Lose the baby weight while juggling life with three small children.

It’s definitely not mission impossible, but it WILL be a challenge!

What challenges are you facing for 2010?

Here is a round up of my favorite posts from 2009.
Happy New Year gang!

January 2009: How the gym is just like high school
February 2009: Skinny vs. Strong
March 2009:  When the gym doesn’t work out, mommy still needs a workout!

April 2009: 8 Ways to Motivate: Get Your Workout Done!

May 2009: 10 things I learned from yoga class

June 2009: Belly After Baby: How to Get Rid of Your “Mummy Tummy”

July 2009: Fitness a la carte

August 2009: Your muscles need massage therapy

September 2009: If your wife were in rehab, would you bring her drugs?

October 2009: Inflammatory breast cancer

November 2009: My top 5 fitness goals

December 2009: Kegel Exercises: My Main Squeeze

photo credit: WELS.net

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Out with the old, in with the new

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• Memory problems:
  forget what day it is?  (check) forget where the keys are? (check) have trouble concentrating when I am driving? (check!)
• Depression:
  no explanation needed here—I am definitely down in the dumps right now.
• A weakening of the immune system, increasing your chance of becoming sick:
  fortunately this has not happened to me yet.  (fingers crossed!)
• and weight gain:
  People who sleep less appear to generate more ghrelin, a hormone which stimulates hunger. Research on subjects reported an increased craving for food, especially fats and starchy foods, after simulated sleep deprivation.
  Check again! I definitely crave sugary foods to help keep me alert and awake.  Unfortunately, it just makes things worse when I come down from my sugar high.
  

Right now I’m averaging about 4 non-consecutive hours of sleep per night and I’m starting to wonder how I am going to survive.  Honestly, the furthest thing from my mind is working out, even though I so desperately need it.  (I still have 25 post-baby pounds hanging on. UGH!)

All I want to do is crawl in my bed for a week and sleep.  Unfortunately,  that is not an option.

So gang, how do you survive when you are sleep deprived?   Should I just load up my fridge with caffeinated drinks and hope I make it ’til the spring?  (anyone want to come and watch my kids so I can take a nap?)

photo credit: BillRhodesPhoto

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Sleep deprivation is cruel torture

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The best way to relieve that holiday family drama/stress, is by going for a walk, run, or bike ride.   Work up a sweat instead of a frustrated frenzy. (Trust me…I know)

on that note, from my crazy boy-filled family to yours:  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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Work off your family stress with a workout

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(workout mommy is clearly very  tired and overwhelmed with her new family of five!)

You can see the other fantastic submissions over here.

I hope everyone has (or has had) a very Happy Holiday!

I’m personally looking forward to a fresh start in 2010.  Who knows, maybe the circus will come a calling?  

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Virtual blogger talent show

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Focusing on the positive here. Focusing on what I can do with this postpartum body of mine, and what’s left of my time and energy. That focus then, is on the almighty Kegel — yes, I’m talking about exercising the nether region.

First one must know what a Kegel is before I go on. If you think a Kegel is something served at a Jewish holiday, this post won’t make any sense. A Kegel is a contraction of the pelvic floor muscle; squeezing tight all those sphincter muscles. Its most famous purpose is improving bladder control. And so, almost always bringing up Kegel exercises make us giggle. And contrary to popular myth, Kegels aren’t just for women. If you have a prostate, Kegels are equally important. And while bladder control is indeed a nice thing to have (I mean, wouldn’t the ultimate insult of parenthood be to have to change your own diaper too?), a Kegel’s influence on those pelvic floor muscles also set up a stronger foundation for a stronger core. I like to call it the core of my core. Without a strong pelvic floor, everything that attaches to it, going up your trunk or down your legs is compromised. Think lower back, glutes, hips, hamstrings, and then everything else that attaches to those and on out. Everything begins at the pelvic floor. It’s ground zero for our musculature.

So, if you’ve been injured or out of commission, or like me, just had a baby, which both weakens your pelvic floor and puts you out of commission, then starting with Kegels before you do anything else is important. I know this first hand, because trying to come back too soon after my first pregnancy resulted in painful running and a plethora of back, hip and IT band problems. And there are all sorts of remedies for those problems, but if you don’t start with the core of your core–ground zero–then it’s difficult to fully heal.

So how do you do Kegel exercises? The easiest explanation is to squeeze those muscles “down there” that would stop the flow of urine and those that would keep you “puckered up” in a tense situation. The pelvic floor muscles are like a hammock between your tail bone and your pubic bone. The idea is to contract or tighten up that hammock. Ideally we should all be doing 200 a day. There are two main ways to Kegel: Flicks are quick contractions and you should aim to do them in sets of 10. The other option is to hold a Kegel, ideally for 10 seconds or more.

