The New Years "Resolutioners"

As a long time "gym goer", I've always dreaded this time of year.

I've even taken the month of January off from the gym and stuck to at home work outs just to avoid it.

For my fellow "gym buffs", y'all know that this is when the "New Years resolutioners" hit the gym in full force causing crowding in gyms all across the nation.

 

Completely shameless "gym selfie".

 

My definition of a "New Years resolutioner"...

Someone who:

1) Doesn't normally work out regularly

2) Feels guilty about what they ate during the holidays (Thanksgiving until now)

3) Is normally a "gym goer", but stopped going over the holidays, and is trying to "get back on the train"

 

And lastly...

 

4) Made a New Years resolution to lose weight and get in shape this year (as they do EVERY year).

Their motto is always, "This is THE year! For real this time!"

 

To be honest, these people used to annoy me.

They used to annoy me to all hell!!!

I used to enjoy watching the gym become less and less packed as the month of January wore on.

It meant people were saying "screw it", and going back to their old ways.

Then I could finally have "my gym" back with all the "regulars" I was used to seeing.

 

As I've gotten older and "more mature" (not totally mature yet....lol), I've learned to be a little bit more patient and grew a little more compassion in my heart.

 

With the obesity rate in America at an all time high, and diseases like diabetes and heart disease being so rampant amongst us, I am all about a "healthier America".

After the New Year, I went to my gym at the same time I always do with a positive outlook.

I had the mentality that maybe I can motivate someone to continue coming for the rest of their life instead of quitting a month into it.

While statistically, the gym will start dying down once the end of the month comes, I hope that at least ONE person decides to change their lifestyle for a healthier, fitter life.

So instead of being annoyed at the crowds in the gym, and being annoyed that I had to wait for a machine...

 I switched up my work out to accommodate the machines that WERE open,

Something as simple as changing your attitude and your outlook at the gym can make your January gym experience way more enjoyable.

 

Motivate someone...and take more gym selfies!

I like to take candid photos of my hot husband while he lifts/squats.

Another shameless gym selfie!

Health, Fitness, & Social Media

 I'm THAT person on social media.

I post my work outs, I take post run/pre run "selfies" and put on my instagram.

I post my RunKeeper results for everyone to see.

I've actually pulled back a little lately, because I realized all the photos kinda looked the same.

Someone told me I was vain and fishing for compliments...rude. 

The reality is, when I post things like that on social media, it keeps me accountable.

It's nice to get encouragement from others, and it's also nice when people tell me that my "post run selfie" I put on Instagram motivated them to get out and go for a run that day.

I also enjoy looking at other people's fitness posts and photos of their pre/post workouts.

I'm one of THOSE people that will spend way too much time on Instagram looking at all the photos that people have hashtagged with #running, #fitness, #anythingthatisfitnessrelated.

And to all my beautiful friends who post their run times, mileage, PR's, Crossfit videos, etc. etc. etc....

KEEP IT UP, cause I LOVE looking at them!

I received two messages on Facebook this week in regards to my love affair with fitness.

 

"Why do you work out so much?"

-It feels good. It's a natural high, and the endorphins my body produces is the most amazing feeling in the world. Even when every muscle in my body hurts, and I can barely move from a work out, it's the best kind of pain. This is probably reason #1.

 

-Reason #2 would be I want to look hot for my husband.  I was fit when we got married, and I plan to stay that way for eternity. Everyone has their "type" and their "preference". Nick just so happens to have noticed my legs and abs when he first saw me outside of cammies, and I am convinced that he fell a little in love with me that day (even though it was only our first date).

Nick is the farthest thing from shallow, and I'm confident I could gain a 100lbs, and he'd still love me unconditionally.

  But he stays looking good for me, so I return the favor :)

Besides...we are happiest as a couple when we feel good about ourselves.

 This photo was taken just an hour prior to going to Nick's apartment for our first official date (which is why I have a SoCo and Dr. Pepper to calm my nerves).

This is what I wore with some pretty banging heels. :)

He talks about these white shorts and heels I wore to this day.

 

"You talk about running like I do a spa day."

A friend sent me this on facebook the other day and commented that I talk about running like she does a spa day. lol.

I chuckled.

 -Running and working out ARE my spa days, and lucky me, I get to have a "spa day" EVERY day!

It destresses me.

It helps me decompress.

And bonus...I get fit in the process!

Living an active lifestyle and being healthy are some of our top priorities in the Romer house.

