Love the Scale?

Before baby number four I jumped on a scale every few months. I focused mostly on how my clothes fit and how I was feeling. Since I had my baby, I've weighed myself every day (sometimes twice). I don't want to be obsessive, but it's a lot harder losing baby weight at 36. A study at Brown University proved that weighing yourself daily can help you keep weight off. But what if you get obsessive about the scale? Realize that your weight will fluctuate from day to day, instead of worrying about an individual day, average your weight over a week's time. Calories Per Hour has a great article about how and when to weigh. I think the bottom line is: If weighing yourself daily helps you stay on track, do it. If it upsets you or you get obsessive about it, use another tracker like a tape measure or how your clothes fit. It definitely is a personal decision, another time when you need to decide what works best for you, mentally as well as physically.

Eat like a baby

My 7mo is teaching us some great lessons about how to eat. Though we might not want to aspire to his chubby physique, we would like to be as uncomplicated about food as he is.

#1 - Fruits and veggies are amazing. Phoenix downs any kind of fruit or veggie placed on his tongue. I love fruits and veggies as well, but pureed prunes? That's pushing it a bit far.

#2 - You don't have to clean your plate. When Phoenix is done, he's done. There's no sneaking in one more bite. It really is okay to throw food away or save it for another meal. Let go of the guilt and the extra calories - toss it in the garbage.

#3 - Don't eat it just because it's fun. There's always an uncle, cousin, grandma, or brother who thinks it's fun to feed the baby dessert or dairy (before a year) and see how the baby likes it. It's okay to eat sometimes for fun, but for the most part eating should be to improve health, increase energy, and sustain life. Sorry to be the party pooper but if a food is going to hurt you in the long run, it's not really fun.

#4 - Slow down. My husband loves to shovel Phoenix's food in as quickly as the little guy opens his mouth. I cussed him and now we're both taking it slow. Me because I need to run around the kitchen and do ten things between each bite. My husband because he knows I'm watching! As a mom it's easy to rush through eating. Don't do it. Slow down and savor each bite. You'll eat less and you'll enjoy life more.

The older I get the more food issues I find myself dealing with. Keeping it simple and uncomplicated may just be the key to getting over the unhealthy behaviors.

Social Eating

I've learned that I don't enjoy food in social situations. I'm so immersed in the conversation and enjoying friends or family that I can shovel in food without even tasting it. Because of this I try (emphasis on try) not to eat unhealthy food when I'm socializing. I wait to savor my ice cream or chocolate when I'm at home and can enjoy each and every bite.

Do you find yourself enjoying food more in some situations? Do you ever make rules for yourself of what you can eat and when?

How to get through a tough workout

You're cruising along in spin class and the instructor tells you to sprint, give all you've got. Do you ever feel like you can't give any more? I love the feeling of working hard (after it's over) but how do you keep going when you really just want to lie down and have someone place chocolate on your tongue?

I either block my mind, concentrate on the beat of the music, count to thirty (and promise myself I'll stop pushing so hard when I hit thirty), or think about how good I'm going to look in my new swimming suit (I can dream big, my brain doesn't know my thighs are 36).

What gets you through the pain of a hard workout?