When Enough is Enough...

(disclaimer: I am not a certified life coach, dietician, fitness instructor or personal trainer. I’m not telling you that this is the only way to do something, just my personal journey and how I went about it. You have to find what works for you. Also, I know every health journey is different & results will look different for each person. I know my worth is not found in my body.)

There is a certain number on the scale that when I see it, I say, Okay, Enough is enough. There is a certain feeling I get in my body, when I say Enough is ENOUGH. I’m not sure if it’s being an 8 on the Ennegram, but when I want to change something, I figure out what it’s going to take to make the change and I do it.

I’ll talk about this more later, but I have a VERY sensitive stomach. Is it possibly from the years of feeding my body processed sugar and garbage? My pop/soda addiction. That one week I lived off of pixie sticks, Red Bull and Monster? Who knows. But I know this, I had my gallbladder removed in 2014 and its been a crazy learning experience to figure out what will and will not send me STRAIGHT to the bathroom. (yeah I went there).

Flash forward to January 2020. I was so motivated by the NEW DECADE, but I kept telling myself that I need to breastfeed (pump) for a full year, and I still had 6 months to go. I was sooo worried about not consuming enough calories, I was afraid that workouts would affect my supply, believe me, I had a MILLION excuses. It only took 12 days into the new year for me to say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”.

Before I found out I was pregnant with Vivienne, I had just lost 20 lbs, I was in great shape and felt unstoppable! I was so proud of my progress in those short 3 months, that when that pregnancy test said positive, I was scared about what I knew was coming (the pregnancy/ not the baby). If you’ve been around for the past 6 years, you know that pregnancy KICKS. MY. BUTT. in those first 3 months, and I knew it meant I only had maybe a week left before I started feeling all the sickness. With all three pregnancies I was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, and lost 10-12 lbs from 6.5 weeks gestation-20 weeks.

Something no one tells you about after you have your third baby is the SERIOUS PHYSICAL TOLL that pregnancy and child birth can have on your body. Holy cow. Diastasis Recti. Weak Pelvic Floor. Pelvic organ Prolapse. (not to mention the toll that sleep deprivation can have on you) After Vivienne was born, I felt SO WEAK. And having her be my third baby, I wanted to soak in every drop of her, but also knew the importance of breastfeeding, so I made sure to keep my calories up by eating my body weight in Double Stuf Oreos, Peanut butter M&Ms & ice cream. “These all make me drink water” is how I justified it to myself.

Cut back to January 12th, I’ve just spent a week feeling like crap, constantly running to the bathroom because sweets do that to me. Everything I ate was making me sick. I was packing on weight like crazy, because most of what I was eating was refined sugars & carbs and my body was storing everything it could. I got on the scale and saw those numbers. I was at my “uncomfortable for me” weight. My clothes didn’t fit anymore, even wearing LEGGINGS was hurting my stomach. I lived in sweatpants and sweatshirts. I wanted to cry.

It was time. So. I grabbed my tape measure & workout journal, swallowed my pride, took some “Before” photos and recorded my measurements.

Don’t stop reading: because this is where it gets hard, because a lot of people will say “Don’t do that to yourself! Your worth is not made up by numbers and measurements” And I 100% Agree with that. These measurements and photos were not meant to shame me, or tell me I wasn’t valuable, but yet, acted as my motivation to see change. It’s easy to get discouraged if you’re basing your progress primarily on a scale, especially if you’re working out. Muscle weighs more than FAT. And I knew these numbers wouldn’t consume me.

How I took My Measurements:

Using a seamstress or fabric tape measure, make sure the tape is laying flat on the surface around each area, and do not pull super tight.

What I recorded:

• Left Arm

• Right Arm

• Bust

• Natural Waist

• Belly (at the biggest area)

• Hips

• Left Thigh

• Right Thigh

• Left Calf

• Right Calf

Why I recorded inches: It was amazing to see the inches drop, even if the pounds weren’t. I would take measurements every other week, sometimes I gained an inch, sometimes I lost 4 inches all around, but the process is the Journey.

