Off dairy again and the stuff that goes along with it

Several weeks ago, during the time when the little guy wasn't sleeping at all, we also noticed he had some tummy issues. I did some research and found that moms consuming dairy whole nursing can affect their little ones. That was the only thing that had changed about my diet. I had limited dairy while trying to lose the baby weight and it seems to give me more energy too. Well after the baby weight came off and I was running more, I added dairy back in for the calories. I was able to maintain my weight, but the little guy didn't approve. So now I am back off dairy, and I thought this would be a good time to try veganism (so no eggs either). I got the book (from the library), Veganist. I read it cover to cover in just days (that's pretty good when you don't have a lot of free time). She doesn't think eating soy is bad for you (something a lot of vegans and vegetarians have opposite opinions on). She also has some sample menus which included a good bit of fake meat (another controversial topic). It appears to be her way to get the protein you need.

So I have been doing the vegan thing for the past several weeks (a couple of slip ups), but for the most part, I have done pretty good. I am pretty hungry and have a difficult time getting that full feeling. Thing were going ok, until this week. I had serious troubles with my run on Tuesday and was sore for 2 days, aka not recovering well all of a sudden. Also, some of you may know that after you have a baby, your hair falls out, well mine has been falling out still. I was reading a post from Matt at No Meat Athlete about protein consumption. He mentions hair falling out and having a hard time recovering from workouts. Now I am concerned I am not getting enough protein to sustain my lifestyle (nursing my son and running 20-25 miles a week, cross training 1-2 times a week). I am getting so much conflicting statements, do I eat soy and fake meat to get my protein up, and how much protein should I be eating? Any good tips on foods with proteins that are easy that I might not be eating? I know there are people more active than me that have a vegan diet and perform well.

I hope to get a lot of comments and advice.

The great smoothie/salad experiment

My husband has always been an active guy, and because of that, he has not had to worry too much about what he eats and can stay at a healthy weight.  Well when I was pregnant with the little lady, I was put on modified bedrest and told to up my calories.  Because one of my 2 vices is ice cream, he made me sundaes and milkshakes nightly.  We both gained weight this way but I had a baby and lost mine, but he didn't have the luxury having a baby.  Right after that, he graduated with a PhD and got a new job.  He now works very long hours and doesn't have much time for exercise anymore (he doesn't like the idea of getting up early to workout either).  He also doesn't really like healthy foods.  He will eat a salad but would always prefer chips or fries. 

So he is a little frustrated to have these few extra pounds on him, and not being able to get them off is even more frustrating.  I was doing a little blog reading this weekend when I came across No Meat Athlete's post on "My 7 links."  The post he chose for "Most Helpful was one on smoothies. 

He starts off by describing that if you eat 2 healthy meals a day, you won't get fat.  Basically, he is saying that if you eat a healthy smoothie in the morning, then you will be more likely to have a healthy lunch, and if you have a healthy salad in the afternoons, you will set yourself up for a healthy dinner, because of how good you feel.  I agree with what he says, because I feel that when I have a healthy breakfast I will make healthier decisions later on. But I also like the idea of getting all your fruit and veggie requirements out of the way with 2 simple meals. Then the rest of my meals can be more of what I am feeling and not how can I include a fruit or veggie into your sandwich. And then any fruits or veggies I have during another meal is just a bonus.

So the Smoothie Formula . . .
Basically it's 1/2 frozen banana,
small handful of other fruit,
3/4 cup liquids,
1 T binder (pb, ground flaxseed, rolled oats, etc.), and
3/4 T oil (flaxseed, coconut oil, etc.).
Then you can add in other healthy super foods like spinach or cocoa nibs.

Then the idea is to have a nice big salad in the afternoon with tons of veggies, nuts, and some healthy oil.

So we are going to experiment with this over the next couple of weeks. But I need your help. I tend to get into a rut when it comes to food.

What are your favorite smoothie recipes?

What do you put in your salads right now?

How can we keep this experiment going?

So we are goi

Runing while it H-O-T! and some stats

Well, we have had heat advisories for the past couple of days.  Like it's not hard enough to get out and run, now it's just down right HOT.  I went out yesterday with the kids at 9:00am and got my 5 miles in.  But I can tell you I was drenched in sweat when we returned home (and I am not a big sweater either). 

