Getting Back In The Swing Of Things

[Gaming_Jeweler]

I haven't been on the forums here in over 5 months. And I'm going to be honest: posting a new thread on here is terrifying. I'm not sure why, but it just is. I had a baby 3 months ago and used NF to help keep me in shape during my pregnancy. I gave birth to a healthy baby via c-section. I had to wait until my body healed enough for me to work out again. I was given the ok to exercise 6 weeks postpartum but I haven't felt like I was capable of completing a workout until recently. I'm out of shape and have to take things slow. So here's to getting back into the swing of things!

 

1. Get into the habit of exercising 2-3 times a week. I honestly don't care how long I can exercise. I may not be able to complete a workout for a long time. The goal is to get up and MOVE. I will either be walking or doing mom & baby yoga. I can try adding more difficult exercises later.

 

2. Log my water intake. I simply need to log how much water I drink. I'm supposed to drink plenty of water while I'm breastfeeding and I honestly don't know how much I'm drinking. So I'm going to start using my Fitbit app to track my water consumption.

 

3. Eat Paleo 2x a day. This one is going to be difficult. My husband recently made a decision to go Paleo after going to Camp Nerd Fitness this year. I'm proud of him and I'm trying to be supportive by keeping grains out of the house. But I currently need the extra carbs to keep my blood sugar up while I'm breastfeeding the baby. So the goal is for me to eat carbs once a day until I can wean myself off of them. But I can't buy any carbs that my husband would want (unless I eat out... which doesn't help our finances).

[Gaming_Jeweler]

I got a lot done, even though I wound up trapped upstairs for most of the day. Our stairs that lead up to the landing broke loose from the sides of the staircase. Hubby and a buddy are currently working on fixing them. I came downstairs with a bit of help. Em and I did some mommy and baby yoga together before we went on a walk. All in all, a good day.

[SaltyDragon]

First of all, congratulations on the new baby. I think it's great that your ready to get straight back into exercising, and including baby is a wonderful idea! I agree with you that you shouldn't be eliminating carbs right now. Is temptation a problem for your husband if these things are close at hand? Maybe you could keep a loaf of bread in the freezer (out of sight, feels less "available") – pop a slice in the toaster when you need it?

[Gaming_Jeweler]

10 hours ago, SaltyDragon said:

First of all, congratulations on the new baby. I think it's great that your ready to get straight back into exercising, and including baby is a wonderful idea! I agree with you that you shouldn't be eliminating carbs right now. Is temptation a problem for your husband if these things are close at hand? Maybe you could keep a loaf of bread in the freezer (out of sight, feels less "available") – pop a slice in the toaster when you need it?

 

Thank you!

 

Yeah. It'sin the house it's a problem. I have muffin mix that I could make, but the smell of it baking would bring him downstairs and he'd wind up eating several of them. Unless I make berry flavored ones. He hates berries. We both cook, so if I store bread in the fridge or freezer, he would find it.

 

I bought my favorite chocolate bar for a reward in 6 months. I left it in the car and it melted. I popped it in the freezer and put an ice pack on top of it so he wouldn't see it after coming back from camp. I was going to hide it somewhere else so that I wouldn't be thinking about eating every time I cooked but I needed to wait for him to go upstairs. Low and behold, he found the candy bar. He saw a tiny bit of the wrapper and new what it was. He freaked out because he was worried about undoing all the good he accomplished at CNF. I told him what I bought it for and proceeded to hide it before he could eat it. 

 

I think I might stock up on berry flavored muffin mix for a while. 

[Gaming_Jeweler]

Today has been difficult. I went to my chiropractor to get my back worked on. My back is better now. But on the way back home, I felt rushed. I was in a hurry to get back home so that Hubby and I could take the dog meds that the vet gave us for the cat back to the vet for the right meds. My daughter could pick up on my mood and howled most of the drive home. I came home and was grouchy until I broke down crying. I feel alone and isolation a lot right now. I know I'm not alone but I feel it. I feel pretty hopeless sometimes too. Like I can't do anything right. I'm currently battling postpartum depression and it made today really suck.

 

 This isn't my first bought with postpartum depression. I had for a while several years ago when I miscarried my first. It's not as frequent this time around, but it still sucks. Tomorrow will be better. 

