Katie: Week 40

Ugh.  This being healthy stuff is hard sometimes...

Current weight: 133 pounds
Last week's weight: 131 pounds
Total weight loss: 37 pounds

Grumble grumble grumble.  Harumpf. 

That is how I feel about the extra two pounds that have not-so-mysteriously returned.  I haven't been being a good girl.  I have been eating whatever.  Last week was basically a week of grilled cheese sandwiches because that's what sounded good.  And because we got back from one trip and we're headed out on another one soon and so we have a random assortment of food in the house right now.  And because I have been sick.  And--let's face it--lazy.  I haven't used MyFitnessPal in weeks, I think.

It's getting bad.  And with two more trips and not-long-enough gaps of time at home in between the trips and really good barbecue to test out while on the trips, I am just not feeling motivated.  I've been thinking maybe I should just officially take a break from trying too hard to be healthy until we finish all our trips so that I won't have to feel so mentally and emotionally weighed down by the few pounds of weight fluctuation.  But that might be a bad idea.  Any thoughts?  Encouraging words?  Carrot juice?

Kathy Week 39: Best Dam Run!

Kathy's Week 39 Stats:

Two weeks ago Weight: 128

Today's Weight: 128

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 23 pounds

Yes, I am in maintenance mode. I would like to maintain at 127, but I'm ok with hanging out here at 128, too. Since I don't have exciting weekly updates about losing weight, I've decided to start posting every other week.

I'm not worrying about entering every mouthful I eat into the calculator at myfitnesspal.com, as long as I stay at 128 or lower. If I get on the scale in the morning and see 129, then myfitnesspal.com becomes my best buddy for a day or two, until I see 128 or 127 on the scale. I sure don't want to get back to 130 or higher again!

Today Mark and I took on The Best Dam Run and Walk out in Estacada, Oregon. It was a beautiful day for a run/walk event - sunshine and a cool breeze, right along the Clackamas River. 

Before we even started out, we saw Emily and her two running buddies, (her sister Letia, and running partner Juliette). They had red "runner" numbers, and Mark and I wore green "walker" numbers.

It was a 10K race, most of it alongside the beautiful Clackamas River. Here we are at the start line, next to North Fork Reservoir.

Here's are our three runner friends again, ready for the starting gun! (Juliette, Emily, Letia)

And...they're off! Mark and I walked on the shoulder for a bit, to let all the runner types get past us. 

Most of the 10K was along this beautiful old highway, mostly shaded. The highway is only used by PGE trucks needing access to the dams, so there was no traffic. 

Almost back to Estacada and the finish line! Haha - I love it that the woman in front of me is walking with a cane. What is it about these older gals?? I was passed up by a woman with a cane in the Goat Mountain Gallop in April, too! We did eventually pass her, but only by jogging for a little ways. That blue sign says "Food 1 mile." Can't wait!

Crossing the finish line - walked/jogged 10K in 1 hour 31 minutes! Actually, we were a little faster than that, because we didn't cross the start line right as the starter gun went off. 

Mark and me at the finish line. Whew! Our knees are a little shaky, but we feel great!

Yum! Lots of water, lemonade, fresh fruit for the racers. Plus we got shirts and a cool medal.

We ended at the Estacada Farmer's Market - fun live music, lots of goodies to look at, people chatting after the race.

Thanks, Estacada! We had a great time at the Best Dam Run and Walk 2010!

Frugal Food Friday: Green Pepper Tomato Salad

I'm back!  Sorry to be MIA for so long.  We were super busy with the move, getting settled, and then starting the school year that I've been pretty busy.  We LOVE where we're living and are just enjoying life.

Let me tell you, I am LOVING having a dishwasher.  It's making it a LOT more enjoyable to cook.  I wish I could say that all of the things I've been cooking are worthy of going on The Skinny...but they haven't all been. :)  One of my goals now is to be better at serving veggie based side dishes with dinner.  We've always had home cooked main dishes, but by the time I'm done cooking the main dish, I often skip the sides...or we just had green salad that the kids weren't very interested in eating.

But no more!  I've been experimenting with a lot more side dishes, especially salads.  This is a great one we tried a few days ago.

I didn't have cider vinegar, so I used balsamic instead.  I also used green onion instead of the red onion because our kids like the milder flavor better.

