My new running buddy

Tonight I went for a run. It was my first post-pregnancy run without my kickboxing folks, with whom I am training for a race coming up...post on that to come. Anyway, the run went great! Much better than expected. I didn't take my watch or GPS. I know I went a little over 4 km because I'd mapped it out before, so it wasn't a long run, or anything. It was just good to be out. 

And I went with a newbie. 

I know at SOME point in the past I have talked about the Girlie. Well, over the last while she's become more than just the Girlie and we've sort of taken her over as OUR Girlie. She's our tiny Misses' big sister, and just our bud. We love love love her. 

(Mini Miss, Little Miss, and the Girlie)

And silly Girlie. She's having some pretty crazy health problems. Which is ridiculous, because she's young and gorgeous. So...time to start looking after yourself, Girlie!  

So we went for a run. We're going to try to go together every Tuesday. 

Let me tell you all something: she did AWESOMELY. Just awesome tonight on her first time out. And with some bugging in the knee were going to work out with some stretching, massage, and exercise, this Girlie of ours is going to be UNSTOPPABLE! 

So do us a favour; don't just check in on me, now. Check in on the Girlie and see how she's doing. She's very special and needs our help reminding her of that so she remembers just how important it is for her to take care of her wonderful self! 

And now, Girlie, you have been outed to the blogging world! MUAHAHAHA!!

Day 14, folks. Probably going to enjoy a hot dog withal most-plastic nacho cheese and a bag of candy at the movies tomorrow with my Mister and RDJ at Iron Man 3; I can't WAIT! 

Last weigh-in was on Saturday and I was "down" to 198, so I made it back to the correct side of 200! Hooray! I out such little stock in weight as a measure for health, but on ME 200+ lbs is a little unnecessary. In fact, about 25 lbs of unnecessary. Hahaha. 

DETOXING WORKS. For me, a least. My pants fit, my shirt buttons aren't straining against my monstrous cow udders, I mean boobs, my face isn't ginormous, my muffin-top is manageable.... So now, we just keep working and having fun! It's about being able to move and do what I love for me. The weight and appearance is how I can tell if I'm balancing correctly for my own life and tastes. And how I keep those old daemons in check, who am I kidding. But it's about being able to roll around with my kids, participate in a pickup game of whatever, or keep up with my own crazy scheming. Moving makes me happy. 

Now to spend some quality time with something else that makes me happy; vegetating in front of the TV with my man watching geek programming... ;-) 

Until next time! 

Red

Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day today. And a beautiful day! Crisp, sunny... My Little Miss isn't feeling 100% (still recovering from a Friday night sleepover! Hahaha! The party animal!) so while Mini Miss and I are getting ready for church we are being entertained by the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow... Mini Miss slept eight hours last night, my house is on its way to being the cleanest it's been in MONTHS, our dinner plans are impeccable (new BBQ? YES!).... Yup. Today is a good day.

But as I've been wandering around my blissful little charmed life this morning my mind has wandered to the fact that it is a special holiday today, and about all the wonderful moms out there I have the blessing to know. 

I have two, perfect little girls. Little girls I absolutely ADORE. So much so that less than three months after Mini Miss' debut I'm open to number three being in our future, should we be so blessed. (What's up with THAT insanity?! Making babies HURTS and I LOATHE being pregnant! Hahaha Love is blind, I tell ya'!)

But, really, as awesome a mom as I am, I pale in comparison to so many others. Which, of course, is why we don't compare ourselves to anyone else, but today, just let me reflect on what a tremendous blessing it is for me to be surrounded by so many absolutely mind-blowing moms. 

I have girlfriends who are moms. Lots of them, thankfully. Two of my best gal pals are single moms. Can you imagine? I cannot even begin to comprehend the exhaustion and difficulty of such a huge undertaking. And they're not single moms by choice, but because they're the fiercely strong persons they are when single-motherhood was chucked at them after some of the most horrendous marital experiences imaginable, they FLOURISHED. With two of the most amazing teens I've ever encountered being the fruits of their many years of labour these moms just blow my mind. 

You amaze me. You inspire me. I pray regularly I am never in your shoes because I know I could never do it with the finesse and success you have achieved. Do NOT EVER doubt how incredible you are, ever. you have achieved more in your times as mothers than most people will ever hope to, and you've done it alone. 