[SaltyDragon]

On 9/30/2016 at 11:47 PM, Gaming_Jeweler said:

I know I'm not alone but I feel it. I feel pretty hopeless sometimes too. Like I can't do anything right.

 

Definitely not alone to have these feelings. Staying positive, telling yourself it will get better, is a great start to coping with it.

 

ps, I was going to jokingly suggest you hide some candy in the closet...looks like you beat me to it!

[Gaming_Jeweler]

On 10/2/2016 at 9:21 PM, SaltyDragon said:

 

Definitely not alone to have these feelings. Staying positive, telling yourself it will get better, is a great start to coping with it.

 

ps, I was going to jokingly suggest you hide some candy in the closet...looks like you beat me to it!

 

Thank you. I've noticed that admitting something is wrong and that that's ok is the first step in me getting better. I have no reason to be ashamed of my depression.

 

Lol. I've been hiding candy in odd places since I was a kid. When my dad was 1st diagnosed with diabetes, he would crave sweets. So my mom and I would hide them where he wouldn't look. Granted, I'm a bit more cleaver than I was back then. Now I have my candy hidden in the closet in a spot I would have to move a bunch of stuff around to reach it. And I'm usually pretty lazy when it comes to eating candy. I want it, but I don't want it badly enough to rearrange my entire living room to get to it. 

[Gaming_Jeweler]

Most of yesterday was good. Baby Rebel and I got some yoga in. She laughed and cooed during our warm up. Life was good. 

 

Then nighttime hit. The baby wouldn't stop crying. I tried "waiting it out, " but that only made things worse. She needed to be changed and fed. Then she was ok. But waiting it out caused my depression to act out. I was miserable and needed my husband's help. He helped me as best he could and I wound up waiting the episode out. I'm doing better this morning.

 

I feel awesome right now. I also feel like I need a nap. And coffee. 

[mom2sjm]

How's the water intake going?  It is really important to stay hydrated while nursing.  I'm more of a visual person and find this water log really helpful when I'm trying to keep track.  I put it on the fridge so it's in my face!  

 

When my boys were babies we did lots of walking.  Mostly in a stroller, put a couple hills in the mix to get my heart rate up but mostly it was about being outside and away from chores and all the things I had to do!  Sometimes instead of the stroller we'd go with a wagon.  Pulling instead of pushing.  I'd load the wagon with blankets to support them lying down (I had twins to start, then a singleton - did this with both) and pull them around the yard or around the block.  Worked a different set of muscles!  Sometimes I'd feel an urge to do some strength training so during the day I'd randomly do 5 pushups and 15 squats.  I kept track to see how many I could do.  That didn't happen very often   Now my boys are old so I can get myself to the gym but when they were babies I had to keep it simple!

 

Hang in there.  Be kind to yourself!  Keep us posted on your progress!!

[Gaming_Jeweler]

38 minutes ago, mom2sjm said:

How's the water intake going?  It is really important to stay hydrated while nursing.  I'm more of a visual person and find this water log really helpful when I'm trying to keep track.  I put it on the fridge so it's in my face!  

 

When my boys were babies we did lots of walking.  Mostly in a stroller, put a couple hills in the mix to get my heart rate up but mostly it was about being outside and away from chores and all the things I had to do!  Sometimes instead of the stroller we'd go with a wagon.  Pulling instead of pushing.  I'd load the wagon with blankets to support them lying down (I had twins to start, then a singleton - did this with both) and pull them around the yard or around the block.  Worked a different set of muscles!  Sometimes I'd feel an urge to do some strength training so during the day I'd randomly do 5 pushups and 15 squats.  I kept track to see how many I could do.  That didn't happen very often   Now my boys are old so I can get myself to the gym but when they were babies I had to keep it simple!

 

Hang in there.  Be kind to yourself!  Keep us posted on your progress!!

 

Baby Rebel & I have been using a backpack baby carrier. I have a stroller too, but I don't feel like getting it out of the car.  That's interesting. I wouldn't have thought about using a wagon one day and a stroller the next to get a full body workout. There are a lot of hills around where I live, so I would get a good workout if I used the stroller. How old were your little ones when you put them in the wagon? Baby Rebel is 3 months and I don't think a wagon would work for us right now.