My Before Photos from Jan 13, 2020

Next up, I took Before Pictures: One from the front, side & back. And here’s why, obviously you can see a physical change in a photo, but also, you will start to see a difference in posture and confidence. That is something you can’t see on a scale.

Now here’s the most important thing I want to communicate to you. There is no “END RESULT” no “desired pants size” or number on the scale. This was a conscious lifestyle change. I wanted to become someone who ENJOYED the workout. Someone who made fitness a part of her life, not someone who fit it in if I had the time, or because I wanted to punish my body for the choices I made. I actually started to CRAVE the endorphins. I’ve learned that I’m a better mom/wife if I am able to take 30-40 min a day to put in my headphones and do the work.

July 2020 Progress Photo.

Today marks 6 whole months. It started slow, with maybe 2-3 workouts a week. Some yoga & spin classes. Now it’s every day I do SOMETHING to move my body. Running, spinning, yoga, strength training.

I’ve lost 10 pounds. Down 30.5 total inches.

I’m going to be honest with you, if all this hard work was only about the pounds, I would have given up months ago. Also, If you’re reading this and saying, you don’t have the time… I’m here to say, you do. I have 3 kids. Put down your phone. That 30 min you could spend scrolling, could be your 30 min.

All that to say, don’t make it about self loathing or shame. Do it for you because you want to love the body you’ve been given. I have cellulite, stretch marks and lots of loose skin, but my body gave me three wonderful babies. I shifted my mindset away from “losing weight” and said Screw Being Skinny, I want to be STRONG. I want my kids to see that when you have something you want to fix, don’t just talk about it, go and do something.

Dear Verona... {Year 3}

My dear sweet Verona girl,

It’s hard to believe you are three, because I still very clearly remember a day that I was praying for you to come into existence. As I pleaded with God, laying on a tear soaked pillow, I prayed for a curly blonde hair, blue eyed daughter who loved sundresses, singing, dancing and laughing. I prayed for a smart, silly, lover-girl with a calm demeanor, but strong-willed personality. I often wonder if God gave me these desires, or if you were simply an answer to a prayer I always knew I needed. Three years doesn’t seem that long, because I feel like I’ve known you all my life.

Thank you for being my air, sunshine & light. Thank you for being my Rainbow. Thank you for always being down for dance parties, Starbucks runs, & trips to Target. Thank you for telling me I’m a good mama, even when you can tell I’m having a ‘bad mama day.’ Thank you for always saying “hey mama, you so awesome” 102 times a day because you know it makes me smile. Thank you for being strong willed, I promise this is a good thing, even if people try to turn it into a flaw. Thank you for all the daily kisses, hugs, snuggles and forehead hugs, some days they are the only thing holding me together. Thank you for always laughing at my funny faces and for saying “oh mama, you so funny” and for loving all the girly things that I love.

I have so many dreams for you, my beautiful girl, but I promise to always be your cheerleader, no matter what direction you choose to go. I want you to always know that I am here to give you guidance but I will try my hardest to make sure it’s never hateful or judgmental.

This next year was going to be a big one for you, with going to preschool and meeting new friends. I’m so sorry that it won’t be happing due to current state of the world, but this year is still filled with so much promise and excitement, and I can’t wait to explore this world with you!

I’m so grateful for the beautiful little girl you are turning into, and when I look into your sweet smiling face you make my heart quadruple in size. They always say three is a hard age, but I’m so ready to go through this next year to continue to watch you grow into who God is creating you to be. I know you are going to do big things and I love you more than life.

with love,
Your imperfect mama

My Peloton Cycling Hack...

Okay, so the number one & two questions I get on Instagram is : “How much do you love your Peloton bike?” And when I tell them I don’t own one, the next question is: “Then what bike do you have and do you recommend it?”

