I'm leaving on a jet plane

I'm leaving in 1/2 hour for a quick get-away to California! I can't wait...even if it's only for a few days, I'm so excited to get a glimpse of warmer weather. Be healthy for me while I'm gone! I wish we were going on a Cruise, but incase any of you will be in the next little while, here are some tips for staying healthy while on board ... (Recognize these tips? They first ran last May after our glorious cruise. Vacation time is drawing near, so I thought it would be appropriate to publish again! Enjoy!)

1. TAKE THE STAIRS! We decided on the first day that we would take the stairs E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. Our room was on deck 2, we ate dinner on deck 3, we watched shows on deck 5, we enjoyed the buffet on deck 9, we swam on deck 11, and ran on deck 12. Each day gave us PLENTY of opportunites for stair climbing. (With many an ice-cream cone waiting at the end of the big climb!)
2. CHECK OUT THE GYM! We made it a point of finding the fitness center the first day. It was at the front end of the ship, with windows looking out. I decided that running on the treadmill while watching the waves crash in front of me would be worth a daily trip. Let me tell you...running on a moving boat is a killer core workout...you never know which way the incline is going to go! The gym also offered several free health seminars and fitness classes (for a fee--I would've gone--but I'm too cheap!)
3. MAKE FITNESS FUN! I LOVED the days at sea on the ship. My favorite activity of the week was probably the Disco Dance Class taught by the Cruise Director. We spent an hour learning a new dance. I was laughing the whole time, and sweating by the end. We also entered a free-throw contest, a ping-pong contest, and danced every chance we got.
4. TRY THE LOW-CAL ENTREES. OK...I didn't really do this one, but I did love the fruit and salad bars! I occasionally tried the "SPA" selections at dinner, but only in addition to the three other entrees I ordered. Yes, I ordered A LOT of food, but I never felt obligated to clean the plate! With so much food, a few bites of each entree (and dessert) was plenty.
5. ON DECK FOR THE CURE! I was really sad that our cruise coincided with Susan G. Komen's Race For The Cure. I was thrilled, however, to find out that a small scale version of this do-good race was on schedule for the week. I walked a mile in my flip-flops for On Deck For The Cure...and yes, I cried.
6. DRINK WATER! OK...I'm pretty sure the drink servers hated us. But the fact that we didn't spend a dime on a single beverage on board saved us not only a LOT of money, but a TON of calories!
7. PLAN ACTIVE EXCURSIONS! We hiked, we snorkeled, we swam, and we ran on the beach. (But I was also sore after holding on for dear life to my husband driving a motor scooter on the left side of the road in the Bahamas!)
8. ENJOY! Don't stress...you're on vacation. If you eat more for a week than you normally would, your body will adjust when you get home. Whatever you do, have fun! Your only real jobs while cruising are to eat and poop. Everything else is extra. Enjoy!

Are any of you gearing up for a Cruise or otherwise fun vacation? Do you try to stay healthy and active while you're gone, or is vacation an excuse to RELAX? I'm usually a combination of both...I'm healthy in moderation. That's what vacation is for, right? Have a good week!

7 tips for reducing stress...and some potty-training woes

Alright, after a blogless week, it's time for a confession. For a few weeks, I have been an emotional wreck. Yes, I'm pregnant. Yes, I'm sleep deprived. Yes, I expect way too much of myself and definitely don't live up to my own expectations. But I can normally hold it together. A few weeks ago, however, I sobbed on the phone to my mom, telling her what a horrible mom I am. My sister thought I was mad at her, until she finally asked me what was wrong, and I broke down. Today, my good friend came over for a "Do The Potty Dance" house party I hosted and told me that she'd been worried about me, another friend was worried about me, and even my friends' MOM was worried about me. I guess I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I put on a happy face, but apparently to those who know me best, my fake happy face apparently isn't so happy!

Now before you jump to too many conclusions, let me say this...I'm feeling much better! Those of you who have been in my shoes will laugh when I tell you the source of my sorrow, and will say...DUH! when I tell you the new solution.

