Halfway Point!

Weekly Update: I experienced the loss of a baby at 12 weeks on 6/2 that was taxing emotionally, mentally and physically.  The same day I was supposed to feel 'safe' I found out that my baby's heart had stopped beating.

My body had been prepping - and my food choices were limited based on how I was feeling.  

It's been insanely hard to cope with this - I'm a planner so I already had 'ideas' of what certain dates would look like, or how my body would feel.

With the loss I decided I had two options - sit in bed and cry - or focus on things I know make me FEEL GOOD.   

So there won't be 'a scale' update until I hit my 21st day, but I wanted to share more about how I'm coping.  In the past, stress has led me to eat - which of course leads me to be more stressed and I'm realizing makes it harder to cope with emotions.  Because my brain literally feels 'fuzzy' from the food choices.  I also get down on myself, which makes coping harder - because instead of appreciating what I have done, I get frustrated with how I feel I've failed.

As of today, I'm just over halfway into my 3 week commitment to focus on ME.  I took before photos, measurements and a weight - but my goal is a healthy mind.

I actaully don't 'see' much of a difference yet - but this smile is not one you would have seen in the days that followed June 2nd - proud of myself for slowly getting back to 'me' through healthy habits.

I also have some fun things planned this month (that were planed months ago) including a "night run" which I've never done before - but it's a 5K race and all neon themed! I got these fun glow bracelets at Target for $1 for my friends and I to wear.   This will be my first 5K in close to a year!

I wanted to share this photo, a favorite from last week.   Every other Thursday my son and I get together with my Grandmother and Mom - it's been truly amazing. I love seeing the way my son and grandmother interact - motivation to stay healthy so I can see my great grand children one day as well. 

With our loss, we decided to go away from a family trip - I had remembered someone in one of my Pilates classes telling me about a place called Great Wolf Lodge - I looked it up and it seemed awesome, so we booked it at the last minute. And it WAS awesome!  Perfect for parents because it was pretty much all inclusive (with an indoor water park!) and you could bring your own food (see below).   I loved not having to 'leave the hotel' and then come back for naps, etc.

I am super dedicated to this 21 Day Nutrition and Fitness program - not for weight loss, but to reclaim myself and my health and my sanity to be honest.   I had a weird feeling the gym may be basic, so I brought along my own weights (a fitness band would have worked too but I decided on weights since we were driving).   Glad I did! They had barely any equiptment.

I even packed my energize too!  I love this stuff. 


Here I am in the morning doing my thing!

We brought 99% of our food but had to eat out one meal because of a little slip up on what I packed - opted for breakfast which I find the easiest  meal out for a few reasons...

1.  It's usually a buffet, so you can pick and choose your options
2. As a vegetarian, I find eggs to be the easiest protein source when eating out

This was a great part of the week too! We have monthly Team Meetings for my coaching team and try to get as many people in person as possible.  I love the community and just the fact that we are all 'real' people looking to be happier, healthier and lead fullfilling lives.

Here's some more food from our trip.   A new favorite snack is bananas with PB on them..SO GOOD!  And this is my favorite zucchini casserole (I adapt a little, use whole eggs, add corn, remove the cheese). 

I also packed salad but forgot dressing - so I got creative and added home made sauce - extra veggies and it was actually good!

We got home and had some fruit that was starting to 'turn' so I pulled out the dehydrator (I forgot about it!) and made "Candy" for my son - he loves it!  (Watermelon and Banana). 

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/

Find me on YouTube!  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzh-8_DCDzaC77CKbIAmMg 

If you'd like to work with me as your coach, create a free account:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Mommy & Me Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Gratitude

Weekly Update:  This week I am chosing to stay off the scale - and actually for the next three weeks.  I took my before photos and for the first time ever they were taken in my bikini instead of shorts and sports bra.  

Unfortunately, I can not share why at this point, but some very hard things happened to my family over the last week and I needed to give myself a fresh start and new outlook on life.   It has nothing to do with the photos even, but it has a lot to do with LIFE.

