My Latest "Great" Idea

If it's one thing that I've learned about myself, it's that I perform better if I have a goal in mind. My weight loss goal is the big one, but, unfortunately, I just don't get excited about stuff like that - and if I'm not excited, I tend to stay in bed rather than working out.

But I'm determined to lose that last little baby weight and get my body back! So I figured it was time to set a more appealing workout goal. And, this weekend, I came up with one.

Drum roll, please...

I'm going to run a marathon!

In four months!

Can we talk about how crazy inspired that goal is? I've run two half marathons in the past few years (the Flying Pirate in North Carolina, and the El Paso Half Marathon in Texas), and did perfectly fine in both, but I'm nowhere near that condition now. I stopped working out about 6 months into my pregnancy when I started having problems with pre-term contractions, and, prior to that, I had been doing CrossFit far more than running.

I've wanted to run a marathon for awhile now, and this seems like as good a time as any. My target race is the San Diego Rock 'n Roll Marathon at the end of May. I think Sexy Pants and I are going to turn the race weekend into a mini-getaway, and enjoy some time in SD too! Bonus!

I'm basing my training on Hal Higdon's novice training plan because I used his plan for my first half-marathon and it worked great. But I'm adjusting his plan slightly to fit my lifestyle and timeframe - Little Pants complicates the training schedule some! My current plan is:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Short run (3-5 miles)
Tuesday: Cross-train
Wednesday: Short run (3-5 miles)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Long run (following Higdon's model)
Saturday: Cross-train

Why the changes? For one, timing - I have to fit runs in whenever someone else is available to watch LP. And second, I'm incorporating more cross-training because I get bored just running all the time. But my plan is still flexible right now, and may change as I get into things!

I'm taking this week to try and ease back into things again, and, ouch! Restarting exercise sucks :( But I logged two steady miles yesterday... Just 24 more to go!

Recipe: Sausage and Vegetable Penne

I LOVE garlic. It's possible I might have been Italian in a past life (I definitely wasn't a vampire!), but regardless of the reason, I would happily incorporate garlic into every meal.

And, unlike my passion for chocolate cheesecake, this love is actually healthy! Garlic has been found to have multiple health benefits that are best released when the cloves are crushed or chopped prior to cooking. So, in addition to adding amazing flavor and aroma to your meals, cooking with garlic will also provide a healthy dose of antioxidants and could potentially help your body fight off cancer and heart disease!

That's one of the reasons I love this recipe - it's loaded with antioxidants. Oh, and it's delicious.

Loaded with healthy green veggies and whole wheat pasta, this recipe features smokey turkey sausage, fragrant garlic and healthy fats in the form of olive oil. It's a quick, easy week-night recipe, and is also highly adaptable - so you can easily adjust it to fit whatever you have in your pantry or fridge. Feel free to mix it up with the vegetables of your choice (it's delicious with zuchinni when in season!), or swap out the penne for whatever pasta you happen to have on hand. Just be sure to adjust the cooking times accordingly.

Sausage and Vegetable Penne
Serves 4

Ingredients
8 oz. whole wheat penne
2 c. broccoli, chopped into florets
2 c. cut green beans, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, thaw under hot water prior to cooking)
8 oz. smoked turkey sausage, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp. of olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package instructions. When 2-3 minutes remain, add chopped broccoli to boiling water and continue cooking. Drain, return to cooking pot and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cover and set aside.

Add two tablespoons of olive oil to sauté pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add minced garlic, sliced sausage and green beans to pan, and sauté until green beans are heated through and sausage is browned.

Combine pasta and broccoli with sautéed sausage, garlic and green beans, and stir until thoroughly mixed. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with grated parmesan, if desired.

Goal #4: Become a better mom

I love, love, love this post by Toni Hammer in the Huffington Post. In it, she honestly admits that children were not her plan or desire, but professes her love and gratitude to them. It is sweet, heartfelt and definitely worth a read!

I can relate to everything she said, because I never wanted kids either. In fact, I'm pretty sure I adopted that stance shortly after my own birth, and clung to it up until the morning Little Pants made his sudden arrival. And now that Little Pants is here, I can unequivocally say that all the reasons I never wanted to be a mother are valid.

It's exhausting. It's thankless. It's frustrating. It's scary.

And I've only been at it for a few months!

But other times I look at him and I am so insanely overwhelmed with love, and pride, and amazement that something as complex and wonderful as him came out of my body. Motherhood will make a person a little bit bi-polar.

Little Pants did not, unfortunately, come with an instruction manual. So somehow, I'm supposed to take this tiny, cute little person and grow him into a smart, hard-working, world-improving man. If you've ever seen the results of my vegetable gardens, you'd know that this is not a task I'm well-suited for.

But, regardless of my suitability, it's my job. So goal #4 is to become a better mom!

Now I fully expect that this is going to be a challenge, because my limited experience with motherhood thus far has taught me that there is a great deal of self-control involved. No matter how adorable the child, they are tiny masters of button and boundary pushing.

