Goodbye, Pregnancy Weight!

I admit that I did not gain a huge amount of weight while I was pregnant, only about 18 pounds all told. Nine of those pounds fell right off at Caroline's birth at the end of July (as would be expected), but the other nine... As of January 1 -- a little over five months later -- they were still lingering.

I am thrilled to announce that as I reach the end of my second month on the Beach, I am saying goodbye to the last of that pregnancy weight, for good! (Or, at least until I get pregnant again!)

This week, I was able to wear a pair of jeans I hadn't worn since becoming pregnant. And the size tens I had to give in and purchase back in November, just so I had something I could wear because maternity clothes just weren't kosher anymore... they're falling off of me. I can actually take them off without unbuttoning them!

I've still got another 10-20 pounds to go (the scale is just a gauge, not the last word), but making this mini-milestone has really motivated me to keep going!

Giving It Up for Lent?

I was in the city on Wednesday, and noticed the tell-tale smudges on foreheads announcing the start of Lent. My first thought was, wow, that means it is almost Spring! Then I started to think about what I would give up for 40 days. I was raised Catholic, and would participate in the Lenten ritual by giving up something like chocolate, or candy, or ice cream...interestingly, the sacrifice was nearly always related to food or drink.

These days, I consider myself more of a spiritual person than a religious one, and the Biblical meaning of Lent doesn't resonate with me. But by passing the concept of Lent through a prism, I can see it as an opportunity to initiate change(s) that would make me a better person. It has been said that it takes 30 days to create a new habit; I figure that 40 should really nail it home.

It's hard to "not" do something, though -- it's not exactly an action. It's easy to say I'm going to give up my insecurities, for example, but how exactly do you do that? So rather than focus on not doing a negative, it seems to me that it would be much easier to take action on the positive. Rather than give up...give out?

Hopefully it won't take me the full 40 days to figure out what it is I should "give out" for Lent. But even if it does it wouldn't be a total waste, now, would it?

Procrastinators Anonymous

I have a confession to make: I am a stellar procrastinator. Like, there is no time like tomorrow. Like, not only am I the president... I'm also a client. Like, there's got to be a support group for this.

But I am trying to reform. Really, I am. I started this healthy way of life -- FINALLY -- after making many, many procrastinator-like excuses, not the least of which were:
But I can't go to the grocery store today.
I've got to eat all of the bad stuff in the house before I can fill it with good stuff.
It's not Monday; I always have to start on a Monday.
I could always wait for Lent.
Or New Year's Day. New Year's Day sounds like a good day to start.

I know there are others out there, too. You know who you are; you snorted at a minimum of three of the five excuses I listed. And I want you to join me, because darned if I'm going to do it by myself.

So without further ado, here are five reasons why you should start getting healthy TODAY:

1. It can keep you from getting sick. I'm not just talking about heart disease. Research shows that a well balanced diet full of a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats will keep your immune system running at peak efficiency. I know I'm jinxing myself by saying this, but I have yet to be kicked in the arse by a major cold this season, and that is unusual for me. (Furiously knocking wood right now.) It could be a coincidence, but I prefer to chalk it up to my diet and exercise.

2. Exercise is a bonafide stress reducer. Not only does it get your endorphins going, it gives you something else to focus on. When I'm in the middle of a run, or a spinning class, or trying to keep up with some uber-complicated Pilates routine, I have a pretty hard time obsessing over whatever is stressing me out that day.

3. It will make you feel good. For better or for worse, what you eat can affect your mood. Except for some -- ahem -- periodic raging hormones and, well, some much-alluded-to job stress (dealing with that -- see #2), I have not felt better than I have since beginning this healthy lifestyle. Except for the last time I did it. And the time before that.

4. It only gets harder as you get older. I can honestly say that when I was on the South Beach Diet four years ago, I lost weight a lot faster than I am now. There has also been a lot of talk about this lately on my online support group, with a number of women in the over forty group reporting that they are having a harder time of it now than they ever did before.

