Progress: Part Two (post baby body)

Way back on October 13th, I blogged about post baby bodies.  I then blogged two days later about Progress: Part One.  I thought I would fill y'all in on how my progress is going now that I am about three weeks into my use of My Fitness Pal and tracking my calories.

On October 13th my weight was 149.8

Today, October 31st, my weight is 144.4

My pre-baby weight is 133.

So in 18 days, I have lost 5.4 pounds (mostly) through changing my diet. 

*I say mostly because in the last 18 days, I did go to the gym three times and walk on the treadmill (don't tell my doctor, because I wasn't supposed to do that).  She told me absolutely no walking/running for exercise until my 6-week appointment.  But... I have been feeling really good, so Ben let me go walk slowly (3.2 mph) on the treadmill.

Anywho, I know some people will e-mail me and ask what diet changes I have made, so I am happy to share.  They aren't major.  The biggest thing is limiting myself to 1700 calories a day.

I am trying to lose weight so I calculated that I should consume 1200 a day to lose 1-2 pounds a week.  But since I am breastfeeding, I need an additional 500 calories a day to produce enough milk.  Therefore, my total is 1700 calories a day.

Okay, so the food- I eat 2 Special K protein bars in chocolate-peanutbutter for breakfast.  I ate them before I got pregnant and the protein helps me make it to lunch time.

For lunch, it's either leftovers, going out to eat, or turkey sandwich/yogurt/granola bar/apple.  We ate out twice this week for lunch- once at Auntie Anne's pretzels and once at Chick-Fil-A.  When we went out to eat, I looked up the nutritional information online before we went so I knew what to order and how many calories it would take up.

For dinner, I have cooked twice this week and we have had leftovers from those meals.  I made a pasta bake on Sunday night and then the delicious zesty slow cooker chicken barbecue.

I have one snack during the afternoon, usually a diet coke with a granola bar or an apple.
*On Thirsty Thursdays, I usually skip my afternoon snack to save my calories for the cocktail we make.

I will do another post in a few weeks.  I see the doctor on Monday and I am hoping to get the all-clear to begin working out again.

Happy Halloween!

Black Cats, Vampires Kiss, and Pumpkins!

We have thoroughly enjoyed our Halloween Eve festivities today.  The girls got dressed in their Black Cat shirts for Nana, we ran some errands, picked up Halloween cookies, and played inside and out all day.

Tonight, once the girls were fast asleep, Ben and I enjoyed our Thirsty Thursday cocktail with a Halloween cookie and carved our pumpkins.  It has been a great day!

Caroline and Elizabeth enjoying their new Halloween Black Cat shirts

 Vampires Kiss Cocktail:

2oz raspberry vodka

2oz Chambord Raspberry liquor

3oz Cranberry juice

Mix in shaker over ice

Strain into martini glass

* We did not have the chambord raspberry liquor so I substituted with strawberry liquor

 Ben carving his pumpkin

I enjoyed my cocktail and cookie before getting started

 Carving my pumpkin

 My pumpkin

 Ben's pumpkin

 Ben and his pumpkin

Pumpkins: Mine, Caroline's, and Ben's

We are carving Elizabeth's pumpkin with her tomorrow during lunch time.

Happy Thursday!

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

Ben went back to work yesterday and in preparation for this upheaval, I planned our dinners for the week using old and new recipes.  I wanted dinners that were easy to make (or that could be made in advance).

Tonight we enjoyed a new recipe that was delicious!!!  I cannot fully explain how great the barbecue chicken was, so I want to share the recipe so you can try it for yourselves.

The recipe is from here.



 (photo from all recipes)

*I didn't add the Worcestershire sauce because I didn't have any.  I also put in three large chicken breasts, not six.*

After the chicken was ready, I took it out of the crock pot and sliced it up.  I wanted to make bbq sliders, but I just used hamburger buns.

I served it with corn and cheesy bacon potatoes.

We are having leftovers tomorrow and I will be serving with salad.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Big Sister, Little Sister

I love these two girls!

 

One Month Old

Dear Caroline,

You are one month old today!  We have survived the first month and it has been hectic and great.  Mommy and Daddy love you more than words can express and your older sister is over-the-moon for you.  Elizabeth is very protective of you and tells everyone she meets that you are her baby sister and does not like when non-family members get too close to you.

You have already done so much in your first month of life.  You have gone on your first road trip to Butler's Orchard to get a pumpkin for Halloween.  You have been to a neighborhood party and hosted your cousins Jessica and Noah over for brunch.  You have been to Chick-Fil-A twice and have been on a 1-1/2 mile walk around the neighborhood with Elizabeth, Mom, and Dad.  You have been to the doctor three times and don't have to go back until you are two months old.  You have even been to the grocery store two times.

When you were born, your Ga Ga, Nana, and Pap Pap all came to see you in the hospital.  Cousins Jessica and Noah also came to see you in the hospital.  Two weeks after you were born, Uncle Adam and Aunt Brigette came to visit you.  You are so loved by all of your family!

You like to be held (a lot!) and really like to snuggle with your dad.  You will nap in the pack n play, but prefer to nap while being held.  You enjoy taking a bath, but you do not like getting dried off.  You don't like taking a paci and enjoying sucking on your thumb or fingers.  You are happy to ride in the car and usually fall asleep for the entire ride.

You are such a happy baby and only fuss when you are hungry or wet.  You like to sit up most of the day and watch your sister.  You really like playing on the tummy time mat and Elizabeth loves to join you on the mat and "help" you with tummy time.

10 days ago, you weighed 9 pounds 6 ounces- we are guessing you are around 10 pounds now.  You are 21 inches long.  You wear 0-3 month clothes and a size 1 diaper.

You get five or six bottles a day that are 4 ounces each.  We give you a bottle between 10pm-10:30pm and then let you sleep until you wake up in the morning.  Sometimes you wake up at 4am for a bottle and sometimes you wake up at 6am for a bottle.  After that you get a bottle every four hours.  We try to do a schedule of 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, and 10pm. 

We love you so much Caroline and we love to watch you change and grow each day.

Love,

Mom and Dad

 One Month Old

 In the OR when you were born

 With all of your grandparents

 With Noah and Jessica

With your sister

Taking a nap

 Snuggling with your big sister

Tummy time!

Aunt Brigette and Uncle Adam came to visit

 Girl time

 Getting ready for Halloween

 Picking a pumpkin in Maryland

One Month Old!

Elizabeth and Caroline at one month.

Butler's Orchard

We made our annual fall trip to Butler's Orchard yesterday morning and thoroughly enjoyed searching through the field for our pumpkins.  Elizabeth was searching for pumpkins (and flowers) in the fields and had a blast!

 Driving into Butler's Orchard

 I love the trees driving into the farm

 Ben and Elizabeth looking for the perfect pumpkins

 

 Elizabeth found her pumpkin!

 I found my pumpkin!

 Elizabeth wanted to pick some wild flowers

 It was a little windy

Caroline enjoyed looking for pumpkins as well :)

 Ben was looking for his pumpkin

 He kept asking Elizabeth which one she liked best

 Picking flowers

After we picked pumpkins, we headed to the Butler's Orchard store where we got apple cider, pumpkin rolls, Halloween cookies, and lots of other goodies.

Happy Saturday!