Book Review - Postnatal Fitness for a New Mom

Recently I received a Facebook message from author Mara Kimowitz, author of Lil' Bootie Guide: Postnatal Fitness for a New Mom.  She asked me if I'd be willing to take a look at her book and give her some feedback on it.  Being a literary nerd, as well as a fitness junkie, how could I refuse?  (Although I did convince her that when she sent me a copy, that she should sign it first...). 

I have to say, this is an amazing book for a mom who just gave birth.  Not only does it give a realistic approach to trying to regain your body back - but it stresses the fact that it takes time to get our "pre-baby" bodies back.  After all, didn't we just have another human growing inside of us for 9+ months?

The quote she starts with really draws you in, "The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new."  ~Rajneesh

I don't know about you, but nobody told me of the "bad mommy moments" that take place.  Those confusing moments where you wish you could take your life back but can't imagine your life without your little darlings (or minions in my case) at the same time.  The feelings of guilt for wanting time just for yourself in a society that still looks at that as something taboo!  I'll be the first to admit it - I NEED Kimmie time.  I'm not doing anything crazy at the time - it's not clubs and partying for me.  Rather, I need that time to workout, for me that's how I decompress and refocus on the day.  Without that time for myself, I can't parent the way I know I can.  And she points out something in the opening of her book that is important and so often forgotten - children mimic what they see us do.  If they see us always sitting on the couch, watching TV - well that's what they are going to want to do... and if we eat healthy and exercise they'll want to do that too!  Want proof?  My boys do parts of my morning workout with me everyday! 

The book then goes on with 4 levels of exercises to help you start to get your body back into shape in a gentle way for the brand new Momma, complete with cute stick figure illustrations and a chunk of pages in the back to track your progress!

Overall, I think this is a great book for the brand new momma, not ready for an intense workout, but ready to get the ball rolling for the sake of her health, and in return her child's as well!

Until Next Time...

Noodles...

Okay so for some reason I had a serious craving for pasta.  But pasta isn't exactly on my meal plan and I was sorta at a loss - especially because I'm still not really eating any meat.  HOWEVER, while I was looking at the vegetarian versions of "meat" at the supermarket last night I came across Pasta Zero Plus by Nasoya and figured for 15 calories in 2/3 of a cup (or 30 calories for the whole bag) what the heck.

Now I'm not going to lie, the noodles had a slightly odd smell when I was rinsing them off before cooking them up in a pan, but I still wanted to give them a go.  And so, now presenting:

Kim's Noodle and Veggie Creation...

Ingredients:
Bag (1 1/3 c) Pasta Zero Plus Spaghetti
1/2 tomato chopped
1 tbsp. pumpkin seeds
1/2 avocado - cut up into cubes

Directions:
Drain and rinse noodles
Throw into a pan (sprayed with PAM)
Cook up until the appearance of being slightly "crispy"
Add in pumpkin seeds and tomato
Take off heat and let sit for a few minutes
Add in avocado

I'm not going to say it was the best meal I've ever eaten - but it did satisfy my need for noodles.  BUT, next time I'mna make some kinda sauce outta my tomatoes to really give it the pasta feel!

Until Next Time...

Beachbody October Challenge Pack Deals

The Beachbody October Challenge Pack Promotions are now in!

 

P90X and P90X2 Challenge Packs are at an amazingly low price this month in celebration of the upcoming P90X3 being released this coming December!  These amazing workouts are a great way to get those muscles seriously popping - and at a discount like this, how can you resist?  (You might also want to stash these workouts away as an upcoming holiday gift... just a thought!)

Trainer Tony Horton will transform your body in just 90 days. P90X^® constantly introduces new moves to challenge your muscles and give you extraordinary results.  AND YOU'LL BE SAVING $90!

On top of an awesome workout program,

Your Challenge Pack also includes:

• Your first 30-day supply of Shakeology^®—the superfood shake that helps give you energy, reduce cravings and accelerate your fitness results—delivered on Home Direct, our monthly autoship program. (You can cancel this at any time)
• A FREE 30-day trial membership in the Team Beachbody^® Club, where you'll find all the support you'll need to

How P90X Works... 
 

