The Fitness Part of Getting Fit...Mommy Goals!

I know for me exercising is the cherry on top that leads to me feeling strong, slim and confident.  I like the slight soreness.  I feel proud knowing I stretched my body and pushed it a little farther than I would have otherwise.  BUT FOR SOME REASON I DON'T MAKE IT A PRIORITY!!!

I don't know why.

I mean, I am a STAHM of 3, and that does keep me busy.

There's the interruption of kids while I work out, the tiredness at the end of the day if I try to wait till they are in bed to work-out, and then even more tiredness in the morning if I try to get up early.  But STILL!!!  I'm always so happy when I've completed a workout, yet that only happens every few days.  Why?  If it's moving me toward my goals of being healthier, why don't I make it a priority.

I think it's because I want instant-gratification.  I want to see that scale drop right now.  And the truth is it doesn't work that way.  Health and weight-loss progress takes an investment.  It means minutes, and hours and days of making up for wasted time.

So, I am rededicating myself.  This week, 30 mins a day is all I'm shooting for.  That's not asking too much.  I've done it before, and I can do it again....I think...I hope...AAAAHHH!!!!  I want to!!!!

It's such a hard trade off.  Some days fighting the kids to get "me-time" isn't worth it.   I explode because they need me every 30 seconds or try to ask me questions in the middle of a set of push ups, when I'm red faced and beyond out of breath.  SO this goal has to have some reality checks.

First, I will get my exercise stuff set up and then get the kids set up with some quiet time activities and snacks.  Then I will IMMEDIATELY start working out.  No Facebook or blog checking.  No phone calls or texts.  I will already have water ready and be dressed to work-out so no wandering around the house and getting distracted.  I think this precaution will maximize my time so I can get the most work-out done.

Also, I need to be realistic and expect some interruptions.  And that's OK.  I love my kids and they are the number one reason I am trying to be healthier and more fit.  So "Something is better than nothing."  Some work out is better than none, and I know if I freak out and explode out of frustration then my work-out will definitely get cut short.  So EXPECT interruptions, put what's most important first i.e. the kids, handle them gracefully, and move on.  Literally, MOVE IT and start working out again!

Of course I also exercise with the kids, and there is always an open invitation for them to join me, but there are some things I like to do on my own too.  Besides it really isn't possible for me to exercise too much with a little work out on my own and some play time with the kids at the park or on the trampoline.  If exercise is my cherry on top, then I would like LOTS of cherries on top!  Here's to lots of exercising this week!

Love,
Eva

Worth It: The Reshaping of a Mother's Body & Her Heart

I was just telling Sam (while pointing to my tummy) "You are why I have this, but YOU are TOTALLY WORTH IT!  I cannot imagine life without you" and then I tickled his tummy like he likes to tickle mine.  It's true.  Before I had my third I was back to the weight I was in high school and running regularly.  It hasn't been as easy to do with 3 kids and the personality of my beautiful Sammy (as in he SCREAMS at any gym daycare I've tried to leave him at for even 20 mins.)  But that's OK.  Even if I never makes it back to that place physically, I don't mind.  He (and the chance to be a mother to him) is more than worth it.

Anyway, a minute after some tummy-tickling I flipped on the laptop and saw at least 4 of my friends had recommended this beautiful article, "Kate Middleton and the Mom in the Mirror" by Joy Gabriel.  I read it and my eyes filled with "happy tears" as we call them around here, and I was frozen in time, remembering so many similar moments I've had in my life, moments when my clothes didn't fit, and the ones that did were covered with stains, when I was asked if I was expecting (when I WAS NOT) and when because I was working 24-7 on tending sick, crying children I felt I looked more like an embarrassment than the runway model the media screams at women to be.  So I am reposting it (from the Huffington Post) because I want my sons and daughters to know the truths it shares.  It's beautifully written and more of what we need in this world.  It's a little long, but worth every word...

   
A friend of mine was totally shocked to see Kate Middleton's "still pregnant belly" the day after        she gave birth. Sigh. Not only is that what you're SUPPOSED to look like after giving birth, it's        annoying we're even TALKING about WHAT YOUR STOMACH LOOKS LIKE 24 hours after        giving birth.

It's about the baby, not the belly.

