Fit Goals For the Next 5 Weeks

I want to find out where I can get a rose like this for my garden. 

Hello!  How was your week?  Did you meet your goals or at least give it your best effort?  How do you feel?  I hope you had a healthy and happy week!  Here is how mine went:

I lost 2 tenths of a pound this week and nothing on my measurements.  I was experimenting with 150 carbs per day to see if it would make me gain.  I had two days that were over 150 so I guess it's a good level for my body right now.  I will continue with the Perfect Health Diet at the highest carb level until my body needs a change.

5 of my many reasons to stay fit and healthy.

I did my exercises each day and felt great.  I need to focus more on the ab work 'cause even though I moved up to the harder level I didn't have any soreness after the first two workouts.  I do notice that my abs are flatter after I exercise so that is a good sign that something is going on.

I had my 6 week check up so I guess I'm free to pursue whatever I want exercise wise.  I will continue to slowly build up the exercise as I have the time and strength.  I feel great and back to normal besides my larger body size.
 

7 of my children, no I'm not counting my husband.  ; )

Here are the goals I came up with to work on for the next 5 weeks from May 17- June 20:

*Lose 2.5 pounds
*60 min walk 5 days per week
*Tummy work 5 days per week
*Go outside each day
*5 min of relaxing 5 times per week- I will not think about my to do list or problems or anything.

Please leave me a comment with a link to anything you wrote this week on meeting your fitness goals.

Something Wonderful Happens Everyday

Especially when you are looking out for it.

M- My husband helped get the laundry caught up and the house straightened up since baby spent most of the day napping in my arms.  I was too worn out to even tell the children what needed to be done so he got them working after dinner.

T- Snuggling my baby

W- I had more free time in the morning and Abigail took a nap.

Th- Listening to my children share what they were learning from their books, gardening and experiments.

F- My husband talked to someone at work who had an interesting opportunity for Jacob.  This came after I had spent the morning sad and worried about my precious boy(ok, young man, he is 19).

Are you keeping track of the best thing that happens each day? Or in some other way counting your blessings?  I think it's fun to look back at a whole week of wonderful memories to see how rich my life really is.

6 Weeks With Our New Baby

I don't like to have my picture taken but I am making more of an effort for my children.

The first six weeks has flown by.  I can't believe we've had this tiny girl in our lives for so long.  She is sweet and everyone loves to cuddle her and try to keep her happy when she's not eating or sleeping.

She doesn't cry that much but when she does it is usually when I'm trying to get or eat a meal.  Hannah my oldest daughter is very good at keeping her happy so I can have those extra few minutes I need to finish a meal or get set up for a nursing session.  The girls actually got into trouble this week because they didn't want to share holding her.

We are starting to settle into a routine of morning nap and afternoon nap.  Some days she only wants to sleep in my arms.  Usually that happens in the afternoon when I can sit in the glider and read or watch something on Netflix while the children enjoy free time or a movie.  On the days she naps I try to do a job or two from my to do list.

I'm doing a better job of enjoying her babyhood and not worrying about the house than I have with my last few babies.  If the children keep up on their chores than our house stays reasonably clean.  I am not good at asking for help and that can cause problems.  I'm trying!

I'm very glad I gave up garden work this year as it would have stressed me out to try to keep the work up.  The children are enjoying planting and watering and are actually doing a better job than they ever have before.  I haven't had to ask them to water even once.  They are even weeding the areas of the garden that they planted!

We started homeschool again last week.  We are keeping to the basics and they are usually finished with their work by noon.  They've worked on their gardens, science experiments, and imaginative play in their free time.  I know they are enjoying a more relaxed mama.  I want to keep this more relaxed vibe going in our home as things get back to normal.

Thanks for all the lovely comments and well wishes you have left for me.  I appreciate every one of them and do intend to visit your blogs or write back.  I just haven't had much time at the computer each day to spend with you. 

No More Fit Mommy? 6 Weeks Postpartum

As baby starts to be happier out of my arms I will spend more time working in my garden which is a big part of my fitness program.

I neglected to check in for the last two weeks because I was bummed out about my progress.  I still am but that's not gonna get me back on the right track.