Green Pepper Tomato Salad
from Taste of Homes Light & Tasty Annual Recipes from 2005, pg. 53, submitted to them by Lili Hill

3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, green pepper, celery and onion.  In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Stir into tomato mixture.  Cover the refrigerate for at least 2 hours, stirring several times.  Serve with a slotted spoon.  Yield 6 servings.

One 3/4 cup serving has 34 calories.  (Only 34 calories!!!)

Katie: Week 39

I remembered!...

Current weight: 131 pounds
Last week's weight: 132 pounds
Total weight loss: 39 pounds

Okay, so "Last week's weight" actually means my weight from two weeks ago.  Sorry I skipped last week!  It was a super busy day and I kept remembering to post and then forgetting and then right after we turned off the computer that night I remembered again that I was supposed to post.  Then of course I had every intention of posting the next day, but it just didn't happen.  Last week was a little crazy!

My husband is in the process of interviewing at optometry schools.  So last week on Wednesday we stayed up until 1:30am packing and then at 4:00am Thursday morning we left to get on an airplane and go out to a school interview.  So, yeah, Emily is totally right that it's been a little slow around here and I am totally to blame.  But things in my life and at my house haven't been slow at all!

And do you know what all this busyness and life-planning means?  Stress eating.  And lots of snacking.  So I was delightfully surprised to see the scale greet me with a lovely little 131 this morning.  It was a very nice surprise.  Because when we got home from the airport on Sunday night I weighed myself and came out at 135.  Gah.  Anyway, it's nice to weigh 131, but I don't know that I've really earned it.  But I like it, so now I've got to try and not go backwards again.  And I know you're probably all thinking, "Why would you be going backwards?  You're home from your trip now.  You can get back into your regular routine."  Well, that's the thing.  We just finished one of three of these school visits.  As in, we still have two more ahead of us.  And we haven't said yet in blogland where these interviews are, but let me just say that a couple of them live in the land of really good barbecue and if you think a weight loss goal is enough to keep us from trying a plate of that, you had better think again.  Anyway, so I've been pretty busy and stressed about all that lately.  Although, now that we have the first trip finished, I don't feel nearly as stressed about our next one since we have some sort of idea of what these trips will be like now.

Moving on...

This is totally unrelated to all that, but can I ask your opinion(s) on home-cooked meals?  See, here's the thing.  Bryan and I always eat food at dinner time, but usually we don't really "make dinner."


At the playground yesterday:
Mom #1: What're you guys making for dinner?
Mom #2: Cooked barley with vegetables.
Me: Nothing.

It's true.  We never make dinner!  Usually we end up thinking of some quick thing to make or we just have sandwiches or a salad or a bowl of cereal or something.  Mostly this is just because I'm lazy.  And also because I have yet to find the balance between making the dinners I grew up making (which made enough for about seven people) and making dinner for just the two of us and my tiny little one year old.  It's nice to have real meals, but sometimes it seems like kind of a waste of time and food and money to make a whole meal that usually ends up going moldy before we can finish the left overs.

(Enter twenty people telling me to freeze leftovers.)

Well, our freezer is pretty full as it is.  So we might do this sometimes, but this is not really my point in mentioning all this anyway.  So I'll keep moving on to my point.

The week or so before we left on our trip I got tired of the regular last-minute something to eat and decided we should plan actual meals to make and eat.  And we did.  And they were delicious.  And I gained at least a few pounds.  Really?  I gained weight on real food?  How disappointing!  Isn't "real" food supposed to be healthier?

Well, I know that pasta and muffins and things tend to have a lot of calories.  So it makes sense to me, but I was pretty disappointed that my homemaking goal was making me digress from my weight loss goal.  Anyway, it seems (for me at least) that things always come back to the struggle between finding good healthy nutrient-rich food that's yummy and that actually fills me up instead of just eating low-calorie food that fills me up, but doesn't have all the nutrients and vitamins I need.  Any thoughts?

Rainy, Race Running

Wow. We've had quite a slow week here on The Skinny, eh? I mean, I've been waiting for new posts and almost forgot it was my day! Hopefully everybody else has just been too busy with excellent activities to sit and write a post. But here I am, ready to talk running.