I have girlfriends who when they married their sweethearts were instantly thrust into motherhood, inheriting not only husbands but the title of evil-stepmother as well. These women are astonishing, inheriting, in some cases, high-maintenance step kids with behavioural or other disorders, making them a bit odd and quirky to the rest of us; not as obviously easy to fall in love with as a "normal" child is for the rest of us superficial fools. And yet, they love these kids. They work tirelessly to help them, nurture them, teach them how to navigate this impossible place. They make room for them in their homes and their hearts, deal with their spouses' ex partners with grace, and do it smiling. 

I don't even know where to begin. I don't know if I would handle the constant reminder of my husband's prior life so charitably, or accept the added drama. I HOPE I would, but I don't know. But you? You have. You are awe-inspiring. 

I have girlfriends whose kids suffer from different ailments or disabilities. Autism, cancer, muscular dystrophy...  I don't even really comprehend what autism MEANS let alone how to raise a beautiful, vibrant child operating with relative ease in amongst the rest of his siblings.  My worst nightmare is finding out one of my beautiful girls has a life-altering illness, and yet I see amazing women receive a cancer diagnosis for their perfect babes and after the initial shock wears off they take it in stride, staying strong and positive for themselves and their kids. I'm acquainted with an amazing mom whose youngest was born with muscular dystrophy, a disease so horrible learning about it in paediatric exercise medicine in university I literally broke down bawling in lecture. I. Cannot. Imagine. and having had siblings suffer and eventually give in to this disease, she knows exactly what horrors await her little family and her perfect little boy. And she faces it with strength, grace, ability, love, acceptance. He will live the best life while he is hers. 

I thank The Lord regularly that thus far my beautiful girls have been spared from such difficulties as I see these kids and their amazing moms dealing with, and I know at least in part, it's because I couldn't do it. You women are BEYOND incredible. I cannot even begin to express how much love and respect I have for you. 

Then there are the moms whose perfect little families have been torn to shreds by death. When life and family are perfect, and Daddy dies suddenly, how do you recover from that? Even on the days I "hate" Mr Man...I just, I can't even...I don't know! I think with my depression it would take me at least a year to get back out of bed! And yet here you are, going strong. Raising kids and loving life. Or relishing in having successfully raised amazing adults and cherishing moments with grandchildren who love to hear stories about Grandpa in Heaven. My Mother-in-Law is amazing. 

You teach your children about the eternities, that families are not just a temporal thing, that Daddy is doing important work but that he is always watching and always loving from no-so-far away. You teach them your faith, exemplify your strength, and accomplish so so sooo much. 

I know moms who have survived the worst in life. Whose own examples of motherhood were abusive and/or neglectful. I know these moms struggle with their own feelings of self-worth and their abilities to overcome their childhood daemons to flourish as mommies for their babies. I know sometimes the horrible things you experienced rear their ugly heads and you are horrified to see your own mother in your actions. I know you worry about screwing up your kids the way you were screwed up by your unorthodox upbringing.

You are doing it, though. You are fine. Hell, you're much more than fine. You are amazing. Your children adore you, and you love them. They know that. Even when you do mess up they know that. And The Lord knows what you've been through, what you have had to put up with. He knows you are an amazing mom, even when you don't. Even when you lose control and lose yourself, HE knows. And what is more important on this Earth than the love of your amazing children and the understanding from above? 

You can do it. You are doing it. You have done it. You are unstoppable. A force for awesome in your kids' lives. Forever. You amaze me.

I know many many moms and would-be moms who've lived through the horror of WISHING and DREAMING of motherhood. Of additional motherhood. Who've suffered miscarriage after miscarriage. Who've ended up in the hospital for emergency surgeries to save their lives from pregnancies gone horribly wrong. Moms of still-born angels.  Moms with horrible, high-risk pregnancies that leave them bedridden for MONTHS on end.

You are incredible. Your strength is physically, emotionally, and spiritually beyond comprehension. The hardest mom trial I've had is waiting so so so sooooo long for our Mini Miss to come along, and even then my perfect girls are only 5 1/2 years apart.  I know the heartbreak of seeing my period come month after month, but I cannot understand the pain and suffering of a infertility diagnosis or the devastation of a failed pregnancy.  You women astonish me constantly. And although it's a normal thing, it happens to SO many people...that doesn't make it easier when it happens to you.  You're beautiful, and amazing. And you'll get your turn if you haven't yet.  I promise, you will. 