The secret that’s made P90X a best-selling phenomenon is Muscle Confusion™.
By constantly introducing new moves, this advanced training technique keeps your body’s muscles continually challenged, so you can get better AND faster results. Your body never plateaus, and you never get bored.
It's for anyone who wants to lose excess fat, gain lean muscle, prepare for athletic events, excel at sports, and improve their health.
Designed for people who are fit and looking for an intense program for rapid results.
Flexible, so that you can customize according to your fitness level and goals.

Ready to order?  Click on the link of your choice...  P90X or P90X2 Challenge Pack

Looking for more information, e-mail me at: Kimmie0270@gmail.com

Healthy, Yummy, Pumpkin Cake!

It's Pumpkin Season... Pumpkin coffee, fraps, pie muffins, donuts, cakes, etc. But let's be real, they're not exactly good for you.  That doesn't mean I don't start craving it the minute the leaves start changing colors.  So when I stumbled across this recipe at one of my minion's cooking classes I figured, why not give it a try.  And I am IN LOVE with it!  It's moist and delicious!

 

This Pumpkin Cake recipe has eliminated the eggs and oil making it a wonderful breakfast treat or healthier dessert option. 

 

Pumpkin Loaf Cake

 Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix (look for one without hydrogenated oils)
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
dark chocolate chips as desired (for both in cake and on top)
Directions:
Prehead oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray.
In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients until smooth.
Pour mixture into loaf pan.
Sprinkle top with additional dark chocolate chips.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

Go Ahead, bake it!  You'll want to thank me for this one, I'm sure!

Until Next Time...

 

The Ultimate Reset Complete... Results are Here!

So I've officially completely the 21 Day Ultimate Reset!  Yay to me!  (Although, I did cheat one night and cave on the fro-yo.)  I have to say, overall I was pretty pleased with most of the meals, though there were one or two I hope to never see again (until my next Reset).  Sure, there were times that I was hungry, but it was nowhere near the horrible hunger that I've felt on some of the other detoxes or cleanses I have tried.

After 21 days, thanks to The Ultimate Reset I have have had a complete body "makeover" - however although I am seeing results on the outside (I'll get to those in a minute) it's the ones on the inside that have really thrilled me.

I have an increased amount of energy.  In the beginning it was difficult and I did feel a little bit more tired then I had, but as the first week progressed I noticed my energy increase.  And now I'm feeling full of it on a daily basis.

I am sleeping through the night.  On average I am getting 7-8 hours of SOLID sleep!  This is compared to the 4ish hours I'd be able to get throughout the night prior to this.  I used to wake up multiple times during the night - now I'm only waking up if one of the minions wakes up calling for me or my husband.

My system is more regulated.  Without getting too graphic let's just say that I'm hitting the bathroom twice a day, and you could actually set a clock on the times that I have to go!  That's really different from the "maybe" once a day and issues I had prior.

Now for the information everyone has been weighting for - go ahead, ask... How much weight did I lose?  Well I'll tell you.  In the 21 days, I lost a whopping 13 pounds!  And that's with my "monthly friend" making an appearance this morning - ugh!  And here's the visual too with a reminder of my before and an after side by side.

So what now?  Well for the next 21 days I'm going to slowly start reintroducing more grains into my diet.  I'm still on the fence about meat.  Honestly I didn't miss it during this Reset, so I haven't decided if it's something that I'm going to regularly eat or not.  I may just stick to fish on occasion.  I guess we'll see what happens there.  I also will still be using the Vegan Shakeology for the next few weeks - they say to stay with that form for another 21 days.  Then I will be switching back to my regular chocolate flavor.

Until Next Time...

Get Your Water On!

