Why Exercise

Okay.

So, I don't think every mom/woman has to run a marathon to lose the baby weight. 

For me, that was the best way to do it because it kept me focused, and involved something I truly enjoyed. 


I think the key is consistency. Finding something you KNOW you can be consistent with. If you're obsessed with "So You Think You Can Dance"--try zumba! If you like to swim, try swim. Something physical that you enjoy after the third time (the first two is mostly you adapting to just a change in routine)  and don't be afraid to try different things!


I think exercise is necessary for maintenance of current weight--especially for those of us approaching 30/not turbo-metabolistic-women. And particularly if you are wanting to lose weight, doing something physical is essential to healthy weight loss. (In addition, restricting high-fat foods (notice I didn't say high-calorie...:D) is probably neccessary...the more weight you want to lose, the more you should restrict the sugar, grease (we only cook with EVOO and smartbalance butter--if butter at all!), the sodium....


However, in my non-expert opinion, the most important role of exercise is for quality of life. Here are some ways exercise has improved mine:

1) I'm a better mom.
As someone with sleep issues, I just sleep harder at night when I am exercising two-three times per week, giving me MORE energy for my toddler! I can come up with more creative ways to teach him new things, and have more energy to pour into his little life.


2) I'm a better wife.
I am more confident, no--infinitely more confident-- now than when I was overweight. I am more attractive to my husband because of this confidence, and it has improved our romantic times together :) (any unawkward way to say this??? probably not!). I have more energy for spending time with him, and don't feel so stressed out by the little things because I have an outlet.


3) I'm more creative
Everyone knows endorphins improve mood and thought processes, and they can stimulate you creatively as well. I LOVE refurbishing furniture, as well as other crafty things and I find myself at creative peaks when I am active physically (and more in slumps when I'm just moping around the house ie have too much free time!)


4) I get more done
As I just alluded to--I am of the personality where often the MORE I have on my plate, the more productive I am...and the opposite as well...the less I have going on, the more I am inclined to just coast and feel tired. Maybe it's just me! 


Anyway, I'm so grateful I got up off of the couch 14 months ago and went for a jog. Little did I know how many blessings would pour out from that one decision to get out!

Triathlon Training...Can't Swim, Can't Bike...

So....

I decided to do my first SPRINT SPRINT triathlon last May. My brother was mostly my inspiration, who was doing his first as well. Also, I have a little boy, and wanted to know how to swim and bike and thought this would be a good way to learn!

Here was my training schedule:

Week 1: 3 nights/week after baby down. Swim technique & Cardio: Mastering this new cardio via doggie paddle (I started from scratch, only being able to doggie paddle 13meters. I worked on my ability to just do that, and got up to 2 laps in the pool, or 100meters--bear in mind, I had just run a marathon so I already had some cardio)

Week 2: One hour 3 nights/week: Swim technique: Husband taught me to breast stroke. Worked on technique and being able to go 100 meters nonstop

Week 3: One hour 4nights/week: Swim technique: Husband taught me to freestyle. This took ALL my time as my body is not very buoyant. Up to 100 meters

Week 4: 30min 3/week: Swim tech and Cardio: Practiced swimming laps freestyle! Got up to 250meters. Running: 45min during day w/stroller twice: four and five miles. Biked once, 6miles. (Spent first 30 minutes with husband teaching me how to get on bike, use brakes and gears, which I still don't understand fully)

Week 5: 30min 3/week: Swim Cardio: Swam 300-400 meters nonstop the first two nights, and almost a mile the third time.

Week 6: 45min 2/week: Swam a mile twice. Ran 7.5miles once, right after the swim. Next day I got a 1.5hr deep tissue massage, which in combo with all the muscle activity, hurt me. So I was sore for a week solid, going into the race. Stupid.

Week 7: Race. Was very ouch. Because I had only been on a bicycle ONE time in this entire training....I was hurting and further injured my already-sore hamstring. I also hurt my gastroc(calf muscle). I really should have given myself longer to train (so I could incorporate bike), or cut my swim training in HALF since my race was only a few laps in the pool, and NOT an entire mile.

