rest of the summer. Someone asked me yesterday if I knew whether or not the heat worked, and I don't even want to know the answer to that! We'll worry about that when it's not 90 degrees outside.

I'm super excited about the upcoming 3-day weekend and am hoping that they let us leave work early on Friday. Stephen and I are going to spend a few days with his family in Illinois, and we are really looking forward to spending time with them and relaxing!

What are your plans for the weekend?