Getting Back In Shape!

Well, It is finally here! The time at which I can see what damage was truly done to my body after having a such a huge kid! And the verdict is......... surprisingly, not so bad! I was convinced my whole pregnancy that surgery would be my only option, but my body amazed me. I am not kidding, I was measuring 45 weeks pregnant (yeah, you should only measure 40 ever!) at 38 weeks just before I delivered and I was so swollen that my sandals barely fit. Well, not 14 days later, I fit into my clothes again! My tummy went down almost to flat and all of the water was shed in that first week which means that I now stand here a cool 47 lbs lighter. YAY!!!
Yep, between the baby (almost 11lbs ), all the blood & baby stuff (close to 14 lbs) and then just the water and amniotic fluid (they said it was close to (22lbs). All of that lost over the last 2 weeks and the swelling going down left me looking pretty normal again! I Am thrilled. Don't get me wrong, I have some serious toning and firming exercises to do, but I may not have the 1 year + process ahead of me that I was anticipating. I am setting my sights on December (my b-day) to be in better shape than before Jacob was born. I am almost exactly where I was right before having Ricky so I am hoping that I can achieve my goal that I set.
During the pregnancy the only thing I could stomach was chicken sandwiches from Chick-fil-a, and other crap that I could keep down. It was horrible because I was famished all of the time, but everything tasted like it was made with glue and made me sick when I did eat. Now, miraculously, I don't have much of an appetite at all. I just kinda want something small here and there and that is it. Fast food sicks me out now (thank goodness) so I just have things on hand at home all day that I can eat and that wont set me back. Before pregnancy I kinda followed a great eating plan called the ABS Diet. It was a great plan that incorporated all of my very favorite things are consequently good for you. There is no diet, no menu, no structure, just suggestions on the 12 types of food to eat as often as possible, and suggestions on portion sizes, though over eating on the 12 foods would be tough to do. I do not ever believe in diets because they are generally going to be a fad that ends and then people gain all the weight back and fail, but this was already the way I eat, so with a few modifications (eating more times per day, exercising more regularly, etc) it totally works for me. I figured I would put this out there and let people know how great it works. If you dig it, give it a try and let me know how it works for you. It sure beats boot camp at 4:30am every day and starving on any other plans. If it is done with 3 days of strength training (only about 1/2 hour at a time) and 3 days of cardio (1/2 hour or more at a time) the pounds should just melt away!! The book by David Zinczenko (The ABS DIET) has tons of work out routines that are short, to the point and make a huge difference in building lean muscle that eats the fat for you. Anyway, give it a go if you are interested. I sure am.
I started the eating portion last week and I am full (actually, I have to set reminders to eat every 3 hours or I forget because I am not hungry), I feel energized and good. I get to start the exercise on Saturday which will be 3 weeks after the baby. That was the minimum amount of time Dr. said I could wait to exercise. I cant wait. Swimming 3-4 x's a week and light weights and toning will be 3x's a week to start. Eventually, I would love to add plaits to my regiment and just mix it up often. Those are all of my favorite exercises so I hope I can stick with it. I will give an update as I go if anyone cares.

If you are interested in checking it out, here are the foods that are suggested on the Abs Diet (Again, there are no real recipes, just suggestions. Do with them as you will.)

1. Nuts:
Almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, avocados, sunflower seeds (raw or very very lightly salted)
Tip: Eat -24 or 2 handfuls per day toward late afternoon.
2. Beans and Legumes:
Soy beans, pinto beans, black beans, green beans, lentils, peas, hummus, edamamme. (not baked or re fried beans).
Tip: Sub black beans for ground beef in meat heavy dishes to eliminate saturated fats and add fiber.
3. Spinach and Other Green Vegetables:
Spinach, broccoli, asparagus, peppers and some lettuce (not iceberg)
Tip: Use olive oil and garlic to make them taste better in dishes.
4. Dairy, Fat Free or Low-Fat:
Milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese (not frozen yogurt)
Tip: Drink a glass of 2 percent milk before dinner to help take up some of the room in your stomach. Make and instant desert or post work out pick me up with a scoop of chocolate powder added to a glass of LF milk.
5. Instant Oatmeal, Unsweetened, Unflavored:
Oatmeal and other high fiber cereals. (no high fructose corn syrup or sugar in oatmeal)
Tip: Add a little cooked oatmeal to a smoothie for increased fiber or have oatmeal hot with frozen berries and 1% milk for a good after dinner snack.
6. Eggs:
Eggs, egg whites
Tip: for a quick breakfast: mix two eggs in a bowel and nuke them for 60-90 seconds. (creates instant scrambled eggs.
7. Turkey and Other Lean Meats:
Turkey, Chicken, fish (salmon and tuna are great), shell fish, Canadian bacon, lean steak like extra lean ground beef, tenderloin, London broil and flank steak. (not sausage, bacon, cured meats, ham, fatty cuts of steak).
Tip: Eat flax seed-ground or oil. One teaspoon is loaded with omegas & fibers. Sprinkle in Oatmeal and smoothies daily.
8. Peanut Butter:
Peanut Butter (all natural and sugar free) and almond butter
Tip: Limit yourself to 3 tbsp a day because it is high in fat. A perfect snack is a PB on whole wheat toast with crushed berries.
9. Whole Grain Bread and Cereals:
Whole-grain bread, whole grain cereal, brown rice, whole wheat pretzels, whole wheat pasta and whole grain waffles (great for pre work out sustenance).
(not white bread, bagels, doughnuts, breads labeled as wheat instead of whole wheat).
Tip: Buy whole wheat pasta with fax seed for a double punch of power.
10. Olive Oil:
Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sesame oil. (not margarine. Get butter with olive oil & no trans fatty acids)
Tip: drip it on vegetables, salad and rice or baked potato.
11. Extra Protein (Whey) Powder:
Whey powder, ricotta cheese
Tip: Drink a smoothie with whey before a workout. It works better after a work out than after a work out to build muscle.
12. Raspberries and Other Berries:
Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cranberries, and other fruits like apples. (not jelly)
Tip: Pick blueberries first for the most antioxidants and soluble fiber.
13. Take a Daily multivitamin!!!
14. Drink 8 8oz. glasses of water all day!


Abs Diet Guidelines:
1. Eat each meal about 2-3 hours apart. For Ex:
Breakfast - 8 am
Snack - 11am
Lunch - 1 pm
Snack - 4 pm
Dinner - 6 pm
Snack - 8 pm

2. Make The 12 Abs Diet Power foods listed above the Staple of Your Daily Diet..
Suggestions for Eating before and after work outs for best effect:
-1 hour before or right after (smoothie with protein and carb)
-Load diet with fish, almonds and fortified cereals.
-Try citrus fruits, grapes and grape juice right before your workout.
-Eat slow burning energy whole grain toaster waffles before a work out to keep up energy.
3. Drink Smoothies Regularly:
- Add berries, whey powder, peanut butter, etc. for cravings
-Make them thick but only 8oz per serving for breakfast, as meal substitutes or as a
sack before or after work outs.
4. Stop Counting:
-Don’t count calories, fat, etc.
-Just stick to 1-2 serving sizes per food group
-keep total meal size to a normal plate size.
5. Know what to drink:
-Fat Free Milk, water (total of 8 gl of 8oz per day), and herbal teas.
6. One Meal a Week Forget the Rules and Eat as You Wish.
-it aids in metabolism and helps to satisfy favorite food cravings.

Let me know if you try it and what you think. Wish me luck!