My daughter Ruby was pretty obsessed with my belly while I was pregnant. Who can blame her? It is utterly amazing to watch a body shape-shift into a human incubator. Even if you're still a baby yourself and don't fully understand what's happening, you know the two things that really matter: Something's up and It's amazing.

I thought it was all-too-sweet the way she pulled up my shirt to hug and kiss my bare belly and was just devastated if she couldn't kiss "bee-bee" goodnight. I'd pull her close and tell her all about this miraculous thing happening to my body (and to our family!) while we snuggled. They were sweet and tender moments I will always treasure.

Obviously, her fascination with my belly didn't end when we brought her baby brother home. So, I don't know why it surprised me when one of the first things she wanted to do was touch my belly.

"Oh," I laughed, delighted by her curiosity, "the baby came out! No more baby in mama's belly. He came out and he's right over there!"

I don't think she had the slightest idea what I was talking about.

A dozen times a day, she came over to look at my belly, but I tugged my shirt down as fast as I could and tried my best to chirp happily and with a shrug No more baby -- just belly! I knew this was part of her trying to process this whole crazy thing, so I tried to be patient. She eventually got the message (or so I thought) and transferred her curiosity to the new little baby in our midst (she had so much poking to do!).

But then, seemingly out of nowhere, it started up again. She was suddenly consumed with my belly (and boobs! but that's another matter entirely) and my glib little answer wasn't working. She knew all about the baby. She wanted to know what happened to my belly.

Can I be honest with you? I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't even want to think about it.

I was exhausted and emotional and unspeakably overwhelmed by the unceasing demands of a newborn and his (understandably) freaked-out big sister. The last thing I had the energy for was to explain why my belly still looked pretty pregnant even though I wasn't. Or why none of my clothes fit. Or why my belly -- which was once a cause for such sweet and curious bonding -- had suddenly become The Thing Which Shall Not Be Named. Addressing any of that would force me to accept that my body was different now -- I was different now -- and that was kind of a lot to process when I was deep in the throes of just keeping a helpless little person ALIVE.

The persistence of that belly (and so many other vestiges of a rough pregnancy) made me feel like a total failure.

Shouldn't I be more... together?

I wasn't asking to be posing in a bikini on the cover of a magazine two weeks postpartum (because that's 12 ways to Crazytown) and even though I've done this before and should know better I was STILL HOPING that by six weeks postpartum (and now 12, oy) I would at least look like ME. Not, as someone so politely told me when I was pregnant -- me "in a fat suit."

I did not want to face the fact that the lumpy woman in the mirror could in reality be... ME.

So, when Ruby innocently tugged on my shirt to check out the state of things in my midsection, I was in no mood:

No, no, Ruby. No more baby in Mama's belly. Just fat. No baby. FAT. Mama's FAT.

I don't know what it was -- something about the way she looked at me... almost through me... that s l o w e d everything down so that the two, unblinking seconds we stood staring at each other felt like a lifetime --

but I knew she understood.

Not the nuance of my insecurity, of course (all those cultural expectations so much heavier than the baby weight)

But the two things that really mattered: After a belly comes a baby. After the baby comes the shame.

When I saw the look on her face I wanted nothing more than to swallow those words I had so thoughtlessly spit out. The only thing I had to be ashamed of was feeling ashamed of my body.

I thought I was keeping a safe distance from all this "post-baby bod" crap, but it must have snuck in the back door. Honestly, it's pretty hard to escape these days. Not just because it's splashed all over magazines -- but because it's alive and well on my own little street corner too. I ran into a neighbor last week who is currently pregnant with her second child and as we were talking about the fears and challenges that accompany an expanding family... including her constant worry that her body will never be the same again... she gestured to my stomach and said, "Is it weird to still look pregnant after three months?" Of course, I wanted to die right there on the spot, but I laughed and did my best impression of The Person I Want To Be and said, "Well I did just have a baby three months ago."

Because I DID.

I'm not sure when it became the highest compliment you can pay a woman to say, "You look like you never even had a baby!"

...Because I'm supposed to... pretend this never happened? Is my body supposed to pretend it didn't rearrange all my organs and open my rib cage and my hips and grow a new human person who has never existed before and then proceed to feed and nourish that person from the very same body that delivered him, whole and perfect, into the world?