Your body needs water to survive.  Afterall, water makes up 75% of the brain and muscles as well as 83% of your blood!  And astonishingly up to 60% of the human body is made up of water!  Water keeps your energy up, your weight down, joints supple, muscles strong, and your whole system in physical balance.

Proper hydration is essential for the health of your entire body throughout the year, regardless of the season.  So here are a few tips to help keep you and your family hydrated throughout the year.

Travel wisely. When outside the house make sure you bring a bottle of water with you.  You never know when you are going to need something to drink, and it might be at a time where you can't find somewhere to purchase some.  Also, it allows you to sip throughout the day, rather then guzzle down a bottle when you get to the point of extreme thirst!  If you’re planning a day outside the house, be sure to bring a bottle of water you for the road.

 

Eat your water. In the colder months, soups and warm veggie salads are another great way to stay hydrated. Also, fruits and many vegetables (such as cucumbers or peppers) have water in them, giving your body some additional hydration. 

 

Variety is key! Most of us get bored with plain old water, but you can enjoy water in a variety of flavors and combinations – just be creative! Add some excitement and flavor to your daily fluid intake by filling a pitcher with water; add a splash of your favorite flavor and toss in slices of lemon, oranges, berries, or cucumbers for a refreshing treat. For kids who refuse to drink enough, jazz up their waters by freezing berries into ice cubes and drop them in their drinks for a fruity surprise or pick a fun reusable carbonating bottle that your kids enjoy drinking from to make staying hydrated more fun.

 

Have more tips to share?  Feel free to share them in the comments section below!

 

Until Next Time...

Fun Weekend Outings

Often when people are looking for something to do with their children, or somewhere to go for a couple hours it often revolves around food.  We live in a society where food is such a focal point in our day to day lives, it makes sense.  Even when my husband and I plan a "date night" if usually involves food at some point (and often some form of MMA too, but that's a whole different story...). 
But this past weekend since it was pretty nice I wanted to get the family out and moving around.  So I planned an exciting weekend of activities - complete with family time as well as "date" time. 

Friday as soon as the boys got home from school I took them apple picking!  Since my husband is a VP at a high school he was able to be home early enough to come along.  Taking the boys out to a small farm and having them wal

k around the orchard looking for "perfect" apples was a fun activity that got them moving and shaking - and also super excited about their perfect apples that they picked.  Let me tell you, they want to eat those things nonstop right now!

Then on Saturday, we decided to take the minions to LEGOLAND in Yonkers, NY.  This past summer we went to the one in Florida, but since there was a Star Wars theme this weekend, we thought we'd go check it out.  It was a really fun time walking around in there.  The little minion was too scared to go on the ride when you first got there, but the big one and I rode it.  The structures there built were amazing!  I was seriously in awe.  And because it's an indoor place (think Crayola Factory) there was a giant climbing apparatus the boys had a blast playing in. 

As for the highlight of my time there - one of the Storm Troopers was walking around and I really wanted to take a picture with him - but I get so embarrassed about things like that, so after two attempts I actually asked him to not only take a picture with me, but asked if I could hold his gun during the picture as well!  I LOVE THIS PICTURE!  And even better, rather then just having junk there to purchase for the boys to eat, (since you couldn't bring your own food in) the concession stand had sandwiches on whole wheat rolls, apple slices, and water as some of the options for people to choose from for their meals.  How cool is that!

Now only Sunday.  Sunday was my husband and my "date" afternoon.  However, rather then hang out just by ourselves, some of our friends came out with us for a really entertaining afternoon of paintballing.  At first, I'm not going to lie - I was pretty hesitant.  But after a few hours (I think we played for like 4 hours) I was running all over the place shooting like it was going out of style!  It was so much fun and a fantastic way to spend some time with my super supportive hubby - who puts up with all my craziness, all of the time. 

So as you can see, this weekend was incredibly jammed pack with so much fun I need another weekend just to recover from the AWESOMENESS!  And more importantly, I was able to have an entire weekend of pure entertainment without any of it focusing around food.... well apple picking doesn't count! 




Until Next Time...