5. There's no time like the present. Seriously, time flies. If you keep thinking that you will start tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow... before you know it, tomorrow will be yesterday. One of my favorite quotes by Mark Twain says it best:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

My Own Worst Enemy

Not too long ago, I wrote about one of my adversaries, the Stress Monster. Today, I'd like to introduce you to a much more insidious beast: the Spectre of Self-Doubt. Unlike the aforementioned Stress Monster, which hides deep inside only to rear its ugly head (in a very Hulk-like way) in moments of extreme pressure, the Spectre of Self-Doubt is always there, following me like a shadow and whispering in my ear.

And the problem with that is, it really holds me back.

Because for every thing I really want to accomplish, that Spectre can come up with ten good reasons why I can't do it. And for some reason -- especially in the wake of a Stress Monster attack -- I am inclined to believe it.

For example: I want to be a writer. I've been a writer, deep down in my soul, since I was a child. I spent hours upon hours writing epic adventure stories using my friends (and even some choice celebrities) as characters. (I also believe that someone found one of my old marble notebooks and used the contents to create the SeaQuest TV series... but that's a story for another time.) As an adult, I've channeled that creativity into public relations. It's not really what I want to do when I grow up, but for a long time that Spectre has led me to believe that I can't do anything beyond that.

So, you want to write, do you? What, do you think you're going to be a novelist or something? Do you really believe that anyone is going to want to read what you write? You can't make a living doing that. You can't even put half a sentence together before deleting it. You don't have time for this - you've got to work your real job, make sure the bills get paid, do the laundry, take care of the baby, make dinner, and fulfill everyone elses needs before you can even think about doing what you want to do. You don't have the chops; you already gave that up a long time ago -- what makes you think you can just jump right back in? Blah, blah, blah...

I know that the Spectre is just the byproduct of a latent perfectionism: if I can't do it perfectly, then why bother trying at all? It's that "all or nothing" attitude that I have to overcome if I'm going to get anywhere with my dreams and live the life I want to live. On my terms -- not the Spectre's, not my boss's, and not based on some misguided preconceived notion that things have to be a certain way or not at all.

I think that South Beach -- building healthy eating habits and starting an exercise program -- has been a good first step toward taking control over my life, and an excellent example for taking on other areas as well. I can't "blame the stress" if I overindulge; I make a conscious choice every moment of every day to eat the right foods, despite the stress, but if I slide then it is my fault alone. When it comes to South Beach, I have never said that "I don't have the willpower" -- that would only be giving in to the Spectre and proving her right. And it would kind of make me a hypocrite if I let the Spectre stop me from following my writing dream, or any other dream for that matter.

It's time I apply what I've learned on South Beach, and start making things happen.

Channeling a Tropical Paradise

After a week or so of glorious spring-like weather, winter seems to have returned with a teeny bit of vengeance: it was only 31 degrees (Fahrenheit) this morning when I forced my butt out the door for a run. (I do have to admit, though, that once I got moving I hardly felt the cold at all.)

When I got back from my run, I was naturally jonesing for something that would warm me up. Foraging around in the fridge, I pulled some eggs, low fat cheddar cheese, low fat sour cream, and some black bean salsa left over from an awesome dinner I made the other night (can't take credit... for the recipe, check out my new favorite blog, Kalyn's Kitchen). The result: a yummy South American omelet that warmed me up, cleared my sinuses and filled my head with thoughts of warm, sunny beaches and ice cold margaritas. I even spiced up my V8 with a little hot sauce and a squeeze of lime.

Now, not willing to leave the imaginary tropical breezes behind, I'm sipping a delicious (and healthy!) coconut-mango smoothie. All I need is a paper umbrella and a cabana boy (oh, Dave??), and I'll be set.

Steph's Coconut-Mango Smoothie
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup fat free plain yogurt
1/2 cup frozen mango, cubed (about 14 pieces; I use the Trader Joe's Frozen Mango Chunks)
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 packets sugar substitute (I use Splenda)

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

Tired of winter, and ready for some tropical sun? Make this smoothie, pull up a lounge chair and enjoy along with me!

A Note from the Heart

Six years ago, on President's Day, my dad died of a massive heart attack. He collapsed while snow blowing his driveway, and likely was gone before he even hit the ground. He was 53 years old.