After experiencing something so miraculous that the only real way to describe it is "godlike" ... I'm supposed to want to go BACK?

To what? Being 15?

Even if you somehow manage to look 15 again (which, why would you want to?) you will never BE 15 again (thank heavens). (Matthew Perry movies notwithstanding).

Once you cross the threshold into motherhood, there is no going back. You might feel instantly and with acuity "Help! What did I DO? I'm not ready for this! Get me offa this thing! I don't know what I'm doing!" but it's too late. The curtain is up on the most important role you will ever play and it's OK that you and your body have shifted so that it fits. More: it is right and good. You're not supposed to zip up your old jeans and slip back into your old life.

Babies change us.

It's designed that way.

If our bodies tell the story of who we are, this is a story I don't want to forget.

And that's what I want my Ruby to know.

I dream of a world where a new mother can leave the house in the morning -- in ill-fitting maternity clothes because nothing else fits her large and slowly deflating belly, with greasy hair and puffy eyes from the hours/days/weeks she's been functioning without sleep, with a leaking shirt from her breasts that are constantly churning and adjusting to make just the right amount of milk for the tiny young babe who depends on her for every last thing -- a world where this woman can leave the house with her babies in tow (up and out in the world because her toddler's need for playtime trumped her need for a blow dry. Or a nap)

-- And this woman TURNS OUR HEADS (not out of pity "oh bless her heart") and TAKES OUR BREATH AWAY (not because we think she looks like the "before" picture of an ambush makeover) but because she is LITERALLY The Most Beautiful Thing We've Ever Seen.

She is a superhero
She is a goddess
She is a Mother

Drop-dead gorgeous not in spite of the things that make her so, but because of them.

This is the woman I want my daughter to see when she touches my belly. This is the woman I want to see when I look in the mirror. Not the ugly truth. But the beautiful reality.

It's a thing I'm really struggling with at the moment.

Pregnancy is not easy for me. I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to it because my whole mind and body just kinda freaks out. This last one was brutal and and my body is still shouting that story from the rooftops. Six months of bed rest and 60 lbs, agonizing hormone shots, early labor, depression, migraines, insomnia, stretch marks (just to name a few). I will probably never look or feel quite the same again and that's exactly as it should be. I'm not the same. Bearing children has brought me a wealth of insight and experience I wouldn't trade for the skinniest pair of jeans.

Maybe some mamas can do all this in a size 2 right out the gate and good for ya. But I'd like to stop pretending that's the normal or even ideal thing. For me, there is so much more to mothering than how my pants fit. As a new mom, it shouldn't even CRACK THE LIST, but it does because people stop you on the street and say dumb things motivated out of fear they'll end up looking like you at 12 weeks postpartum.

Well, I'll tell ya something, friend. This is what motherhood looks like at 12 weeks postpartum.

I caught myself in the mirror this morning... and just about burst into tears when I saw that rumpled, lumpy, saggy woman staring back at me. This is not what I'm supposed to look like!

But now that my eyes are dry, I'm ready for a second look. Sure, I can see a What Not To Wear episode waiting to happen. OR I can see a body -- and a person -- who is neither a shabby "Before" picture or a sleek "After" one, but is every inch a walking advertisement for "Just Doing It." I see a woman who knows that makeup is great but making a baby laugh is even better. That a chic haircut will make you feel like a million bucks but rocking a baby to sleep is priceless. That working out feels good but not half as good as the look in your child's eyes when you drop everything to read a book or play kitchen or just be together. That every time you have to choose between worrying about yourself and caring for your children it isn't a choice at all. I see a mother who knows how to dig deep and do the work and carry on when it is almost too heavy to bear.

On my best days, I can see myself. And in those moments, I see the two things that really matter: I can do hard things and doing them in the service of something greater than myself is what makes me beautiful.

Now I'm ready to welcome my babies onto my lap.

Come, my loves. Let me tell you a story. Mama's belly is different because I had a baby. I had you! This is where I stretched and stretched so you could fit inside! See how even my legs and my knees stretched! Everything moved around to make room for you! I got these dimply thighs and these little purple veins and these roomy hips when I got you! Aren't they beautiful?

It's a miracle and it's the greatest story of my life.

(Picture from my 30th birthday last month!)