Here it is: I have a 3-year old little boy "P" who will turn 4 in May. He is still not potty-trained, and there my friends, you have the source of my frustration. He's a brilliant, sweet, loving little boy. And he is Mr. this-is-the-one-thing-in-my-life-I-have-control-over-so-don't-you-dare-force-me-to-pee-in-the potty. We started working on potty training when we was probably 2 1/2. He'd been speaking in full sentences for well over a year, and was my oldest, so of course I thought he was ready. EVERYONE around me was doing it, so I felt a lot of pressure to get him on the pot. And he did great for a while. He pooped before he ever pee'd, so I thought we had it in the bag! Until we didn't.

He got worse and worse, until I was washing 5 pairs of pants every day! My husband and I were constantly frustrated, yet nothing worked. And this wasn't just affecting potty-training. It put a strain on our relationship, caused my sweet little boy to turn into a super defiant 3-going-on-16-year-old, and caused me to feel like a failure as a mother.

Before I continue, you have to know that I feel silly even writing about this, and am praying that those of you who don't know me won't judge me for it! EVERYONE has tips and suggestions for potty training, and TRUST ME...we have tried ALL of them. ALL except one...the one that I haven't been willing to try...until now. And here's what it is...we're not doing ANYTHING.

A few weeks ago, my husband found "P" sitting on the floor in his room peeing on the carpet. That was the last straw. We put him back in diapers, and as silly as this sounds, it has been GREAT. When he came to me that first day to tell me that he pooped in his diaper, I wanted to jump for joy. I know he KNOWS when he needs to go, but he's yet to make that mental decision, and we've never allowed it to be HIS decision. So fine...poop in your diaper, little one. It is way easier to wipe a messy bum than it is to ask if you need to go potty a million times a day. So, he's in diapers, and we're all happier. I'm pretty sure he is constantly shocked when I don't react to the mess. But I can't do it anymore. So my son may be the only child still in diapers when he goes to Kindergarten, but at least he'll know my love for him has nothing to do with where he chooses to eliminate. And maybe I'll win an award for the most children still in diapers with the birth of my third. Just think...maybe he'll even hold off until we're ready for # 4...that would be GREAT!

So what's the point? Why am I posting this on FitMePink instead of the family blog? Well...I'm not sure, really, but mostly because potty training has been a HUGE source of stress in my life. And that's what this blog is supposed to be about...eliminating stress! Everyone says that potty training is easy when THEY'RE ready, but I somehow equated my own success as a parent with my child's success on the pot. So I pushed, and I yelled, and I got mad at my husband for also pushing and yelling, I cried, I did lots of laundry, and finally realized a few things about stress:

1. If something in your life is causing bucket-loads of stress, figure out how to ELIMINATE the thing. Putting my child back in diapers was EXACTLY what I needed.
2. A little praise goes a long way. I want to be a big source of encouragement for my children. If all my son hears all day is how naughty he is, then he's GOING to be naughty. If instead, I choose to praise him, to say to others how great he is, and to remind myself of how lucky I am to be the mother of this brilliant little boy, then he WILL be what I truly believe he is. And focusing on the GOOD someone else is doing takes the focus off of ME feeling sorry for MYSELF.
3. Focus on the important stuff. As hard as it is for me to believe at THIS instant, "P" will be potty-trained. I can either sit back and watch it happen, or I can fight and push and hate every moment until it happens. There are far more important things for me to teach my children, and much more fun things to talk about. Like running, and jumping, and playing, and letting them be little! Stop STRESSING the stuff you can't change!
4. Reach out to others. When something big or little is causing stress, you can either isolate yourself, and cause everyone who knows and loves you to think something is terribly wrong, or you can reach out and let them help you. Finally talking about my worries and fears to those I love helped me realize that I'm doing okay, and I will survive!
5. Massage. I haven't had a professional one in quite a while, but someday I'm seriously going to get one every week. For now, my husband will suffice! Massage is more than just being pampered. It decreases the level of cortical which creates the "fight or flight" response in the body. It increases serotonin, the chemical that helps with sleep, anxiety and depression and increases dopamine, which provides the body with pleasurable sensations, smoothing stress away before it can build up. As much as I want to sleep during a professional massage, I don't want to sleep, because it is the BEST hour of my day!
6. Do something you love...like EXERCISE. I just had to throw it in there. In the past month, I've worked out longer and harder than I have in quite a while. (But I've also eaten worse...I'm a terrible emotional eater!) Working out is one of my true loves in life. I've also found refuge in reading, cooking, singing, cleaning (yes--it's therapeutic), and kid-free nights out with my husband. While we're in the turmoil of parenting young children, we NEED and CRAVE nights without them to reconnect. I adore my husband...especially one on one! We're actually going for a QUICK get-away trip to California this week...I can't wait!
7. Stop trying to be perfect. This has probably been the hardest for me. In my mind, I have a picture of the "perfect" mom...the one I will NEVER be. I'm trying, and I'm doing my best, but I cannot be perfect. Time to banish that self-inflicted rule!