 

I keep forgetting to log my water intake.  That's going to be one of the harder things to get done.

 

Thank you! I'll try to remember. 

[Gaming_Jeweler]

Baby Rebel & I got a good walk in today. It wasn't as far as we walked last time but I was too tired to keep walking. I wound up singing the chorus from "Hey, Let's go!" from My Neighbor Totoro while we were walking. It seemed appropriate and it got stuck in my head as soon as we were out the door.

 

 

I've been eating pretty good too. I feel like Hubby and I have had a few too many cheat days, but the large packs of meat in the fridge are almost gone. So I guess We haven't fudged that much. I've been thinking about starting a new Instagram account and photograph what I eat, even if it's bad for me. But I'm having a hard enough time keeping up with my water intake, so maybe another time.

[mom2sjm]

11 minutes ago, Gaming_Jeweler said:

 

How old were your little ones when you put them in the wagon? Baby Rebel is 3 months and I don't think a wagon would work for us right now.

 

 

They were 4-5 months.  I did it initially in the house (pulling them from the kitchen to the living room or wherever whiile I was doing my chores if they were awake so I'd be chatting them up while i worked) and that gave me the idea to do it outside.  At first it was just in the yard but then I ventured out onto the street.  Always very flat, no hills.  I saved the hills and rougher terrain for the stroller.  They weren't sitting up so all I had to do was put in a bunch of blankets to support them.  I even wedged in our baby gym so they would have something to look up at/grab at to keep them lying down.  I really packed them in there - old radio flyer wagon, not the fancy kind with the seats (that came later)!

[Gaming_Jeweler]

13 hours ago, mom2sjm said:

 

They were 4-5 months.  I did it initially in the house (pulling them from the kitchen to the living room or wherever whiile I was doing my chores if they were awake so I'd be chatting them up while i worked) and that gave me the idea to do it outside.  At first it was just in the yard but then I ventured out onto the street.  Always very flat, no hills.  I saved the hills and rougher terrain for the stroller.  They weren't sitting up so all I had to do was put in a bunch of blankets to support them.  I even wedged in our baby gym so they would have something to look up at/grab at to keep them lying down.  I really packed them in there - old radio flyer wagon, not the fancy kind with the seats (that came later)!

 

I used to have a Radio Flyer. Unfortunately, it rusted to pieces. Good to know I can use a basic wagon. I just need to find a good quality one.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

It looks like we're going to have some rain from Hurricane Matthew today, so no walk for Baby Rebel & I. But here are the photos from yesterday's little walk.

 

 

 

[Gaming_Jeweler]

I'm doing much better with drinking water today. I have a 20 oz Majora's Mask mug I've been drinking out of today. I have it sitting in the kitchen in a spot that I'll see it whenever I cook, refill my coffee mug, or wash laundry. And every time I see it, I want water. I think I need to do this with different mugs more often.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

Well, things have been a bit crazy this weekend. I was supposed to take part in a 2-mile charity walk for Alzheimer's on Saturday, but my baby decided to eat all night starting at 1:00 am, so I missed because I needed sleep. Then I found out my family might have to evacuate from SC to another state because of Hurricane Matthew. But that turned out to be a false alarm and all we got was some rain. Things got a bit more hectic when my husband and I had to take our phones back to T-Mobile to replace them (our batteries were acting up). So, yeah. Wheeeeeee. Let's not do that again.

 

I'm considering doing a themed challenge soon. But my abdominal muscles need to be in better shape before I can do that.

 

But as far as weekly recaps, here's week 1 & week 2's.

 

Week 1

 

1. Get into the habit of exercising 2-3 times a week. I actually got 2 workouts in!  

 

2. Log my water intake. I logged it for a day or two. Then I forgot.  

 

3. Eat Paleo 2x a day. I've been cooking 2-3 meals a day. We do still go out to eat, but no where near as often. I do go out and get something to eat when I'm shopping by myself.

 

Week 2

 

1. Get into the habit of exercising 2-3 times a week. I worked out 3 times but I felt like I needed more. I like walking and yoga a lot. 