Rookie mistake.

First triathlon: Why tri?

Why haven't I been blogging as much lately? First of all, still recovering from party-madness. We had honey-bear's first bday, then Honey-Bear's 30th birthday, after which I collapsed. How is it so exhausting throwing parties? I feel guilty  for being tired because I had so much help from Grandmas! But it does wear you out, in addition to teething/baby hating whole milk/ poopies out the wazoo.

Whew.

Got the idea from my brother, who is doing the Ironman in 2012. Not to mention.....I have an irrational fear of both bicycles and open water. (& middle eastern camel spiders eating my flesh in my sleep, but nevermind that). I thought doing a tri could help me overcome a fear of these things. So I had to sign up for one because I knew if I didn't, I would forever be tormented by my lack of basic-life skills that will make me an uptight-non-risk-taking-Claire-from-ModernFamily-kind-of mom if I don't learn at some point. Plus, I have a son.

And, who knows, triathlons might be an easier hobby than running to maintain as I age, right.

Wrong.

Not only is triathlon-training more schizophrenic to plan (baby napping/varying time each takes/husband's schedule/weather), it is way expensive. You have to buy: a bike (we didn't own one), bike shoes, helmet, bike shorts, wetsuit if you're hardcore, gloves, camel-back, cushioned bike seat, swim gear if you're a pansy like me (nose plug/good goggles/swim cap), and then running shoes. Plus gym membership.

High maintenance=not my style.

But, of course I didn't know this going into it. So here I am, committed. But it's actually not so bad--  borrowed a bike from my step-mom, am using our neighborhood pools, and will just have to buy all the other junk I will never want to use again. (Fortunately, Justin is starting triathlons so he'll just use all the stuff). I'm actually growing a lot! (both as a person, and physically...my calves are the size of my face I fear )

My training so far? Well, it's working out well! I *actually know how to swim now!! It's incredible. Years of swim lessons as a kid did nothing for me, but pressure to not to humiliate myself in front of hundreds of meat-y athletes did the trick. Justin&I spent the first week of 'training' learning how. It took me every night that week but by the end, I was swimming laps! That was week one, then last week, I kept pushing myself to go 400 meters straight. This week I went on my first bike ride--6miles of hills. (It's amazing how motivated you become when the other option is walking home...) The biking was the hardest. I will say that marathon-training gave me a good base, so the cardio isn't as difficult as it would have been, but it was awful.  I thought swimming would be a nightmare, but I actually enjoy the swimming, and it's the biking that feels stressful and time-consuming. Kinda like driving. Have to use your brain and junk.

Because even though Justin already laughs a little too hard when we watch her,  I refuse to become Claire Dunphy.

How to Run a Full Marathon: By a Rookie For a Rookie

My Workout Sequence:

Birthed Baby (hardest thing I've ever done): May 2010

First Run Ever: A month later

First Half-Marathon: Four months later

Second Half-Marathon: Four months after first marathon

First Full Marathon: A month later

Notice there was 9months there from first step in running shoes to marathon finish line.

So, I did not just get up and run a full marathon. I took my time easing into running, and once I had run my second half-marathon, I knew I could do a full.  (I have no history of knee/joint/muscle pain whatsoever). I increased my mileage from 13miles to 23 in three weeks...but again I had no knee/joint/muscle issues going on outside of soreness.

Someone who does hx of joint issues/pain outside of muscle fatigue, I would recommend they perhaps not do it. (IF 15 mile runs hurt you...26 definitely will, right)

Training for the full, I had an 8/9/10 month-old, so I had to drink at least 3/4 nalgenes of h20/day, and eat lots of almonds and carbs (which was not a problem).....


And I will say I was Really. Really. Tired. Everyday, running or not. Marathon training can be brutal on the energy levels!

Here's my workout sched:

Week 1: 13.1 miles achieved, without pain.

Week 2: No runs, recovering from VERY hilly 13.1, until next Saturday: 16miles

Week 3: 2mile run during week, 19 miles on Saturday

Week 4: 23 mile run.