For those of you not keeping track, the Best Dam Run and Walk is this Saturday! I can't wait to run a PR in such a beautiful setting with my sweet sis. She is 8 weeks pregnant (uh... I think I'm allowed to share that) and very excited to make this race her last hurrah before motherhood. As for me, I registered for another race. October 16th is the Blue Lake Run and Walk, a very flat course in another scenic setting. I registered to run the 15k. This race is cheap (just went up to $30, I think) AND preregistered participants receive a technical tee as well as running gloves and all the yummy food at the end! I can't think of a better way to end my race season this year.

Now, what kind of inspiring running treat do I have for you today? Just this: when your shoes are still wet from your run in the rain two days ago and they soak your socks the moment you lace up, think that the rain fairies will keep you light on your toes and give you a special pedicure as you run. Enjoy!

(But also be sure to cross your fingers that it won't be rainy on race day... for safety's sake, of course.)

The Missing Piece

Forgiveness: My Burden Was Made Light

Kathy Week 37: I am STILL the tortoise

Kathy's Week 37 Stats:

Last Week's Weight: 131

Today's Weight: 128

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 23 pounds

Slow but steady... 

I'm ok with a weight of 128 this week. It's within one pound of my goal weight, 127, and I know that it's normal to have a 1-2 pound fluctuation up and down. 

School started this week, so I was back to work. 

Good news: back to work means structured eating--away from the home fridge--during the day.

Bad news: I'm tired when I get home, and I have a tendency to go all snack-o-mania in the late afternoon / evening.

I really need to get back into my school schedule of earlier bedtime. Staying up until 10:30 pm two nights in a row made me draggy on Thursday and Friday afternoons.

Research backs me up! Two good articles - one here and another here - explain the hormones that come into play when we don't get enough sleep. We really do tend to gain more weight during those times.

Have a great week, everyone, and be sure to get to bed early!

Scared of dieting? Take a little liquid courage!

Hahaha...I am so funny. I know that "liquid courage" usually references liquor, but I am not talking about alcohol! Not at all...and quite frankly it amazes me that so many people insist on drinking when we have medical evidence that it isn't good for the body- smoking too!

Anywho, on to the real post. Last week my insides were not working properly...my doctor recommended that I stay on a clear liquid diet for 48 hours to flush out anything that might be stuck in the kinks of the intestines that the baby is squishing. I was not happy about this- who really wants to give up food for gatorade and jello? So I put it off, hoping that it would clear up on its own. After 5 days of feeling not quite right, I caved. 48 hours and a whole bunch of empty bottles later, I feel great! :)

Now, I am not recommending that everyone get on a clear liquid diet (unless recommended by your doctor) but I am encouraging everyone to step up their liquid intake this week. I was so sure I was going to be starving living off chicken broth and mr. freeze popcicles (especially since I am eating for 1.2 now*) but to tell you the absolute truth would be that I wasn't that hungry at all! Sure food looked good and smelled good and was appealing when I was cooking for my hubby or at the grocery store, but my body wasn't crying out to me to give it food.

Scientifically we know that drinking water can curb your appetite, and I am here to tell you that it really does work! So this week make sure you carry a water bottle with you at all times and force yourself to drink up! I bet you will feel so full that you will pass on ordinary snacks that may not be good for you or simply eat smaller portions. Just make sure you listen to your body, not your mind!

Oh and kudos to Katie and Kathy for fitting into their "regular" size of pants! I was so encouraged when I read their posts about how excited they are to fit into size 8's and 10's...because it reminded me that just because I can't button up my size 4 jeans anymore, I am not a whale! It is all about perspective! We are all different and have different "normals" and it is so fantastic to see women excited about and celebrating feeling good and healthy instead of just focusing on numbers. I applaud their efforts and am already getting excited about losing my own baby weight in 6 months!

*Sorry ladies; you can't really "eat for 2" when you are pregnant. You really only need about 300 extra calories per day, which isn't very much at all. So instead of thinking about "eating for 2", think about "eating for 1.2" which is way more accurate!*

Katie: Week 37 ...take two!

Yesterday was busy.  It kind of knocked me off my rocker.  And despite my good intentions to get my post done in the morning, by the time we were headed to bed I realized I still hadn't posted.  Gah.  So I did a quick post yesterday with my weight, but I wanted to come back today and just make a few notes about what I've been up to lately as far as weight loss and eating go.  Maybe these things will only be interesting to me.  And maybe in a week they will bore even me.  But whatevs.  Here we go.

