I'm a Yummy Mummy!

I'm published! I feel so official.

I recently submitted an article to Yummy Mummy Club about breast health and breast cancer awareness. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so the timing was perfect, and lo and behold they liked it. I've been nervously checking every day and there it was this evening in all its glory.

Check out the article here and please let me know what you think. It's a topic that I'm pretty passionate about and I'd love your feedback (she says, sweating profusely).

Thanks!

Gillian

How Time Flies

The little miss was born 337 days ago. We are exactly four weeks away from her first birthday and just over three weeks from my return to work. I cannot believe it's been almost a year.

This has definitely been one of the most challenging and one of the best years of my life. It was important to us that I take the opportunity to have a full year with the kids. I returned to work early last time because I started a new job, and as we're not having any more kids this was basically the last time I would get this chance. It's been tight financially but we've made it work. Mr. Awesome is pretty much foaming at the mouth to have me back at full salary again but it's been worth it.

Back in May I wrote about some goals I wanted to accomplish by the time I returned to work. Some have been achieved and some seemed to have dropped into the black hole of time. Here is a brief update on my progress:

1. Reach my goal weight. YES! I reached my goal weight of 160lbs on Friday, July 30. I became a Weight Watchers lifetime member on Friday, September 10.
   
2. Take a self defense class. Nope. I'm still a wuss and haven't signed up for this yet.
   
3. Run (jog) a 5K. Next week! The jogging training hasn't quite manifested as I'd hoped so I will be jogging/walking the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure next Sunday. Only 8 days to go!
4. Raise $500 for the Run for the Cure. YAY!! I've actually raised $725!
   
5. Potty train the little man. HA! We are still fighting an uphill battle with the pants bombs, but pee is under control most of the time. MOST of the time.
   
6. Try a kick-boxing class. Nope. I still want to and I'm still petrified.
   
7. Get back into indoor rock climbing. Nope. We will do this at some point but haven't yet.
   
8. Take a first aid class. Nope. I really need to do this.
9. Take a finance course. Nope. Budgets beware.
   
10. Paint the house and window trim. Yes. This one we actually accomplished in early August. There's probably a blog post in there somewhere about the trials and tribulations of colour selection, but it's done and it looks nice.
    

I also made a list of things I would like to do that had no particular deadline. Only one item on the list has any update to speak of, although #1 (Try curling) may indeed happen this fall.

4. Become a Weight Watchers leader. I have applied but have yet to hear back from the regional manager. At least I've taken the first step.


A WORK IN PROGRESS

Not only have I had a full year with my kids and my husband, but I've also had a full year with myself. I've learned a lot and I've changed a lot. The physical changes are obvious having lost 70lbs, but I've changed in other ways as well. Here they are, in no particular order:

I'm a better mother.
I'm a better cook.
I'm a better writer.
I like myself more.
I am proud of my body.
Exercise is a part of my life.
I'm willing to take risks.
I believe in myself.

There are still endless things I want to work on and that I will continue to work on, but I feel I'm headed back to work in a very good place. I'm still a work in progress and always will be, but I have a much clearer sense of who I am, good and bad.

I wouldn't trade this year for the world. I would gladly trade some of the poop, but on the whole it's been fantastic.

And now back to the monstrous list of to dos I need to accomplish before October 18. First item on the list for tonight: Bedtime.

The Secrets to My Success - The Good, The Bad, The Neurotic

Last Friday I officially became a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers. Woo hoo! Since my first weigh-in last December I've lost 67lbs, and I've gained a whole new life. Literally, a lifetime.

For the last few months people have been asking me for tips, what's worked for me, how I work out, etc. So I decided to share the highlights here - the good, the neurotic and the ridiculous. I will try and keep it brief but brevity has never been my strong suit. I'll aim for bullet points and see where we get. Please bear in mind these are things that worked for ME and may or may not work for you.

HIGHLIGHTS: What did I do that worked?

• I never treated it like a diet. It has truly been a change in my way of eating, thinking and living.
• I track using an iPhone app called Nutrition Menu. At the time WW eTools was pretty pricey and at $0.99 you couldn't really beat Nutrition Menu. It also came complete with a massive food database right in the app, meaning you didn't need WiFi or cell service to access points values. This also meant that I could use it with the iPod Touch... before I dropped it in the toilet and moved up to the iPhone. I wasn't into the little foldy tracker they give you at WW and the eTools app wasn't available in Canada so Nutrition Menu was my saviour.
• I go to Weight Watchers meetings. Not every meeting by any means. Before hitting Lifetime I went and weighed in every week, but to be perfectly honest I only stayed for about 30% of the meetings - usually if I needed a boost or if I knew I was going to get some sort of reward, like a gold star, a keychain charm, etc. The public recognition definitely helped!
• Speaking of recognition, another thing that worked (for me) was making it public. I blogged (obviously), I tweeted, and then I took it into my personal realm of Facebook. I talk to my friends about it and explain my food choices at restaurants, parties, etc.
• In the same vein, I went online. I followed people on Twitter that I found through the #weightwatchers hash tag. I got into online conversations about weight loss and I read the blogs of people going through similar journeys. It really helped to know I was not alone.
  