Week 5ish or a little before: Race Day, 26.2. Finished, and could have gone another five miles.

Following my marathon, I stopped running for three weeks. I would not recommend this. I should have done really small runs the week after. My joints started popping after my first post-race run, because my body was used to so much more demanded. Two months later, and my joints are still popping sporadically, because I believe my body (humans are so incredible!) adjusted to meet demands I had put on it for 9months. When I quit running (due to planning baby's first birthday!), my body now has to re-adjust to 'normal' demands. That is confusing for my joints I'm sure!

I really should have continued to run consistently after! Because now it has been months, and I have done my first (baby-mini) triathlon and going back to running has been weird. A month and half post-marathon--I just up and ran 7miles. It went great--only I was also swimming beaucoup for the tri and the mixture of all the sports--well, I will be writing a post on that soon! haha.

How to Run a Half-Marathoooooon

Okay disclaimer...I am not an expert. Far far from. However, I have had multiple friends asking me how I trained for my last half-marathon (okay, it was my FIRST half marathon, first RACE since....pubesence.)  I decided to run a half-marathon a couple months after the birth of Elijah, because I wanted to lose the baby weight because I was starting to feel like this

And, at a week post-baby, I had a Target clerk ask me when I was due.

That'll do it.

Instant motivation.

Running the marathon was seriously one of the best feelings. Super empowering. I think 2010 was a very empowering year for me, and after having a baby (the biggest accomplishment a woman can have) I felt incredibly strong, incredibly empowered...if I can carry this massive baby and have him, and provide food for him and care for him, ...I mean a marathon starts to sound schmeasy-peasy. 

And in comparison to childbirth....it was

                         My only disclaimer--besides the fact that I'm not an expert just writing from my own experience--is that running may not be the quickest, most efficient or effective way to lose weight. I have a friend who did lose a ton of weight and managed a six-pack post baby (and no she wasn't Heidi Klum, she was a normal human being with hips)...and her work out schedule was totally different from mine. (Hers was intensive in fat-burning exercises alternating with muscle-building)I will add hers to the end of this post in case you're interested.

How I Ran a Half Marathon Post-Baby

BabyStepNumber1) Taking baby steps. About three weeks post-baby, I decided to go for a run. I do have a history of running (which helps) but it had been awhile. So, I figured, 'Oh, I'll just go for a mile'....pause...remembering Target clerk... 'maybe a two-mile jog'. Wrong. I ran three steps and was heaved over feeling like I was dying. What the heck. I came home (I made it to the end of my cul-de-sac) ready to turn in my Asics. Nope, running's not my thing.

Which leads to

BabyStepNumber2) Motivation. I know it's sad, don't feel sorry for me--but I continued to remember that Target clerk's comment. Cue slow motion voice and close up of Target clerk's mouth: 'wheeeen arrrre youuuu duuuuuuueeee'.  A couple days after my trek to the third house on my block, I decided to try again. And again. This continued to be my motivation. Now that I've lost about 50lbs, my motivation is to be a role model for Elijah. (in general my goal is to set standards HIGH for Elijah's future wife. Unattainably high.)

BSN3) A Race. So, I knew I probably wasn't going to stay committed to a work-out "plan". I always fall short of those things. So, I knew if I wanted to be committed to running a long distance, I had to sign up for a race (which are usually non-refundable) and just go for it. So, I ran on my own, in the mornings before Justin went to work, for about three months after baby. I didn't run everyday, I didn't even run every other day, but I tried to run every week. (Again--like I said--this isn't the most effective way to lose weight (at least the way I did it). It did however up my metabolism by the end of the ordeal.) So at three months post-baby, I signed me and my husband up for month 5 post-baby and it was done and done.

BSN4) A Route. We happen to live near one of the best running trails in Austin (Brushy Creek Trail, it's 13 mi long) so route was pretty convenient. I am not one of those people who will ever just pick up and DRIVE somewhere to go work out, I am just not that committed. So marking out a five-mile course in your neighborhood, regardless of trail or not is key. After that--I literally would run as far as I could in one direction, then be forced to run back home the same amount. 