Finally, my mom. I could write and write and write about my mom, but it's getting time to go to church and I've been typing forever already! I could write a book about my mom. 

I love my mom. And she loves me. She adores my girls. She loves my husband, too, with all his nerdy quirks and social-prowess. She is my best friend. My confidante. My hero. My partner in crime. My favourite date to the theatre, my favourite gal to shop with. She cooks me cinnamon buns when it's Christmas, and vegetables when I'm watching my food intake. She finds excuses to celebrate our family's accomplishments so we can gather and eat food hahaha. she opens her heart and her home to so so sooo many in need, and always has. She can be a little frosty at times, but it's because her mind is going twenty trillion miles a minute, or because she cannot comprehend just how amazing a woman she really is, and can't believe anyone would want HER. She is educated, smart, funny, and she has got THE greatest laugh this world has ever ever ever heard. And the whole world can hear it. 

I love my mom. I can't imagine my world without her. 

Happy Mother's Day to me, to you, to all is rockin' moms. Because we are that amazing. 

Here's how to do it.

People keep asking me how I do it, or what's involved in detoxing. Remember, I had the perk of attending a seminar and learning SPECIFICALLY about me and my body's nutritional needs, and having a detox plan given to me, so, other than adhering to it, all the work was done for me! And having seen the success and changes in my body, I now know exactly what I should be doing to maximize my own potential.

I will admit, as closely as I follow the detox plan, I don't do it exactly. There's a whole LIST of foods I'm technically "allowed" and crazy rules like no nuts after 2pm, and a plethora of vitamins and supplements you're supposed to be doing while strictly following the 14-day protocol.

To me? It's insanity.

No, changing my diet to the general rules the detox protocol - more a spirit of the law than letter of the law kind of thing - is enough for me to yield amazing results, leaving me feeling fabulous and keeping my body in tip top condition for all the things I love to do.

So, as I've said before, I eat meats, vegetables, and nuts. I DO eat root vegetables, minus potatoes. I DO eat squash and corn, even with relatively high carb content. I DON'T watch the clock to know if it's too late to eat some nuts, and I don't care if there are carbs in crab meat.

Especially this time around, while I'm nursing, it's very important not to take out a EVERYTHING or I won't be getting adequate nutrition to keep up my milk supply for Mini Miss.

I have great success with my slightly laid-back detox when I'm on board (THANKS for giving me an outlet to keep myself accountable so I COULD get back control of myself again! What a difference!) so, here's how I do it.

First, I find eating well for myself and my family almost always ONLY works if I plan ahead. It's a pain, but it's essential. Whether I plan exact meals and what day they're going to be served on (the easiest way to get thru my week, I find) or just brainstorm meals to have prep stuff on hand for so I work more day to day, I HAVE to plan. Otherwise when I hit the grocery store I'm just grabbing whatever I see/think of while there, and I often end up without anything I can put together in a cohesive meal for anyone, detox especially.

So when I shop, I shop for all the ingredients for whatever recipes I'm using during the week, plus lots of my favourite veggies for snacks, and I always have oodles and oodles of eggs. I buy meat when it's on sale or being cleared out and freeze it so when I'm doing my weekly planning I look at what meat I have in the house, instead of having to run out and spend a fortune at the butcher counter to meet my plan. (Salmon was on sale last week...there's lots of salmon in the house! Hahaha).

I buy things that are detox friendly and take no prep for snacking - crab meat you can eat right out of the package, shelled nuts are ready to go. I try to pop my own air popcorn because its more natural than whatever goo is in those microwave bags, but even that is pretty low maintenance. And veggies, especially the ones Little Miss likes, I try to chop up when I'm already chopping something and put in containers in the fridge for easy grab-and-go snacks I.e. while dicing onion and pepper for my breakfast this morning I yanked out a cucumber and sliced up the whole thing so it's ready for lunches, salads, dinner sides, whatever. And I have lots of prepared salad/coleslaw on hand so I can quickly supplement whatever I'm eating with loads of varied greenery, topped with oil & vinegar dressings.

I ALSO buy things that go with my meals that HAVE those essential nutrients in them for my kiddo, especially. She's five, she does NOT need to detox. So when I make salmon and veggies for me, I throw some rice on the stove for her. Or steak night she adds pierogies. She eats toast with her eggs at breakfast, and has a ham sandwich or granola bar with her lunch. She eats what I eat, but with grains.

