Body Image Tuesday

I haven't done one of these posts in awhile, yikes. Quite awhile.

I love how honest I can be here, like my little domain of truth and honesty that I block off my negative thoughts and excuses from that I find myself bickering with internally everyday. You all know what I am talking about, don't deny it.

So true story......

I've gained 13lbs. Oh yeah, out of nowhere I'd say but at the same time...I've slacked off big time with my normal regime of eating better, sleeping more and not drinking soda. Add in I'm on 2 new medications and there you have it. 13lbs.

I will also say  that despite this little news shocker, I'm totally OKAY with it. I'm not crying about it, feeling guilty or down. I feel great about how I look and yes, I can tell in some of my newer clothes that I need to get back to my healthier eating and living habits but it's just a different stand point than I used to do when I gained a bit of weight or suddenly couldn't seem to lose weight.

I have accepted who I am and what my body looks like and no longer having the stress of those unrealistic thoughts and weight goals has been such a sweet relief and an amazing turn around for me!!

Don't get me wrong though, it's spring. My butt will be in the gym more and running more with the warmer temps, not too mention....swimsuit season? Hello!

At Cracker Barrel, my one weakness for food.

It's safe to say that for me, Healthy living has become a bit different than I once thought and scoffed about it being. 8 months of little changes have had a HUGE impact on my self image, my food knowledge and even friendships. It's not about the number on the scale, what you eat or don't eat, how often or not often you work out....it's just about making the attempt, finding what works for you and trying new things before quitting and NEVER losing focus on your goals.

What works for you?

Britt The HLC

What does being healthy mean?

So it's official. I am CLEARED to run again!

I was so excited when I was told this that when we got home I told Evan he had to go on a run with me before we picked Avery up from MDO. Not to mention it was yet again, another 80* day in Texas with just a bit too much wind but man....it was too good to pass up on.

My foot is a bit tense still and I didn't push myself too hard, just being outside and moving was almost euphoric. Wait, did I just say euphoric about running? Seriously? *Shrug* Guess I am turning into a runner after all. I can't wait to hit the gym tomorrow, it's going to be hard but I'm prepared for the burn. I also know I can not get ahead of myself and that I must take it easy, one of my biggest things I do not manage well is following directions when it comes to health stuff. I get it into my head that  I know myself better than a medical professional and before I know it I've re-injured myself which is no mi Gusta.

Before my foot appointment we also had our follow up appointment with the OB. No, we are not pregnant yet and we are still going to try but we're also not going to stress about it. I'm on a prenatal to fit my needs now and will be taking a baby asprin a day to help prepare myself for potential blood issues. All my lab work came back good which is both good and bad news I guess. Considering how messed up both sides of my gene pool are, I've lucked out with only having one gene mutation. This mutation however, is very common, like 50% common with most people and can be treated with more folic acid, b12 and an all together healthy living lifestyle.

I'm also still a high probability for stroke, heart attack and blot clots due to my family history and this gene mutation signified that as well. I'll take it over some of the other variable mutations out there. Whats important is that I am healthy and able to conceive a baby. Does this mean I'll not have another miscarriage, no, it's not up to me or a doctor but it's up to God and I have to continue to give it up to him. Does it mean I won't try again, no. We still want another baby. We're going to be patient about this and if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. There's no medical reason why I shouldn't be able to get pregnant again.


I'm glad I decided to do the lab work and find out where I am with my health. I think it's something all woman should take into consideration, regardless if your trying to get pregnant or if babies are not even on the radar. It's good to be informed of your genetics and your health.

Evan and I have come a long way in our health if you ask me. I can look at pictures of us when we were dating to after we got married to now and you can visibly see how we've changed. It's seriously a journey and it's one you have to make for yourself. Nobody else has to live with YOUR health. For me being healthy meant having a baby. It meant letting go of foods I thought I needed, saying good by to sugary drinks and making myself get more sleep. It meant making better choices and decisions for myself, my husband and my potential family. I took it one day at a time and one choice at a time...

Here's us at our heaviest:

And 4 months later...

You can see the difference. This was also right before we got pregnant with Avery

3 months pregnant and I was still looking thin!

2008

Last week.

(Yes, I'm a dork.)

It's like I said before...a balance.

Eating right, excercising, sleeping, drinking water, taking vitmains, being active and staying positive.

I'm curious though, what does being healthy mean to YOU?

**EDIT** Last night my foot went back to hurting, today, I can't put any pressure on it whatsoever. I am miserable. Bought a brace and have been propped up with ice and heat per doctors orders. This is possibly the worst injury to date and the Dr. now wants me to come in for more x-rays. :(

-Britt The HLC

Nom Nom Nom

If you are anything like me, you kinda have this obsession with food. Not so much food in general because hey, we all need it and love it obviously, but I mean certain foods that just make your world go round or lift you up when your sad, sick or tired.