First off, do we all remember how I basically gained five pounds while Bryan's family were in town?  Ah, yes.  All the joys of super fun family and super good food.  While I'm sad that it took me a week or so to reestablish my footing and get back to where I was, it was definitely worth not having to worry about everything I did and every bite I put into my mouth.  And, besides, we were pretty active that whole time anyway.  And I won a new claim to fame in the family "P.I.G." competition.  (You know, that basketball game?  I know.  Me.  Basketball.  We don't really mix.  But apparently we do.  At least long enough for a smashing round of P.I.G.)  And we went on a hike that I'm ashamed to say I whined my way through (sorry, Bryan).  And we spent and entire day walking around the local theme park.  So we may have been eating some scrumptious food, but we were working it off pretty well too.

Second of all, I'm already back to where I was when I "left off."  Yay!  I'm happy about that.  Even though I'm having a harder time getting back into the swing of things with MyFitnessPal this time around.  Meh.  I'm working on it.

Third, now that I am continuing to lose weight, a ton more clothes fit me.  A ton.  Over the long weekend Bryan and I worked on a somewhat major project cleaning out a nice dresser that we've been borrowing (and are now giving back to the nice people who lent it to us) and rearranging where we store our clothes.  In the midst of this project I pulled out the boxes marked "clothes."  These boxes have a conglomeration of clothes that are too small (like from when I was teenage size) and I know will never fit again, but the clothes have sentimental value, so I'm saving them for a quilt or something, along with maternity clothes or "fat clothes" that I know I'll want again after I have another child someday, and along with all these clothes were a stash of my "regular" clothes--stuff I used to fit into when I was a "regular" size.  But those clothes have been too tight for quite some time (at least since I got pregnant almost 2 years ago--9 months of pregnancy plus 12 months of Olivia here in the outside world), so they've been up in the boxes.  That is, until Monday when I sorted through all these clothes again.  I added a few more things to the maternity/ish stuff (just random pieces that had gotten passed over before) and then I pulled out all of the "regular" clothes.

Then came the dreaded task--trying each piece on to see if how it fit.  I figured some things would fit, some I'd just want to get rid of, some would be too short (pants are too short on me all the time), and some would go back into the "save this until it fits" pile.  Boy was I wrong.  About three things went into the "this is ugly, why was I saving it in the first place?" pile and basically everything else went into the "Wahoo!  This is super cute!  I own this?!  And it fits me?!  With room to spare?!  Sweet!" pile.  Which--don't get me wrong--is AWESOME, but... I kind of have a lot of clothes now!  So far they do seem to all fit into our new clothing storage (whew!), but we'll see how it goes.  My pile of pants is towering over all the other clothes and Bryan told me that I have to wear a different pair of pants every day.  I think if I did this I would only wear each pair once or twice a month.  Yes, the pile really is that big.  No hyperbole there.  And you know what else is exciting about that lovely pile of pants?  They're size 8!  Whoop-whoop!  Size 8 is my normal.  However, I had more room in these pants when I tried them all on on Monday then when I used to wear them before I was pregnant.  So... I guess we'll see how long they fit.  It's exciting to think about size 8's being too big.  But not exciting to think about having to say bye-bye to all these fun "new" clothes.

Next up on my list of weight loss thoughts--eating regular food.  I've been giving it a whirl.  I mean, I know I claim to eat "regular" food and, really, I do, but there of course is the occasional Lean Cuisine and the lovely, wonderful Weight Watchers Ice Cream Bars (I don't think I'll give those up even when I reach my goal weight--they are so yummy!).  And, you know, just "diet" kinds of foods.  Stuff that I secretly plan to chuck once my body balance is under control again.  Anyway, since I haven't been super into eating strictly healthy stuff lately, I've been testing my limits a little with regular food.  Stuff like quesadillas and the (very) occasional cup of regular ice cream.  And you know what?  Things seem to be okay.  I've been learning moderation during this whole weight loss journey and I think the principle is finally making its way into my pretty little head.  Like, if I eat a quesadilla for lunch which isn't quite as healthy for me and has a lot of calories, then I make sure to eat something healthier for dinner.  Or I make sure to go on an extra walk later.  So far so good.