In a world that questions even having kids anymore (like a recent Times cover,) and in a generation that often belittles the role of nurturer, teacher, and creator of safe havens, I know that creating life is the greatest discovery of all time.  It DOES NOT MATTER that I may still look 3 months pregnant.  I would gladly still choose this body (that walks and runs and washes dishes and drives to parks and libraries and cuddles and hugs) and I would definitely choose having the children this body shaped and made and brought into this world, over any other life I could of had, because God doesn't look at our outward appearance.  He looks on our hearts.  And even though having children has reshaped my body, taking care of my children is reshaping my heart into something more BEAUTIFUL and enduring than any skinny fad or fashion magazine cover.  I do not need to measure up to anyone else's standard of physical perfection, just God's standard of LOVE for others, including my precious rugrats, and myself, "Mom."

'Till Tomorrow!  Luv, Eva

A New Year, A New Look...On Life! :)

As you may have noticed (or may not have- I tend to obsess about details...), my blog has a new look and a new name.  Usually I go with bright colors for my design but I loved this image of a bird flying out of it's cage and being FREE!  Even though the textures were distressed and the colors were dark, that really made the beauty of the little bird's freedom even greater.  (Yes, I really do read this deeply into the symbolism of blog templates LOL)

I really felt like that little birdy represented me.  I am very open about the fact that my life has put me in some very dark places.  God challenges and tests all of us to our most fragile extremeties.  If you haven't been there yet, you will.  If you have or are there right now, you are not alone.  I went from happy-Homecoming-Queen-full-ride-scolarship-3.98-GPA-cheerleader-girl to...anorexic-bullemic-on foodstamps-sobbing-and-calling-her-husband-everyday-at-work-suicidal-mother-of-3.  Crazy, huh?  Especially when alcohol and drugs WEREN'T EVEN INVOLVED!!!  And I have an incredibly supportive family!!  But it can happen to anyone.

This life is meant to be a test, a challenge to stretch us farther than we thought possible or even wanted to go.  And I can honestly say now, being on the other side of things, I AM SO GRATEFUL for those experiences.  I know it sounds cliche, but it's true.  I do feel like I can love others more deeply now.  I more empathetic.  I appreciate what I have mroe.  I have greater patience and charity for others, especially those in similar cirumstances.  And I freely express that I think I got off easy, so many people endure daily much more than I had to.

My new outlook on life this year it this- don't expect everything to be perfect before you do what matters most to you.  If  I had waited till I felt this depression-free to really kiss and express love to my husband, he would have been waiting 8 years!  He probably wouldn't have still been around, I don't think I would have.  But through it all, we still were loving and enjoyed the good days as fully as we could, even if that just meant watching a show together on our lumpy couch. :)

I'm so glad I apologized each time I yelled at my kids and read them stories and tucked them in when I felt well enough too.  There were nights mommy put herself on time-out and couldn't last till bedtime with a smile on her face, but I didn't wallow.  Ten minutes later were a new ten minutes that could still hold an I-Love-You for my kids that we all needed.  Things weren't perfect, but they didn't need to be to share love.

"When Life Gets Dark I Look For Stars" is a title I wanted to use for a self-help book with all my stories.  I DO NOT have time energy to be trying to write a book right now (not with 2 home business in the works!) but I am not waiting for that "some day" anymore to share what's helped me physically and emotionally.  I'm not waiting for so-called "perfect" scenarios in which to exercise, cook, clean, write books, write symphonies or anything else!  I'm just going for it now and living now the best way I can, with no regrets, free. 

I may never write a full book, but at least I'll have kept a blog.  I may never perform in a musical again, but at least I'll perform for my kids (BTW if you want to videos of us dancing LOL make sure you are my friend on facebook!) I may never run a marathon, but all the miles I've walked in my living room while watching My Fair Wedding have been great.  I may never have a CD for sale on itunes, but my songs can be on YouTube and that can still help others and be a fun, creative outlet for me.  In other words STOP waiting, and START LIVING!

The only person that can cage you up is you.  But you are also the one that has the key to set you free.

Luv <3 eva="eva" p="p">

Footprints In The Snow

I was looking outside my kitchen window yesterday and feeling a little down.  On Wednesday, the 2nd!, I had already had my official first meltdown of the year.  Ugh.  It felt like no matter how much I tried or how much I taught, demonstrated, lectured, laughed patiently, or explained "punching isn't nice" in a variety of tones, my children were just not learning ANYTHING!