For me it's snacking. Oh yes, I can eat my 3 squares just fine but when it comes to the time in between those meal times...I'm snacking. Before I started running and actually taking care of myself it was all the bad things...candy, chips, soda, etc. We're all guilty of this, we're human. I can remember standing in front of the fridge at 2am plenty of times thinking to myself "Why are we here doing this? you're not hungry, go to bed!" and still reaching for the ice cream or some other thing I didn't need. Don't get me wrong, every once in awhile I find it necessary to just eat something not on your typical food list anymore. Splurge on that candy, drink that soda....but there has to be a balance.

You have to find your balance.

For me, my balance came when I was pregnant with Avery. I suddenly couldn't stand the sugary treats, or soda. I no longer craved the chips and fast food. Oddly, my biggest cravings were for salads, green tea and sour skittles. After Avery arrived and I was breast feeding I had to limit certain foods for both our benefits and that opened my eyes to a whole new kind of healthy eating, I never thought I'd fall in love with things like yogurt, dried fruits, granola, omegas, protein shakes and smoothies. Let alone stick with them after I stopped breast feeding. My current must haves are Greek yogurt, almonds and granola bars.

How about you? I want to know what your favorite snacks are and what you do for that balance we all need, so share away.

Here are a few of my current must haves....

dried cherries are so hard to find so when I do I get a little giddy. I dare you to add these to a baked good recipe and NOT fall in love.

As you can tell from the bag, I love me some pistachios....

My two fave flavors from my two fave bars.

These are amazing and have replaced my Klondike bars.

So good and easy to carry in your purse or gym bag.

Veggies, veggies, veggies.

Now, I'm hungry. :)

-Britt The HLC

Body Image Tuesday

I'll admit, I wimped out of taking self portraits today to show myself as I am now, week one in my weight loss journey. I guess the mirror just got to me a bit too much this afternoon and before I started crying I simply put the camera down and promised myself I'd do it next week.

I will, too!

It's not so much that I look horribly overweight, I hide it well. In fact, most people wouldn't believe I weight close to 180, maybe it's the boobs? Needless to say though that since having A, I am not keeping the extra weight in the same areas and it's noticeable enough to get my attention as well as E's. I will also be the first to admit I am not a diet person or am I an avid exerciser or health nut.

Which will change over time. I mean, it's been a week and I have made several changes to my diet and I am now exercising daily.

Start weight: 179lbs-8/29/11
Goal Weight: 155lbs-1/1/12
Today's Weight: 177lbs-9/6/11

2 whole pounds in a week!!! Yes, it may seem small but it's still a victory for me. I'm aware I'll have bad weeks and setbacks but the fact that I am actually pursuing this lifestyle now and it's already showing just helps keep me motivated to stick with it.

I also like going to the gym with my family. Working out with E today was a first and yet, it wasn't uncomfortable or frustrating. We did our own thing, helped each other with some machines and made a mini-race on the treadmill in which I didn't win but the trainer said I had better form and stamina.

Here was my workout today (I doubt I'll be able to walk tomorrow):
3 miles on treadmill
5.69 miles on recumbent cycle (my fave machine)
2 sets of 20 on weight bench for shoulders and arms at 40lbs.
1 set of 20 on hamstrings at 50lbs.
2 sets of 20 squats


It's not so much about how much I lose and how fast I lose it, or is it about how much I can do at the gym...for me it's about liking what I see about myself physically which as of last week is not a lot. I do not have much self-confidence in my appearance and it's what makes up 1/3 of who I am so it's important to me to be accepting of this. Like my motto...."If you can't love yourself, who can you love?"

I love a lot of things about myself, but when it comes to how I look in the mirror....I'm lacking the love. Which is why I started Healthy Living Chick.

I'll end this Body image Tuesday with 5 things I love about myself(physically), be sure to share with me your 5 self loves as well.

1. I love my blue eyes, they are my best physical feature (in my opinion).
2. I love my scar on my forehead, yes it looks like a huge dot between my eyes but it adds personailty!
3. I love my calves, I'm only 5'5 which doesn't give me much in the leg department but my calf muscles have always looked good and helped my legs look tone.
4. I love my boobs. After years of hating them for being bigger than I personally wanted and being picked on because of them, I always tried to cover them up. I even had a breast reduction to help but it wasn't until I was pregnant with A that I accepted my womans body and fell in love with my bra size for once. :)
5. I love my spotty freckles. Yes, I still have some childhood freckles over the high part of my cheeks where the corners of my eyes meet, I have always loved them.