Not Such an Easy Win

Whoever thinks being a parent does not begin until your baby is born is SORELY mistaken! I know I worry too much (something I have inherited from my Mom) and am doubly burdened with a strong sense of guilt (thanks to the many years of Catholic schooling) which can at time make it difficult for me to just go with the flow and not let my imagination run rampant.

This week I had my 27 Week Check-Up, which included my Glucose Screening (which is a test to identify if you need more testing to see if you have gestational diabetes). I thought it would be an easy win for me and Baby Smith especially since I am not older or overweight and I eat healthy and exercise. Even Wendy the midwife that I saw that day said this should be nothing to worry about.

WRONG! Today the office called me and informed me that I did not pass. My blood sugar level was 141 mg/dL (milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood plasma) and they want you to be under 135 mg/dL. This means I am heading back Monday morning for the three hour and four blood draws :( Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT).

Not only did this news wreck what little level of concentration I had left on a Friday, but like any good worry wart I started Googling what my results mean and risks associated with gestational diabetes. My search results first enabled my imagination to begin considering- I mean dwelling on because lets face it; us worriers do not consider, we dwell- all of the terrible possibilities and then kicked in the guilt. Have I been eating too much sugar? Too much starch? Not exercising enough? The answer was maybe- I had been eating a lot of fruit (which is natural sugar but still I don't really understand how the whole blood sugar- insulin thing works) and popsicles, and of course the occasional chocolate, ice cream or yogurt pretzels. I have been neglecting vegetables and probably protein too (except for my Greek yogurt!).

I began to feel like a terrible mother. I have already broken promises I had made to myself and Baby Smith. I promised to eat right and exercise and I think I have been doing the bare minimum on both of them. (My husband will argue with that, but I am being honest and holding myself to my own eating and exercising standards.)

So to be optimistic, there is still time for me to change. My time to meet my July exercise goal is up tomorrow and let's just say this week it feels like my rear end has seen more seat time than some Supreme Court Justice's, which means after pilates tonight, tomorrow is going to bring a nice 45 minute workout. This also means I will need to restructure how I measure my goals for August, which will give me something to think about during my climb on the stairmaster.

Stay tuned for my August exercising and nutrition goals. Also keep Baby Smith and me in your prayers that we pass our GTT with flying colors!

Road Routine

Hotel room key? Check. Toothbrush and toothpaste? Check. Suitcase with all of your clothes? Check. Couple extra pounds? No thank you! Whether you are traveling for work or pleasure, it is easy to leave your healthy eating habits and workout clothes at home. Giving into coffee and doughnuts or that burger and fries always seems more justifiable when you are out of your normal routine. While it is always nice to give into your vices occasionally, you have to think moderation.

I don't know about you, but whenever I have a poor eating habits day by bedtime I am feeling sick to my stomach- sometimes literally from my terrible choices in food and other times I think it is from the guilt I feel from consuming it. For the next couple days, I am away from home for a work conference and I have promised myself to keep my eating and exercise habits on track. Not such an easy thing to do when you are surrounded by people eating doughnuts in the morning, dessert with lunch, and cookies and candy in the afternoon; however, I have done my best to prepare myself to resist the temptation.

Here are some tips that I have for those of you who are traveling and want to keep your good habits on track:

• Pack as much of your own food as possible- I brought along fresh peaches, all natural (no sugar added) applesauce, and some Kashi GoLean bars. This helps me keep my snacking healthy and to not feel like I have to starve while the people around me reach for junk food. If I am going on an extended vacation, I try to pack breakfast and lunch as well so at least I can guarantee that I'll have two healthy meals.
• Pack your gym gear- It is my philosophy that if you have it, you are more likely to use it. Take this easy step and save some space in your suitcase for your usual gym gear.
• Plan time for exercising- Whether you want to go to the gym or keep it simple is up to you, but try to establish a mini routine for yourself. When Hunter and I were on vacation in Florida, we would start every morning off with a long walk. It got our day off to a great start and also enabled me to check exercising off my list. At my work conference, I am taking time in the evenings to get in a little thirty minute walk and some time on the stairmaster.
• Say yes to some indulgences- You do not always have to say no to all the fun stuff. (YES! I treated myself to some fro-yo after dinner!!) It is okay to have dessert or french fries with your burger. You don't want to deprive yourself or make yourself feel miserable, so say yes to those occasional treats- just remember moderation is key!