Then, all that's left is cooking or preparing!

This week I've been bad and HAVEN'T planned out every day, but I have enough of what I need that it's been easy. Tonight I pulled out a pork tenderloin from the freezer and will do up pulled
pork in the crock pot - DELISH! Last night we had baked salmon, I think I said, seasoned with lemon juice, butter, and salt and pepper. It was DIVINE. Breakfast this morning I had a whole onion and probably about a quarter of a pepper fried up with two scrambled eggs.

You can find recipes to follow, or just slightly alter what you regularly eat anyway - your fave spaghetti sauce on spaghetti squash instead of noodles, for example (I make noodles for the kiddo, FYI.) or even try corn pasta or something! Switch from your "healthier" whole wheat nachos back to the plain corn ones for a couple of weeks (but don't top them with cheese until detox is over!) and add salsa, guacamole, ground turkey/beef with taco seasoning, lettuce.... Ooooohhhh that sounds GOOD!

If taking fruit out of your daily diet sounds ridiculous, then don't! Make it something you can do, you can accomplish if it's something you want to do. Maybe keep dairy in and just limit yourself to a single small serving per day instead of nixing it all together for two weeks. If you do take it out eat LOTS of dark green vegetables like spinach and broccoli - calcium isn't just important for your bones, it's arguably MORE imperative for the reactions inside your muscle cells that allow you to move, so it is a must must must by SOME means!

Okay, so, that's it, basically! Now whatever you do START TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF. Stop putting it off or making excuses. I do that all the time. But you know what? There will NEVER be a convenient time. There will ALWAYS be a reason not to. Give up that instantly defeatist mentality and just do it already. You are MORE than worth looking after.

Soapbox speech, done. ;-)

Over and out!
Red

Breakfast; yum!

Checking in on Day 7

(this cracked me up...and if it's true, you're doing something wrong!!)

Wow! It's detox day 7 and I didn't even realize!  Crazy, right?!

Two nights ago Mini Miss slept for EIGHT HOURS. It was amazing.  She didn't go as long last night without feeding, but she's an awesome little sleeper.  I can't wait for eight+ hours to be the norm for me to be sleeping nightly again, but I digress. I was chatting with a gal on Sunday while visiting our family whose almost-year-old STILL wakes up every two hours.  I. Would. DIE. So, serious hats off to all you parents out there who deal with THAT for years on end and are still alive. MY GOSH!

Kickboxing is going fantastically. I'm horrid at some things, but slowly am gaining my cardiovascular abilities back so I'm not instantly gasping for air at the start of every one-two punch combo; I can get at LEAST two out before I have to break!  hahaha

And I'm on track with my food. It's WONDERFUL. Though I am hungry tonight, so will probably pop myself some popcorn (air popper. And yes, popcorn is TOTALLY a vegetable! If I can eat corn on the cob I can eat popcorn!  It's my saving grace, really, for nights like tonight where the rumble just won't subside.)  I even have a go-to fast food meal - the full-size Wendy's BLT Cobb, hold the cheese. It's marvellous, delicious, and filling! Bacon, chicken, and egg all atop oodles of crispy greens - romaine, arugula... At a fast food joint, really, you can't get much better.

Mostly, though, I promise, I'm eating at home.  Usually eggs in the morning, though I skipped eggs and just did nuts and veggies the other day, with cashews and/or pistachios (my two fave nuts...I'm not a big nut girl, so that part of eating like this is a bit tricky...I don't even like pecans that much.) and sometimes a handful of sugar peas and/or peppers.  For lunch today I had a ham steak with broccoli, and a hefty helping of green salad with balsamic vinaigrette. And dinner I did baked salmon with more broccoli (I enjoyed it so much at lunch I figured, what the heck? hahaha) and carrots (with rice, too, for my Mr & Little Miss).

I have more to say than just blah blah blahing about what I'm eating, but I'm always so exhausted and trying to keep myself together with the detox at the moment that none of it has come out through my fingertips yet.  I'll keep you posted. ;-) hahaha

Oh yes, and last night's weigh-in had me at 204lbs. So...I'm definitely experiencing similar results to the first time I did this when I first learned about my insulin resistance; I'm on track to see that number down almost the exact same amount it went down first time (though I have a long way to go to get back to MY healthy number at 175. But that's okay - slow and steady is the easiest way to keep it off later!)

