February 1, 2012                         April 1, 2012

February 1, 2012                         April 1, 2012

Weight lost: 12 pounds
Inches lost: 10
Body Fat Percentage lost: 5.2
Clothing Size Change: down 2 sizes

Even if I don’t win, I feel so much better about myself and my pre-Lucy clothes are finally starting to fit again! So in reality, I already won.

My Aunt and Uncle are planning on retiring here in 2014.  They were here to visit at the beginning of January and found a house that they LOVED.  They put an offer in, it was accepted, and it closed today!Now they needed tenants!  The house is amazing-absolutely amazing.  One of the things that Shaun and I had to discuss was the fact that it might be hard to move out when the time comes because our future home probably won’t be this nice.  We ultimately decided that we could do it and the fact that the house is not in the neighborhood that we ultimately want to end up in would help us move out . Plus when we move, that means my Aunt and Uncle are here to stay!

We are very excited and a little freaked out.  I’m freaked out that I have to pack this house up-our last move was so massive-1,000 miles!!!! So I’m a little moving gun shy.  Shaun is freaked out about keeping the new place clean and the yard maintained.  The new house is TWICE as big as our current place (and almost 3 times as big as our condo in San Mateo).

I took screenshots of the virtual tour so I could show you our new abode (for the next 2 years!).

Front of the house:

Entry/Formal Living Room:

Formal Dining Room:

Eating Area/Kitchen:

Kitchen (See the counter space? The cupboards? The double ovens?):

Family Room:

Laundry Room (with heated floors!!!)

A bad picture of the downstairs powder room:

Office/Entry to Master Bedroom:

Master Bedroom:

Master Closet:

Master Bath (with heated floors!!):

Lucy’s Bedroom:

Lucy’s Playroom:

Guest Bedroom:

A bad picture of Lucy’s bathroom/guest bathroom:

Backyard:

Lucy’s play structure and play house (fully carpeted, working windows, and electric):

BBQ/Fireplace/Storage shed:

So yeah-we’re excited.  It’s going to be nice.  And even better?  My Aunt and Uncle will live here when it’s all over!!!

1. Stick with boot camp.

I’m really ready to feel in shape.  I haven’t felt that way since before I had Lucy.  I have felt that my body is powerful and able but I haven’t felt like I’m in shape.  I want to feel that way again. 

I hope I have the same determination to get this done that Lucy has to ride a 2-wheel bike:

2. Buy clothes that make me feel good.

According to Susannah and Trinny, I have the body shape of a bowling pin (Skittle):

Average Boobs,
Slim waist,
OK tummy,
Big thighs,
Chunky Calves
[source]

According to Body Shape Style, here’s what I should do:

Dressing The Skittle

The biggest problem with a Skittle is the lack of balance between top and bottom. The bottom is bigger than the top and that highlights how much bigger the bottom half is. So the solution is to get balance back. This is done be adding volume to the top half and minimizing the lower half.

Don’t – wear short trousers or capris. You have short legs so if you cut them half way down the calves you’re simply making them shorter again which makes your thighs look wider. Yay, I don’t do this!

Do – get some interest happening in your top half with eye catching jewelry and eye popping tops. I need to do this more.

Don’t – wear stretch pants of any type as they will cling to your thighs. Thank god I listened to my intuition here!

Do – wear fitting clothes on your upper half as baggy on top will just highlight the lower half. I do this already most of the time.

Clothing – what shapes to avoid

Skinny leg jeans – assuming you can get them in your size (something I struggle with) they highlight your thighs and make your ass look huge. Yeah, they look horrible on me.

Pencil skirts – this works the same as skinny leg jeans in that it catches your lower half and highlights although it can be made to work if you have something extra special. I used to wear pencil skirts all the time…

Cropped pants – short pants cuts your leg off and makes your look shorter and your legs wider. I don’t think you can find cropped pants for me!

Ankle straps – your legs are short and an ankle strap on a shoe has the effect of making them look shorter, and again, wider. No ankle straps in my closet.