The nice part about Kegel exercises is that they don’t require workout clothes. They don’t require a gym. In fact, you don’t have to make time to Kegel, you can do it almost anywhere, anytime and no one is the wiser. The guy taking your order at Starbucks might wonder what’s up with the strange look on your face, but still, he’ll never know.

Sounds so easy. And perhaps because they’re so easy we tend to overlook them, forget to do them. Plus, the pay off isn’t quite as noticeable. While we might brag about how strong our quads are, or show off our cut biceps, boasting about the strength of our pelvic floor muscles is not something we normally do.

Normally. Allow me. I got some positive reinforcement at my six-week check up that my singular focus with Kegels and Sahrmann exercises are working. (By the way I’m up to Sahrmann exercise #4.) My midwife first checked my diastasis recti–the split that occurs between your abdominals when pregnant–and commented how nicely and quickly it was coming together. Yes! And, without going into too much detail she said, “You must be doing your Kegels.” In fact, I could have held back the flood waters in Fargo with my bladder.

With this new confirmation that my hard work is paying off, I’m doing my Kegel exercises even more. And with my eye on the prize–running again!–I’m applying a few running workouts to doing Kegels. Since most people have a hard time remembering to do them and, let’s face it, they’re boring, here is how I’m “squeezing” them into my day and making this workout more fun.

Kegel fartlek. Now I have just put two funny words together. This is not passing gas between Kegels. Fartlek (in Swedish means speed play) is a running workout that allows you to spontaneously pick up the pace at irregular intervals. You get to decide when and how long to speed up. Say, you decide to run faster to the next stop sign or in between light poles. With a Kegel fartlek it’s the same, but it helps to be traveling in a car, bus, or other mode of transport. Just pick some sort of landmark and hold the Kegel until you get there. Pick another landmark and repeat.

Kegel tempo. A runner’s tempo workout might consist of a 10-minute or 15-minute run at their race pace sandwiched in between a warm up and cool down. The Kegel tempo is a little different. Using the car radio or your Ipod, Kegel to the beat of a song. This worked nicely to the tune of “Good Things” by the Bodeans.

And a strong pelvic floor is a good thing. If you happen to pull up next to me at a stop light, honk, wave, and give me a knowing smile.

Want to know more about Kara? She was featured as “One Fit Mommy” here!

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Kegel Exercises: My Main Squeeze

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The ERGO baby carrier is honestly the best carrier out there—-there is no pressure on your back and it is super easy to put on by yourself.  I used the Baby Bjorn with my first son and it gave me a constant backache.  It also was useless after about 4 months because he got so big and could no longer fit in it. The ERGO on the other hand can be used for 3-4 years, so if you are looking for a baby carrier, invest your money in an ERGO.

Now, for your entertainment,  here is a video of me and the kids working out during the East Coast blizzard.    (23 inches of snow, can you believe it!?) So when you are stranded inside and have three kids underfoot, the stairs will always provide a great workout!

Edited to add that even though I say two kids in the video, I really have 3!  Sleep deprivation does crazy things to your mind!

Disclosure:  I received an Ergo Heart2Heart Infant Insert for review purposes by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. I was not paid for this post, this is my honest opinion.  I love my Ergo carrier!

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A blizzard workout (thanks to my ERGO baby carrier!)

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This is about me and my feelings toward my husband.  (Hi honey, you might not want to read any further!)

Three weeks before baby #3 was born, my husband decided to sign up with a personal trainer.  First, a little background.  My husband has always HATED all forms of exercise.   He never liked coming to my spinning classes and refused all of my attempts to personal train him myself.   So I was a little shocked when he just went out and signed up (at the gym that I wanted to join) to meet with a personal trainer three times per week.

Here are 10 emotions/thoughts that immediately went through my head, in no particular order:

Thought #1: “You JERK! I am HUGELY pregnant and you decide that NOW is the time you want  to make a life change?   Thanks for rubbing it in my face that I cannot exercise right now.”

Thought #2: “Your timing absolutely sucks.  We are about to have another child and you are going to spend even more time out of the house?  How about offering to stay home a bit more and help me out?”

Thought #3: “I am very proud of you.  Finally you are putting your health first and I look forward to seeing the results!”

Thought #4: “If you dare to complain to me that you are tired, sore, or injured I might have to kill you.”

Thought #5: “Please tell me more about the jump squats, push ups, and intervals you are doing with your trainer.  I’d love to hear more about it.   At the same time, why don’t you tell me how great it feels to sleep all night long?!”   (yes, this is sarcasm!)