• I started cooking. I was never a chef by any stretch of the imagination but being the control freak I am, I had to start doing most of the cooking in our house to make sure I knew the points values.
• I plan ahead. If we were going to be out for a meal I would use Nutrition Menu and figure out what I was going to have. It's got a huge list of restaurants in the database and if something wasn't in there I could usually guesstimate or look it up online. Once I'd decided what I would be eating I didn't change the plan and get swayed to something that sounded delicious but cost me more points.
  
• I schedule my exercise. I make plans and stick to them. During the last school year I dropped the little man off at preschool on Mondays and Wednesdays and then went to the gym while he was there. On Fridays I go right after Weight Watchers. These were concrete times that I didn't change, and if I got an additional workout in during the week, great, but I knew I had three guaranteed. This schedule will obviously change when I go back to work next month, but I have already planned it so I know I'll still have three good workouts every week.
  
• I change up my exercise. Yes, I have a standard routine that I do most days, but I'll throw in a walk or a swim here and there to keep things interesting.
• I watch Biggest Loser. I'm not even kidding. It really does help motivate me. If they can do it, so can I. When I'm on the treadmill I can just hear Bob Harper yelling at me if I even THINK about putting my hands on the handles!
  
• I made a fantastic workout mix. There are certain songs that just make me work harder, no matter what. I've changed it up a bit over the months, but The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" and "When Love Takes Over" by David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland are still motivating me nine months later.
  

FOOD: Some specifics

• I use the Weight Watchers in 20 Minutes cookbook at least once a week. I found some of their other books too involved, but these recipes are pretty simple and (duh - the title) pretty quick.
• I calculate other recipes. I took some of our previous favourites and figured out the points values. That way I could still have the dishes we loved, but in a portion that would work with my daily points allowance.
• Oroweat 100 Calorie Sandwich Thins. At 100 calories and 5 grams of fibre, these babies come out at one ONE POINT EACH. They unfortunately are not available in Canada, but through stockpiling and a few last minute "run for the border" shopping trips, I have kept myself in pretty consistent supply. I use them for breakfasts, sandwiches, burger buns...they are awesome!
• Sunrise Whole Wheat Pitas. My friend introduced me to these little (big) gems and with their nutritional breakdown they work out to be 4 points for a larger-than-dinner-plate pita. They make an absolutely fantastic pizza crust! I've also found a smaller version that are only 2 points, but these pitas are kind of hard to find anywhere so I take what I can get.
  
• Bananas on Thursdays. I said this post would include the neurotic and the ridiculous. I read (from several places, I swear) that the potassium in bananas helps draw out any retained water, so on Thursday evenings - the night before my weigh-in - I would make sure I ate a banana. Why take any chances?
  
• Also about Thursdays, we made Thursday "Salad Night." Why would I have a big heavy meal the night before a weigh-in?! We do regular old spinach salads (no, we don't eat old spinach), layered salads, warm chicken salads, taco salads, always changing it up but always having something a bit lighter that night.
• I found a good supply of 0-2 point snacks and I snack a lot. One cup of sliced strawberries is zero points! There are new Thinsations snack bars that are 1 point. One cup of Smart Food is two points. They're out there. You just have to find what works for you.

My Workouts

One of the most frequent questions I get is about my exercise routine. As I mentioned earlier, I do have a standard program that I do most days, especially when I'm pressed for time. It's a finely tuned (sort of) routine where I can pretty much get in and get out within 45 minutes.

When I first started working out I would do 15-30 minutes of cardio, then 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps each on my favourite weight machines, then some crunches, then stretching. The whole thing would take between an hour and an hour and a half.

I started reading the Biggest Loser Fitness Program book and it said that this was pretty much the least efficient workout I could be doing. Awesome. They explained that circuit training was the way to go for many reasons including EPOC, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Basically, you continue burning calories long after your workout is done. WIN! They also said if you keep your circuit training aerobic, any cardio you do on top of your circuits is a bonus. And the big difference to what I'd been doing before was that I should have been doing my cardio AFTER the circuit training. According to BL, your body has spent most of its stored carbohydrates (glycogen) after the circuits and then taps into its fat stores to help burn energy. Yay for fat burning!