 

2. Log my water intake. I've been forgetting to do this. I have a few fitness widgets on my phone to remind me to log my water & exercise, so maybe next week I'll actually remember to log it.

 

3. Eat Paleo 2x a day. Still cooking most of our meals. I do eat a carb snack out every day. I currently hate McDonald's because that's where it usually is. It's also beside of the Goodwill I shop at. I seem to have stabilized, though. My blood sugar doesn't dramatically crash anymore and I feel fine eating carbs once a day. I also eat HUGE portions of food, so I'm getting enough calories to keep breastfeeding.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

I had a small victory with my PPD today. I started feeling anxious and on edge- which I've noticed happens whenever I have a PPD episode- so I made myself do yoga. I exercised until my abdominal muscles started to burn. I don't know what my limits are, so I figured I'd stop after the burning kicked in. I feel better now and much more relaxed.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

Apparently, I hit my limit with the yoga I did on Sunday. It took me 3 days before my abdominal muscles stopped hurting. Then I took a .4 mile walk with my husband (while carrying the baby on my back!). I feel pretty good today. a little sore, but no where near as sore as I felt on Monday. I'm getting better at logging my water intake. Yesterday I actually logged all the water I drank, which turned out to be 72oz. 

 

We're definitely doing better at not eating out as much. I found out that I have popcorn kernels at home, so I can make popcorn at home and add my own seasoning to flavor it. I also stocked up on Cliff Bar brownies. I hate the flavor and will only eat them if I'm really bad off. That really helps prevent me from eating out because of a sugar crash. I've also noticed I feel tired and really out of it when I eat out too. So maybe I'm getting to where my body craves Paleo?

 

I've gotten 2 workouts in this week, but I really want to get at least 1 more before Sunday.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

I managed to get a 3rd workout in. I really wish I hadn't. I decided to do a core workout. It seemed like a good idea at the time, since my c-section left me with weakened abdominal muscles. It turned out my ab muscles are pretty much ruined. I couldn't do half of the workout because I didn't have the strength. It bothered me but I just kept telling myself "Oh well. I'll just have to rebuild them." The next day I was sore, in pain, and felt like crap. I pulled my round ligament and was super sore. I wasn't too surprised, since the area around that ligament was the only part of my core I was able to move properly. Then I felt a sharp, shooting pain under my belly and noticed some blood. I'm not sure how, but somehow I managed to rub some of the skin off of my scar. I guess I'm still healing from my c-section. Anyways, I've spent the last few days off of my feet (when I can) and have been trying to take things slowly. No more core workouts for me for a few months.

 

Week 3

 

1. Get into the habit of exercising 2-3 times a week. I worked out 3 times. Workout #3 was a bit too much.

 

2. Log my water intake. I'm getting better at this. I can usually remember to log my first glass of water... then forget the rest.

 

3. Eat Paleo 2x a day. Most of our meals are Paleo now. I'm currently making my own carb snacks, which saves us money since I'm no longer driving to get fast food. However, we do eat out either once a day or once every two days. This is a huge improvement for us. When I came home from the hospital (& for the first month of Baby Rebel's life), my husband and I were eating out 3x a day. And that's not including snacks.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

Ok, so I'm going to brag on my husband for a bit here. He went to Camp Nerd Fitness this year and came back a changed man. He chose to make some lifestyle changes like eating paleo, no soda in the house, and no drinking soda out. He has gone 3 weeks without drinking soda. I'm proud of him. Today, he told me he wants to cut down on his sugar intake. He wants to start eating a "no sugar added" diet. Which means no ice cream, no iced coffees out, or anything else that has a crazy amount of sugar in it. The only exceptions to that rule is iced coffee made at home or homemade popcorn. And that is because he wants to be able to control how much sugar he's eating. This is a big step for him. And I'm curious what steps he'll take to improve himself in the future.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

It's time to wrap up this challenge before starting a new one. Week 4 was kinda "eh." I'm still sore from that stupid core workout but I did get one walk in. Baby Rebel was being fussy and wanted to go outside. So we did.

 

All in all, I did ok. It wasn't great and I really pushed myself too hard. Now it's time to set up a new challenge. 

[Gaming_Jeweler]

New challenge is up! http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/90583-get-up-and-move/