Thought #6: “Honestly, I love to hear about all the fun things you are doing with your trainer.  I hope he makes you do more intervals on the treadmill because I think you need more cardio and less strength training right now”

Thought #7: “I really hope you stick with this because you will FEEL so much better and have so much more energy!  Go husband!”

Thought #8: “I really hope that Santa brings me some personal training sessions and more importantly, some childcare, so  I can actually go!”

Thought #9: “Please do not start talking about what “your trainer says…”.  I’m pretty sure I’ve said those same things to you over the past ten years and you haven’t listened!”

Thought #10: “I really hope that someday we can run a race together.  Just don’t run faster than me!

photo credit: helgasms!

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10 thoughts from the jealous wife

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1. Stepping on the scale the 3rd day after having a baby is NOT a good idea.   This will trigger many of those postpartum hormones and you will end up a sobbing mess on the floor.   (Well, at least now you have a starting point and a definitive goal.)

2. Trying to do too much after having a nine pound  baby is a bad idea.  Listen to your doctor and take it as easy as possible.

3. The ShowerHug is a new mom’s best friend.  I plan to do a full review of this item later, but I could not wait to tell you about it.   It is a MUST HAVE item for any new mom!   Go buy several now as future baby shower gifts.  Your friends will hug you a lot!

4. Find happiness in the small victories.   Do some light strength training and envision where your muscles used to be.   Trust they will be back again soon.

5. Sleep is important.  More important than reading emails, tweeting, and facebook—so if the baby is sleeping, you should be too!

In summary gang, I’m not sleeping at all and trying to hold myself together.  I’ve got a lot of fat to work off, which will hopefully happen in the near future.     I just have to keep reminding myself—Never underestimate the power of a workout!

photo credit: Seven Morris

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5 thoughts from a new mom

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His birth was tricky but all that matters is that he is healthy.   I’ll be taking a little blogging vacation while I adjust to life as a mom of 3 boys.   Yikes!

Please feel free to visit the archives during my absence.   Thank you again for all your support and congratulations!

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Baby time

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Today’s fit mommy is Hannah, who works for ERGOBaby, my favorite baby carrier of all.

Please read on for more about Hannah and how she stays fit while juggling a career and small children.  (and if you are looking for a baby/toddler carrier for yourself or a friend, I HIGHLY recommend the ERGO baby carriers,   they are awesome!  See the video clip below!)

Q: Have you always been fit? What inspired you to live a fit lifestyle?
A: I have always been active. My parents used to wear us in a backpack to go hiking and walking in the woods – as soon as we could walk, we walked! I was involved in lessons of all kinds – swim team, tennis lessons, horseback riding, ballet, and later, in high school, springboard diving and soccer. When I got to college I discovered running, and I’ve never looked back!

Q: What advice do you have for moms who claim they don’t have time for exercise?
You have time for what you make a priority. How do you have time to do dishes, pack lunches, or watch your favorite show on TV? If you schedule exercise into your life, you have time for it – it’s that simple. And after a few months of regular exercise, you feel a bit lost without it. If you really can’t convince yourself to exercise, in spite of the benefits to your heart, lungs, muscles, and mood, think of the example you set for your children! Do you want them to be sedentary or active?

Q: How many days per week do you run and do you follow a specific training schedule?
I used to be more devoted, and hardly ever missed a day – now that life is considerably more hectic, I commit to running 30-45 minutes, 5 days a week. I do about 100 crunches after each run, and for now that just has to be good enough!

Q: Do you have any mental tricks that you use when you just don’t feel like working out?
I think of how much better I’ll feel once I’m done, and how much easier it is to just DO it than it is to keep procrastinating the run. Then, I put on my workout clothes. Sometimes that’s the hardest part! Once they’re on, though, you really don’t want to take them off again without having used them!

Q: What is your favorite brand of running shoes/clothes?
I like Asics running shoes. I have really narrow feet, and they always seem to fit really well. I’ll wear any brand of clothes – I prefer built-in shelf bras in my tops to a separate jog bra.

Q: Random question: How do you reward yourself after a tough race/workout?
After a race, I usually go out to a good breakfast with the family, and then we go to the beach. After a hard workout, I usually feel rewarded in knowing that I completed it!

Here is a clip of Hannah demonstrating the ERGO baby carrier with her newborn girl just 3 weeks after giving birth. As you can see, she is definitely “One Fit Mommy”!

Thank you Hannah for being an inspiration!

You can see more interviews with other fit moms (and dads too!) over here.

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Hannah is definitely one fit ‘ERGOBaby’ mommy!

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