I tried it a couple of times and found I really liked circuit training. For those that don't know (I didn't), you move from exercise to exercise in pretty quick succession. While I had been staying at the same machine for 2-3 sets, resting in between each one, I was now doing one set and moving on to the next machine pretty much immediately. It kept things interesting and kept my heart rate up.

I went and met with a trainer at my gym (I just go to the local rec centre, nothing fancy) and he confirmed that this new regime was a WAY better, way more efficient way to work out. He gave me a 5-10 minute warm-up to get my heart rate going that (God Forbid) included some squats and lunges. He was very sneaky about this, because I swore up and down I would never do either, but lo and behold there I was lunging and squatting. He modified them a bit from the hellish repetitions I'd been exposed to in the past, and believe it or not they're actually bearable.

He then showed me a new way to do the circuits that he recommended doing once a week. Instead of doing 12 reps at the same weight, he suggested starting lighter and doing five, moving up to my regular weight and doing another five, and then moving up again to a weight where I could ALMOST do three reps properly before completely tiring out my muscles. You then move on to the next machine and do the same thing. The best part is, if you do it right and really do tire out your muscles, you only have to do ONE CIRCUIT! Now that's efficient. I sometimes do this twice a week when I'm pressed for time and can't afford to do more than one circuit. Plus I really like it. I know, I'm sick.

I typically do the warm up for 10 minutes, the "super circuit" for 15 and then 15 minutes on the treadmill. That's it, that's all. The perfect workout for a mom with very little time!

If it's a nice day I might trade the treadmill for the 30 minute creekside trail walk beside the rec centre, or sometimes I'll get ambitious and go and swim 20 lengths in the pool. These are both obviously if I'm working with a little more time on my hands. It really does help to keep things fresh.

So, that's them in a nutshell. The secrets to my success. Some may help you. Some may not. I am not a doctor, a dietitian or a personal trainer. All I know is what works for me and if one of my not-so-brief bullet points triggers something for you, awesome.

Please comment and share what works for you, your tried and true tips, or if something here has inspired you!

Blazing My Weigh

Mr. Awesome and I just got home from a kid-free getaway to Napa and San Francisco. Before embarking on a healthier lifestyle our vacations were fairly inactive, held back by my fatigue, overheating, laziness and sometimes fear.

I've written before about staying on track and active while on vacation, and so far that has meant braving the hotel fitness rooms or going for walks. I decided it was time to push myself even further. In one of our San Francisco guidebooks I read about the popular activity of "Biking the Bridge" - renting bicycles and riding across the Golden Gate Bridge and down into Sausalito. I would NEVER have considered this a year ago, but for the first time I wasn't held back by my physical or emotional insecurities. While I wasn't scared, I was still nervous because I have never attempted anything like this before.

I contacted Blazing Saddles and they kindly agreed to provide two bikes for the day, so now there was no backing out. I'm sure I could have come up with an elaborate tale of woe to get out of the deal, but it was a personal challenge and I had to prove to myself I could do it. (For those bike lovers out there you're probably rolling your eyes at my hesitation over a fairly innocuous ride, but until now any biking excursions for me have inevitably ended shortly after they began due to burning thigh muscles or heavy breathing. It was a big deal, so bear with me.)

We arrived at Blazing Saddles just after lunch on Sunday. The staff were awesome and led us through our route by way of a huge map on the wall. We were fitted for helmets and then bikes, given the final safety check and sent on our way. It was a beautiful day without any fog in sight, so we were not the only ones with the brilliant idea to go for a bike ride. Although there were masses of people out and about that day, it didn't feel too crowded once we got going.

The eight mile (13KM) route starts down near Fisherman's Wharf, heads along a gorgeous waterfront path for a good distance then up onto and across the bridge. You then bike down into Sausalito and can either turn around and bike back or take the ferry back across to Fisherman's Wharf. There are also bike paths than can take you further afield, over to a redwood forest and down into the town of Tiburon, but as we started later than planned we kept it to the basic route.

I knew from the start that there would likely be some uphill involved as the path along the waterfront was noticeably lower than the start of the bridge. I'd been given an awesome light blue Breezer bike, but it only had three gears. Nevertheless, I gave it my all when it came to the first hill. I felt positively triumphant when I rode past a woman pushing her bike and overheard her say to her friend "There is NO way I could ride up this thing." It gave me a burst of energy and I made it, although slowly, all the way to the top.