Clothes – what shapes to look for

Shirt with detail – use added embellishments and details on your blouses to add bulk and volume to your top half. The idea being that your lower half is contained and simple so bring the drama to your top half. It will draw attention directly to your face which is the ideal place for it! I need to get more of these types of shirts.

Panelled skirt – look for a firmer fabric with some shape to it. The paneling will give you firm support whilst the slightly flared shape will give a hint of femininity. Any vertical lines on your thighs and bottom will have a slimming effect. All of my skirts are on on their last leg.

Dress with flared skirt – a dress that is fitted through the top half of your body before flaring out over your thighs is the best choice. The fitted top hugs your curves and emphasized your slenderness on top, the detail at your waist highlights your waist and then the skirt flares over your thighs and discretely disguises their width. All of my dresses are on on their last leg.

Body hugging top – wearing colour on your top half attracts attention, more aptly it draws attention away from your lower half. A body hugging top shows your slender torso and ruched sleeves make your body look wider. The draping neckline of this top adds volume to your top half making your seem more balanced.

Fitted knit – the goal for a Skittle is always to make the upper half of their body broader to offset the width of your thighs whilst at the same time showing off your slender waist. A fitted knit vest over a feminine blouse will show your shape beautifully whilst making your shoulders look wider.

Wide leg trousers – wide leg pants fall from the hips and bottom and will skim over your thighs. Because they stay the same width all the way down they disguise your calves and make your legs look longer. Get them hemmed to your heel. If you prefer to wear heels have them hemmed even longer and you will look taller and leaner again.

Waist hugging jacket – make use of your tiny waist with your jackets by finding one that hugs it lovingly. The wide open neck of this jacket broadens your shoulders and makes your seem wider, offsetting the width of your lower half. I need to invest in some of these!

High chunky heel – wearing a slender heel will simply highlight the width of your thighs and calves, particularly if you wear them with wide leg pants. Select a chunky heel that offers good stability. A higher heel is good as it adds height which again gives the illusion of more slender legs. Yeah, this is never happening.  Heels and I don’t get along.

Here’s the thing-if I stick with bootcamp, my body is going to change.  When I hit a hip measurement of ~38, I’m going to go shopping more seriously.  In the short term, I need some pants for work that fit.  Thankfully Walmart has some black pants that fit the bill (amazingly enough!)

3. Save for a down payment on a house.

We want to buy and we want to have 20% down before we even consider it.

4. Stop being so snarky and judgmental.

I struggle with this and I’d really like to stop it.  I saw a quote on Facebook the other day (that I can’t find now) that said something like, “What I think about you, says nothing about you and everything about me.” How true.

2. Buy clothes that make me feel good.

3. Save for a down payment on a house.

4. Stop being so snarky and judgmental.

Last you heard from me about Lu, it was her birthday. Look at my 3 year old!

A Jeep!

At Flat Bread Community Oven watching her pizza getting cooked.

Happy Birthday little one!

There was a zoo birthday party!

With big balls:

And more candles to blow out:

Porter was there!

Mommy was too!

Papa too!

Isabelle, Vanessa, Kaitlyn, Lucy, Tessa, and Claudia at the zoo with popcorn!

On the carousel.

Then it was Lucy’s first day of school!!!

And then the Harvest Festival at the Botanical Gardens:

And then we went pumpkin picking with Jack and Tessa:

And then Lu got a haircut!

Halloween!

Which Lu LOVED! She totally got the concept and we told her that if a light was on, it meant the people had candy.  She would yell, “Their light is on! CANDY!!!!” And then totally said, “Trick or Treat!”  She told me later that it was her favorite holiday and that she couldn’t wait an entire year to go again.

We took a Girl’s Trip to Portlland and Lu got to see her friend Madeline:

Her Challenger school picture.  We’ve titled it “I Pity The Fool.”

Lucy’s art skills since starting at Challenger have taken off!

Thanksgiving at school:

Turkey day at our house:

Our annual Thanksgiving hike:

Lucy’s favorite friend!

