New Life: How This Pregnancy is Different

When I found out I was pregnant, I was filled with joy and dread at the same time. I am not dreading the baby by any means - I truthfully cannot wait for those 2 AM feedings, countless diapers, and the cutest little smiles imaginable. I think infancy is magical, so that part is a blessing. The part I dreaded with the morning sickness, weight gain, lethargy. After working so hard to lose 60 pounds, I just knew I'd automatically blow up like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloon. But that wasn't so!

So far I am 14 1/2 weeks, and this has been a far different, and much better, experience from my last pregnancy. I am not dealing with the constant morning sickness. I have learned that if I eat carbs and protein every 2-3 hours, I can avoid the nausea and keep my energy up. There were a few days before I learned all this when I didn't feel like leaving the couch, but I got over it quickly. I also feel like my diet has made this pregnancy better. Throughout my 1st pregnancy, I was addicted to Dr. Pepper and had at least one every day. The constant blend of caffeine and sugar gave me the great sugar rush and crash that only made lethargy  worse. This time I am drinking tons of water and trying to eat as many fruits and veggies as possible.

I'm also keeping my weight in check. My doctor told me that as long as Prairie Babe is gaining, everything is fine. I did automatically raise my calories up to 2000 a day to ensure Prairie Babe and I get enough but not too many. Of course if I have a treat every once in a while, I don't worry about it. I know this is the one time I am getting help at burning off calories, so I am taking advantage of it. Having a few, limited indulgences also keeps my mood up so I don't feel deprived.

With Prairie Dad after our 5K race

The big surprise during this pregnancy is how active I am. My doctor told me I'm like a different patient, and she's right. On Saturday, Prairie Dad and I ran a 5K. I did about half running/half walking, but it was still a 5K! The next day, I biked 6.5 miles on our recumbent stationary bike. That certainly didn't happen last time. The last time, a workout consisted of me walking around Wal-Mart to get groceries. Keep in mind that my exercise is being monitored by my doctor, so we are being safe about it, but she told me not to slow down anytime soon - the more I exercise the better off Prairie Babe and I will be.

More than ever I am so thankful for the changes I've made in my life. Changing my diet and building exercise habits in advance is making this pregnancy easier than I imagined. And by sticking with my lifestyle, especially when it would be so easy to give it up, I know that my recovering will be easier.

New Life: Myfitnesspal.com - the easiest way to lose!

MFP button tracking pounds lost

Losing weight is hard - don't let anyone tell you any different. It takes dedication to maintain lifestyle changes, and before that, it takes dedication to a plan. Through my weightloss adventure, there is one tool that absolutely changed my life. Myfitnesspal.com is a web tool or app that allow members to track their calorie intake and their exercise so they can meet their goals, and best of all - it's free!

From the beginning, I have used My Fitness Pal (MFP). When I set up my account, I simply added in my stats, like weight, height, age, and activity level, and told the program how much weight I wanted to lose (back then it was 2 pounds a week). After compiling my stats, it gave me daily calorie goal.  I logged every bite that went into my mouth (no cheating here!). I also logged all of my exercise, even if it was just a short walk. If I needed to eat more calories, my number was green. If my number turned red, I knew it was time to stop for the day.

MFP has a huge food database, so most of the foods I recorded were already there. If they weren't, I could add the nutrition information for them. Likewise, it already had the information for exercise and figured approximately how many calories I burned based on my estimated metabolism. However, if I had used a heart rate monitor at the gym and knew my calorie expenditure, I could override the pre-calculated results.

One thing I love about the MFP program is that I can "eat back" all of my exercise calories because the base calories are figured as the lowest amount your body can function on for a normal day. If you have more activity than normal, you need to eat more. For example, if my daily allowance is 1500 calories, and I burn 500 at the gym, I get to add those 500 calories for the day for a total of 2000 calories for that day.

MFP report tracking my weightloss

Throughout the year, I have changed my calorie goals to meet my needs. After initial huge drops, I lowered my weightloss to 1 pound a week, and MFP adjust my calories. Also, as I lost more weight, it adjusted my daily calories based on my new needs. Now that I am pregnant, I still track all of my calories, but I use the Maintenance setting, meaning I eat enough so I don't lose weight. As my pregnancy progress, I will raise it so that I gain enough weight to support the baby.