I quit the whole30 after weighing and finding out that I had gained 10 pounds.  I was eating a ton of fat and protein but couldn't feel full.  I've added back rice, liverwurst, rice cakes, almond butter and butter and am feeling much better and my appetite has gone back to normal.  I am still up 10 pounds but I hope some of that may be muscle.  I measured and now I have a new starting point.  I'm going back to the Perfect Health Diet and will start out with 150 starchy carbs per day for a week and then decide if I should lower the carbs.

I need to remember that some extra fat is what my body needs to make sure this little one is healthy. 

I have kept up with my walking and tummy exercises but haven't seen any more progress on my tummy.  I will not give up.  I may just have to be a little chunky for awhile as my body likes to hold fat while I'm breastfeeding. Now that I'm 6 weeks postpartum I get to start the next step in my book of tummy exercises. 

I had the goal of getting back to my prepregnancy weight by my birthday in October but I don't know if that is really reasonable.  I'm going to spend the next week thinking about what is realistic and come up with some goals to share next week.  

I'm linking up with Tea Time With Annie Kate for Fit Mommy Friday.  And I just read her last fit mommy post.  We are being retired!  Keep reading for a recap of how I met my fitness and weight goals with Fit Mommy.

And now I would like to say a little about my journey in the hopes that it will inspire you to start or stick to your own.

I started linking up with Fit Mommy in July of 2010.   I was around 200 pounds when I started and got down to 164 before I got pregnant with my Abigail.  I had a lot of ups and downs, a gallbladder surgery, and many different diet and exercise changes.  Having to check in with my Fit Mommy results each week kept me motivated.  The biggest lesson I learned was to never give up and that is my personal fitness motto "Never Give Up!".  I kept tinkering with my diet and exercise until I found what worked and if it stopped working I tinkered some more.  I also had a clear goal in mind and never let it go even when it seemed it would never happen.  As I got closer to goal I bought pants in my dream size and kept working and then one magical day they fit!  You can do this!  Your mind is a powerful thing and whatever you choose to reach for you can have!

My weight loss story.  From over 200 pounds to 166.

Counting My Blessings

Our first trip out together since baby was born.  We took the children to the Natural History Museum.

For last week:

Monday- 1 month with my new baby!

Nathan my computer boy standing next to the chair Bill Gates used in the '70's

Tuesday- Our first read aloud time after a month off of school.

Wednesday- Baby enjoyed her bath in the baby bathtub.

Thursday- A cool spring day

And then we went to the park for a picnic lunch.

Friday- I found two cute summer dresses on clearance for baby.

Are you counting your blessings each day?

Abigail At One Month

I've been enjoying this baby for one month already!  How time flies.

I call her sweetums, sweet pie, and various other cheesy names.  She doesn't seem to mind.  She has a sweet personality although she isn't smiling a lot yet.  She is happy to be held by my other children most of the time and I usually get to eat meals without holding her and get a few chores finished before she has to have me to herself.

Last week she started sleeping from 9 pm to 3-4am.  Wow, I feel like a different person!  *And now that I announced that she will go back to waking between midnight and 1am.*  She has also been going back to sleep pretty well after she wakes so I'm easily getting 8 solid hours of sleep between 10:30- 8 something each night and I have been able to give up my afternoon nap.

As she started sleeping longer at night she started taking more short naps during the day and skipping her long afternoon nap.  I hope she figures out how to take a decent afternoon nap again this week.  I'm falling behind in the little things I need to do.  *I'm sure I should be doing work instead of blogging right now but everyone needs some free time!* 

Thanks for visiting!

Bests

 

My helpers posing for the camera. 

I forgot to think of bests on Thursday and Friday 'cause I was having a few bad days.   The baby started sleeping longer at night and now I'm feeling much better!  On to last week:

Monday- I am thankful for my helpful children who are happy to help with the baby, do chores and run errands(around the house) for me.

Abigirl(my 4 year old can't say Abigail) at 3 weeks.

Tuesday- Abigail took a 2.5 hour nap for the second day in a row and I got some exercise and work done.

Wednesday- We had an informal book discussion over lunch.  Each of my reading children and I shared what we were reading about and our opinions of our current books.  Fun!  My 11 year old son does not understand my taste in books.   ; )

I am glad I didn't give all my slings away after I decided not to have any more babies 'cause I changed my mind and now I need them!

Thursday- I forgot to look for something good in my day.

Friday- Ditto