The bedrooms were a mess and any mere suggestion at picking up a dirty sock was met with whines of protest.  The living room looked like it had been hit by a hurricane only there would be no rescue team to help clean up the disaster because they weren't "done finishing their game."  Homework?!  But they just endured 20 minutes of that torture yesterday!  I was starting to feel like a failure as a mother...

And of course all of this was as I ws trying to leave and enjoy my first evening as a Young Women's leader in our church.  I finally got in the car, saying a mental prayer and hoping I could change my mental attitude in the 2 minute drive over...

I must be a terrible mother and teacher because they are not learning anything.

I corrected my thought a little.

I must be a bad teacher because they are not learning very fast.

I corrected it a little more.

I'm teaching them but they are just not learning as fast as I want them to.
But they are only 6 and 5...

And even more.

They are learning little by little and you are doing the best you can.  It's going to be ok.

Fastforward to yesterday.  Looking outside my window I could see little footprints in the snow. 

Most likely they are from our two kittens that must of been tigers in another life.  I had no idea they had bolted and ran in so many places!  Our yard is over an acre and I could see these cute little pairs of prints tracked in loops, zig-zagging through and under play-equipment all over the yard.

I started thinking.  If I could really see my "emotional footprints" or the "developmental footprints" of my kids, I would be AMAZED at the journey we've made so far. 

It's hard to keep track of that progress visually.  Like with our kittens, I don't usually know how much ground those little cats cover.  But with the fresh fallen snow to make prints in their path was clear.  And as I whispered a little prayer of love to my Heavenly Father it was clear to me that my family and I have come along way too.  I felt an overwhelming warmth in my soul, and I knew I could be proud of the efforts I was making as a mother.  I fel calmed, grateful and happy, oh so very happy to be at this place in my life.

A few minutes later snowflakes began to fall again, covering any evidence of footprints with a blanket of white.  And just as quckly, that swell of love in my heart dwindled down to embers again, still burning but just a memory of what they had been. 

Still, I am grateful for that memory and witness that the work I am doing is worth it.  And someday, maybe not in this life but definitely in the next, we will see or own "footprints in the snow."

My Downhill Slide... :( And Uphill Climb!

This week was hard.

It started with the hotdogs and chips they were giving out for free after the 5K.  I knew there would be food, and hotdogs, but I thought there would be some healthy options too.  I also thought one hotdog wouldn't hurt too much if there weren't other healthy options.

So I ate it.  And the chips.  My first mistakes.

Then I had to run errands and only had some granola bars in my purse- good ones, but still a packaged, convenience food that doesn't make my tummy very happy.  My stomach felt worse.

Then I got home to a house of stressed out, whining people.  The contrast from the high-spirited, inspiring event I had just left was drastic and depressing.  But there was a birthday party to get ready for, so it was rush, rush and more food, food, food.  It was easy to think, "I've already had some junk today and ran a lot, so I'm just going to let today be a day off."  A huge slice of cake, bite of cookie, scoop of ice cream and glass of punch later...I felt awful.

I used to be able to eat this and feel fine.  Yes, I was larger but I felt fine.  But my body cannot handle it now.  It had been weeks since I'd been uncomfortably full and now I had felt that way after several meals.  So you'd think I'd start the next day off great, right?

No, I woke up physically ill.  When I didn't eat I was nauseated and when I did eat I still was nauseated.

Monday, the same and another celebration to be part of.  I got my favorite fresh salsa and cucumbers to eat it with and was checking out when BAM!  I saw a sale!  Tortilla chips, Gluten Free, two bags for $3.  I grabbed a couple so other people could enjoy the salsa too.  Of course, I ended up eating most of the first bag.

Leslie Sansone (yes, from the cheezy DVDS where you can walk miles in your living room) says "One good decision leads to another."  I totally believe that!  You eat a good breakfast and you want to eat a good lunch.  You get a good workout and you want to fill yourself with healthy fuel.

But it's important for me to remember the converse of this too.  For me, One bad decision leads to another.  Do you think I wanted to exercise on the days I ate poorly and the days after when I felt sick?  No way.  The only thing that kept me kind of going was remembering that my Dad would want me to make the most of each day I have with my body and if he had the chance he would take the walk.