However, I'm very fortunate that there are millions of moms who have gone before me. In this section of the blog, I am going to compile their infinite wisdom -- primarily tips on successfully raising a little human! So, if you (like me) suddenly find yourself with a small person in your care, and have absolutely no idea what to do with them, I hope you'll find these posts helpful!

Goal #3: Become a better wife

Johnson & Johnson created a heartwarming series of commercials based on the idea that "having a baby changes everything."

Warning: If you're hormonal, or just human, this will probably make you cry.

Since actually having a baby, I realized that statement is roughly equivalent to saying "a nuclear warhead causes some damage." The reality is that having a baby changes things that you didn't even know were things. Having a baby changes everything and then some. Having a baby changes YOU.

Little Pants definitely changed me - and I like to think it's for the better. He's shown me an amount and kind of love that I had never experienced before. I'm kind of obsessed with him.

But with Little Pants came some less welcome changes: a lack of sleep, a lack of time, a sense of total cluelessness, new frustrations and a new body. People had told me that having a baby will strain on a relationship, and I thought I was ready. But I definitely wasn't. The less welcome changes got to me, and my marriage.

Sexy Pants and I have a fantastic relationship - we enjoy spending time with one another, we complement each other in all the right ways, and we communicate really well. However, when Little Pants arrived, it's like all these things went out the window. And I hate it.

I may get some flack for this, but in order of priority, my relationships go: God, husband, baby, family, friends. I am madly in love with Little Pants, but the reality is that someday he will have a family of his own and he will have a wife that he hopefully prioritizes over me. Sexy Pants has been with me prior to Little Pants, and he'll be there after, so taking care of my relationship with my husband is extremely important to me. So my third goal is to work on becoming a better wife to my husband.

The wife tips section of my blog will be focused on ways to improve your relationship with your spouse or partner. This will include date ideas, communication tips, little gift ideas, and ways to celebrate and love your significant other. And, maybe if we're lucky, our spouses will get the hint and reciprocate! ;)

Goal #2: Eat Better

I just cannot get behind a "diet." And there's always a good reason.

Calorie counting? Math is not my thing.
Atkins? Um, bread?
Clean eating? Well, I can't give up white sugar, because that's what chocolate is made of.
Paleo? I like dairy too much.
Vegetarian? I like beef, and chicken, and pork, and fish.
Vegan? See above.

Oh, and wine. Wine applies to all of them.

But on my quest to get my pre-baby body back, I realized that I really need to clean up my diet. I no longer have the excuse of a second human or breastfeeding to justify copious calories throughout the day, but being home with the baby most of the time also means I'm constantly tempted to snack on junk food. So my second goal is to eat better.

I decided that my definition of "eating better" is not going to strictly follow any diet or eating plan. Instead, I'm going to focus on improving my meals by:

1. Drinking one full glass of water before eating.
When I was pregnant, I was a water drinking machine. My pre-term labor scares left me with two of the huge white hospital mugs, and I would chug down at least three of those every day! But since having Little Pants, I seem to be forgetting to hydrate. This goal will help me up my water intake, and supposedly will help temper hunger and discourage overeating.

2. Including at least two vegetables.
This one may take some creativity, because Sexy Pants tends to be pretty selective about his vegetable intake. But if I can find some good recipes that introduce a little more variety, I think we'll both benefit!

3. Focusing on lean proteins.
My regular meal rotation seems to rely on two things: chicken and beef. I'm going to try to draw in some protein variety, while keeping it lean. I'm also going to get creative with non-meat proteins - muahahaha (that's my evil scientist laugh, FYI)!

4. Subbing wheat for white.
Our household doesn't have any gluten considerations, so our starch options are pretty broad. However, we've become very accustomed to yummy, processed, unhealthy white flour goods! Again, I know Sexy Pants will probably resist this one, so it may not happen with every recipe - but I'm going to attempt to sub wheat and whole grain options as much as possible!

5. Sticking to reasonable portions.
I tend to eyeball amounts, which is a very bad thing because I also happen to be a very poor estimator. I know what a cup measure looks like, but translating that to my plate is a joke. If you were to actually measure my definition of a "cup" on any given day, you'd probably get results anywhere from a 1/2 cup to a quart. Not kidding. So one thing that I'm going to attempt with my meals from now forward is to actually research appropriate portions, and use them!

My "eating better" section of the blog is going to be dedicated to sharing great recipes that meet these criteria! While some may align to particular "diets" (like Paleo, for example), I'm not going to strictly adhere to any dietary requirements other than what is listed above. Some will be original recipes while others may be tried and true favorites found elsewhere - but you can rest assured that all will be scrupulously tested by both myself and my picky (though he denies it) hubby! I'll happily include his reviews as well, in case you also happen to be eternally joined to a very selective eater.

So if your goal is also to eat better, this will be a great place to find some additional options to add to your menu. Hopefully you'll enjoy them as much as we do!

Goal #1: Get My Pre-Baby Body Back

Believe it or not, I once looked like this:

Source

Okay, not true. You were right to not believe it. BUT I was in really good shape, and, prior to becoming pregnant, my body looked the best it ever had.