Lets go back to 2016, when I learned that I actually enjoyed spin classes by buying a cheap stand for my road bike (which I hated, because it was loud and awkward). I highly recommend learning whether or not you like spin classes before you make this investment, because this type of workout isn’t for everyone.

But I’m going to be real with you all, because you know that’s just how I roll. Listen up. If you have the money to invest in a legit Peloton bike & you already know you love spin classes, I will tell you, WITHOUT A DOUBT, invest in that bike. I’m just biding my time until I can afford to buy one of my very own, but this little hack in the meantime has helped me!

Flash forward to 2018, Ryan asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and after just coming off of a full year of breastfeeding Verona, I was ready to tone up, but didn’t want to go back to my makeshift bike stand. To his surprise, I said “Please get me a spin bike. Or a Peloton” In true Ryan fashion, he proceeded to get on Consumer Report, and read everything he could to figure out the most bang for our buck. We only had a couple hundred dollars to spend at the time, and so he bought me a Sunny Health Stationary bike. (They don’t make it anymore, But I have linked one similar).

My View. Notice the top left corner telling me my heart rate and cadence.

The key to success was the add ons: switching out the caged pedals with legit cycling pedals, getting riding shoes, a cadence sensor and heart rate monitor & downloading and paying for the Peloton app. {Which is free for 30 days right now, with a new signup btw}

When using the Peloton App on my iPad, I can connect my heart rate monitor and cadence sensor through bluetooth and it makes it so much easier to follow along with the workouts! I set my iPad on the handle bars, clip in and get to work.

Unfortunately, you won’t know your resistance or output, but a lot of times the instructors will describe how the “road” should be feeling. (ie. Flat road, cycling through mud, steep hill, etc)

I can’t say enough good things about the Peloton app. Not only do I adore the cycling classes, but they also have Treadmill workouts, Vinyasa Style Yoga, Strength classes, bootcamps, Cardio, Outdoor Running Audio, Meditation, stretching and more. I can easily find something to do each day, depending on what level of exertion I want to do.

I love cycling. Especially when the workouts are tough, and the music is loud and amazing. I’m one of those people who is easily motivated by music, but it has been KEY right now for me to tune out the world and do the hard work.

Go to this link : << My Workout Love List on Amazon >>if you want to find my favorite sports bras, preworkout, protein powder, yoga favorites and more. I’m going to do a post later about my health journey, because I think that’s very important as well.

All the images below have links to each item if your interested! And if you have any more questions, please leave me some comments and I’ll try to answer as I go!!

...Because I Love to Share.

I’m coming up on ten years of owning this domain. It started as a photography blog/business, and I used to blog almost every day. Some days it was interesting, and sometimes I was so bored that I wrote a poem about my pumpkin scone. But I have kept this little space here on the inter-webs to come back to every now and again because I will forever have this dream of one day blogging more about my life. I don’t find myself particularly interesting. I’m not famous, and I may never go on to do anything noteworthy to be added to the history books, but I love my family, I love being a mom & I love sharing.

“Are people even reading blogs anymore? Is this still a thing? :Check: :Check: “Is this thing on?”

”

The question always comes up “Why do you post so much online?” And my answer is this. “Because I love to share.” I do. I always have. I love connecting with people and making people feel less alone, especially if it’s by sharing something funny, sad or embarrassing that I’m going through.

I tell myself every couple months “Well once my kids get a little older… once life settles down… once I get the house in order… once I get a better handle on creating content… etc” The truth is, I always have an excuse to not show up here in this space because I think I’m not put together enough for people to find me interesting or actually care. And, well, that may be true. Maybe no one reads this and maybe I spent 20-30 min downloading my thoughts and feelings just to send it out into the void for no one to care, but I’m realizing that I’m okay with that. I want to be able to look back on this time and have a record of how life unfolded.

Life is messy. Life isn’t perfect, and not every photo is going to be perfectly curated, and I’m okay with that. I just want to be able to show up. Put together or not. So, here you go, here are some photos of our life lately… Happy Tuesday!