Also, while we're in the food department of my thoughts, I've been toying with eating food right before bed.  I have friends who swear by weight loss rules like "No food after 8pm," but, the truth is, I get hungry at night.  And I know it's probably not a good idea to eat a bowl of peanut butter right before I fall asleep, but, for my body, I've been noticing that it runs better--both at night and the next day--when I eat a little something before I head to bed.  Now, first off, let me just say that I only do this when I'm actually hungry.  I don't eat just for the sake of eating.  But when I'm feeling hungry and not looking forward to tossing and turning in bed due to the bottomless pit in my stomach, I have a little bowl of light cereal.  My go-to right now is Rice Chex.  Love that stuff.  Can't get enough of it.  I really have no idea why.  Anyway, one bowl of Rice Chex and I'm totally good to go.  The first time I did this I went to bed totally regretting it, knowing for sure that I had given up on any chances of seeing a lower number on the scale the next morning.  But you know what?  When I got up the next morning that number on the scale was lower!  I figured it was a fluke, but the same thing has happened every other time I've had a little bowl of cereal before bed.  Now I don't think it's because of any magical properties in Rice Chex, but I think it may be because it's better for keeping my metabolism up.  This may not be true for anybody else, but, at least right now, it feels right for me.  So I'm going to tinkering around with eating a light bite before bed and see how it goes.  I'll let you know if it starts backfiring on me.

Well, this post is long and pretty boring, so I think I'll just end it now.  Hope you're all having a great day!

Katie: Week 37

I almost forgot!...

Current weight: 132 pounds
Last week's weight: 133 pounds
Total weight loss: 38 pounds

Things are good.  Life is busy.  Hopefully I'll have more time to write next week.  Love to you all and best of luck with your goals!

Return of the Running Tips

Sorry for the long absence. My last post was supposed to be the third Monday of August, but that turned out to be my birthday. So I took a break from responsibility and celebrated with my hubby. We did lots of fun, free things that aren't so good for healthy living. If you are curious, you can check it out HERE.

Then I thought I might post the following Monday, but we were at the beach on a spur-of-the-moment camping trip. So I decided that having a running experience to write about was the least I could do. I planned a route on the internet before we took off for the beach. Then we did something smart: We drove the route since the roads were unfamiliar to me. Good thing! One of the roads became a driveway instead of connecting through to another road like Google maps said it would. So I was able to alter my route before I was in the middle of running it. I highly recommend this. I love road running because you get to see so much more, but it is so much less predictable. Check out new roads and paths by actually visiting them before you intend to run them.

I really liked trying a new place to run. Since we were camping, I ran a trail and then road, and finished with trail. The change of pace made it interesting as well as challenging. I was excited for the whole run because the scenery kept changing and the difficulty level varied throughout my route. So maybe you feel like you are less interested in your exercise. See what you can do to change it up. Try increasing the intensity and doing a shorter workout. Or you could change the scenery. We are coming up on the best time of year to be outside on a run or walk. The colors will be changing, the winds shifting, and you can feel a buzz in the air. I hope that excites you as much as it does me! Won't it feel wonderful to go into the holidays knowing you are living a healthy life? Strike up the balance between your calorie intake and expenditure now so that when all the goodies are around, you will know what you can handle. You will come out of the holidays as a victor of your health. Katie and Kathy, I am confident that the two of you will rise to the challenge and be able to reach your goals and maintain them through this time of the most enticement to over-indulge. Prepare now and you will succeed. I'm so excited for both of you!

In the mean time, I'm still training for my 10K race that is less than 3 weeks away now. Saturday I ran a personal record, making me even more motivated to speed up and reach my goal time. Woohoo!

LDS Charities: The Boys' Home

Kathy Week 36: Oh, no...what was I thinking???

Kathy's Week 36 Stats:

Last Week's Weight: 129

Today's Weight: 131

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 20 pounds

Ummm...I'm gaining weight. 

Two weeks ago I was at my goal weight, 127.

Last week I was at 129. (I blamed it on hiking Mount St. Helens, and retaining fluid in my sore muscles.)

This week: no excuses. I'm not exercising. I'm not tracking my foods in myfitnesspal.com. I weigh 131.

We have family in town, and the schedule is crazy. I'm not eating all my meals at home, and I'm not making good choices when I'm out.

(Mark and me hiking with our grandkids yesterday. Let me tell you, these kids are great hikers!)

Hoo boy, I know what I need to do. I don't really want to do it. I wanted to get to goal weight, and then just sail along and live happily ever after.

But it ain't gonna be that easy. I'm going to have to 1) work to re-lose those last 4 pounds, and then 2) stick with a responsible, reliable management plan.