BSN5) A Reward. After I signed up for the race, I knew I had to start running a lot more. I started trying to run every day (knowing I wouldn't make every day) and I made it a routine to go run at night when Justin got home, leave him with the baby, then when I got home Justin would let me have a solid hour of 'me' time during which I would watch the Bachelor (the season with Ally). Every time I would dread going to run, I would remember I don't get to see which faker she ditches this week if I don't go running.

BSN6) The 'Plan'. So two-months before my race, I knew it was crunch time and I had to make it to 13.1 miles. My only goal with this race was to run the entire time. I didn't care about my time, I just wanted to run the whole thing without walking. So I knew I had 8 weeks to learn how to run 13 miles. I called my sister-in-law (who has run a full marathon) and she told me if I can run 7 miles without stopping, I can run the 13.1. I was skeptical, but committed to that plan. So:

Week 1: I ran three miles twice

Week 2: I ran three miles twice

Week 3: I ran four miles once or twice

Week 4: I ran four miles once or twice

Week 5: I ran six miles once and two miles once

Week 6: I ran five miles once and eight miles once 

Week 7: I ran nine miles once and two miles once

Week 8: I ran three miles once.

Race Day.

I showed up Race Day (in Houston, October)and ate two pancakes, streteched for 45 minutes, and ran the entire thing without a glitch! I'm serious, it was God's grace to me. I felt no humps, no hard parts, and no temptations to walk. I give credit (of course to God) but also the the fact that I started slow, and worked up to it. ANd I never even had to run 13 miles before race day. My time was 2hrs 14 min, but I wonder if I could have been faster had I run harder.

My Must-Haves for Running:

1) It's all about thought-content. I don't run with music, and I don't time myself ever, so when I run I just think about life and situations I'd like to be in in the future. One example:  I have at least four Oscar and Golden Globe Acceptance Speeches I have written during my running (which we all need in my opinion). Try it. If you're ever at a hump working out, just imagine yourself on the stage accepting an award and I promise you will feel no pain.

2) Oxygen is energy. Just remember, if you're breathing you're providing oxygen to your cells and giving them what they need to accomplish the task at hand. I often even repeat to myself if I'm having a hard run, : "Oxygen is energy".

*****

So now I'm 'training' for the Austin half in February. I am not training as much, or as consistently. Plus, I have the running stroller I have to train with now (which is...like pain-central the first few times). I will let you know how it goes!

(this is how I feel running with a baby)

Footnote:

Friend's Get Buff Post-Baby Routine: Losing Major Poundage

** Per my friend, she worked out 5 days a week starting at 3 months. No excuses, never missing a day. 

** Her routine was lifting for 25 min straight, then cardio for the last 25 min (running, or stair-stepper set on 15). This is basically every day mind you. 

**Strict diet: Lots of protein for breakfast (big breakfast), vegetables and meat for lunch and dinner, and No carbs past 5pm. (This is the reason why this workout would never work for me.((But again, she has a six-pack and looks like a super-model))

**She did this for a year, and continues to do this to stay in shape.  

 

Ugh.

My first marathon

Can it be possible? Not only are my joints not popping, not hurting, not sore--but I didn't have a heart attack, either!!

Take that, incredibly unreliable and insignificant statistics.

At mile 1, I was REALLY scared. As everyone had to wait in line to turn corners (the half&full started together for 4 miles so it was crowded), I thought, "This is going to be a long, long day". The humidity, (it was supposed to rain), the heat (at the end it was almost 90 deg), and my hamstring strain from the day before made me really anxious beforehand.  But, as it turned out, as I ran I got used to that tight feeling in my hamstrings and I got used to running with "pain". (Not a shooting pain, more like a 'sore' pain). I focused on how hydrated I was from the day before (mentally), and, let each gust of wind mimic the wave of the ocean over my body.

Poetic, right. Ha.