The second (longer) hill was a bit more of a push, but I made it until the top where the road turned and right at the turn where it got steep about 20 riders had decided to stop. Get to side, people, I'm coming through! Not so much "coming through" as coming to a stop on the steepest part because my legs gave out and then falling off the bike, but no one ever said I was the epitome of grace. My ego was bruised, but that's about it.

We made it to the start of the bridge and onto the bike path that runs along the side. When I told my mum our plans, she had visions of me actually riding across the bridge IN TRAFFIC. Um, no. Rest assured there is a nice wide bike lane.

I'm not the most confident rider at the best of times, so I really had to force myself to pause to enjoy the spectacular view. It was definitely spectacular. Absolutely stunning. And windy. Very, very windy. We wound down the hill towards Sausalito but the route we took did present yet one more hill, which my thighs simply wouldn't go for. I walked my bike up while Mr. Awesome hassled followed me the whole way.

Sausalito is a beautiful, picturesque little seaside town that I wish we could have spent more time in. Given it was the Sunday before Labour Day it was very busy, so the next time we go we'll opt for a longer mid-week visit.

We went for the ferry as the idea of biking back up the hill from Sausalito wasn't appealing at that point. I'm sure it's a beautiful ferry ride if you're one of the first 100 people on board, but we were among the last ones to make it so we ended up sitting on the floor inside. We were just happy to be on board as we were going for sushi that night and had to get going. NOTHING can keep us from a good sushi dinner.

We arrived back at Fisherman's Wharf and rode (Mum, don't read this part) through traffic to beat the other riders back to Blazing Saddles. It wouldn't really have mattered as the staff checked everyone in very quickly and there was never a line. My favourite part was all of them cheering as we rode in, as they did for all the returning riders, as if we had just ridden the Tour de France. They called out "Welcome Back! Way to go! Head for the finish line!" and while I'll never even be Lance Armstrong's clumsy half cousin, it felt pretty darn good.

For once I wasn't held back by my own insecurities or physical limitations. I've always enjoyed walking and that's how we've done a lot of our sightseeing in the past, but this opens up a whole new way of experiencing our travel while staying active. Blazing Saddles does a ride across the Brooklyn Bridge, so maybe we'll add that to the list for things to do when we go to New York in a few years. And biking through wine country in France has always sounded amazing... so many options!

My life's "must do" list just got a little bit longer. Bring it on!

A Break From The Chaos

I love my kids, really. But I am not ashamed to admit that I needed a break from them. One can only live day in and day out with a whiny three year old who refuses to poop on the potty for so long without starting to go insane. And while it is exciting to witness the little miss's daily advancements in crawling, climbing, cruising and walking, it is exhausting to keep up with her and keep her out of the little man's reach.

Mr. Awesome and I just got home from four nights away. Oma and Opa Awesome came to stay with the kids and we took off. Four evenings with no bedtime battles, four nights with no crying wake-ups, five days with not ONCE having to sing Old MacDonald. And what's more, five days of no dishes, no laundry, no sweeping. Five days of time just for us. It was, to beat the proverbial dead horse one more time...Awesome.

We flew to San Francisco, rented a car and drove straight to Napa where we stayed for two nights before heading back into the city for the last two nights. We wined, we dined, we shopped, we walked, we talked, we reconnected.

I think sometimes in the heat of the whining, the pooping, the crying, the shoving, and the general melee that is life with young kids, we lose sight of just how fantastic these little beings are. Sure, I ALWAYS love them, but I'm not afraid to admit that sometimes, in the very worst times, I don't always like them. Time away gives you time to appreciate them, to miss them and to have the strength to deal with the next pants bomb with patience and love.

I will write more in a subsequent post about the actual trip - highlights, activities, my success at keeping active and not so great success at tracking my points. For now I just wanted to write about how important and fantastic it was just to get away for a few days. I have returned completely refreshed and recharged. I appreciate my kids more than ever and the whining slides off my back with ease.

Bring on the pants bomb. I can take it.

GUEST POST: Don’t Let THE GUILT Get You Down

Allow me to introduce you to Kristy! I love her blog and wanted to share her with my readers so you too could know how fantastic she is. So, this is me, spreading the blog love! I asked her to write from the perspectiv of a working mother, as I'm getting ready to head back to work in just over a month and it's just starting to sink in!

Don’t Let THE GUILT Get You Down

It’s so nice to meet you all! I’m Kristy from Pampers and Pinot, and I jumped at the chance to guest post on Gillian’s Finding My Weigh.