I would love to go out early in the morning, but it's just not realistic with little A not sleeping through the night.  Hopefully, in the next couple of months his sleep will be a little more predictable and I will be able to get out there and log some miles while everyone is still asleep.  Right now, he is waking up at 2:00, 5:00-5:30, and then at 7:00-7:30am.  At 5:00am, he usually won't fall back asleep unless he is in bed with us, so that I what we have been doing with him (and by us, I mean me).  I feed him in bed and then he falls back asleep.  I guess I could get up then maybe, I am afraid he is going to immediately wake up as soon as I leave, and then I will get it from the hubs when I return that little A woke up and was hungry.  I don't know, maybe I will try it one day and see how it goes.  Any advice from the peanut gallery on this (yes, I am still BFing exclusively).

Some stats for ya
Little A turned 4 months old on Sunday and he rolled over for the first time on Sunday too.  He went to the ped yesterday and he thriving.  He is up to 14lb. 4oz (25%tile).

My stats
Last week I hit my goal range for pre-preg weight.  According to Dr. Oz's book (it was on clearance for $3.99 on bn.com), you should have a range, not just one specific number.  I have always had a range along with a number.  My range is the number plus or minus 2 lbs., so last week I hit my number + 1.6lb., so I have considered that to be pre-preg.   So I made it back to my pre-preg weight in just under 4 months.  With Hope it was 4 1/2 months (gained a little more weight).  But both times, I did it slowly and other than my mental breakdown at the beginning, I didn't stress about it, just ate well and exercised.  The last 4 lbs. though, I really relaxed about though.  I lost 3lbs. in 5 weeks.  I know some people see that they are so close and try to crash diet or starve themselves to get there, but I read somewhere a long time ago, that when you only have those last few pounds, take it slow (0.5 -1.0 lb/week) and they will stay off.  I have since adopted that mentality and it has worked for me.

Running
In June, I logged 69.68 miles.  If I had known I was so close, I would have tried for 70.  Oh well, I am still getting back into running/training mode, so I will let it slide.  And at the end of June, I had logged 315.19 miles for the year.  Not too bad considering on Jan. 1 I was 7 months pg and then had a baby and had to recover.  My goal is 750 miles this year and I know I can log a lot more miles during the second half of the year compared to the first, so I am feeling good about that. 

I am trying to figure out my races for the fall.  Any races you like that I should do?  Especially ones in the ATL?

The time waster and other updates

So it's Saturday morning and the little guy is sleeping in his crib, the little lady is with her grandmother and the hubs is playing tennis. The house is quiet and what am I doing . . . Playing with my new toy.. Yep I got an iPad. I have to say that I really like it so far. If you have any favorite apps please post a comment.

My race is tomorrow so today I will just relax and prep for it. This will include some foam rolling. I know it's not advised before a race but my hamstrings are very tight after a tempo run on Thursday.

The little guy turned 12 weeks on Thursday and I am 4 lb away from my pre-preg weight. That is the great thing about hot summers in the south, I don't have a big appetite because I am drinking so much water and sweating so much during workouts.

I will update you on the race tomorrow. It's a small race so I am hoping to do well. I hope I don't get my hopes up too much.

Hodgepodge post

Holiday
Well I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day (especially the Mothers).  Mine was wonderful.  The weekend started off with my first race since my son was born.  It wasn't a great race.  Too crowded and I didn't start up far enough so my time was terrible (30:54 for a 5k).  Then we went to brunch (my favorite meal).  On Sunday, the husband made me cornflake crusted french toast with strawberries (I am not a fan of syrup).  He also gave me a wonderful necklace with 3 charms/pendants for it (H, A, and love) for my beautiful children.  Unfortuantely, 2 of the charms don't fit and we tried to return it so they could fix it, but they were already closed.  :(  Hopefully we will get it fixed sometime this week, I want to wear it. 

Of course, Mother's Day is very bittersweet, but I tried to be a good sport about it on Sunday.  I know it bothers the husband when I am bummed out on holidays. 

Exercise
I am still holding myself to running 3 days a week, yoga once a week, and abs once a week.  I have been able to do it for a couple of weeks now and have started to increase my mileage some (4 miles at a time minimum).  Unfortuantely, I am running either in the late morning or afternoon and the temperatures are starting to increase.  I guess if it gets too hot, I will have to go back to the mill (not a fan).