I did forget to thank a couple people who helped me along the way--Jason C.&Kelcey who gave me training tips (because I wasn't able to train with a club). Also, John whom I met at the race around mile 19...he has run 60 marathons and he gave me encouragement the last 6 miles! (He had run a marathon the day before!)

 (Yes, we made shirts. I figured, if it ends up being my only one, I'm going all out)

Overall Cons:

--I loathed this particular race. Not the course, although a friend told me it was harder than the Austin course because of hill amount& placement? Well, thank you God for Brushy Creek Trails for training! My problems: the dis-organization, the LACK of water stations (people were fainting, puking which always happens but really?), lack of adequate medical stations, and Oh Yeah, Let's start a race in late Spring at 8AM! Even winter races start at 7!

--It was hard? I use a question mark because this is both a "Con"& a "Pro". It was challenging, and I had to push through at parts. But, I was never 'breaking'.

--Training was hard on me physically and was time consuming, though I chose to train for 4 weeks. (Training is the hardest, hardest part. It is the only deterrent in keeping me from going at it again)

Pros:

--I 'beat' my goal time of 5 hours by more than I thought

--I never hit the "wall". I perhaps could have gone longer? Which I know is CRAZY to say. That last stretch was not my favorite.

--I was able to thank God during my run for where He's brought me over the year--which is why I ran it.

Which brings me to making a long post even longer. The reason I *really* ran this race was a thanksgiving to God for my body.

I've had a rough year in terms of dealing with my body--in terms of body image, hormones, extreme wear. I went from being a stick figure (pre-pregnancy mind you!) to gaining almost 45 pounds in my pregnancy, to nursing the baby and the extreme stress that was on my body, to losing some weight, and back to a healthy place again--all within a year. It all sounds normal, but for me--having never gained a pound since I was 12 (my body was stuck in adolescence until I was 27 which I now see how gross that was!), gaining 10 lbs alone was weird and my hormones didn't help. My hormones were hard on me, I had extreme nausea and fatigue--to the point I couldn't go to work during my 3rd trimester. Torture for someone who loves staying active.  I had days I would cry out to God in such anger, frustration, helplessness over my body--"Am I stuck in this huge fat-suit glued to my bed forever??" I seriously thought that was it for me. Even post-pregnancy, I thought, this is it for me. I'm stuck here.

I couldn't even finish decorating the nursery, and decorating's my FAVORITE.

Thought I would never be able to be my 'old self' again. So, when I started running for the first time, it was a huge celebration in my heart to God. I knew He had given me back something I didn't deserve in the first place.

So, that is why running a marathon was such a big deal to me. If you would have seen how sickly I was a year ago (while pregnant), you would not have believed I could move again, much less run a marathon at 10months post-parptum. (Yes, I used the word "sickly" past 1892).

P.S. Oh and Labor is Harder.

Losing the Pooch

When I was looking for info on weight loss for moms I was really having a hard time finding success stories with some detail. When I wanted to lose weight I wanted to hear that someone had done it before. So that's why I started this blog. That's why I'm sharing.

I came home from the hospital post-partum 60ish pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. Yes, I was a waif before (I see now how I was too skinny in a gross way) but still 60 lbs is 60lbs. I would show you a photo...but I was so embarassed I made sure there would never be any documentation!

In the beginning, I paid little attention to the extra weight because obviously I was trying not to punch someone in the face busy taking care of the new baby. But then, people at convenience stores starting asking me when I was due.  I felt horrible about myself, hated that I still looked pregnant, hated the plantar fasciitis, loathed that I couldn't even fit a thigh in my old jeans and scorned maternity clothes. More than that, I was feeling really down already due to the the crazy hormones and healing process...I was near (if not clinically) depressed and emotionally/physically/spiritually spent. Being 60lbs overweight was the cherry on top of a really rough season of life.

So after one particular Target clerk asked me when I was due weeks after the baby was born...that was it. I had to do something about it, I had to do something for myself. 

I started to diet. And I started to exercise. That is how I lost 60 lbs in four months. Nothing magic. Hard work. That's the magic. Keeping it simple.