So my weigh in wasn't a gain...

But it wasn't much of a loss either.

Still, I took that small loss as a blessing and moved forward with it.  My family (kids and hubby and sometimes dogs) and I have taken walks four evenings this past week.  I took a morning walk wearing Sam on my back and pushing Michael in the stroller and saw goats!  Then we had to do the walk again so the whole family could see goats! 

 We've played at the park and stayed active and I'm grateful for that. 

But I am going to remember Jillian Michael's quote more:  Self-control is overrated.

On the show The Biggest Loser there's an episode where they're at a restaurant.  When she see's what someone on her team ordered she dumps an entire salt shaker on his plate so he can't eat it.  Well, I know now that if I have it around me I will take that one bite to "give it a try" or "just have a little and not be too healthy", and then I will take one bite more and then another and another.

Lab rats in experiments have proven it!  They will walk across hot metal plates to get to sweet and salty foods even when they aren't hungry, while the starving rats won't walk across those same hot plates for bland food.  The level of dedication to get that processed sweet or salty food was almost as high as the addicted rats trying to get to their cocaine (from The End Of Overeating.)  Our bodies are programed to want that flavor and the best way I've found to avoid it is to AVOID IT! :)

So here I am avoiding it...  That other bag of tortilla chips is going to be part of my work out as I jump rope on top of it and crush it to pieces. :)

More about the Angel Walk tomorrow!  Happy Friday!  If you're eating out try Subway or Blimpies like Chad and I did tonight  and "Eat Fresh"! LOL   Love, Eva

Messes? Stress? Kids? Exercise ANYWAY...

I can recall severall times, just in the past few weeks, when I've tried making a healthy choice and something else has gone wrong.

On my first early morning run it was FREEZING outside. I ran back in my house to find something to bundle up with quickly because I only had 20 minutes before my husband left for work around 6:15 AM and I wanted to get in a decent jog. I grabbed the first warm things I could find: my son's Lighting McQueen beanie and my daughte's bright magenta, glittery scarf. Throw in my husband's hoodie which I was already wearing and I looked like a candidate for What Not To Wear. Good thing it was pitch black. But because it was pitch black (there wasn't street lighting on country roads) I could only jog as far as our floodlight on the driveway and back over and over again. On the second lap I woke up our dogs who wouldn't stop barking at me. Not my finest exercise hour. :) But I still did it!

Other times, while safely exercising inside to a DVD I've had to deal with my youngest (who is crawling) overturning a trashcan that had been left out and emptying and playing with the insides of an entire brand new box of Cheerios. On that second one I let him have at it while I finished my workout. And I am getting stronger.

Last night I sat to type and found out after blogging that a plate with ketchup had landed face down on the carpet. My kids had decided to keep watching their show and not tell me about it until I walked in the room. By then Sam (my crawler) had found it and had given most of the mess a good rub down with his shirt, pants and face. Not my finest mommying hour. But I was happy I posted and we cleaned it up and learned together.

There have also been great times. On Saturday as I jogged with my 4 year-old in the stroller he was thrilled to hear "Beat It" and then "Everybody Dance Now" on Pandora (definitely earning me some points on the mommy-coolness scale.) He danced and I danced while I pushed him. Good times!

Another day I was jumping on and off my exercise step. My daughter faced me while standing on the other side of it and jumped on too every time I jumped off. I didn't even ask her too but she was there for me. Her grin kept me going for WAY more jumps than I would have gone on my own.

My point is there are going to be challenges. There are going to be days that we want to give up. Even just writing this post I've been interrupted and have had to stop three times to take care of my family. The day that Michael and I heard those songs when we were jogging I almost didn't go out because I was feeling so sad and just didn't want to. But I knew inside that I wouldn't regret it, because I'VE NEVER REGRETTED A WORKOUT. But I have regretted missing one.

That same jog ended with him grumpy because I told him to not ram his toy sword into the front wheel of the stroller and he didn't like that... :) But I exercised anyway and I have at least one good memory from it. Even if I hadn't, I would know that I had done something for my health and my family which is more important than if I'm enjoying it. So exercise anyway! Eat healthy anyway! Keep trying anyway because you may not get where you want to as fast as you'd like to, but at least you are still on the journey...