The last 3 months I have been struggling a lot with nutrition, but it was for something exciting.  Something that was going to be worth it all.   Except on Thursday morning.  A week ago exactly, my world came tumbling down.

I know I will be ok, and I am focusing on all the reasons I have to keep pushing forward, like this little guy.   This little guy is someone I waited for for a very long time, and he was exactly who I needed to be a mother to.   He makes my days hard, afterall he's a toddler! But he also makes me so happy, and so grateful that I was patient and waited for him.

In light of my pain last week and this weekend, I decided to stop everything and spend a day with him at our local lake.    I am grateful that I have a career that allows me that flexibility.  I am grateful that I let myself take the day off with him.

I have been really trying to focus on what I have, instead of what I don't have - and when I do that my heart fills back up.

Due to medical complications and doctor restrictions I had to take close to a week off from my morning fitness.   It was actually the last thing on my mind, but once I was given the clearance, I was excited.  Because the mental release I get when I move is something I missed.

However, when I got up Monday morning ready for my fresh start and new beginning, I was slammed with a lot of emotions.  When I had last done my morning ME time, life was very different.   My future was very different.  My vision for the next few months and year to come was very different.

I had two choices Monday morning.   Go back to bed and cry, or do my workout and be willing to cry along the way.

I chose to do my workout and cry along the way.    Why?  Because crying was going to make me sad, but at least moving would give me a chance of processing things.

And it did.

I have continued to move every morning this week - usually with some, if not a lot of tears.  But it is helping me to have a healthy focus.

And here are the 'before' photos - new start, new outfit for them.  The bikini has nothing to do with body image, but more or less a way of saying 'this is who I am, and where I am now"

My goal is 21 days, I have no weight or size or even photo tranformation goal.  

I love this photo, because it is the first and only wih my son in a before photo.    The joy on his face - Super Ben!    It gives me hope to a happy and full future.

My food news this week (and the next few weeks) will be fun, because with my commitment to me, that means commitment to my nutrition.  Here are a few things I've had over the week.

I forgot how GREAT it tastes to have some well planned healthy foods.  So much  yummier than random meals on the go.

A staple 'quick' meal of mine is a veggie burger on lettuce - so good!

Quinoa and veggie stuffed peppers!

Mexican night...so yummy!

Banana and peanut buttery snack.

And this! One thing I missed the last 3 months was this amazing snack.    My Shakeolgy makes me feel good, energetic, healthy and just overall good.  The last 3 months, I was struggling with some sickness and unable to drink it most days - I would have gone years not drinking it if I needed to, but I am grateful at least that it can be back in my life, because I did miss it.

Stuffed shells! Ricotta, spinach, egg and butternut squash!

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/

Find me on YouTube!  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzh-8_DCDzaC77CKbIAmMg 

If you'd like to work with me as your coach, create a free account:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Mommy & Me Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

NSV!

Weekly Update:  I wanted to start this weekly update with a non scale victory.   Two very small things that you may or may not notice in this photo without my arrows... 1.  My 'tail' - it's a big part of my workouts these days, I start my morning by putting a tie in the back of my pants so they don't fall down.   I could get new pants, but these ones have been with me for the last 2 years and I can't seem to break say goodbye!  1.  A very small amoutn of definition behind my leg, its small, but I saw it immediately and it made me smile!

Another big Non Scale Victory (NSV) - realizing that a very important part of my week with my son is our classes.   He socializes, the moms socialize, and we teach class together.  He's so used to seeing me move, and smile and help other moms value their health.   THIS is what I want him to think of fitness as he gets older.  That it's FUN.

I wanted to share this photo, because I want to live a long happy life - like this woman here next to me.  My grandmother probably never 'worked out' in the traditional sense, but she has lived a very active life.   Always doing all her own yardwork (since the age of 45 when my grandfather died), scrubbing and cleaning and real grunt work that I'm sure has kept her as healthy as she is today at 90 years old. 