And now, I turn off lights, pop some corn, and doze in front of some geeky TV with my Mr.  Ciao!

Red

Whirlwind Weekend, detox-style!

Well, now. THAT was a busy weekend! PHEW!

Friday was my BIL's 35th birthday, and as everyone is sort of uber enamoured with our Mini Miss it was absolutely EXTRA imperative that we get together this weekend! Which was great - one thing I think both Mr Man and I can agree on is that we both find ours slightly eccentric and totally weird at times we have AWESOME in-laws. Helps that we each come from fantabulous families, but I digress. (With out family-powers combined we become...a SUPER FAMILY! No? Okay, sorry, my nerd is showing...)

What was I saying? Oh yeah!

Saturday was Saturday. We did laundry, I got in a run and some training, finally got Mini Miss' crib put up, went BBQ browsing (ours DIED on us and it's "sprummer" and I CAN'T BBQ!!) fed our kids, us, cleaned house, packed and headed up to MY parents' for dinner, then went to an event with the one and only Alex Boye (no big deal, right?) with my SILs, nieces & my parents, then up to my SIL & BIL's house for a sleepover.

Today, up with Mini Miss, church, "home" to a house full of (some of our most favourite) people, lunch, dinner prep, playing, upset kiddo, perfect baby, accidental nap (yay!), dinner/birthday party, visiting, drive home.

I'm exhausted, but what else is new? Maybe I'll have a decent rest tonight...

Anyway. Saturday my weight was 206, so I'm glad to have further confirmation of my insulin resistance, having now removed all the "bad" for me from my diet for a few days. What a difference! It's like my body just gives a huge sigh of relief and lets go of all the extra fluff and baggage it's been carrying. It's WEIRD.

I am starting to look forward to my first cheat meal, though, and think that it will have to include a dessert of brownies and vanilla ice cream... O:-) (my cheat meals are EPIC).

Eating detox-friendly while away was surprisingly easy, and I'm not as hungry as I was at first, which is great. I took a small bag of snacks with me just in case - cashews, pistachios, cut up peppers, sugar peas, and some crab (yum!) - and ventured to Mom's. When we arrived, anticipating my hunger she had some kielbasa out on the counter for us and we got cooking a dinner of pork chops with mushrooms, vegetable stir-fry, and cobbed corn. DELISH.

Today my in-laws took great care of me, making bacon & eggs for breakfast, which I supplemented with some peppers, peas, and a small bunch of cashews in lieu of the scrumptious looking oranges and watermelon for the troops (you know I miss fruit when watermelon is mouthwatering; I hate watermelon!). Then for lunch we had hot dogs - I had one with no fixins and no bun, and then went to town on my snack baggie. Dinner was delicious homemade burgers, mine done without cheese (though someone tried to STEAL it! The nerve!) corn on the cob, veggie platter...oh, and a delicious-looking potato salad that I had to abstain from. And then at dessert/birthday time I just kept myself busy in the kitchen doing dishes and I wasn't dying watching everyone else enjoy icing-topped cupcakes, baked in the afternoon!

So, with some help, I had a pretty fantastically easy time keeping with it this weekend! I'm pretty pleased.

And that is that for now. Because...I think this baby might just be falling asleep eating aaaand that means I can go to bed. YIPPIE!!!

TGIF

Today, was a good day.

Thank GOODNESS.

After that craziness with Mini Miss yesterday I finally got to bed around midnight.

And then this little angel baby of mine let me sleep for SIX HOURS.

It was amazing.

Then snuggles with my big girl, morning rush off to school, breakfast, chatting with Mom aaand Mini Miss fell sound asleep nursing. Probably around 10am or so.

I figured, gosh darn it, I'm going to lay down, too. I snuggled up with her and my iPad, played online, read some of my book (Anna Karenina at the moment. I was surprised how much I was enjoying it at first, but now it's dragging for me. Probably because I don't have a lot of uninterrupted free time right now. Sigh.) aaand I'm pretty sure I was asleep by 11am.

And I woke up before the baby. Just before 1. :-)

I cannot tell you how much better I feel today than I did yesterday! Hahaha I cannot WAIT for the eight-hour nights to start again, my gosh. But in the meantime, days like today are sheer awesomeness.