Weight loss
Well I am down another couple of pounds and have 7 more pounds to go (my son is 8.5 weeks old).  Not too bad.  I am eating more veggies (think salads most days for lunch), very little dairy (not totally vegan, because I just can't avoid my ice cream, but no cheese really), and mostly whole foods.  My go to snack when I am on the run is a Larabar.  My current favorites are peanut butter and jelly and peanut butter cookie, but they are all very good.  I am also drinking a lot of water, both for weight loss and nursing.  I have been very happy with my progress over the past couple of weeks.   

How are you going to spend Cinco de Mayo

Well I can tell you that I won't be cooking, that's for sure.  I had planned on making tacos for dinner on Thursday, until I heard that Moe's Southwest Grill was doing $3 burritos in Atlanta.  Yep, any burrito is just $3.  I couldn't believe it!  The Husband and I can eat dinner for just $6.  That's awesome!  Different areas have different specials for tmorrow, so check it out here.  Looks like our taco night will be next week. 

I will be having the Jory Junior with tofu, black beans, lettuce, black olives, pico de gallo, and cucumbers.  That is all under 300 calories so I can even enjoy some chips and salsa and still stay under 500 calories for dinner.  Woo hoo!!!  Hope you enjoy your Cinco de Moes!

Do people really not eat dessert?

I admit, the only other time in my life that I had to lose weight (other than the 2-3 vanity pounds) was after I had Hope.  So I am not very versed in the dieting arena.  I can do well at maintaining, but I am scared about losing this baby weight.  I know it came off relatively easy with Hope, but this time maybe it won't.  I feel like a fish out of water.  I also have some conditions with my weight loss, like I am nursing, so I can't cut my calories too much and have to make sure I am getting enough protein, healthy fats, etc.  I am also not sleeping great at night so my energy level isn't very high, and no caffeine for breastfeeding (well I do make half caff coffee in the mornings). 

Ok, so getting to the point of my post.  I love sweets, so I indulge in dessert more nights than I probably should.  But since most of my life, I have just been maintaining my healthy weight, I felt like it was ok.  My go to dessert is ice cream (Breyer's Light Mint Chocolate Chip to be exact).  I try to keep my portions small, but I know my serving is always more than the half cup recommended.  And then sometimes we have organic semisweet chocolate chips that might find there way into the bowl.  :) 

I was looking at one of my favorite message boards last night and one of the daily posts is planned eating and exercising for the day.  I was noticing that almost no one said anything about eating after dinner, i.e. no dessert.  Now, not all of these people are trying to lose weight.  Actually I would say that most people that answer to the post are just maintaining their weight.  What?  Are none of these people eating dessert?

I eat breakfast, lunch, a snack, and dinner.  I eat dinner between 6 and 7pm.  I would get hungry if I tried to make it until the next morning to eat again.  Since I am breastfeeding I feel like I shouldn't go that long between meals.  Is that correct?  Would I be ok not to eat?  If I should eat something, what are some better choices for evening snacks? 

What do you do when you are trying to lose some weight? 

I broke down . . .

and ran.  I know it's early, but I was going crazy.  I ran slow (12 - 12:30 minute miles) to make sure little Aidan's head wasn't bobbing around and of course I wanted to go slow for myself.  I know there are plenty of people who want to flame me, but I felt ready, so I went. 

I ran 2.5 miles yesterday with Aidan and 2.21 miles today with both kiddos.  And I felt great both times.  I had been feeling a little down, not the baby blues, but feeling down that I can't get more done during the day.  Aidan isn't sleeping well so I am pretty tired  during the day.  Aidan is also a snuggler which is great because I love to hold him but I can't get much done while holding him (I am currently typing one-handed).  Running has actually given me more energy. 

On the food front, I started reading "The Four Hour Body."  It was back in December, when I was reading a post from one of my favorite blogs that I was introduced to Tim Ferriss.  I was intrigued by the post but didn't want to immediately go out and buy another health book.  So I went to see if the book "The Four Hour Body" was at my local library.  The good news was that it was, the bad news was that there was a long waitlist.  I was ok with a long waitlist since I was pregnant and not into becoming superhuman immediately.  Well I got the book last Friday.  It is quite interesting because it is broken up into different sections.  He just asks that you read the 1st two sections that spell out some of his philosophies and what he is all about.  I did and then I read the first section "Burning Fat."  He calls it the "Slow Carb Diet" and claims that if you follow it you can lose 20 lbs. of fat in 30 days.  What???  I had to read on.  Oh yeah, did I mention he said without any exercise. 