MFP is fantastic because it is so customizable. There are no special foods or plans - you just have to be honest with your food journal. It also provides reports about your nutrition, exercise, and weightloss so you can easily see where you need to make adjustments. Feel free to leave comments or questions for me if you'd like to get started on MFP today!

New Life: Grocery Shopping - Prairie Style

I know some of you are wondering where the "Prairie" part plays into my life. There are two answers. One is that when my parents moved us to the country, my mom said she felt like she was living in Little House on the Prairie because we lived in a small, one bedroom house on a sparse piece of land. I loved my prairie home, and I lived there up until I got married. The other part of my prairie life is that I love all things associated with the old-fashioned prairie life style. I love the combination of hard work and simplicity. Throughout my days, I find that I often ask myself "is this what people would do on the prairie?"

One of those things I often question is grocery shopping. I was once a convenience food addict. And sometimes I still slip up with a bag of cookies or a frozen pizza. But for the most part, my grocery shopping is guided by the simple question "Could this be found on the old-fashioned prairie farm or in the general store?" By asking myself this question, I can rule out most unhealthy foods pretty easily.

I start with the basics like fruits and vegetables. I buy as much fresh and organic as possible because I'm pretty sure that Laura Ingalls didn't have a freezer or DDT. The key to buying fresh produce that is affordable is to consider what is seasonal. Seasonal produce will taste better, be more nutritious, and cost less. It can also help to prevent that dreaded burn out effect from eating the same thing too many times. This time of year, there is less of a selection, but things like potatoes, spinach, broccoli, apples, sweet potatoes, and carrots are still good choices. In the summer, I like to buy a lot of whatever is cheapest and freeze it myself to put back for winter. I still have frozen goods like tomatoes and peppers that we grew in our own garden last summer.

When it comes to meat, I admit that we are blessed. We come from ranching families, so we can still get beef from my in-laws, and we know that it is organic and farm-raised. I know that many people can't do this, so I always advocate buying local and talking to the butchers to find out where the meat comes from and how it is raised. I do buy chicken at the grocery store, but it must be hormone and antibiotic free, and when possible, free range. In the fall, my husband deer hunts, and we usually have a good stock of frozen venison.

Meat is expensive though and too much is not healthy. It eats too much of our budget just like we eat too much of it. To supplement our protein, I cook a pound of some type of beans in the crock pot at least twice a month. They are cheap, nutritious, and filling. Even though I buy organic, $2.99 for a pound of dried beans can feed us for 3-4 meals.

When it comes to dairy, I have to stretch my definition of prairie-style a little bit. We buy milk, butter, and a little cheese, but sometimes I do buy cottage cheese and yogurt if I feel like our diet is lacking. Eggs are a staple in our house too, and I hope we can someday have our own chickens.

Besides milk, the beverages in our house are tea and coffee the old-fashioned way. We make tea on the stove or in a cup with tea bags or infusers. While we do have a Keurig to make our coffee (Praire Dad and I never can agree on a flavor), we have bagged coffee that we use to refill a reusable filter for the machine. I admit though that this part was a recent switch, so we still have a stash of K Cups in the cabinet, but they will be gone soon enough. We do keep some glass-bottled juice on hand to flavor water for Prairie Girl, but one bottle can last a long time.

As for our baked good, it's mostly prairie-style there too. I buy the necessities like flour and salt and I try to sweeten with things like honey and maple syrup instead of sugar. I keep my recipes simple to save money and time, and we avoid nasty preservatives and artificial flavors and colors. Our grains are kept simple too with plain containers of oatmeal, rice, and quinoa that I cook and season myself.

And that's about it. I don't load down the cart with bags of chips or pretzels or cartons of ice cream. I avoid frozen dinners, and we stay away from almost all canned varieties of food. If we're really going for a treat, we might get some dark chocolate or a box of crackers for Prairie Girl. Instead of keeping treats at home, we like to have fun experiences, so we will go out for ice cream or cupcakes at some place we can enjoy.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I spend a lot of time in the kitchen sweating over a hot stove to cook everything. You're wrong. I actually spend less time than I did when I bought convenience foods. How? Well that's a post for another day.

New Life: Baby Steps to Healthy Eating

While exercise and other factors contribute to weight loss, the greatest factor is diet. When I use the term "diet," I'm talking about your daily eating habits - not a sporadic program that you try for a few weeks to lose a few pounds. Your diet should be a lifestyle because you won't see permanent results unless you make permanent changes.