We went away for the long weekend, and THIS was my office - how cool is that? My son napped, I did a little work while listening to the wind blow and the water lap.

But just because it was vacation, doesn't mean I didn't want my ME time.  I crept down stairs in the creeky cabin, and walked through the rain to the garage for 30 minutes of ME time each morning.   And I was happier as a result!

Still had a great view though!

I brought my goodies with me - they make me feel good, so I don't travel with out them!

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/

Find me on YouTube!  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzh-8_DCDzaC77CKbIAmMg 

If you'd like to work with me as your coach, create a free account:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Mommy & Me Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Small Steps, Big Results

Weekly Update: By now you may be noticing a trend, I'm laying low with weight checks - I'm still taking them but I'm shifting my focus since I've pretty consistently maintained the same weight for a full year now - my focus is going to get off the scale.  I am happy about my 75 pound loss, but happier about all the things I can DO now.

Here is a photo of my family from this weekend.  We went to the Roger Williams Zoo, I remember going almost exactly 2 years ago - and the experience was VERY different. I was uncomfortable the entire day. I wore my son in the Ergo carrier - but it only fit because I had to buy an 'extension' to fit around my stomach, something I was extremely self conscious of at the time.

This time, I went - I had energy, I felt comfortable and I ENJOYED my time with out getting caught up in being hot and cumbersome.

Which brings me to this quote.    My 75 pounds loss, my confidence, my happiness - they did not happen over night.

I repeat:

They did NOT happen over night.

Each day I plug away a little at a time.   Small steps, over time, have gotten me to where I am today.

I dedicate 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week to my fitness, I drink my Shakeology daily, I dedicate one day a week to food prep, I dedicate an hour or two a day to making connections, friendships and helping others.

Each day, for 2 years I have done these things.  And each day I have gotten a little closer to my goals.

Along the way I have found small goals - benchmarks.  One of those goals was when I could teach classes again. Something I loved before having my son - but had no time to do after, and was honestly too embarassed by my size and lack of fitness to do it for a full year after my son was born.

But small steps each day have gotten me not only to a place where  I can teach, but where I can teach WITH my son and help other mothers as well.

Speaking of small steps...

Mornings.

Yep, I get up at 5:30am.  

Why?? I stay home with my son, I work my coaching business when I want to on my schedule.

So WHY do I get up so early?   

Because, it sets the tone for my day, and when I don't do it - I FEEL it all day long.   I feel less energy, I feel less mental clarity, and I'm much more irritable.

These photos are taken 30 minutes apart - I may not look it, but I'm 100% more alive in the bottom one.

I mentioned food prep - some weeks it's more than others, but I try to mentally come up with a plan whether it's full out food prep or just mental plans of easy things I can eat during the week.  This week I made one thing - butternut squash mac and cheese - I made it while my son ate breakfast, it took minimal time to prep - and it has been a life saver this week in terms of my nutrition!

Finished product!

As for easy foods - I'm all about easy!  Every morning for 2 years I have had a shakeology shake and banana on the side - and every morning I am fueled and happy.

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/

Find me on YouTube!  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzh-8_DCDzaC77CKbIAmMg 

If you'd like to work with me as your coach, create a free account:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Mommy & Me Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Max Out!

!Weekly Update:  This week I am feeling MUCH better about my choices.  After a couple weeks of crazy, I am feeling more confident and feeling BETTER as a result of eating better foods. I had been struggling with trying to eat up some leftovers, and realized that not prepping at least one new food a week sets me up for failure.  So this week I made sure to prep something that I hadn't had in a while to keep me excited about my healthy food choices!

I actually had some hard things come my way this week, one of which was a woman who called me 'giant' and 'huge' at the gym - I honestly think she just had no filter, but it hurt my feelings none the less.   And the fact that she wouldn't stop calling me 'so big' really made me feel down for a few days.   I took this photo as a reminder that I am NOT giant, nor huge - and even if I was who cares? I'm on a journey to be healthier each and every day both inside and out.

