CoreDeForce – Week 1

Conquer From Within

My Struggle

If I wanted to be really honest, I’d tell you I’ve been struggling these past few weeks. I’ve been pushing myself with my workouts but I did not have control over my nutrition. I tried, but we all know that trying doesn’t really get us far. So I had to refocus. I had to decide to commit to the next workout, and not just to the workout routines, but the meal plan as well. By this time (nine months postpartum) after having Sophie, our first daughter, I wasn’t only back to my pre-baby body, I was also skinnier. At that time I would have told you I was leaner, but looking back at the pictures I really mostly was just skinny. I wasn’t trying to be, that’s how it happened. I was dang proud of myself though, and when someone told me I looked too skinny, I was mad and hurt. Later I put some of the weight back on, mostly in the form of muscle, and some fat, of course.

One of my favorite type of workout is mixed martial arts. MMA makes me feel like a badass. It really truly does. So doing the 30 day Core De Force workout was a no brainer. Time to get serious.

My Before Stats:

And because I’m kind of a geek when it comes to fitness, here’s what my muscle quality looks like. (If there’s too big of a discrepancy between the right and left side, that’s because I didn’t put my Skulpt on right. I’m still learning how to use it).

The Workouts

Day 1: MMA Speed (27 minutes) – this workout was really confusing at first, but watching the breakdown and really taking the time to learn the moves, especially that switch knee, made a huge difference
Day 2: Dynamic Strength (47 minutes) – oh my, how many different types of pushups are there? For real though.
Day 3: MMA Speed (27 minutes) – getting faster and sharper with those punches and kicks
Day 4: Power Sculpt (37 minutes) – that was tough. Good thing I had my accountability partner with me and we kept pushing each other cause this routine is very challenging; humbling, as another accountability partner of mine said.
Day 5: MMA Shred (37 minutes) – shredded I shall get, all right. Love this muay thai inspired routine
Day 6: Dynamic Strength (47 minutes) – you again, huh. Getting stronger but still ways to go, especially in those sphinx blaster.
Day 7: Active Recovery (21 minutes) – it was more active than I had anticipated. I was hoping for more of a yoga type routine. Not complaining though, just saying. 😉

Some of my favorite selfies:

Nutrition

So like I’ve said, I’ve been struggling with my nutrition. So focusing on that has been the most important thing for me. I enrolled the help of the 21 Day Fix app. I am not 100% following the app (that will need some more planning), but I am working on getting all the containers in.

I’m following the 1,800-2,099 calorie bracket. What I love about the 21 Day Fix plan and the app itself is that it makes me eat more vegetables. It tells you how many of each container you have left, green for vegetables, as an example, and if I see I have 3 more left, I make sure to get those in. Whereas normally I may only have let’s say pasta and fish in a hurry, as an example, this way I make sure to add a side salad, or steamed veggies, or something that satisfies the green container.

Keeping a picture diary of my meals also helps me keep accountable to myself and to our group.

Default, and I always forget to take pictures, here’s what I have every single day:

• pre-workout Energize, Hydrate during my workout, and chocolate Recover after my workout
• dark chocolate (right now it’s Lindt pineapple excellence)
• coffee with ~5oz milk (milk is not really on the plan but I can’t have my coffee without it and I need my coffee, I’m working on reducing the amount)
• Vegan chocolate and cafe latte Shakeology

And my picture food diary:

Thank you for reading. I’d love for you to join me on this journey. If you’re ready,  just send me a message here: http://momofbalance.com/contact/

Chronicles of Motherhood – Supermom

“[Motherhood is] the biggest gamble in the world. It is the glorious life force. It’s huge and scary—it’s an act of infinite optimism.”

~ Gilda Radner

Some days I feel like supermom…

… who not only takes a shower on a weekday morning but also washes her hair…
… who makes breakfast for her entire family…
… who turns all traffic lights green with her mind just to get her toddler to school on time…
… who crushes her workout – even if the 30 minute workout takes 45 minutes because her baby needs to be comforted… or changed… or moved from the bouncer to the swing to the play mat and back to the bouncer again…
… who cleans the kitchen and tidies up the house…
… who makes herself a healthy lunch and even makes it look fancy for a quick photo share…
… who gets in a focused full hour of work…
… who manages her time right between all these and breastfeeding sessions to get to her toddler’s school on time for pick-up…
… who is able to have both children happy and smiling at the same time…
… who bakes chocolate zucchini muffins, and bread and prepares a healthy dinner that surprisingly everybody loves…
… who gets everyone together so the whole family, including the four legged kids, go for a quick evening walk…
… who sails through the evening without a loud word, crying, or drama…
… who falls asleep holding her toddler’s hand only to wake up to spend a few quiet intimate moments with her husband…
… who wakes up to the first noise her baby makes to feed her even though she just fell asleep…
… who wakes up the next morning and does it again.