Hopefully these suggestions will help you keep your good habits in check the next time you are away from home. Please share any tips that you have for battling road bulge --- the more tips we are armed with the easier it will be to stay on track!

I think I'll move to Australia

As a child, did you ever read the book "Alexander and the Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day?"

Ever have one of those days where you feel like things did not go as you intended? You feel like you had these great plans and intentions, and suddenly they are taken away by someone else. You feel the anger over take you- no one listened to your input or your contributions did not feel valued. Those days always seem to take a hold of you and wrap you in a sour mood. They take your proverbial balance scales of the things you "enjoy doing" versus the things you "have to do" and throw a hundred ton weight on the "have to do" side.`And now lugging around this extra weight makes your bad day all you can think about!

So how do you restore that balance so that you can salvage your day? Do you speak up and let others know how you feel? Do you hit the gym to blow off steam? Do you make a beeline for happy hour? Do you call up your friend or husband or whoever you can get on the phone and just vent?

Well I had one of those days last Friday- (Fridays of all days! It is supposed to be one of the happiest days of the week!!) and I tried to shove that weight off my scales in a variety of ways. I went to my Prenatal Pilates class and tried to put myself into a meditative state- worked like a charm while I was in class (probably because my balance is so off now that if I think of anything other than maintaining it I fall over!) but afterward I immediately went back to feeling agitated. Next I vented to my poor husband who was trapped in the car with me for a three hour drive to Richmond. Venting felt good while I was doing it but again I still felt like I had not been able to get rid of the weight of my bad day.

And that's when I realized what my real options were. First, I could take the weekend to steam for a bit and then eventually become preoccupied with my other activities and just forget about it (at least until Monday). Or my other option is to confront my problem head-on. Yikes! I typically tend to choose the first option because as much as I dislike a bad day, I dislike confrontation even more. However, as I have matured to the ripe old age of 25, I have learned that taking the easy way out and avoiding confrontation as scary as it might be does not make my problem disappear. Instead it just puts a band-aid over it, only to have it ripped off in the same cruel fashion the next time my day takes a turn for the worse.

So I am choosing to confront my source of stress. Of course choosing this path means having an uncomfortable conversation with someone but this is how adults handle their problems, right? I am assuming that this life skill is like all the others, such as paying your own bills, negotiating to buy a car or a house, that the first time it is difficult but it gets easier with time and practice.

My point in all of this is that sometimes you cannot restore balance in you life by just turning to the things on the lighter side of your scale- the things that make you happy and give you a sense of self worth. Instead, you have to face the thing that is making your scale heavy- whether it be work, a bad relationship, poor self-image, whatever it may be- and choose to shed that extra weight.

Battle of the Slippers vs. the Running Shoes

So I got home from work today and had been mentally preparing myself all day for a workout; however I made the BIG mistake of sitting down on the couch and telling myself that I could check Facebook and email for a bit before I went. Now everyone is different but for me I know that my chances of going to the gym are the highest the moment I walk through the door and with every moment I let myself get involved in something at home whether it be making dinner, wrapping up some work, or mindless computer surfing the less likely that I am to walk through the door again to go to the gym.

To my credit though yesterday at 7PM after catching up on all my "interneting" and nearly falling asleep on the couch, I forced myself to change into my gym clothes and put my shoes on. Begrudgingly I dragged my feet to the car while thinking of all the other things I need to do this evening, but a couple things got me over the hump and excited about my workout.