DETOX REPORT

Eggs and pistachios for breakfast - I skipped the peas this morning because...change of pace! Hahaha Lunch (at like, 2:30 by the time I got to it after my amazing nap!) was the other half of yesterday's spaghetti squash with ground beef, mushrooms, and an onion in tomato sauce , and, I think for the first time EVER, or at least in the last three days O:-) I was FULL and actually had a hard time finishing! PROGRESS! Aaaand dinner I had salmon, asparagus, and corn on the cob. No snacking today because I slept so long I didn't really notice hunger hahaha I'm hungry now, but I'll survive.

Kickboxing was fabulous tonight, as always. Love it. Everyone needs something they love to do. I'm lucky I have lots.

Boring post, but it was a blissfully boring day. :-)

OH, and the scale at the dojo is starting to inch thataway like its supposed to after a baby so, BOOYAH. I'm LESS than 210lbs! Hahahaha WINNING!

I. Am. Tired.

Today was rough. And not even really all that bad, just...MAN I'm exhausted.

Mini Miss didn't sleep great last night, so....me neither.

So in amongst the ginormous to-do list that just keeps lengthening of late, I figured gosh darn it, it's been AGES since I took a nap and I am DYING for one, so when Mini Miss naps today, so will I!!

It's 11:17pm. Her longest nap since waking up around 8am today has been 45 minutes, while she was in the sling on the walk to and from school picking up Little Miss.

She has been awake ALL day. ALL DAY!!! Happily awake, for the most part, with some wow-I'm-tired crying interspersed in there, and five minute dozing sessions here and there, but my gosh, she's just been AWAKE.

I. Am. So. Tired.

God gave me my kids super spread apart because He knew I couldn't handle having one big one home all the time and not be sleeping due to the little one. He's smarter than me, for sure.

And all you people with two in diapers at once? FREAKING SAINTS. You folks are amazing. And insane.... Oy vey.

I couldn't even relax and enjoy my night out with my kickboxing gals tonight I was so tired and had to take the dang (adorable, perfect, amazing, squishy little ball of) baby with me. And guess what? Aside from a five minute nap...she didn't sleep while we were out.

I think it's just cruelty that we go through literally the hardest, nearly impossible physical feat out there and then canNOT rest to recover afterwards. For MONTHS. It's honestly miraculous that the human race has been around for longer than two generations because this whole gig is just...ridiculous.

I'm totally going to be asleep before this rug rat tonight.

Detox day 2 fine and dandy. Feeling slightly less starving to death tonight. Ate a LOT of food today, so... Hahaha

For breakfast I ate two eggs and some sugar peas. Then Mini Miss and I did groceries. Then when she FINALLY let me get my lunch I had half a spaghetti squash topped with ground beef, mushrooms, peppers, and tomato sauce. YUM! I had a bit of popcorn to tie me over til going out for dinner at 7, and had three pieces of bacon with Mr Man and Little Miss when they ate dinner (I made them bacon and eggs for dinner, with cucumber that Little Miss just INHALED! Hahaha) then at the restaurant, where it was buffet night, I had oodles of roasted vegetables, chicken, a couple of giant salads with shrimp, arugula, lettuce, mushrooms, peppers. Oh yeah, and somewhere during the day I had a pinch-full of cashews because my tummy was rumbling. O:-)

Now...to try to get that Mini Miss back to this for the night....

And now...we detox!

This was in my Facebook newsfeed this morning. It's like it was a sign, or something!

Okay, so today, I started my detox.

Remember detox?? Okay, okay. You have other things in your life that occupy your brains most of the time, so remembering all about MY health problems well....you haven't. hahaha

You can read about the whole story HERE.

Here's the Coles Notes version: I am insulin resistant, and can't eat a butt-load of carbs like I love to. I CAN eat them, occasionally, but not all the time unless I want to keep my muffin top looking like a muffin....(in my case a cupcake, because I SLATHER those suckers in icing....yuuummmmm......)

While pregnant, however, we sort of, um, accidentally? discovered that my body wasn't having the same reaction to my occasional carb-binges as when NOT pregnant, so....yeah.  My gosh. I LOVE CARBS.