I won't ask for tips on potty training, because I've seriously tried them all. And I just can't mentally try anything else. Can anyone relate? And what are your proven stress reducers? Hit me up in the comments!

10 Tips for Making Fitness a Way of Life

I'm often asked how I manage to keep myself physically active as a busy mom. My simple answer is that I take things one day at a time. Each day is unique, and brings different challenges. Occasionally on a morning that I plan a long outdoor run, I wake up to falling snow. Early morning workouts don't ever work when I've spent the entire night awake with a sick child (or healthy children who spend the night playing musical beds...our bed is NOT big enough for the 4 of us!) Things happen, so I try to plan accordingly. Here are a few of my secrets for planning around life:

1. On a particularly hectic day, don't skip a workout just because you don't have a full hour to spare. Figure out how to fit in 10-minute mini sessions. Roll out of bed, and do some push-ups, jumping jacks, planks, and lunges. Later in the day, go on a quick, brisk walk. If you're reading something, find a wall, and squat while you read. Do seated Tupler's in the car! End the day with some pre-bed stretches. It may not seem like a lot at once, but throughout the day, you can easily squeeze in a full workout!
2. You may be tired of hearing it from me, but wear a heart rate monitor! At the end of the week, it's extremely motivating to see how much time I spent working out, how many calories I burned, and what zones I trained in. I try not to ever go more than two days without a workout! My heart rate monitor keeps me honest with myself.
3. Set goals for the ENTIRE year at the beginning of the year. Want to run a few races this year? Schedule them now! Even if the races aren't until late in the year, you'll have them on your mind, and will plan your training accordingly. For me, races aren't just about the race, but about the journey it takes to get to the starting line!
4. Have a nice stash of fitness DVDs at home. Workout DVDs are almost always my back-up plan. When I just can't pull myself out of bed early in the morning, I can start a DVD nearly an hour later, and still be done with my workout at the same time I would otherwise be returning home from the gym. For one, I don't have to brush my teeth (or put on mascara) to work out at home, and I don't have to account for any travel time. I still get in a good workout (as long as the kids and husband cooperate), and the day can continue as planned.
5. SCHEDULE your workouts. If you're always hoping to find time to work out, it's probably never going to happen if you have a busy schedule. You HAVE to plan it in. My workout schedule varies slightly from week to week based on my life schedule, but I always know when I'm going to work out the next day. I don't wake up in the morning hoping it will happen sometime that day. I wake up, and get moving. If you need to, put a reminder on your phone, write it on your calender, do whatever you need to do. I normally plan all my workouts a week in advance. Then when a day (or night) doesn't go as planned, I move to plan B.
6. Add variety to your workouts. If someone were to watch me and my different workout routines, they would think I have serious workout ADD. I don't do the same things day in and day out. I love group fitness classes, because each class is never the same...and I try LOTS of different classes. I LIFT. I CYCLE. I YOGA. I CORE CROSS TRAIN. I POWER PUMP. I TREK. But my own workouts are never the same, either. I run outside. I lift weights with gym machines. I use free weights. I use my own body weight for resistance. I interval train. I do the elliptical. I climb stairs. You get the idea. Variety is key for keeping workouts interesting. Variety is also key for avoiding plateaus. If your body never knows what's coming, it will never stop changing and improving!
7. Keep company with other fitness-minded people. If you try to place yourself in situations and with people where you won't have to compromise your fitness goals, you're much more likely to stay on track. At work, take breaks with the walkers rather than the donut-shop-frequenters. Eat with the brown baggers rather than with the fast foodies. Invite other health conscious couples over for a healthy home-cooked meal, and vice versa. Find a workout buddy, or an accountability partner. If you're not working out together, you can still report to one another and keep each other in check.
8. Change your workouts with the seasons. Don't hibernate for the winter just because you refuse to run outside in the snow. Right now I'm SO EXCITED for spring to come because I can truly enjoy the outdoors. Working out indoors, however, is the only thing that keeps me going in the depressing month of January. Winter months are great for snow sports, while summer is great for swimming. If your workouts change with the seasons, you'll have more to look forward to every few months than just changing colors and temperatures!
9. Forget the all-or-nothing mentality. Just because you may not always have time for a full hour workout doesn't mean you should skip the workout all together. 20-minutes is always better than nothing! The same goes for healthy eating. Just because you splurge at one meal doesn't mean that the whole day should go to waste. One healthy meal is better than a full day of indulging. (Unless indulging for a full day is planned. In that case, one bad day doesn't mean the whole week is shot!)
10. Just do it! Stop making excuses, and get moving. Use each day as a step towards your ultimate fitness goals. So what if you have 10- 50- 100-pounds to lose. Losing the weight won't happen overnight. It will, however, happen with lots of small steps along the way. Whatever the obstacles, do what it takes to get up and start. You will get better with time. You'll find what you like. Just push yourself to take the first step, to climb out of bed in the morning, to schedule your workouts. Once you make fitness a habit, it will become a way of life, and you will be that much closer to reaching your goals!