And on that note, I started a 'new' program this past week - but not new to me.   Although each time I do a program start to finish it has a way of feeling new, because I experience it in a different way each time.

The photo on the left is from when I did this same program for the very first time 18 months ago.  You can see the fatigue still in my eyes, and the fullness to my face.   On the right is me from this past week - even though it's 5:30 in the morning, I'm energized and alert!

And no matter how strong I get, I just push myself harder.   The sweat is proof!  I love the quote 'if it doesnt CHAlleNGE you, it doesn't CHANGE you' I couldn't agree more! I continue to push myself in different ways each day.  Whether it be emotionally, mentally physically or socially.  There is always room to make myself a better person.

And a big part of WHY is because of this - my little guy.   He watches me no matter what I do and now that he's older, he verbally reinfoces that he's watching my energy levels, my happiness, how I deal with stress - all reasons to keep pushing forward!

Food news! A favorite this week was blended fruit with a little chocolate chips - perfect for the sunny weather!

I've also been on an egg kick for breakfast and moving my Shakeology to mid day or at night - I've been treating myself to one orange freshly squeezed with all the puple for the fiber - so yummy!!!

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/

Find me on YouTube!  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzh-8_DCDzaC77CKbIAmMg 

If you'd like to work with me as your coach, create a free account:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Mommy & Me Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Mother's Day!

Weekly Update:   I remember my first Mother's Day two years ago - I was not comfortable at all, but I wanted a photo with my so I took it.   This year I gladly got in front of the camera many times - we had a great day and I'm so grateful to be the mom I am today!  This week my update is being PROUD of being in front of the camera!

We've been spending a lot of time with our classes this Spring - warm weather means running!!

And while I've been struggling with my nutrition I saw this photo from last week marking my 'start' of a new program and saw this glimmer of light between my legs telling me I'm not as far off base as it thought.

I've also been switching up my breakfast working on shifting my shake around a bit - I'm on a total watermelon kick! 

Here is another one from class - the older Ben gets the more he participates in class.. He even dropped down for double leg lowers today in class last week! 

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/

Find me on YouTube!  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzh-8_DCDzaC77CKbIAmMg 

If you'd like to work with me as your coach, create a free account:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Mommy & Me Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Running time!

Weekly Update:  This week I am choosing not to let the scale lead my week! I have decided to hold off on my weekly weigh in to focus on a few things in grateful for.  First being, the example I am setting for my son!  

This photo is from my weekly mommy & me running class.  I started this class last summer and my son came with me last year.  This year I started talking a lot running class and he immediately remembered and got all excited.  When we pulled into the parking lot he literally screamed 'Mommy!! Running class!!'  What could be better than that?!

This whole journey isn't about the 75lbs I've lost, it's abhor the life I've gained and the things I can DO as a result. 

Here he is wearing his running outfit - his words 'just like mommy' ❤️

Another key focus has been paying attention to how my body is changing.  My weight seems to have settled, but my buddy continues to change as I et stronger and stay consistent. These are one year progress photos of my arms!

I don't have a starting photo of myself trying to do crunches, nor the memory is ingrained in my head of my first attempt 2 years ago.  My stomach was much too large and as a result I literally could not curl my spine.  I'm so proud of how far I have come. 

And how many loves I've changed along the way! Here is one of my good friends who braved the early morning and met me at my house at 5:30am!

Do you see what I see?? The sun is out at 5:30am these days!!

Last one..food photo! Sometimes I like to switch up my Shakeolgy and chew it - here are some yummy Shakeology chocolates I made using coconut oil 😍

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/

Find me on YouTube!  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzh-8_DCDzaC77CKbIAmMg 

If you'd like to work with me as your coach, create a free account:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Mommy & Me Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com