And then, Little Pants came along. So now I look like this:

 

Source

That one unfortunately is true. Nothing like a gazillion months of pregnancy, a c-section, and a failed attempt at breastfeeding to leave one looking soft and saggy. But it's time for that to change!

My first goal for my new direction is to get my pre-baby body back (or better!). However, the reality is that as a mom (or just a human), creating and sticking to a workout plan is hard. Really. Freaking. Hard. But I have a few tips that have helped me in the past that I want to share - because it IS possible to workout and stay healthy, no matter what your lifestyle.

1. Get up a little earlier.

Unless you're a fitness model or some other individual who gets paid to workout and look hot, it's hard to find the time. The only thing that's helped me solve this problem is setting my alarm a little earlier. I like to workout first thing in the morning, so I try to get up before the baby and that gives me a little bit of time to squeeze in my workout uninterrupted. But if you're one of those people who can barely walk in the morning, much less workout, you can still take advantage of this tip! Use your morning time to complete some other task that would take up time later in your day, and then take the time you freed to fit in a workout in the afternoon or evening.

2. Be realistic about the time you have.

Look, we all have a lot to do. And, unless you live at Hogwarts and have a time turner, you're stuck with only 24 hours to do it all. So be realistic - do you have an hour to workout five times a week? If so, great! If not, that's fine! Just maximize the time you have available. I can usually only spare 30-45 minutes to workout (translation: I can't make myself get up any earlier than that - see Tip #1), so I workout at home most days because it saves me the time traveling to and from the gym. Work with what you have, whether it's 15 minutes or two hours and whether it's seven times a week or only two, and maximize that time by pre-planning workouts, choosing your location wisely, and prepping your needed clothes and equipment in advance.

3. Set a goal you can get excited about. 

Do you think people who run long distances for fun are insane? Then don't set a goal to run a marathon! Did you buy an amazing too-small dress that you know you'll look incredible in? Then work towards fitting into that dress! Set a goal that's relevant for you. For me, right now, the big goal is to get back down and even slightly below my pre-baby weight. The point is to choose something that YOU care about!

4. Break your goal into baby steps.

If you DO want to run a marathon, but you can barely run two miles right now, break your big goal into baby steps. These "mini-goals" will keep you motivated, and help you feel like you're making progress as you work towards your big goal. So if the marathon is your goal, Non-Runner, plan to start with a 5K, then a 10K, then a half-marathon. Celebrate your victories at each baby step as you work towards your big goal!

5. Take advantage of every opportunity.

Even if you don't have time to do an actual workout, you can still fit in a little bit of exercise each day. My baby likes to scream his lungs out from about 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. every night unless he's being held and moving. So we do lunges and squats together - and I give myself bonus points because they're weighted lunges and squats (Little Pants is a chunky monkey these days!). Seize your opportunities, whether you take the stairs at work a few times, do some crunches during the commercial break of your favorite show, or do curls with the groceries as you carry them into your house (your spouse will love that one - Sexy Pants still makes fun of me for it).

6. Incorporate what you love.

Working out doesn't have to be miserable - in fact, it shouldn't be! Incorporate the things you love to make it fun and rewarding. Do you love being outside? Then start running or walking outdoors in the sunshine. Do you love your family? Make them work out with you (bonus: you can run off a bunch of your kid's energy!). Do you love wine? Well, I haven't figured out how to fit that one into a workout, but if someone else does, please let me know...

Bottom line: make working out work with your life. You'll be glad you did, because...

Source

 

...your husband will thank you.

A New Direction... But No Compass

If you asked Sexy Pants, he'll probably tell you I'm not a very good navigator. However, it's important to note that, when we were dating, he once got lost in my neighborhood so I don't think he's the best judge.

Now I'm fully willing to admit that my sense of direction is not great, but, if given a map I can very successfully get from Point A to Point B without issue. With a reliable GPS, I'm damn near unstoppable (haha). But if I was dropped in the woods and told to find my way out, I would most likely die after wandering aimlessly for a few days.

I recently found myself dropped in the woods - metaphorically speaking. Despite being undecided on the issue of children, my husband and I suddenly found ourselves "in the family way" in the past year (isn't that a nice, quaint way of saying "potentially screwed"?), and after three tumultuous trimesters, Little Pants came to join the world at 36 weeks, 1 day gestation. Now, my little dude is insanely adorable (as James Earl Jones would say "cray cray adorbs") and I'm borderline obsessed with him, but he quickly sent my very well thought out life spinning out of control.

I had a map, and a plan, and good sense of where my life was going to go, and suddenly I find myself pointed in a whole new direction - without a compass, or even a passable sense of direction.

So this is my journey. This is me. I'm working on finding the right path in this new plan - a path that balances all those things that are most important to me: my friends, my family, food (I'll admit it, I love to eat), and my health. This blog will highlight the best of those moments, in the hopes that I'm not the only muddled mom out there, and perhaps someone else can find their own direction faster than me.

I'm trying to learn to be a good wife, a good mom, a good student and a good career woman. I'm sure I'll mess up, or, in the words of my GPS, "redirect," but I hope that I can at least keep my life moving in the right direction.