Food is a priority in my household. We believe in buying good quality food, preparing it with love, and receiving it with enjoyment. We try to avoid processed foods, artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners, and most importantly, refined sugar. But it wasn't always like this. If you've been following along, you know we used to eat all of those things, and keep copious amount of them in the house. Our transition to healthy eating didn't happen all at once though - it has been a slow, steady process on which I am constantly working.

I think the most important thing I have learned while losing weight is that to make great changes, a person has to take baby steps. Too many transitions too fast will only lead to confusion and failure. I am constantly tweaking my eating and exercise plans to make them cleaner, healthier, and more effective, and this has produced the best results.


Let's put a myth to rest right now: all calories are not created equal. Eating 1200 calories of junk is not the same as eating 1200 calories of healthy food. The types of calories we eat great affect how we process, store, and burn fat.

My lifestyle changes officially started April 1, 2012. On that day, I made a few promises to myself and my family of things we would avoid.

Soda - This was a big one for me. I had been consuming 500-1000 calories a day in pure sugary beverage. Soda has absolutely no nutritional benefits. The phosphoric acid depletes calcium levels in the body and causes bone erosion, and the levels of sodium, sugar, and caffeine affect the liver and metabolic functions. Diet soda is not any better, and many scientists believe it is worse because the artificial sweeteners cause formaldehyde build up in the brain and digestive system.

High Fructose Corn Syrup  - Contrary to what the HFCS companies would have you believe, it is not natural nor is it healthy. HFCS does have corn in it, but it also has several chemicals that if consumed in even small amounts by themselves would be toxic. HFCS is also metabolized differently by the liver. Since the molecules are already broken down, the liver has little work to do and can immediately store it as fat. Natural sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup require the liver to work and break them down.

Partially hydrogenated oils - Partially hydrogenated oils are man made byproducts that are used as a fat source. They are very similar to plastic in composition, and like HFCS, they are metabolized differently than their natural counterparts. They also contribute to heart disease and inflammation in the body.

You're probably thinking "so what's left to eat?" Well - a lot! Instead of soda, I had a lot of water. I also discovered the world of tea. Flavored teas (I'm talking about those made with plant leaves - not artificial concentrates) can be left unsweetened, and they are loaded with antioxidants. And best of all, they are calorie free! Instead of cookies and crackers loaded with oils, I found other things to munch on like homemade sweet potato french fries, fresh fruit dipped in natural peanut  butter, oatmeal with maple syrup, and homemade muffins made with applesauce.

The most difficult thing to eliminate was HFCS. It's in everything from children's juice boxes to frozen dinners. The most popular place to find it is in desserts. So, we simplified. Instead of cookies and candy bars, we keep a bag of natural dark chocolate chips. Just a few can satisfy a craving. I only buy 100% juice for my daughter. As for all the other "stuff" - we don't need it.

Reading labels is key to a good diet. Know what's in your food, and know how it affects your body. If you don't feel like you can cut out several things at once, start with one. Make a vow to remove one toxin from your diet, and when you've accomplished that, you can move on to another one. It's all about baby steps.

New Life: Overcoming the Old Life

I've struggled with my weight since I was 9 years old. 2 days after my 9th birthday, I had my tonsils and adenoids removed. For the first time in my life, I could swallow normal sized bites of food. And even better, I could taste every bite of food, something that had been a challenge since my airways had been so obstructed. So I ate. And ate. And ate. I remember being teased in 4th grade by a boy who referred to me as "big butt." In high school, there were more jeers at my weight as my peers commented on how certain boys couldn't lift me for show choir dance routines. Every comment  broke my heart.

When I started college, I felt like I had a new beginning. I had friends who exercised, so I joined a gym, picked up some aerobics classes, and started doing Pilates and weight lifting. I slimmed down and was in great shape. And as could be expected, I fell in love and got married in 2005. And then the weight starting creeping up as soon as the stress did.

I was still in school finishing my Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and I worked two part time jobs. Then there was a new husband, a new house, and bills quickly followed by graduate school and eventually a baby. Over 6 years, I gained over 50 pounds. I'd been a size 10 at my wedding, but I wound up in a size 22.

But the question is how did I get here?

Before you can begin losing weight, you have to identify your triggers and know what got you to where you are now.

I had my share of sodas, fries, and burgers.