First my accountability to my readers. Like I said in my very first post, committing to something in front of others whether it be aloud or on paper (or I guess the computer screen in this case) gives me another level of accountability which is motivation to reach my goals! Second my desire to keep unnecessary pregnancy pounds at bay and to keep up my physical stamina so when I do return to running (Oh what a glorious day that will be!), I will still have some muscles to use and some lung capacity. And finally my overall desire to stay healthy and help Baby Smith have the best possible start for a healthy life.

In the end, I earned myself another gold star (Hmm... maybe keeping track of my gold stars will serve as motivation. It worked in grade school, right?!) for DAY TWO at the gym. I worked out for 37 minutes- 15 minutes on the Elliptical and 22 on the Treadmill with an incline.

GOAL: To make it to the gym again on Wednesday and incorporate the Stairmaster (I love the Stairmaster and am very grateful for what it does to my rear but it is definitely more difficult with a baby onboard!)

My challenge to you- what is your goal for your life this week- whether it be health and fitness related, career, relationship, friendship, social, etc.? What is something that is going to improve your sense of life balance? Think about it and whatever it is GO FOR IT!

Summertime Favorites

Summer is in full swing and if you live in Virginia you have been seeing record breaking temperatures for what feels like eternity. I got into my car after work and my temperature gauge read 110- I have never seen it get that high and I was parked in the shade!! So in honor of such a sweltering summer, I thought I'd share some of my cool - yet nutritious- staples.

Fresh fruit is one of my favorite parts of summer!

First the simple ones-

Edy's Whole Fruit Popsicles: I do not think that I could survive summer without these! They have real chunks of fruit in them and are only 80 calories. If you haven't tried them I'd highly recommend them only be warned that once you have these all other popsicles will cease to measure up! Strawberry is by far my favorite and I also enjoy the Lemonade, Lime, and for a creamy treat they have orange with cream (think dreamsicle). Their only downside is price- for around $3 for a box of six, you may find yourself spending more money on popsicles than you anticipated. Every now and then you can find them on sale for 2 for $5 and in that case I recommend stocking up because they go fast!

Greek Yogurt with Blueberries and Strawberries: First of all I am convinced that Greek yogurt is a SUPER food. It is low in fat, calories, and carbs and high in protein. For a lot of my recipes that call for sour cream I substitute plain Greek yogurt. I use it in everything from muffins to chicken salad to guacamole. Vanilla Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries and strawberries makes a great breakfast, lunch or even dessert! I buy the individual servings because they are easy to take to work and they have only 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbs, and 15 grams of protein (which will fill you up and keep you full). One thing I will warn you about especially if you are a Greek yogurt newbie, it is a bit of an acquired taste. I would not recommend trying it by itself. Adding fresh fruit is great way to ease into it.

Next for some real recipes-

Orzo Mediterranean Salad: I got this AWESOME recipe from Lauren -my sister-in-law- last summer. (SIDENOTE: She also has a blog and right now has some great summer recipes on it. Check it out.) I love how easy it is to make (the chopping is a little time consuming) and it makes a great side or main course. I made this for our BBQ this weekend and was able to send all of our guests home with leftovers and promised them the recipe.

1 cup uncooked orzo (8 oz)
3 cups chopped baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped, drained oil packed sun dried tomatoes
3 tbsp chopped red onion
3 tbsp chopped kalamata olives
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts (6 oz)
3/4 cup feta cheese

1) Cook orzo omitting fat and salt. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2) Combine orzo, spinach, and next five ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl

3) Drain artichokes, reserving marinade. Coarsely chop and add artichokes, marinade, and feta to mixture.

4) Toss gently to coat.