So here is how it breaks down:

1. Don’t eat white foods.Or any foods that can be white. No bread, pasta, rice (including brown), sugars, flours, etc. Cauliflower is fine.
2. Don’t drink calories.No juices, pop/soda, milk, etc. Stick to no-cal beverages — mainly water.
3. Eat the same meals over and over.The idea is that if you simplify planning, the diet is easy to follow. So you map out a few meals and just repeat them over and over. Tim gives three major categories and suggests choosing something from each category to create a meal:
   Proteins:
   Egg whites with one whole egg for flavor
   Chicken breast or thigh
   Grass-fed organic beef
   Pork
   Legumes:
   Lentils
   Black beans
   Pinto beans
   Vegetables:
   Spinach
   Asparagus
   Peas
   Mixed vegetables
4. Don’t eat fruit.I don't agree with this but this is his thing.
5. Take one cheat day per week.No holds barred. On Saturdays, Tim pretends he’s in a big, gross eating contest. This isn’t a perk; it’s a requirement. I won’t explain the science, but let’s just say that I agree with the many benefits of a cheat day from both research and personal experience. I’ve annihilated buffet lines in the past during cheats and still lost a bunch of fat. It’s amazing.

After tracking my calories, I noticed I was lacking in protein and even fiber on some days.  So while I am not someone who requires a lot of protein (I know this from experience), adding in cottage cheese, eggs, and beans would probably be beneficial.  I tried  to follow it more carefully for a couple of days, and gained 2 lbs.  Like I said, my body just doesn't need that much protein. 

Since then, I have been eating more salads with beans and some lowfat cottage cheese.  I think that works best for me. 

Week 1 Results

So last Thursday I was 2 weeks post-partum (pp) and decided that since I felt pretty good, I decided it was time to start thinking about getting back into shape (and losing the baby weight).  I was going to track my calories on Babyfit and start doing some weights and walking more. 

Weight loss
I am down 1.2 pounds from last week.  I know my weight will be fluncuating a lot because I am nursing.  Aidan didn't eat very much before I got out of bed and weighed myself, so I might have been able to a few more ounces. :)  I also know that once I can really start working out, I will hopefully be able to lose more. 

Eating
According to Babyfit, I should be eating between 1850 and 2150 calories.  That seems like a lot but it's because I am nursing and require more calories to keep that up.  I am not used to eating that much so it's a little hard for me.  Also, because I can eat that much, I feel like I can indulge some and still lose.  I tracked my calories for a week and learned a lot.  I would not eat some of my good for you foods because I would want to "save" those calories for my indulges (I know, bad).  I would also track my calories all day and then when I would see that I have 300 calories left before I hit the minumim calories, I would eat that many calories in sweets (again, I know, bad) even when I am not that hungry.  The whole calorie thing was overwhelming.  I also saw that I didn't eat enough protein several days.  If anyone has some tips for veg people to get in more protein, I would appreciate it.  And no to fake meat.  Here are some break downs.

Thursday, March 24, 2011
Bitmap Breakfast
			Protein	Fat	Carbs	Calories	Calcium, Ca	Folate, total	Iron, Fe	Fiber, total dietary
Meal totals			19	15	63	452	45	16	13	8
Lunch
Meal totals			23	10	51	385	18	6	9	6
Dinner
Meal totals			18	18	68	506	24	19	8	6
Snack
Meal totals			10	26	56	535	13	0	10	5
Daily totals			70	69	239	1,879	99	41	40	24
Recommended totals			65 - 80	65 - 80		1850 - 2150	100 - 200	150 - 200	140 - 170	25 - 35

Friday, March 25, 2011
Bitmap Breakfast
			Protein	Fat	Carbs	Calories	Calcium, Ca	Folate, total	Iron, Fe	Fiber, total dietary
Meal totals			11	13	60	404	6	30	22	2
Lunch
Meal totals			31	18	46	442	108	33	102	6
Dinner
Meal totals			20	33	97	754	11	34	45	9
Snack
Meal totals			9	24	58	480	2	0	16	6
Daily totals			71	88	261	2,079	127	97	186	24
Recommended totals			65 - 80	65 - 80		1850 - 2150	100 - 200	150 - 200	140 - 170	25 - 35

Working Out
I have to say that this experience so far has made me at least be consistent with my "workouts." 