 My Diet:

I was still breastfeeding, so I had to diet very carefully. Essentially, I just cut out the late-night snacks that characterized my entire pregnancy, cut out most sweets completely, and ate fiber throughout the day. I also drank copious amounts of water, to keep my milk supply coming. Also, this is super-important to do if you start working out. I also incorporated peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches to my every-other-daily diet. Because frankly, I love am obsessed with PBJ and with the nixing of my old-I-know-I'm-not-pregnant-but-I've-been-eating-this-way-for-9-months diet, I needed something small to make my day happier. The hardest part about losing weight post-pregnancy is changing it from a Pregnancy Diet to ....well diet. It's that switch from eating what you want, to counting fat grams. (I never count calories--too much math!)

I will summarize my diet regime at the end for those who care.

My Exercise:

 I hate the gym. Even now that I am becoming a personal trainer, I hate the gym. (I will say however the gym I'm being certified at is a small, private gym with no mirrors and no spandex and I looooove it there) Anywho--I had no intention of stepping into a gym to lose the baby weight. And considering that I felt like my whole world was a giant, spiraling sinkhole of distress, I needed a low-maintenance activity. So I chose running. All I needed was shoes, and a time slot when my husband could watch the baby, which was easy enough. I could pick the time. I could pick which direction I ran, the distance, the speed--it was the only thing I felt I had some control over in my life.

So I started with four squares of concrete slabs. That's as far as I could run in the beginning. I tried the next day, and the next day, until I was running a quarter of a mile non stop. I did that for awhile, then gradually increased the mileage. I decided to sign up for a half-marathon, but here is a post that is about that process.

The point is, I just made myself go out there and do it.  In the beginning, I went every other morning. As my distances got longer, I would go the day after my soreness was gone, or every 3 days.

I started to lose  weight...it was fairly gradual but at the same time occurred over a short amount of time. My pooch gradually and gradually decreased. Better than that, however, was that I was feeling happy again. I noticed energy levels increasing (contrary to common sense, because you're not sleeping if you have a newborn!), and exercise also fought off my 'depression' entirely. Entirely. And I felt better starting the very next week after I started.

Here's a before picture, not done growing, still got a month before my due date!                                                                           

6 months post

 
13months post

And I will say, I had weight loss results with running plateaued after 3 months.  From the time I ran a half-marathon (13.1miles), to a full marathon (26.2miles), I had no weight loss, and absolutely no muscle mass increase.  Fact, from a superficial standpoint, I was "thinner"and more muscular before I ran a full! But my goal in running after a few months was not to lose weight, it was in love for the sport.

It was not until triathlon training (12 months post-partum) that I started seeing healthy body contouring, which I am still working on.

 I don't think every woman should be a size 2. I don't think every woman should be a size 6. I think every woman has an optimum that is perfect for them, and that should be their goal. (Size 2 looks gross on a gorgeous woman built to be a size 8, it makes me so sad when I see boobies disappear!)  This blog is about being active, and being inspired to be a healthy. And I write about the weight loss for those of us who don't feel healthy and want to get rid of the extra weight. Because I want women to know that if I did it,and I thought I never ever could, having no athletic gifting-----
it. is. possible!!

So--end of soapbox---back to my story---  I don't know if what I did would work for every person. I do believe 90% of the time comes down to simple hard work in the areas of diet&exercise. When I was looking for info on weight loss for moms I was really having a hard time finding success stories with some detail. When I wanted to lose weight I wanted to hear that someone had done it before. And that's why I'm sharing.

The summary points for my regime:

Diet: 

--Eat small amts of dried fruits/fiber source throughout the day 

--Decrease cheese&oil in cooking overall

--Desserts only once/week if running (it used to be every day while prego right.)

--NO eating past 7-7:30pm (the kicker)

Exercise:

--Highly regular basis

--Drink lots of water

--Don't work out while sore or you could ruin two workouts

--For quicker/better results mix weight training w/cardio and don't always do the same cardio