Can I do it? Am I destined to yo-yo and backslide?

I'm really struggling with how to maintain the active exercise schedule I was loving all summer. (I'm a teacher, in case you forgot, and I went back to work this week.) I know, I know, I'm a major whiner compared to the rest of the world that only gets 2 weeks vacation every year, but it's this transition that's killing me.

Help! I need suggestions! I need some inspiration with healthy recipes! I need to get back on track!

I'd love any comments you have for me. If you have a great healthy recipe, or some dynamite ideas, or your own story of how you lost and maintained weight, we'd love to feature you! If you're not a regular Skinny contributor, just email me (haynieoregon@gmail.com) or Katie (kathleenann08@gmail.com) and we'd LOVE to have you guest blog for us here on The Skinny. If you have any kick-my-bum ideas on how to get me out the door and back into exercising again, I want to hear them! 

Four pounds gained in two weeks is noooo good. Please help me get Skinny again!

(PS - One bright spot - I bought a pair of size 10 jeans this week, and they look great on me! Feels good! I want to keep wearing them!)

Woo hoo!

Sorry for being so absent minded these days...Thursdays always seem to creep up on me! Anywho, without further ado, I have a bit of an announcement: my sweet hubby, Nicholas, and I are expecting a little boy at the end of January! Woohoo! If you are interested in any more details or pictures, you can check it out on my regular blog HERE.

Now I have fortunately been lucky enough to not really have much nausea or anything...except extreme fatigue (which I am told will never go away now :) ) But I was thinking about it and fitness is kind of the same for a beginner and a prego person...someone who is just beginning their fitness journey and someone who is learning to adjust to their body's new constraints needs to keep it basic, take it easy, but get their mind in the game more than anything else...so this is for you beginners!

1. Aim to do something physical EVERY DAY. I can't run as much as I used to, but I still run 5 miles on MWF; TThSa I either take a walk, ride my bike, or even go to the gym to lift a few weights for my arms. But the point is this: I get outside my apartment every day and do something physical...otherwise I just feel like a slob and my mental motivation starts to dim.

2. Track what you eat based on food groups. As an expectant mother, I am more worried now about making sure I eat from all the food groups and getting all the nutrients I can for my baby. It isn't so much about counting calories for me, but about getting enough of the good stuff my body needs each day. This is an excellent way for people to start tracking their food intake- I promise that you will get bored/confused/frustrated/etc. trying to count all your calories and cut out all bad foods at once. Instead try to keep track of what you eat and put it in their assigned food groups. Then try to make sure you are indeed getting the servings of fruits and veggies and whole grains that you are supposed to...I can almost garantee that you won't be starving and will mentally be happier if you focus on what you can eat instead of what you can't.

3. Water daily. Drink like a camel! Don't wait to get thirsty...that is you dehydrated body crying to you! Keep a water bottle on you at all times and make sure you get at least half of your body weight in ounces of water each day...more if you are exercising and if you are currently losing weight. Not only does it curb hunger, but it helps to make your body work more efficiently and your skin will thank you for it as well :)

4. Think about a daily vitamin. I am now taking a prenatal vitamin and I think it is really great- although I am not a huge pill or vitamin person, I really believe that it is helping me fill in the gaps of the vitamins and nutrients that I am missing each day. So think about adding one to your routine :)

These are just a few of my thoughts, but again, I want to keep it basic. It is hard to add lots of things at the same time...so maybe pick one to focus on each week. Mostly you need to get your head into it- make a mental commitment that you are going to be active and then your body will follow suit. I am so glad that I had a strong mental commitment to fitness before I got pregnant because it has helped me to stay active and I really, even at 18 weeks now, feel like I am in some of the best shape of my life!

GOOD LUCK!

brushing your teeth is good

not many thoughts today, but i did come across an interesting tidbit of info. mouth health is a huge part of long-term overall health, and my husband is an avid brusher (right after eating, every time) so this headline caught my eye. i found this part interesting.

"One caveat to brushing after you eat is if you've eaten an acidic food or drink — for example, orange juice. Avoid brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes after acidic foods and beverages. These acids weaken tooth enamel, and brushing too soon can cause damage to the enamel. If you know you're going to eat or drink something very acidic ahead of time, you may want to brush your teeth first. "

who knew?

from mayoclinic.com