3 Guest post//delirious rhapsody

Deanna from Delirious Rhapsody is here today to talk to us about her weight loss method and let me tell you gurl looks good! I'm so happy to have her today and I love her topic because as most of you know I'm on a mission to lose this never ending baby weight and inspiration like Deanna is always welcome!

Hi! I'm Deanna and I blog over at delirious rhapsody.

This used to be me:




And this is me now:




Six years ago I stepped on the scales and was absolutely horrified. I was dating this guy and between school and work, all we had time to do was grab some fast food. So that's what we did. And let me tell you, month after month of Burger King and Arby's does not do the body good.

I was always a kinda chubbier girl, but over the course of three months I gained about 25 pounds. Yikes! So when I stepped on the scales I knew enough was enough. Something had to be done.

Over the next five months I lost 65 pounds. And have been able to maintain my weight throughout two pregnancies. I know everyone has their tried and true weight loss method. I'm here today to share what worked for me. And if you're struggling with your weight, maybe something that I post will work for you. :)


1.Give yourself a daily caloric limit, and keep a log of whatever you eat. I have a problem with being a constant grazer. And a handful of goldfish or a couple oreos really do add up. Once you eat up your daily calories, that's it for the day. (Just don't make it anything unrealistic, like 600 calories or something. Then you'll just make yourself too weak to do anything. I try to stick to around 1500-1600 calories a day.) This way you can also eat whatever you want, just as long as you don't go overboard. You can have that slice of cake, just not the entire thing.

2.Eat breakfast. I actually cannot stress this one enough. I know some folks swear by skipping the first meal, but for me, missing out on breakfast only lowers my blood sugar and makes me shaky. For breakfast I make sure that I always have some eggs included. I've found that the extra protein keeps me from grazing throughout the morning.

3.DO NOT drink your calories. I drink tons of water, but I also drink diet soda as well. And black coffee. (Yes, I am hardcore.) Actually, it's really not so bad. We buy either a hazelnut or a vanilla bean coffee, so it does have a bit of flavor. You could also add some cinnamon to your coffee to jazz it up a bit.

4.Celebrate the small victories. Let's say you stepped on the scales and were expecting to lose a big number of weight that week, and it was only half a pound. That's ok! Only weigh yourself once a week. Do it the same time every week, and record it in your notebook. It might be a bit of a bummer to see that you only lost half a pound one week, but when you total it up in your notebook, you might realize that you actually lost 10 pounds in 6 weeks, which is great! Crash dieting rarely ever works. You end up putting the pounds back on. But if you lose them gradually in a healthy way, more than likely they will stay off.

5. Screw up. Yep. Cheat on your diet. I allow myself one 'cheat' day a week. That way I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything good. (And boy do I have the biggest sweet tooth ever.)

6.Just say 'No' (to the midnight snack.) I don't eat after 7 pm. Nothing good can come of this, because I'm not really active in the evening, so it basically just turns to sugar and fat anyway. If you think you might have trouble sticking to this rule, how about brushing your teeth? I don't know about you, but that chocolate cake doesn't sound as exciting with my minty fresh breath.

7.Mini meal it. I eat 4 or 5 smaller meals throughout the day to keep myself from getting too hungry in between meals. Uhh...and I love food. So this way I get to eat...all the time.

8.Get moving. Oh boy, so I hate the word 'exercise.' It seems like such a chore, and I've got enough of those as it is. However, I do love taking bike rides and walks with my family. I love to dance around my house, and my four year old really likes playing Just Dance with me. And let's not forget stepping outside for just 30 minutes and playing a game of tag or soccer. Just getting your body moving for a bit is going to work wonders for your mind and your energy level.


Well, I guess that's about it. I hope you were able to take a little bit from these tips. And if you're looking for someone to cheer you on in your weight loss journey, just stop by my blog and say hello.

-Deanna
delirious rhapsody

Thanks lady! Stop by her bloggity and show your love and support!!! She's pretty much fabulous!

2 Stroller Strides

Amy at A Good Life posted about her love of stroller strides a little bit ago. I was instantly interested. A place where I can meet mom friends and work off this baby fat? Count me in! So I talked to my sister about it because, you know, she's a mom and has (very very little) baby fat too. She enjoys a good work out so she was all in for it. We registered and plan on taking our first class next Wednesday! The first class is free so yay for that. I hope we like it because it sounds like something I would love to attend regularly. I shall let you know how it goes when the time comes! 

via

and if someone could have this delivered to my doorstep that would be great too. K thanks 

2 I Feeeel Good Don Na Na Na Na Na

As a was taking a walk with my Peanut today I was thinking about how great I have been feeling about myself of late. I'm actually starting too feel cute in clothes again and not jut searching for things to cover up my fat rolls.

I am in no way shape or form bikini  ready and frankly don't know if I will ever be but I have made vast improvements physically and mentally with my body image and I feel really good about that.

So here is my little motivational spiel.