Gillian and I began blogging about the same time and quickly developed respect for each other and discovered similar interests. You know, like drinking wine, finding humor in everyday situations, and damning our “points allowance” for the day. Gillian asked me to post about the DREADED WORKING MOTHER’S GUILT since she is soon facing her return to the working world.

When I told my husband of this post, he said, “You don’t have working mother’s guilt, do you?”

I replied, “No.”

To some, that may imply that I do not like spending time with my family (or is that the guilty conscience talking?). That is far from the truth. And, I was just (kind of) joking to my husband. I really do experience The Guilt because I am a mother, and I am a human.

But to help keep The Guilt at bay, I try to remember a few key things.

Being a working mother helps me keep things in perspective.

Not one person in the workplace is immune to gossip and generally immature behavior. Ever since I became a mom, I have been able to better handle Workplace Bullshit. When it comes down to it, none of it is as important as my son or my role as a mother. There’s nothing better than petty workplace drama to remind you of what is really important in life. Most of my problems at work do not follow me in my front door because…well, they simply cannot. There are boogers and butts to wipe, macaroni and cheese and nuggets (WITH RANCH) to make, cars to race on the floor, baths to swim in, bed time books to read, and kisses. Lots of kisses. When you have all that, who the hell cares about things like, “Can you believe she…,” “Why do we have to do it that way?” or “Do you know who comes late/leaves early every day?!” blah, blah, blah.

I enjoy my time with my family so much more when I am a working mother.

You may feel guilty thinking that, but I do not. I know it is true for me, and that is okay. I am blessed to have 8 weeks off every summer, so I get just a taste every year of stay-at-home-mom-ness. It can be rough. After 5 days in a row of pushing cars around the race track, looking at the same I Spy book, watching the Nick Jr. line-up, and looking for sticks and rocks in the neighborhood, I feel like I may as well just go bang my head against a wall. So, during that summertime break, we find ways to break it up – my husband and I get a babysitter, we drop the maniac off at daycare for a day, or we “give each other breaks.” Well, when you’re working, you don’t really need as much of that “away” time. I get home from work, and it is MY CHANCE to actually ENJOY a little time pushing those cars around the track and reading the same book again with my son. I am more PRESENT for it all.

And, finally, I believe that being a working mother is better for my son.

There are many out there that may not agree with me, which is fine. To each their own. But here’s my thinking. It is good for kids to have other experiences away from home. I call it “the scrappy-ness of daycare.” There are benefits to your child having positive, independent experiences away from home. They learn to adapt to new situations and people. They learn to solve problems without their mom around. If their daycare is a happy and healthy environment for them, they thrive in learning how to build relationships with others and this can help even build their self-esteem. I do not claim to be some kind of expert on this issue, I am mostly following my heart, speaking from experience, and drawing on background in educational psychology.

If you are a working mother, the next time you feel The Guilt, consider this. Perhaps what you call The Guilt is really just a voice reminding you that you love your family. Perhaps it is just a voice telling you that you miss your family. So, TAKE COMFORT in the fact that you will go home and embrace your family, and wipe their boogers, and make their dinner, and push their cars on the floor.

Working makes it all the more sweet.

The Mom I Want To Be

The title of this post has been rattling around my brain for a few weeks now but I hesitated writing it because I didn't want to admit - I'm not the mom I want to be.

The mom I want to be doesn't get frustrated so easily.
The mom I want to be has more patience.
The mom I want to be doesn't yell.
The mom I want to be accepts that "he's just three" is a reasonable explanation.
The mom I want to be has time to clean the house.
The mom I want to be knows how to get the stove top as clean as her mother in law does.
The mom I want to be doesn't swear under her breath at other drivers.
The mom I want to be has boobs that sit somewhere above the bottom of her rib cage.

I can control almost all of these, and with the right bra I could probably control all of them. The right bra can fix a lot of things.

But seriously, I yell more than I want to. Sometimes volume is a tactic to break through the three year old fog that envelops the little man when he's doing something he shouldn't and WILL. NOT. STOP. But sometimes volume is a result of exhaustion, frustration and emotion.

The lesson of the day is impulse control. I'm trying to get the little man to stop and think before he pushes/kicks/hits his baby sister, taking the time to pause before he does what he's invariably about to do. And I am doing my darndest to do the same thing before I raise my voice.

I'm not SO far from the mom I want to be. I'm by no means a lost cause. I think I'm a pretty good mom when it comes down to it, I just want to work on the patience thing. Maybe I will count to three for myself as well as for him. Sometimes Mummy needs a time out.

And a new bra.

Then maybe I will be the mom I want to be.