(we’ve seen Santa 4 times this year-she LOVES him)

The next pictures I have are of Christmas tree hunting.

And sledding!

Our tree:

Decorated:

Lucy also got her Alphabet crown this month!

That means that she went up to the Director’s office and knew all the letters and what sound they make.  Lu is the youngest at the school to have her crown.  As she would say, it’s a “super duper” big deal!

She got ice cream for that accomplishment!

And just this morning, frosting cookies with Mommy:

Now we’re off to her very first dentist appointment!

Merry Christmas all!

I really wanted to make Christmas cookies with Lu and she requested Gingerbread because she, “Super duper loves gingerbread cookies bery much Mama!” Said with her hands on her hips and that very knowing look in her eye. So I googled and I hit the jackpot! And then I googled again and found roll out sugar cookies. The internet is a beautiful thing.

First, I mixed some gluten free flour I’ve found when working with gluten free flours, that using my kitchen scale is the way to go:

-3 cups white rice flour (450 grams)
-2 cups potato starch (310 grams)
-1/2 cup tapioca starch (62.5 grams)

That amount of flour was exactly what I needed for these two recipes, plus some extra for rolling out.  I did use some extra rice flour when I ran out of the mixture for rolling out.

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies (adapted from here)
-2 cups gluten free flour mix
-1/2 teaspoon ginger
-1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
-1/8 heaping teaspoon ground cloves
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/2 cup cold butter
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/3 cup molasses (make sure it’s Gluten Free)
-1 cold egg

Combine the first 8 ingredients (flour mix-cinnamon) and mix well. Cut in the butter until the mixture is in crumbs the size of small peas.

In another bowl beat the sugar, molasses, and egg. Combine with the dry ingredients and mix until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Refrigerate for at least an hour (I make a ball and cover it in saran wrap and then flatten it out).

Preheat oven to 350*. Roll out on a heavily gluten free floured surface.  I put sugar in my flour when I roll the dough.  Roll to 1/4 inch thickness, cut, and place on a cookie sheet (preferable with a silpat). Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges just start to brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Cool, then frost and decorate as desired.

Gluten Free Sugar Cookies (copied from here)

-1 cup shortening (I used Crisco Butter Flavored because I had it in my pantry)
-1 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
-3 cups flour blend
-1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs and vanilla. When combined, add dry ingredients (I didn’t even bother using 2 bowls for this recipe). Wrap dough (like above) and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350*. Roll out on a heavily gluten free floured surface.  I put sugar in my flour when I roll the dough.  Roll to 1/4 inch thickness, cut, and place on a cookie sheet (preferable with a silpat). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges just start to brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Cool, then frost and decorate as desired.

Both of these recipes DO NOT taste like they are gluten free.  They are awesome.  Lucy agreed!

I had a Groupon for a bootcamp and nutrition consultation with Fitness Revolution.  I’ve had a hard time doing anything regularly where exercise and nutrition comes in.  Because my new job is so much more active I have gone down 1 or 2 clothing sizes but I still didn’t feel great about the choices I was making.  I was craving a training plan like I had in my Ironman days but I don’t have time to train for anything like that.   I decided it was time to buckle down.  I met with Brett over at Fitness Revolution and got started on a program. 

So what’s my plan? I do a super intense bootcamp on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  I leave the house at 5:50 am, stretch/foam roll at 6, bootcamp officially starts at 6:15 and is done by 6:45.  I get home by 6:55 and hop in the shower. On Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday I do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)-which takes 30 minutes. During the week, I use the bike trainer that Shaun found for me on Craigslist for $20.  Saturday, I run.  Sunday is a day off.  I LOVE the fact that I only workout 45 minutes max a day.  It’s super high intensity but it literally only takes 45 minutes or less.  It’s AWESOME.

As for eating, I aim to eat 5 times a day.  Each time I eat, I try to eat 20-30 grams of protein and 1.5-2 cups (or more) of veggies.  I don’t eat carbs except for the hour following my bootcamp.  I can have up to 4 “free” meals a week where I eat whatever I’d like.  The fewer “free” meals I have, the faster my results will be.  It’s very 4 Hour Body but not as weird.  I’ve found it really easy to follow so far, I hope it continues to be this easy.