I was a record breaking 200 lbs when I gave birth to Peyton and that is just not OK. While I only gained 30 lbs during my pregnancy I was already at my heaviest weight and unhappy with my body when I got preggo. The first 30 lbs came off fairly easily but I didn't really do anything to help it out. I wasn't exercising, I wasn't eating well, I was really unhappy. After I graduated and came home my sister took me on twice a week for personal training and gave me homework assignments. I lost 15 lbs in about 3 months. Now I was 160.
Then the holidays hit and I threw everything out the window. I didnt gain the weight back but I wasn't doing anything to take it off. I was still really unhappy. Then Dec 27th came and Mikey popped the question! This was my biggest motivation. I do NOT want to be a fat bride. I do NOT want to look back at my wedding pictures and think ew why did I ever let myself get like that? Something needed to be done. I started eating a little better but still not working out or doing anything drastic and I always had some excuse.
Thankfully Kristen came to me a month ago with P90X and I jumped right in. This was my chance to stop the excuses and start to start making myself happy. This Friday will mark one month into P90X and I feel really great. I have only lost 5 lbs but I have build a lot of muscle and burned a lot of fat. Im at 150 right now and hope to be 140 when all is said and done.
I guess what I want to accomplish with this post is to tell others who are unhappy with themselvs that it wont fix itself. Get off the couch, put down that cookie, and do something about it!
I am probably the laziest person ever. It takes a lot to get me motivated. But I want this. I suggest that you find what works best for you and go for it. I wake up every morning and Kristen comes over. I put on Wow Wow Wubbzy for P on the laptop and give her a morning snack (yes one hour of TV will not kill my daughter) She entertains herself for the most part and I get my work out in. Don't use your kids as an excuse not to work out. Some suggestions?

Utilize nap time: I know its your one time for the day for you time but why not do a quick DVD or even just some crunches or push ups something to make you feel better about yourself.

Involve your kids: Now that its nice out P and I go on at least a 30 min. walk every day weather permitting. Most days we walk 45 min. to Starbucks I get a drink, we relax, maybe stop at the park, and walk 45 min. home. Get a jogging stroller and go on a run. Do what Amy did and buy a bike caddy. Take your kids for a bike ride with you. Not only are all of these great because you are working out but your kids get to be outside and the extra weight of pushing or pulling them along helps with your workout. This also allows your kids to see you choosing to use your free time making healthy choices and will hopefully help them to do so in the future.

Wake Up Early: Danielle  suggested a while ago to wake up before your little ones and hit the gym while dad keeps an ear out. Obviously this isn't for everyone but if you are a morning person then why not try it out. You get a positive start to your day.

Grab a friend: I 120% know I wouldn't be sticking with P90X if I didn't have Kristen to do it with me and help motivate me. I don't think there is anything wrong with this just make sure you find someone you can rely on and it helps if you are one somewhat the same level but you don't have to be!

Chose a eating regiment that works for you

Jess  is all about clean eating and obviously it works if you have seen her before and after shots. I don't think I have the will power to be this extreme but it works for her and it may work for you.

Mandy and her husband are on a strict diet that is also proving to work well for them. They take a break every Saturday for their date night and then get back on track.

Drea is vegan and put up a 2 week shopping list up for $83! Insane! This goes to prove that you don't have to spend oodles of money to be healthy.

I know tons of people who have done things like weight watchers and it's worked out great for them. There are so many diets and ways to start eating healthy out there you just have to find what works right for you.

Personally I don't like counting calories. So I just chose to ration and make healthy choices. I don't eat fast food, I can't remember the last time I did and truthfully it kinda grosses me out thinking about it. I know after eating it how guilty and gross I will feel. If I'm craving a fast burger I go to Elevation Burger. There burgers are organic and they use healthy and fresh ingredients. I get mine in a lettuce wrap and it's delish one of my favorite things and I dont feel guilty at all after I eat it. This doesnt mean you can't indulge every now and then it just means you will have to make up for it later by going an extra mile or doing 10 extra push ups.

Another suggestion from Danielle and a new favorite of mine: Clif Bars. They are high protein low carb and they put a dent in my sweet tooth as well as tie me over till my next meal. Still craving sweet? uh hello FRUIT. I love fresh fruit, its so yumm and light and makes me happy

I also suggest making as much as you can from scratch. This way you know exactly what is going into your food. Buy some healthy eating cook books there are a ton out there and they have some delicious recipes healthy doesn't have to mean bland and flavorless.

Not good in the kitchen? There are TONS of easy and fast recipes you can use that require little to no skills in the kitchen why not try this one to start? SO easy and SO good.

What is the moral of this essay? There are no excuses.
There IS an exercise plan out there for you you just have to find it. There IS a way to eat better for you and your family you just have to find it. It might take some trial and errors but if you really want to do something about it you have to start now. The longer you wait the harder it will be to shed those pounds. And the only person who can really motivate you to do it is you. So close the lap top get off the couch and start doing something today to make yourself feel better tomorrow!

0 Motivation and Flashback Fridays

So Mikey and I have been talking a lot about getting up before P to work ot, take showers, and just relax before the little demon arises. It wasn't until I read Danielle's post over at Sometimes Sweet that i really found the motivation to actually do it. I love love love this post and if you feel like you need some inspiration please go read it. Yesterday and today I have woken up before Peyton, worked out, showered, and this morning I even did some laundry. Hopefully I can keep it up!

In other news:

Im 99.9% sure I got a concussion this morning doing laundry. I hit my head on this giant pipe that sticks out from the wall while bending down to the dryer. There a definite bump there.

In blogging news:

I am now starting Flash Back Fridays

I dont know if it is already being done somewhere else int he blogging world but I haven't seen it around so I am taking credit. It is pretty self explanatory but every Friday I am going to pick an old picture to post and talk about. It can be from yesterday, a year ago, or 10 years ago as long as it's a flash back. Anyone care to join me?

Here we go!

Flash Back Friday 2.24.2011



I was looking through my baby bump pictures last night (thus the reason this post came to mind in the first place). I was 39 weeks in this picture. I'm pretty sure it was taken on a friday and P was born on Tuesday.
I loved my baby bump (minus the stretchies) I pretty much loved everything about being pregnant. I only got sick 4 times at the very beginning and I had some pretty bad acid reflux at the end but other than that it was really smooth.

And there you have it Flash Back Fridays... feel free to do one on your page and let me know so I can read about it!