While the actual day was February 17th (tomorrow), I will always remember it on President's Day. So today, I will remember my dad... and all of the reasons why it is so important to take care of my body and live the best life that I can, as long as I can.

I loved my dad very much. I still love him. But I can't help but feel a little bit angry that he didn't take care of himself better, and even angrier for him that he was cheated of a long and happy life, of retirement, of time with his grandchildren... some of whom will never know him in life.

It was a fluke that I actually saw my dad the night before he died, and I'm so grateful for that. My parents were "babysitting" our dog Ollie, and Dave and I went to pick her up earlier than expected because we knew that a blizzard was coming. That night, Dad was enjoying a big old slice of pizza. For a long time after, I could not even think about pizza without feeling more than a little nauseated.

My dad enjoyed good food. He smoked. He didn't exercise. (Although I do have a memory of running with my dad ONCE... and only once. I try to forget the fact that I was wearing foam rollers in my hair at the time.)

Despite my mom's urging, he never went to the doctor. According to my mom, he thought that he would live into his nineties, as his mother did. I also think that he was just afraid of what he would find out. His father had died of a heart attack before my dad was 17 years old. Heart disease ran in his family -- and it ran hard. After my father's death, several uncles sought medical attention and found that they were dangerously close to following his path. All were treated and are doing well. I am glad that something good could come out of it, but I wish that my dad didn't have to die to make the point.

February is American Heart Month. Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death in the United States, and so many are preventable through a healthy lifestyle and, if necessary, medication. You don't have to starve yourself, or run a marathon. You just have to use common sense and moderation. So from my heart to yours: we have only one body, and one life to live... please take care of yours.

Of course, there was more to my dad than how his life ended, and his life serves just as much as an example to me as his death. He worked hard. He enjoyed what he had and provided well for his family. And he was loved by family and many friends. I want to remember and strive for these things as much as for good health.

I love you, Dad. I miss you. And I will never forget you.

Awesome Blog Alert!

I must take a break from my usual ramblings to recommend a truly awesome blog - Kalyn's Kitchen - which offers a ton of great recipe ideas and tips for those following the South Beach way of eating... or even just trying to eat healthier. You can be sure I'll be following Kalyn to see what she cooks up next!

Holy Hip Flexors, Batman!

You know how when you start a workout routine, you suddenly become aware of a whole host of muscles that you didn't even know you had? Well, today is day three of my new running routine, and hello, hip flexors!

I've stopped and started countless workout routines, and the beginning always goes like this:

On the day of, I feel all wiggly-loosey-goosey. It's actually kind of nice.

The day after, I start to feel a little sore. Not too bad, but I'm starting to notice those long-forgotten muscles.

The second day after, my muscles are screaming and I want to DIE.

Guess what day I'm on? And in this case, my hip flexors are doing all the screaming, with some echoes coming from the peanut gallery (the fronts of my thighs and shins, thanks to the somewhat hilly nature of my running route).

The trick is getting past that second day, which means exercising through the pain. That, and lots of stretching. Once I get through today, and as long as I continue to exercise these muscle groups regularly, it will not hurt nearly as much.

I'm going to keep reminding myself of that, as I build up the courage to get out and run today. In the meantime, ouuuuuuuuuuch.

Baby Steps

The temperature actually went above freezing today, so I went for the first run of my "couch to 5k" running program! And it was a serious workout, too, considering the ten extra pounds of layered clothing that I put on to preempt the cold -- and the extra agility challenges, as I tip-toe-side-stepped my way through patches of ice on the sidewalk (please clear off your sidewalks, people!).

But I feel good. Great, even. I took the first step toward getting fit! Now I just have to remember to take baby steps.

So I'm setting a goal, and some rules. My town has an annual 5K run, which is coming up in April; my goal is to run in that 5K. My running plan is set at just the right pace to get me there. And now the rules:

1. I MUST follow the plan. I have to fight the urge to sprint ahead (no pun intended), which will ultimately burn me out. (Can you tell that I am an all-or-nothing person?)