What sort of results have I seen? I’ve lost 3.5 inches on my waist and 3 inches on my hips-CRAZY! This is the first time since getting pregnant that I’ve felt this good and have had results like this.  Needless to say, I’m very excited!

Monday
Exercise: Boot Camp (please let me not be as sore as I am right now!)
Pre-Workout Breakfast: Protein Shake
Post-Workout Breakfast: Oatmeal Pancake and a Persimmon
Lunch: Chili and Broccoli
Snack: Lunchmeat and Peppers
Dinner: Chicken Stir Fry

Tuesday
Exercise: HIIT 1 min on, 3 mins off
Breakfast: Eggs, Spinach, Salsa, and Cashews
Snack: Jerky and Baby Carrots
Lunch: Chicken Stir Fry
Snack: Lunchmeat and Peppers
Dinner: Carne Asada and Beans from Los Betos (Lu’s Gymnastics night)

Wednesday
Exercise: Boot Camp
Pre-Workout Breakfast: Protein Shake
Post-Workout Breakfast: Oatmeal with Egg Whites and a Persimmon
Lunch: Chili and Green Beans
Snack: Lunchmeat and Peppers
Dinner: Turkey Breast and Brussels Sprouts

Thursday
Exercise: HIIT 30 seconds on, 90 seconds off
Breakfast: Chicken Sausage and Brussels Sprouts
Snack: Lunchmeat and Carrots
Lunch: Potluck at school (“Free” Meal)
Snack: Jerky and Peppers
Dinner: Lamb Chops and Green Beans

Friday
Exercise: Boot Camp
Pre-Workout Breakfast: Protein Shake
Post-Workout Breakfast: Oatmeal Pancake and a Persimmon
Lunch: Lamb Chops and Salad
Snack: Lunchmeat and Carrots
Dinner: Melting Pot for Work Christmas Party (“Free Meal)

Saturday
Exercise: HIIT 1 min on, 3 mins off
Breakfast: Chicken Sausage, Eggs, and Spinach
Snack: Jerky and Carrots
Lunch: Leftovers
Snack: Lunchmeat and Peppers
Dinner: Meat Marinara over Spinach

Breakfast 1 (Pre and during workout): Prograde Shake
Boot Camp
Breakfast 2 (post workout): Oatmeal with almond butter, fruit, egg whites
Lunch: Steak, mushrooms, over salad with EVOO and avocado
Snack: Turkey breast, peppers
Dinner: Ground lamb, green beans

Tuesday:

Pre Workout-Nuts
HIIT training-on bike trainer 60 second sprints, 3 minute recovery x 5
Breakfast: Eggs with Spinach
Snack: 2 cheese sticks
Lunch: Ground lamb over salad
Snack: Turkey, Baby Carrots
Dinner: Carne Asada and beans

Wednesday:

Breakfast 1 (Pre and during workout): Prograde Shake
Boot Camp
Breakfast 2 (post workout): Oatmeal with almond butter, fruit, egg whites
Lunch: Turkey breast, green beans
Snack: Ground Lamb patty, peppers
Dinner: Marinara with ground beef over spinach

Thursday:

Pre Workout-Nuts
HIIT training-on bike trainer 30 second sprints, 1.5  minute recovery x 10
Breakfast: Eggs with Spinach
Lunch: Marinara with ground beef over spinach
Snack: 2 cheese sticks
Snack: Turkey, Baby Carrots
Dinner: Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

Friday:

Breakfast 1(Pre and during workout): Prograde Shake
Boot Camp
Breakfast 2 (Post workout): Oatmeal with almond butter, fruit, egg whites
Lunch: Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry with Spinach
Snack: 2 Cheese Sticks
Dinner:Marinara with Ground Beef over spinach

*Every morning tea with stevia and 1 tbsp raw cream.