What are YOUR fitness secrets?

Apple Cider Vinegar...The Miracle Drug!

Before I start today's post, if you still have questions about the Tuplers we learned about in Bonnie's guest post, check out the comment section. Also, check out Lose Your Mummy Tummy by Julie Tupler for a complete description of the exercises to do DURING and AFTER pregnancy to close the diastasis recti! Woo hoo! Now on my daily to do list: Seated Tuplers and Kegels! Man, I feel like a woman!

ANYWAY, I need to throw myself a little pity party for a minute. I have the WORST cold in the world! I literally cannot breathe through either nostril. I am so plugged up that my Neti Pot can't even get through. The liquid goes in one nostril, and comes out the mouth (instead of the other nostril). Yuck! Being sick and pregnant isn't very fun...nothing works, and I'm scared to take anything!

Luckily, I grew up in a family where home remedies are never further away than right in the pantry. One of these tried and true remedies my parents SWEAR by is apple cider vinegar. Anytime you feel a cold coming on, you drink up. (It has to be the kind with the MOTHER in it). It seems to help, and definitely doesn't hurt! At this point, I'll try anything to be able to breathe (and chew) with my mouth closed! (My husband, however, REFUSES to even take a sip. It's not that bad, really).

Today, I learned that Dr. Oz is on my side! Not only can apple cider vinegar help fight colds, be used as a replacement hair conditioner, and even help clean your windows, it can also help lower your blood sugar! Woo hoo!

According to Dr. Oz, drinking just 2 tablespoons of vinegar at or near the start of a meal may help prevent the spikes in blood sugar caused by eating starchy carbs (like potatoes or pasta). It does this by slowing the absorption of the carbs in these foods by slowing the digestion. It also helps insulin remove sugar from your blood into your cells. The result? Lower blood sugar levels!

Over the long haul, keeping your blood sugar from spiking will help lower your risk of diabetes. It will also help suppress your appetite, which will ultimately keep extra pounds off. This in turn makes your own insulin production more effective! You'll have more energy as a result, so you'll be more likely to keep that body moving! So take that, dearest hubby! I'm going to keep drinking my stinky apple cider vinegar! Although, I guess I could be a little more creative than just downing a diluted glassful. Dr. Oz suggests splashing new potatoes and vegetables with apple cider vinegar instead of mayo. Or if you're feeling really healthy-ambitious, why not start a meal with a mix of fresh greens and vegetables dressed in oil and vinegar? The benefits are real, people! I dare you to try it!

What weird home remedies do YOU swear by? Or is my family completely nuts?

