Learning to say 'No'

The moment Lily greeted the world, I changed my ways, thoughts and plans... concerning food of course! Before I became pregnant I was losing weight like a mad lady. Watching everything I ate, working out 3-5 times a week, saying 'No'. At about 21 weeks pregnant, I changed. I welcomed all foods, I dropped my gym membership and I decided THIS is the time to indulge. I gained a total of 23 lbs while pregnant, which is in the healthy range. I do, however, regret changing my thoughts. I no longer had motivation to work out, I didn't feel well. Could it be that not working out made me feel worse? I think so. Through a combination of 'Couch Potato Sydrome' and 'I Can Eat However Much I Want syndrome', I lost my self control. I now struggle, with many others, to say 'No'.

What am I saying 'No' to? An excess of anything. I don't care if I eat a cupcake or a cookie every now and then. A little sugar is good for the soul! My point is, everything in moderation.  Since I have had Lily, I constantly work on staying on track. If I'm tired, I still get up and go for a walk. If I have the sitter, I will go for a run. If there is a package of Newmans Own Cookies (My favorite at the moment), I will eat one or two; Not indulge, leaving only crumbs. I need to stay healthy for my little girl and show her how to life a healthy lifestyle.

What helps me to do this?

First, I use a family organizer Cozi. Cozi is a family planner with a calendar, list tool, meal planner, recipes and articles with tips for the home. It helps me to plan my dinners for the week. I can easily make a grocery list from the recipes I choose, I can easily choose healthy recipes. This planner helps our family to eat healthy dinners daily.

Second, I use My Fitness Pal. My Fitness Pal is an online community of people who aspire to lose weight, get fit or maintain their current course and a food journal. It is easy to get motivated when reading through the forums. There is never a lack of encouragement when you need it. The food journal is my favorite part. Keeping track of what and how much you eat is the best way to realize exactly what you need to do. Sometimes we undershoot how much we are actually consuming. Sometimes we aren't eating enough. This breaks down the protein, sugar, fat, calories, etc of everything you eat so you can see the true nutritional information of your intake.

For those of you who have a weight loss or fitness goal, I would recommend these two web sites. For myself, I will sum up my fitness path.

• Eat maintenance calories daily
• Continue to run, as often as possible
• Start lifting heavy
• Say 'No' to indulging in every food I see
• Encourage those around me to maintain a healthy lifestyle
• Teach (by example) my daughter moderation and an active lifestyle

The biggest thing of all is to be happy with who you are.It is not always easy to feel confident with the way you look, but it is important to believe that you are beautiful. Pin It Now!