Welcome!

I went from this

Baby # 1

This is a new beginning for me.  A new chapter in this life-thing that I am absolutely anxiously waiting to embark on.  I am a new woman. 

You see, for the past 8 years, I have been in "baby-making" mode.  What does that mean??  It doesn't mean that I am eager to "jump on it" any and every chance I get.  No.  You are confusing that with my husband's fantasy.  No, baby-making mode for a woman means you are it the mindset that you currently are or will be in the near future carrying a new life form inside your body and thus, it no longer is yours.  You don't waste time exercising, caring too much about the food you consume or that you have cellulite dimples just below your butt because the thing is going to grow to be the size of a couch cushion once said life form begins to grow.  So what's the point?

Back to "normal"

Here comes #2!

The point, my friends, is that this non-chalant approach to health and fitness for 8 YEARS can certainly do a number on a woman's psyche.  I am not myself, I am a vessel for life, a milk machine, a spit-up bucket and a snot rag.  Allowing yourself to lose who you are for the sake of your children is expected - temporarily.  How temporary is up to each woman.  Some only lose it for each pregnancy, some lose it for a lifetime.  I fell somewhere in the middle.  Over the past decade, my body has gone through some things, to say the least.  But when I knew we were done, I knew it was time to take my body back.  So that's what I am doing. 

Normal again?  Nope, preggers again!

#3 is on his way!

This is what was left...
167 lbs.
29% body fat
June 2011

I am on a journey to GET and STAY fit.  It has been exactly ONE YEAR since I began this journey and my progress is not where I want it to be, but I am still plugging along.  I started at 167lbs., 29% body fat, core muscles that were completely blown out, toxic blood from a hell-of-a-pregnancy (but BOY was he worth it!) and very low self-esteem.  I didn't like how I looked, let alone how I felt, so I made changes, very little to begin with. I started writing down the food I ate (everything!) in a food journal just so I could "see" what I consumed.  I slowly began working out and cleaned up my diet.  Now, we eat very healthy, balanced meals 6x a day, have veggies coming out of our asses, spend more on produce for our meals than gas for our vehicles and go through our fair share of toilet paper.  Too much, I know, but that's me!  Get used to it.

138 lbs.
16% body fat
June 2012

I continue to plug along each and every day with those changes I made in the hopes of creating something far better than I ever was.  I lift (heavy!) weights & do HIIT cardio 4-5x a week, we have delicious food because I refuse to eat anything bland and I have learned to "clean up" any recipe to make it a healthier version worthy of my family's plates.

This blog is here to help anyone out there beginning their journey, on the fence about their journey, miles down the road, basically anywhere to provide support, ideas, camaraderie (we are not alone!) or anything else you need.  This is not a place for me to toot my own horn.  I am honest, real and transparent about who I am and this new lifestyle I am trying to live.  Feel free to ask questions, leave comments or share your tips, tricks, crazy stories at any time.  I am all about community.  If we create a web of support, its so much easier to pick yourself up and climb back on when you fall.  As my spicy 2 yr. old says all the time, "GIT IT GIRRRRRRL!"

Squatting 185# 4 sets of 8 with
plyometrics in between each set.