By the way...we found out today that WE'RE HAVING A GIRL!!! Is it bad that I'm completely thrilled? Don't get me wrong...I ADORE my little boy. But he's...intense. I'm hoping for another angel of a girl. We'll see! :)

NO MORE CRUNCHES! (Guest post)

I'm thrilled that Bonnie from the Beautiful After The Belly Blog is enlightening the FitMePink world with her extensive knowledge of why CRUNCHES are BAD for us! Bonnie is a Prenatal/Postnatal Personal Trainer who specializes in the Diastasis Recti (diastasisrecti.com). Besides blogging about health and fitness (and you really should read her blog...it's chock full of amazing tips), she also teaches and trains in several locations in Chicagoland. Here's what she has to say about crunches...

Yes, its true. Crunches are absolutely TERRIBLE for the post partum woman’s body. Then why are they taught in gyms all over? I call it “False Traditions of our Fitness Fathers.”

A very high percentage of women - as high as 98 % - have a split in their recti muscles (the 6 pack muscle on the abs) following a pregnancy. The split creates a look and condition known as the “Mommy Tummy.” It is caused by continuous forward pressure during pregnancy. The official name for this split is DIASTASIS RECTI.

Doing a “Crunch” or “Rolling like a ball” or “jackknife” or “V sit” or “Teaser” or “Pilates 100” is the worst thing you can do for this condition because is makes the split WIDER!

SO…..WHAT is the answer?

Seated Tuplers and Headlifts are the best bet because they will actually BRING your recti back together and eliminate the “mommy tummy.”

How are they done?

SEATED TUPLERS: Imagine your belly is a sideways elevator and the 1st floor is where your belly is normally at in its relaxed position. Bring your belly all the way back to your spine (5th floor) and hold it there for a second, then release to the 3rd floor (in between the 1st and 5th), then back to 5th floor again (squeeze and hold for a second) then back to 3rd floor. Continuing doing until you reach 100.

100 may seem like a lot, but a set of 100 only takes 2 ½ minutes. Do 5 sets a day, altogether, or spaced out, whatever is easiest. Do this exercise sitting down with firm back support. You should be able to feel this in your back, as it also works the lower lumbar muscles. This is the FASTEST way to repair your recti and bring them back together, closing the diastasis.

Yes you DO breathe. You “sniff” to bring air in, and COUNT as your exhale, which forces the air to work through your body.

Once you get good, you can do this while driving – like at a stop light, or during highway driving. They are EXTREMELY POTABLE exercises.

HEAD LIFT: Lay on your back with your knees bent. Expand your belly to allow air to come into the body, Exhale, bring your bellybutton all the way to the spine (this is working the TRANSVERSE ABDOMINUS – the key to bringing in the recti). Hold the belly there and you slightly tilt your pelvus to bring the small of the back pressed into the floor, tuck the chin, and then lift up your head and bring it back down fairly quickly.

If your abdominals show any movement, then it means your TRANSVERSE is not quite strong enough. There should be no visible movement on your abdominals.

ONE LAST QUESTION: How do you get the transverse strong enough to do the headlift? THE SEATED TUPLERS – it is the fastest way because it strengthens your abdominals in a seated position, which is the MISSING LINK of abdominals. You will not have gravity working against you in a seated position. Then when you begin to do abdominals while laying on your back where gravity is working against you, you will already have a mind body connection to the muscle to tell if your transverse muscle is actually engaged.

Quick story to rap up: I was in a Yoga Class today, and there was a girl who was 33 and pregnant with her 6th child. She is quite fit, loves to run, etc. and was doing some of the worst abdominals you can do while pregnant – ROLLING LIKE A BALL, V SIT, JACKNIFING. I knew she had a HERNIA after her 5th child (which is due to the split in the recti ) and had to have surgery and comprehensive physical theraphy with her abdominals and pelvic floor. I just cringed. The damage you can do with these particular exercises is so much greater when you're pregnant because you already have the forward pressure of the uterus on your abdominals!

Thank you, Bonnie! For more tips on strengthening the abdominals, losing the "mommy tummy," great recipes, and other healthy-living tips, check out her blog!