Other days, I feel not so super, not so optimistic. Other days I just feel like a total mess…

… who just puts some perfume on to hide the fact that there was no time to shower and that her hair smells like spit-up…
… who simply pours cereal and the milk for the entire family, because that’s all she has time and energy for and breakfast important…
… who quietly cries in the car 10 minutes late for morning drop-off because she lost her patience with her toddler who made a scene because her hair clip wasn’t in right and took it out again and again and again, a hundred times it felt like…
… who is crushed by the weight of the mess in the house and eats an entire Hershey bar while accepting that the house will stay messy…
… who despite all this still gets her workout in because that’s her only me time although the last 1o minutes are spent more with baby than with weights…
… who eats her toddler’s leftover breakfast for lunch…
… who quickly makes her coffee to go and no matter how hard she tries, she’s late for pickup…
… who stands hunched over at the doorway not understanding why her toddler is already making a scene – and she’s unconsolable. No hug, no love, no reasoning, no anger, no nothing helps…
… who is happy that after an hour the crying stopped but now the baby needs attention…
… who not only didn’t prepare dinner but she also didn’t make it to the store so her husband stops on his way home to get fresh bread…
… who looks at her husband with her eyes begging for help as her toddler won’t brush her teeth, won’t put her long sleeve PJ’s on because she promises not to kick the blanket off…
…who quietly cries again as her toddler is finally falling asleep…
… who then quickly falls asleep next to her only to be woken up by her husband but she no longer has the energy to spend time with him and stumbles to bed…
… who realizes as her head hits the pillow that she didn’t even look at the dogs today…
… who wakes up to the first noise her baby makes to feed her even though she just fell asleep…
… who wakes up the next morning and does it again.

And yet every day, I am filled with love and gratitude for my family and realize that every single cliche I heard about motherhood is true. ❤

How Do I Know My Baby Is Getting Enough?

One of the most frequent and important questions new parents have is whether their baby is getting enough, either breastmilk or formula. And it is an important question. 

Breastfeeding

When it comes to breastfeeding, it may be a little bit more difficult to tell, as we can’t really be sure how much our baby is taking. So here are a few indicators:

• Weight Gain: the average infant gains 4-7 oz per week, or a minimum of 1lb a month.
• Number of Wet Diapers: you’ll know your baby is getting enough milk if he/she has a minimum of 4-6 wet disposable diapers and 6-8 wet cloth diapers from day 4 on. But how do you know the diaper is wet? It might sound like a silly question, but the weight of the diaper doesn’t always change significantly enough to tell for sure – in the first month, it might be heavier by only 2tbsp, after the first month, by 4-6tbsp. An easier way to tell though, if you’re using disposable diapers, is to look for the wetness indicator line on the front of the diaper, which turns blue from yellow, after your baby had peed.
• Color of Urine: just the same as for adults, pale of water-colored urine is an indication that the baby is getting enough milk and is adequately hydrated. Darker color urine means the baby might not be getting enough – so contact your pediatrician.
• Number of Soiled Diapers: In the first day or two, you will find what’s called “meconium stool”, which is a greenish black, tarlike, very sticky stool. Transition stool is brownish, which then by day 5 usually turns into milk stool, a mustard yellow, seedy stool.

Bottle Feeding (Formula or Expressed Milk)

When it comes to feeding formula to your child, you should keep in mind the size of their tummies, to avoid overfilling them, and increase the risk of spit-ups and tummy aches.
In the first two days, your baby’s tummy is about the size of a cherry and has a capacity of approximately 5-7ml.
In the next two days, your baby’s tummy is about the size of a walnut and has a capacity of approximately 22-27ml.
During week one, your baby’s tummy is the size of an apricot and has a capacity of approximately 45-60ml.
From week two on, your baby’s tummy is about the size of a large egg and has a capacity of approximately 80-150ml.
Watch for baby’s cues to know how much your baby can take/needs.

How Do You Know Baby is Done Feeding?

This is easier with breastfed babies, as milk naturally comes slower from the breast than it does from the bottle. A good indication of your baby being finished is her letting go of the nipple and turning away. Now, your baby may fall asleep, and may not be done even if she has let go. Try switching her to the other breast (this is also a good way to increase milk supply).

Another option is measuring the baby before and after feedings. Most end-consumer scales though only measure to two decimals, so there is a margin of error of +/- 5mls. If you can live with that, and prefer knowing somewhat exactly how much your baby is getting, this is definitely a good option. 

Most Important

This is the most important part, if you’re breastfeeding, but even with formula feeding. Do NOT worry. If there is enough output (wet and soiled diapers), then there is enough input as well. If there isn’t enough output and your baby is not gaining adequate weight, still do not worry. Talk to your doctor. Your baby will be fine. Breastfeeding is a game of confidence, and worrying may negatively impact your milk supply. I get it. You want the best for your baby, want to make sure they’re okay. I’ve been there, and I am there right now (I use an app to track the amount of feeding, I measure her weight randomly before and after feeding and keep track of the number of wet and soiled diapers). Do what works for you, many moms just do it. It’s your baby, your body.

I personally also pump after most feedings, mostly to keep up my milk supply and to have some expressed milk in case I need to go somewhere and won’t be back by the time my baby is hungry. And I take fenugreek and blessed thistle, drink mother’s milk tea. 

For additional tips on increasing your milk supply, just go to my website (www.momofbalance.com) for a  free breastfeeding eBook, or visit these websites:

http://www.askdrsears.com
http://www.kellymom.com
http://www.llli.org