The perfect Easter brunch!

For all of these ideas and more, visit Pinparties if you're throwing this years Easter brunch!!

Baby weight update

 

In my last post, I was excited that I had lost 15 pounds. That was a month ago, and since then, I've lost another 5 pounds! I honestly think that it could have been more but my family came to visit and I went off track a little bit, but I still maintained my weight which is GREAT because I ate A LOT of crap! That tells me that my metabolism is kicking itself back into gear and that what I'm doing will have long term results. This is a lifestyle change, not a short term diet.

I've also learned SO much more about the way a woman's metabolism works since then. Last Thursday, Dr. Oz had Julieanna Hever on his show to explain new research about how woman's hormones play into weight loss. It was AWESOME!! Seriously, this explained so much and I finally put the tips to the test yesterday, and lost 2 pounds. PLEASE watch this video, it will change your life. If you don't have the time though (you have no idea what you'll be missing out on), here are some basics:

- NEVER skip a meal. I used to do this all the time and never lost weight. I thought that less meals equaled less calories, equaled weight loss. This will destroy your metabolism. You need to eat within an hour of waking up and then don't go more than 4 hours without eating during the day. I eat every 3 hours with my last meal being at 6:30.

- Eat protein - Most woman don't get the protein they need to keep their metabolism going. You should aim for 20-25 grams per meal and snack, making up 30% of your daily calories. I know it sounds like a lot, but did you know that one cup of greek yogurt can have up to 20 grams of protein? I buy plain greek yogurt and use it in place of butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, and sometimes oil. For breakfast I will mix it with sriracha (spicy foods are good for the metabolism too) and put it on my eggs, and for snacks I will mix a cup with a little honey and cinnamon (also great for the metabolism). Here is a great table on foods you can substitute with greek yogurt:

- Eat foods that help your metabolism and aid in fat burning. Here is a list of my favorites:

• Coconut Oil. I use this whenever I need oil. It's also in my after dinner treat - paleo fudge. You can find the recipe here.
• Flax meal. I use this in my coffee, yogurt, oatmeal, really it's endless. Flax meal can be mixed into anything.
• Cinnamon. Again, I use this in my coffee, yogurt, and anything else that needs sweetness.
• Greek yogurt. My fave!!
• Rooibos tea. My favorite drink at Starbucks when I was preggo was the Rooibos tea latte. It has no caffeine so it was a great go to drink. I don't love tea, but I LOVED these. Then, I found out about all of the benefits. Seriously, this is the miracle tea... even better than green tea. Here is the latte recipe:

1 cup almond milk

1 cup water

1 rooibos tea bag

1 teaspoon vanilla syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon (I use more)



All you have to do is heat the almond milk and 1/2 c water with the tea bag for 2 minutes. Then add the other 1/2 c water and heat for 1 minute. Take out the tea bag (I find that my bag breaks so I take it out right away) and mix in the vanilla and cinnamon. That's it! It's SO yummy and SO good for you!

 

 

Again, it's REALLY important to track your calories. The lose it app is great because you type in your goal and how long you have to lose it and it will tell you how many calories you should be eating. NEVER go under 1200 calories, it will slow down your metabolism and your body will store fat. If you have to go under 1200, just move more to make up for the extra calories your eating.

 

I also use pinterest a lot. There are so many great low fat recipes. I post the ones I have tried that actually turned out great HERE. You should also try to limit your processed foods. This has been my favorite part... I love knowing everything that's going into my body, and now I even feel bad about the fiber one brownies I eat because I can't pronounce half the ingredients on the packaging.

 

I hardly ever eat out since I've been staying home and I drink A TON of water! I know that this has helped a ton. I also move as much as possible. I play with the kids a lot, lift them over my head, do squats above them while we play, and do crunches while lifting them in the air with my legs. When I watch TV I do lunges, squats, and crunches during commercial breaks and I try to get out and walk whenever it's sunny. I park in the back of parking lots and take the stairs. These little changes make a HUGE difference. It's so important to move more. Also, did you know that one hour of house cleaning burns 150 calories? Sex helps too!! :)

 

I hope this has inspired you. If you have any questions or would like to know what a typical week of eating looks like for me, please comment!!

co-sleeping and SIDS

New studies show that co-sleeping isn't as dangerous as it once was believed to be, so long as certain precautions are made. Here is a great article on how you can keep your infant safe in your bed.