Thursday:  Your Shape fitness test (30 minutes)
Friday:  Walk in the neighborhood with double jogging stroller (1.58 miles)
Saturday:  Rest (sick toddler)
Sunday:  Your Shape upper body workout (30 minutes) and abs
Monday:  Walk in neighborhood with double jogging stroller (1.63 miles)
Tuesday:  Your Shape lower body workout (45 minutes) and abs
Wednesday:  Walk on treadmill at 3.5mph at 9.0% incline

What to do this week

1. I am not going to track my calories.  I know what I should be eating and limit mindless snacking.  I think this will help me with increasing my healthy choices.
2. Might try a run this week. 
3. Continue with my weights
4. Enjoy my time with my son.  :)

Any advice for me as I continue my journey.

It's go time

It's funny, I am actually psyched to get back into working out and having my body back (well as much as back as I can considering I am nursing).  Aidan is now 2 weeks old and I am feeling pretty good.  I am still a little sore, but I am not taking Motrin for pain anymore and nursing is going really well, so I think I can start to think about watching my eating and start "working out."  I know I can't run yet, but I have been walking a couple times a week. 

My first walk - 3 days pp

I am now going to start incorporating some strength training which will be easy on my healing body, but will help me build muscle and burn calories until I can start running again (still weeks away).  I did The Firm with Hope when she was 3.5 weeks old.  I didn't have as bad of a delivery with Aidan so I thought I would start today and see how it goes.  Any little bit will help.  With Hope I did work out, but I didn't even think about losing any weight because I wanted to make sure my milk was in and I had a good supply (FYI - breastfeeding was/is very important to me.  I BF Hope for 15.5 months and plan to BF Aidan for at least 1 year).  I didn't want to restrict my calories with Hope in case it affected my supply.  This time around, I feel more confident about BFing and my milk came in early and Aidan is nursing great and at 5 days old had already gained back his birth weight plus 3.5 oz.  So I feel good about BFing and would like to lose my baby weight a little faster than last time (3-4 months). 

Me and my belly the evening Aidan was born

I am actually in between contractions which is why I am smiling

Working Out
This time around I plan to use Your Shape to get some strength training in.  I actually got this for Christmas last year, but our PC couldn't handle it so I had to wait until I got a new computer before I could load it up.  I had my first workout today and it was pretty good.  I think it was just a fitness test but I did it for 30 minutes and burned 246 calories.  My goal is to do it 3 times a week and walk 2-3 times a week as well.  That seems like a lot to do with 2 small children and my lack of sleep means I am not getting up early to get my workouts in, so we will see how it goes.  At least right now, Aidan can't go out so I am stuck at home which means no errands at least right now. 

Eating
I gained 24lbs. during my pregnancy.  I did not restrict myself during pregnancy because I knew with Hope I had a very small placenta and that made it difficult for Hope to get enough nutrients and calories.  Aidan started off fine, but really dropped in the end.  Again, another small placenta, so I am glad I gained a good amount of weight.  I signed up for Babyfit.  I will try to track my calories on this site and see how I am doing. My goal is to eat as many whole foods as possible and limit refined foods.  I do know I need extra calories because I am nursing as well as lots of water.  So I do plan to have dessert most nights.  :)  According to babyfit, I need 1,800 - 2,100 calories a day, so that is my plan.  I do not plan to do anything dramatic, just try to be smart. 

Stats
According to the scale, I am 11 lbs. above my pre-pregnancy weight, with a current BMI of 22.2.  With my pre-pregnancy weight, I will have a healthy BMI of 20.2.  I have gotten down to 19.8, but for now we are focused on 20.2.  I also took my measurements today.  I will update you on how many inches I have lost.  I can tell you that my chest measurement is currently 4.5 inches bigger than my pre-pregnancy chest measurement.  Yes, I look like a porn star right now.  :)

My belly today

So, my goal is mainly to just get back into shape so I can get back to my running shape.  I am not so concerned with the weight.  I know it will come off, well at least it did last time.  :)  Wish me luck.