Being a new mom is hard.
Don't get me wrong. When I look into Evelyn's face or even just think of the amazing joy she has brought to our family, it is all worth it. But that doesn't change the fact that motherhood involves some serious challenges
I am especially learning about balance...how to spend your time, restarting work and still being a mom, giving baby daddy some attention too, what to eat, how to get back in shape. There are a lot of challenges.
One of the ones I plan to conquer first is getting healthy. When I got pregnant, I was already the heaviest I've been my entire life. Part of that is getting older, and part of it is a combination of poor diet and not much exercise thanks to the rigors of medical school, marriage, and an attempt to maintain a semi-normal social life. Now that I'm a mom, I want to put my health a little higher on the priority list again.
So my goals are:
1) lose the last 5 lbs of baby weight (...and maybe 5-10 more?!)
2) find new recipes and snacks to support a healthy diet...one that I can stick with long-term
3) find forms of exercise that I ENJOY so I stick with them
4) keep up my high water consumption from pregnancy...at least 64 oz / day
Tomorrow marks Evelyn turning 6-weeks-old. My midwife just gave me a clean bill of health at my post-partum check-up this morning. So today is the start of my campaign to start a new, healthier lifestyle! I got a bit of a head start over the past few weeks with a couple of new recipes and a pact with my friend Lyndsey to workout together twice a week (and a plan to workout on my own 3 times a week).
Here are some of the recipes I've found that I really enjoy:
Parmesan Garlic Quinoa:
-Cook quinoa in vegetable broth on stovetop according to package instructions
-Season with fresh minced garlic (or garlic powder)
-Add parmesan cheese to desired taste...I did about 1 tbsp in 1 cup of quinoa
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
-Clean sprouts and cut in half
-Toss in (small amount of) oil with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste
-Place on greased baking sheet
-Top with minced garlic if desired
-Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes
Baked Caramelized Chicken (not as healthy, but SO good and still semi-healthy!)
-Mix 1 cup soy sauce, 1 cup honey, 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp oil, and 1 minced garlic clove in dish
-Place boneless skinless chicken breasts in greased pan and top with sauce mixture
-Bake on 350 for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is caramelized
*You can use the extra sauce on your veggies!! YUM!
Snacks:
-Apple with PB
-Trail mix
-Cheese stick
-Yogurt
-Leftover veggies...brussel sprouts and asparagus especially!
And some of my go-to workouts are:
-This bollywood inspired dance workout on youtube...fun, not too hard, but challenging enough to keep you interested. 30 minutes long.
-"Workouts with Jessica" on youtube...you choose the workout by song and can do as many as you want! She's great, and the songs are really fun, which helps to keep me motivated. Some of my faves are this and this.
-Zumba classes (technically my first time back at Zumba will be tonight, but I know I love it from classes I've taken in the past!)
Let's see how this goes! I'm excited to start a new healthier lifestyle! I hope to set a good example for Evelyn and to be happier with myself, as well :)
Don't get me wrong. When I look into Evelyn's face or even just think of the amazing joy she has brought to our family, it is all worth it. But that doesn't change the fact that motherhood involves some serious challenges
I am especially learning about balance...how to spend your time, restarting work and still being a mom, giving baby daddy some attention too, what to eat, how to get back in shape. There are a lot of challenges.
One of the ones I plan to conquer first is getting healthy. When I got pregnant, I was already the heaviest I've been my entire life. Part of that is getting older, and part of it is a combination of poor diet and not much exercise thanks to the rigors of medical school, marriage, and an attempt to maintain a semi-normal social life. Now that I'm a mom, I want to put my health a little higher on the priority list again.
So my goals are:
1) lose the last 5 lbs of baby weight (...and maybe 5-10 more?!)
2) find new recipes and snacks to support a healthy diet...one that I can stick with long-term
3) find forms of exercise that I ENJOY so I stick with them
4) keep up my high water consumption from pregnancy...at least 64 oz / day
Tomorrow marks Evelyn turning 6-weeks-old. My midwife just gave me a clean bill of health at my post-partum check-up this morning. So today is the start of my campaign to start a new, healthier lifestyle! I got a bit of a head start over the past few weeks with a couple of new recipes and a pact with my friend Lyndsey to workout together twice a week (and a plan to workout on my own 3 times a week).
Here are some of the recipes I've found that I really enjoy:
Parmesan Garlic Quinoa:
-Cook quinoa in vegetable broth on stovetop according to package instructions
-Season with fresh minced garlic (or garlic powder)
-Add parmesan cheese to desired taste...I did about 1 tbsp in 1 cup of quinoa
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
-Clean sprouts and cut in half
-Toss in (small amount of) oil with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste
-Place on greased baking sheet
-Top with minced garlic if desired
-Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes
Baked Caramelized Chicken (not as healthy, but SO good and still semi-healthy!)
-Mix 1 cup soy sauce, 1 cup honey, 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp oil, and 1 minced garlic clove in dish
-Place boneless skinless chicken breasts in greased pan and top with sauce mixture
-Bake on 350 for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is caramelized
*You can use the extra sauce on your veggies!! YUM!
Snacks:
-Apple with PB
-Trail mix
-Cheese stick
-Yogurt
-Leftover veggies...brussel sprouts and asparagus especially!
And some of my go-to workouts are:
-This bollywood inspired dance workout on youtube...fun, not too hard, but challenging enough to keep you interested. 30 minutes long.
-"Workouts with Jessica" on youtube...you choose the workout by song and can do as many as you want! She's great, and the songs are really fun, which helps to keep me motivated. Some of my faves are this and this.
-Zumba classes (technically my first time back at Zumba will be tonight, but I know I love it from classes I've taken in the past!)
Let's see how this goes! I'm excited to start a new healthier lifestyle! I hope to set a good example for Evelyn and to be happier with myself, as well :)
No comments:
Post a Comment