2. No more excuses. Too cold, too wet, not enough time, I've got to get up early, I have to do the dishes... these are not going to help me reach my goal.

3. Cut myself some slack. At the same time, I have to give myself a break. If I'm sick, I'm sick. If I do fall off the plan, I can't beat myself up over it. Just like with my eating plan, I just have to pick myself up, dust myself off, and keep moving forward.

So, today is day one. Baby step one. I dare you to run with me!

Overcoming the Bear Mentality

I think that there needs to be a shift in the calendar so that New Year's Day falls somewhere around the 21st of March. That way, if I were to have made a New Year's Resolution to get fit in 2009 (but I don't make resolutions, remember?), I would not have to wait three months before starting.

Because although I have been planning to get exercise since the beginning of the year, I have not been able to get past the fact that it's freaking freezing outside. Not only has that kept me from exercising outside, it has seriously hampered my motivation to exercise inside. It was 16 degrees outside yesterday morning, and even though it was a comfortable 68 in my house I could not bring myself to jog in place for five minutes, much less turn on FitTV and groove to Gilad for half an hour.

We are now a little more than halfway through winter, looking at another 6 weeks of it ahead of us (thanks, Phil), and I feel like every ounce of energy I've got is going toward fighting the urge to hibernate. Like a bear, I just want to curl up, close my eyes, and wake up when spring is here.

The only thing this winter that has gotten me off my bum and working out is my weekly basketball game with "the girls" -- if it weren't for the fact that there were others sort of expecting me to show, I might not do it. Even though it's fun. Even though I feel GREAT having gotten an awesome workout. It's not enough to inspire me to exercise at all in the days in between. For the wintertime, at least, I probably need a motivated workout buddy to help me overcome the bear inside.

By the end of this month, nearly half of those who have made a New Year's Resolution will have given up. I can kind of understand why. Winter is cold, depressing and seems to go on forever, and it is very easy to succumb to the desire to hunker down and seek comfort in every way.

If New Year's Day were to be moved to March, perhaps we'll all fare better.

A Close, Personal Relationship with My Kitchen Appliances

One thing that I am enjoying about this new way of eating is that for the first time, I am really starting to use all of the cool kitchen gadgets I've been accumulating over the years -- many of which had been collecting dust in the cabinet, despite the fact that I needed them desperately at the time of purchase. These are a few that I'm getting to know...for better, or worse.

I absolutely love, love, love my KitchenAid Stand Mixer! It's helping me make dough from scratch without breaking a sweat (though I admit I could use the exercise), and is great for whipping up batters for SB-legal sweet treats (yes, they do exist). It was also really good for making whipped cream...something that I will just have to reserve for holidays and other special occasions. I need to make a permanent spot for this baby on my counter.

My blender sucks with a capital S. I take full responsibility for this, because I put it on our wedding registry without really doing my research. I also made the mistake of putting the little circular insert-thingy for the cover on the bottom rack of the dishwasher, so now it's all warped, melted, and basically unusable (though for some strange reason I'm still holding on to it). When I do use the blender, I have to cover that hole with my hand. Currently, the only thing the blender is moderately good at is mixing up a day's worth of formula for the baby...and that's only because it's just water and powder. Anything else it just spins around.

It took me a while, but I've finally warmed up to my food processor. Turns out I had to (accidentally) break three pieces off the cover before it would open and close smoothly. It isn't pretty, but it gets the job done. I've actually been cheating on my blender with the food processor... especially when making smoothies. Unfortunately, the food processor doesn't have a pour spout, so I'm still going to have to find myself a new blender eventually. But in the meantime, I'm enjoying the ride.

Last, but not least, is my faithful immersion blender. This one is an oldie, but a goodie. This always comes in handy when I'm cooking up a big pot of soup or sauce that I need to smooth out (and don't feel like pouring it, in batches, into a blender or food processor and then trying to figure out where to put the first batch so that I can blend the next one). While I don't use it often, I can't bring myself to let it go because, like some of the outfits in my closet, I just might need it someday.

I'd love to know what appliances others are using, loving, hating, can't live without or can't wait to toss out. Especially blenders... because I'm in the market for one.