1. The couch and the bag (or box) - I developed a nasty habit of plopping down on the couch with a whole bag of cookies or candy or chips or box of ice cream. I would munch while I wrote papers, paid bills, and watched movies. I am not sure if I was ever really hungry, but it was a habit. Thousands of mindless calories were consumed.

2. Bottomless soda - On a dare in college, I'd given up soda, but at a family reunion in 2006, I decided the dare was over, and I took a drink of soda. I remember it didn't taste that great after a long abstinence, but I was hooked on the sugar and caffeine. From then on, we kept soda in the fridge, and I had it every time we went out. I'd order a large and refill it once or twice. I could easily consume 500-1000 calories a day in the sugary drink.

3. Living like hobbit - I rarely left the house. My husband and I worked different schedules, and we had little money, so we rarely went to recreational activities (aside from eating fast food). Gone were the days of ice skating, miniature golf, and volunteer projects. I was bound to my computer, writing and grading papers for my education and career. Sitting burns few calories.

4. Poor nutrition - As a new wife, I bought into whatever the television wanted to sell me. You've read about my couponing downfall, and that greatly contributed to my weight gain. My freezer was stocked with cheap frozen dinners, pies, cookie dough, and ice cream. The cupboards were full of white pasta, white bread, white sugar, and anything else refined that I was told I had to have. I didn't realize nutritious food was just as affordable, probably because the television never told me it was.

5. Pure gluttony - I worked hard, so I felt like I was entitled to every morsel of food I got. I saw food as a reward for finishing my work early or getting an "A" on a paper. When Prairie Girl arrived, I saw food as a comfort, much the way she did as a new baby. But mostly I was just gluttonous. If I wanted it, I ate it. If we didn't have it, and I wanted it, I went out and bought it. I didn't pay attention to how much I ate because I thought I deserved it.

Do any of these sound familiar to you? Make your own list of what your downfalls have been that have caused you to gain weight. Feel free to post them in the comments. The more we talk about problems, the easier it is to find solutions!

The Beginning of my New Life

It's ok. I can admit it. I was fat. I was considered obese. I ached all over with no clear reason why, I had no energy, and I was a nervous wreck. Let's add that I was covered in acne, my hair was falling out, and all I could think about was food. Donuts, cookies, chocolate, pizza, ice cream, cheeseburgers - all of those "bad" things. And I ate them. I ate a lot of them. And I kept getting fatter.

In February 2012, my husband and I visited a museum in Fort Worth. I was hoping to do a write up for the library blog I manage at my job. I found the perfect setting for a publicity picture - a 1st edition of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Prairie Dad snapped the pic, and I didn't give it a second thought until we got home. I anxiously scrolled the the photos on my laptop until I came to that one. I was instantly in tears. All day I'd been under the impression I looked "little and cute" as my husband used to call me. With a sweater dress and knee high furry boots, I thought I was the picture of youthfulness. But a picture is worth 1000 words, and this one was yelling at me to lose weight.I jumped on the scale, and it confirmed my fears: I weighed 199.6 pounds.

The picture that started it all

For a month I contemplated the idea of dieting. I even managed to lose 2 pounds just by saying no to second portions. But on April 1, something in me just clicked. I was motivated. I told Prairie Dad I'd had my last soda, and I signed up for myfitnesspal.com (or as we call it, MFP). MFP tracks your calories and exercise and basically tells you how much you can eat for the rest of the day. I started logging calories and jumped on my Wii Fit board. Day 1 was logged, and I felt great. Then came Day 2.

On Day 2, I was hungry and sore. I'd gone from eating (as best I can figure) 2500-3000 calories a day down to 1200, and I hadn't had a real workout in years, and 20 minutes on the Wii Fit almost did me in. But I persevered. By Day 5, I was feeling good. I'd adjusted to the calorie drop, and I was already feeling stronger.

Flash forward to today. I've lost 57 pounds and counting. I'm hoping to lose the last 13 by summer vacation. I'm still using MFP every day (even on splurge days), but my workouts have greatly improved. I even ran a 5K in October. And I've learned a lot, and I plan to share it all with you. So stick around while I talk about diet, recipes, good vs. bad calories, exercises, and even how sometimes you have to eat more to lose weight.

I love questions, so post them all! I'm going to tell you the whole story, but if I'm not getting there soon enough, just let me know, and I'll do my best to help.