Curried Chicken Salad with Nectarines: I got the recipe from my mom who I believe saw it in Cooking Light. Again this is something that is simple to make and makes plenty of leftovers. If I am running short on time or looking to make a larger serving, I buy a rotisserie chicken remove the skin and use that otherwise I just grill a couple chicken breasts and shred those. You can also substitute mango or peaches for nectarines- all very tasty!

3 cups shredded cooked chicken (1 lb)
2 cups cubed nectarines (or mangoes or peaches whatever your preference!)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup reduced fat mayo
2 tbsp fat free buttermilk/yogurt (This is where I add my Plain Greek Yogurt)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Toasted Almonds (Optional and as much or few as you like)

1) Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl

2) Combine mayo and next five ingredients in a small bowl

3) Drizzle mayo mixture over chicken mixture and toss gently.

4) Sprinkle with almonds.


Give some of these cool summer ideas a try- you are bound to find at least one you like!

Back in the Saddle Again

Well today was DAY ONE of resurrecting my gym routine. I didn't feel like quite the superhero that I did when I used to be walking in for one of my two hour runs, nevertheless half the battle was already won- I had made it through the gym doors. I don't know about you but even though I would call myself a fitness nut and confess what many may think is a sick love of running, I can still struggle with that first step- GETTING TO THE GYM. Isn't that what they say is the hardest part of any journey? Anyway- so I at least earned myself one gold star for getting my pregnant butt to stop eating popsicles and looking at baby clothes long enough to squeeze into some pre-prego gym wear, lace up my shoes, and step into the gym.

Just to clarify, since I have been pregnant I have not been sitting around eating "bon-bons." I have been adamant about taking walks and also am in a once a week prenatal pilates class; however I haven't been to the gym and worked up a REALLY good sweat since late March. And I have missed that (which half of you probably think makes me crazy and the other half get it)!

First Prenatal Pilates Class (Definitely recommend this to any other expectant mommies out there who want to get some stretching in- it feels great!!)

Back to DAY ONE- I managed to get in a whopping 35 minute work incorporating the elliptical (25 minutes), stairmaster (5 minutes), and treadmill with incline (5 minutes). While I was not physically exhausted, I did begin to feel the moan and groan of my muscles that have been taking a beating. It was a start though and that is all I could ask myself and Baby Smith for.

GOAL- To gradually increase my workout time to 45 minutes by the end of July. Pre-prego me would have said "no sweat" but I think this could be a significant challenge as I feel like I grow overnight and wake up with a different type of muscle pain and not to mention this summer just seems to keep on getting hotter. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Wish me luck!

A late beginning

So I had every intention to begin a blog in February when I found out I was pregnant and here I am five months later with my very first blog post! I am not sure why I procrastinated so much - I must have thought about it at least on a weekly basis. I think it had more to do with being self-conscious about putting myself out there. I worried about not being witty enough or funny enough to entertain any sort of following. So what has changed? I still worry about those things but have decided that this is more for me and anyone else who gleans some entertainment or helpful tips from my writing will be an added bonus!

I hope to discuss the challenges of life and the struggle all of us have to discover a balance that makes us happy. For me it is determining how to be the best wife, soon-to-be mother, and friend while balancing my love for health and fitness- especially running- and that other necessary evil to pay the bills- my job.

November 2009 Richmond Half Marathon

My current challenge is to prepare for Baby Smith who will be here in October (and boy does it seem to be getting closer every second!). I had promised myself when I got pregnant I would eat healthier than I ever have and keep up with running. Well lets just say being pregnant is NOT as easy as it looks! So here I am just over five months pregnant, not running and struggling to keep my healthy habits on track. BUT the great thing about starting to blog about this is the accountability I am receiving in return. Even if no one reads this and I just write, my words will be out there and I will have to live up to them. It is like when you commit to something aloud.It is a lot easier to commit to it in your head, but once it is out there where others have heard there is another whole level of accountability.

So this isn't too say I am never going to indulge or miss a "gym" day, but this is going to keep me honest and working towards my goals. Let's get started!!