I heard this song for the first time years ago, but it still gets to me so I thought I would share it with you. Make it a great week! I love you for reading and keeping me going! Gotta go be Mommy now. :) Love, Eva

http://www.vevo.com/watch/martina-mcbride/anyway/USRV50700009

Feeling The NEED For SPEED and Health...

So, it's been a while since I've written. That's because it's been a while since I've done anything. In the last week I think I've managed just 2 partial-credit-workouts because I am SICK. Even in writing these few sentences I've already had to get up once to grab a tissue.

I have been SO SUPER SICK, it's not even funny. My dirty laundry pile is starting to creep and extend out of the laundry room, and is threatening to take over my kitchen. I smell worse than I look, if that's possible... My husband watched the kids so I could nap yesterday and I was out cold from 2 to 7! Which is crazy since taking naps is usually very difficult for me. But I knew I needed to take the opportunity to rest and try to recooperate. I serioulsy have not even had the energy for these little fingers to dance on the keyboard and write, I've been so out of it.

What's my point? I am so grateful that usually I am healthy enough to exercise. We don't have a gym membership or a lap pool in the backyard, but I have my health, body and enough motivation to get me going (usually.) I'm praying that tomorrow I will be recovered enough to at least enjoy a brisk walk because I am missing the exhilaration of jumping, running, lunging, feeling the burn of a good workout! Our bodies are so incredible! If there's anything I take for granted, it's my general, regular health.

If I can say I'm over this cold tomorrow it would almost be an insult to do a weigh-in, because honestly, I should just be thankful for that. So, if you have the OK from your doctor and you're feeling healthy enough, take advantage of it and enjoy some exercise! It's the best gift you could give yourself today... :)

Just "Not Feeling It" Yesterday...

Sorry I didn't write yesterday. I woke up with a terrible headcold which I blame on all the germs my daughter is bringing back from kindergarten, my midnight (and 2 AM and 5 AM) playdates with Samuel, and running out of my multi-vitamin last week and not replacing it yet. Kmart! Here I come!

I buy my vitamins at Kmart because they have a rewards program. It doesn't give you a whole lot of money back, but at the price vitamins are I figure something is better than nothing. They also carry vitamins with the USP seal which is important. From www.livestrong.com:

U.S. Pharmacopeia, USP, is an organization that provides quality testing and monitoring of dietary supplements. If all tests pass, then the supplement company can display a USP seal of approval on the label, packaging, and marketing materials of that dietary supplement. It also provides you with a quick and easy way to make an informed decision about which supplement brand to choose. All you have to do is look for the USP seal of approval to know if a particular vitamin supplement contains true and accurate information.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/366173-what-does-usp-mean-on-vitamin-supplements/#ixzz1prFIBiub

I've heard the NSF or CL seals work too, but I haven't researched those. ANYWAY, even though I try to eat a balanced diet I make sure I take a basic Women's multi-vitamin, Super B-Complex and Magnesium/Zinc/Calcium/D to stabilize my mood and it's really been helping. I'm looking forward to adding Omega 3 to my arsenal too! My husband has started taking the Super B-Complex and it's really been helping him too. The pills don't replace a healthy diet, but to me, they help fill in the gaps.

BUT, yesterday was rough. I was annoyed with all the people dropping double-digits on my shows. Everything I wanted to eat was eaither super-acidic and killing my already rug-burned feeling throat(tomato soup, pineapple chuncks, oranges...) or full of carbs (pasta, cookies, muffins...) I tried walking and I felt dizzy because of all the fluids in my head (and the rest of my body- still on my period!) And since my kids are sick too they were ALL home. Lovely.

But by the end of the night I did 20 sittups, push-ups and plank balance exercises, some lunges, leg lifts and other pilates moves that were low-impact. I'm happy that exercising is a habit now. It's not by any means compulsive. I didn't kill myself with my workout because I knew I wasn't feeling well. But I did something, and as my Dad always said as I headed out the door on days I had tests "Something is better than nothing! Take the partial credit!"

So I took the partial credit, feel proud of myself, and you know what? Things really do look better in the morning...I'm excited to see what today brings and what I BRING to TODAY! -Eva