Anyway, well, I don't know if you've heard, but I'm not pregnant anymore! (Cheering - I hate being pregnant. MY GOSH. I'm Elizabeth Banks in "What to Expect When You're Expecting" - that movie is HILARIOUS. Tangent over.)

See?

Not. Pregnant.

Aaaaand, well, not being pregnant anymore, my body's kind of reverting back to its old ways where I eat it, it shows up on me.  Which, as I've been eating EVERYTHING has made for...an interesting couple of months.

This nursing gig, too, well, it's NOT the be-all-and-end-all weight-loss program that the 'books' laud it to be. Good GRIEF. My cow-boobs are so FREAKING HUGE I swear they're half of my obesity problem at the moment.  I cannot WAIT for that to be over, as fabulously as it is going.

So. After some deliberation and wondering and figuring out.....and whining about how ginormous I am at the moment (let's be honest - Little Miss TOTALLY gets her whining from me. Sigh. I KNOW.) and making excuse after excuse over the last two months for why I SHOULDN'T start eating properly again... I am ON THE BANDWAGON.

To start, we detox, and today was day 1.

Now, this isn't some crazy insane juice-only or eight-week detox (some of you people, in my humble opinion, are INSANE!! Seriously, EIGHT WEEKS?! Woooowwww......).  No, all it is is a kickstart for my body to get back where it needs to be nutritionally. I eat lots and lots and lots, just not lots of variety!  hahaha  Meat, vegetables, and nuts.  I eat anything in those categories. (Except potatoes. Sob)  Doing this for a whopping 14 days (sure FEELS whopping right now! I WANT MARBLE SLAB!!) allows the body to flush out all the sugar crap that's stuck in there...resisting insulin!  That's why I have to take even fruit out at first, to nix the fructose, and just let everything go.  

Multivitamins (if you can get a good one, that actually gets absorbed instead of just sitting, whole, in your stomach...) are a great addition because they can help sort of latch on to the icky and yank it out of your body, too.  And a whole whack of other supplements, but I'm not really big on supplements, so don't use them much, personally.

Then, after 14 days, I get a cheat meal - hooray! Cheat meals are fabulous, and I plan them WAY in advance.  And it's not a cheat DAY, but a meal - when your butt leaves the chair cheating is done.

Then, you go back to eating...non cheat things.  Carbs, for me, are out. Fruit & dairy are back in. (YAY!) Then, after another four days, another cheat meal!

The cheat meals are important because you still get to eat all your favourite things, just not every single day, and by keeping a cheat meal every four days or so and eating, supposedly, carbs, whatever your body doesn't become SO unaccustomed to them that you develop sensitivities. It's kind of awesome.

Now, there are questions and concerns about "detoxing" while nursing.  Have no fear, people!  I'm eating BOAT loads of food, lots of nutrition, drinking oooooooodles of water...the baby is not going to be lacking for sustenance, and I'm not going to die.

Today...I feel a little bit like I'm going to die.  I've eaten SO MUCH FOOD today, but none of it my usual comfort belly-fillers....and I am SO SO SO HUNGRY.

This morning, I had two eggs, a handful of cashews, and a handful of snap peas - it was DELICIOUS.

Then, for lunch, I ate this giant salad (oil & vinegar dressings allowed - dairy/creamy dressings, no) - a whole romaine heart, almonds, crab meat, and a giant fat carrot.

Dinner was delicious chicken breast with broccoli & carrots. If I'd had some corn on hand I would have made up corn, but I need to hit the store.

Yes, I still eat corn - vegetable! Technically some people on this protocol don't do corn, but I do. And it worked amazingly before, so I'm doing it the same. (Live with it, Sensei! hahaha)

So, day 1 is done.  Day 2 tomorrow!

OH YEAH! I forgot!  Today, 210 lbs. Huzzah. About 35 lbs more than pre-pregnant, super healthy me was this time last year, so... doable.  It'll go. Maybe slowly, but it'll go.  Right now, I just want to sit down in jeans without wanting to cry in pain.

Aaaaand I thought we were getting calipered tonight at kickboxing, but we didn't.  So...will post that humiliating information...whenever it comes! hahaha

Okay. It's uber late, this is way longer than I planned (I do that, don't I?) aaaand the gorgeous baby is already asleep and in bed, so I'm outta' here!

Cheers, all! Thanks for the support! Let me know if you have questions or want to give a detox a try and see how your body reacts.

Red