We could lose everything tomorrow, but at least I'll have my health, my running shoes, and an open road somewhere for my running shoes to pound.

I'm no fitness expert, nor do I have the perfect body.

I think the words "perfect body" are just ridiculous.

But I can tell you this...

My body is perfect for me...

This body's given birth to TWO beautiful children.

I've seen this body do things in the gym that I never thought I'd ever be able to do.

Take care of your body...

It's the only one you get.

Just a Jumble of Things

 Another Snow Day...blech

 This is what I woke up to this morning.

You can't really tell in this pic, but it's "pouring snow".

I'm not one of those people who get excited about "snow days" (as you probably already know if you've followed my blog or Facebook for a while now).

I wrote a post about my "winter blues" last month, and how weather like this affects my overall mood.

So today, I'm feeling "bluesy". 

I feel trapped inside my home, and almost claustrophobic.

Seriously...once again...I will complain....

I am counting down the days till we are out of this frozen tundra.

And to my friends in Alaska...I don't know how y'all do it up there!!!

I can't even handle Massachusetts!

The Grown Up Cutting Board

I purchased my very first "nice" cutting board along with some mineral oil to take care of it.

I didn't know how ridiculously expensive they could be!

But after some research and talking to some friends, I was convinced it's a "must have".

I'm so glad I listened!

Just chopping my vegetables and stuff on it feels so much more different than my old cheap cutting boards!

I feel all "chefy".

My Future Crossfitter

I love Crossfit.

I incorporate it as much as I can into my normal work outs.

It's totally helped tighten and tone everything back into place since having my second baby.

BUUUT, I'm not one of those hardcore "I ONLY Crossfit and eat Paleo" type of people.

(Kinda like those crazy turbo people).

I do eat a "loose" Paleo diet, and it's been so good to me.

Anyway, I love that my daughter is obsessed with my workout equipment at home, but she freaks me out when I see my little 4 year old trying to carry around my kettlebells and weights.

I just see an accident waiting to happen.

So I got on Amazon, and found a company called "Wod Toys", and found all kinds of "pretend" Crossfit equipment.

I ordered a kettlebell, and it's seriously the best purchase ever!

My daughter does "her work out" with it at least 5 times a day! lol.

I think it's important to show our kids through example of a healthy lifestyle, and I am loving my little "WOD'er".

Random Valentine's Day Stuff

 Everyone knows my love for Valentine's Day.

Y'all can read about it here.

Dannika and I spent an evening crafting away and making home made Valentine's Day decorations for our house.

I like to be a little festive, and she had a ton of fun gluing the paper chains together.

It was fun bonding time.

It would have been more fun if Mattis wouldn't have kept screaming for attention while we were trying to make pretty things.

Gosh...doesn't he get it?! :)

This year, I made personalized Valentines for Dannika to take to school to pass out off Shutterfly.

I also sat down with her for a painstakingly 45 minutes while she wrote all 11 kids names on each Valentine from her class.

Oh, and it just so happens that EVERY single kid in her class has a ridiculously long name.

The Birthday Party Invite

Dannika got invited to her first birthday party for a classmate at school.

She was so excited when I picked her up from preschool yesterday to show me her invitation.

It's a party at Chuck E Cheese. 

I hate Chuck E. Cheese.

My daughter loves Chuck E. Cheese.

I guess we'll be going Chuck E. Cheese for a birthday party!

Sweet Moment

When I went to wake up my daughter the other morning, I noticed that this photo of my husband had been moved on her shelf next to her bed to face her.

I asked her if she had been looking at daddy's picture.

Her response absolutely melted my heart.

She said, "I moved daddy's picture closer to me so that he can watch me while I sleep every night."

She sure does miss her daddy.

Makes me think how much harder these short and long separations are getting as she gets older.

I feel like when she was a baby, she didn't know the difference between him being gone for a day or 7 months.

Now, I feel like she really starts to feel the days without him around.

Tiger Mom/Asian Parenting 101

Since school is cancelled today cause of snow, it doesn't mean it's cancelled in our home.

We spent an hour this morning working on penmanship, numbers, big and little letters, and words.

I couldn't believe how frustrated I would get when she kept writing her "Z's" backwards.

I caught myself raising my voice at her, and then I realized I was becoming my parents.

My parents raised me in a stereotypical "Asian parenting" home.

I remember having to learn my multiplication tables an entire year before I even learned them at school.

My dad used to yell at me when I couldn't spit out the answers fast enough.

ie:

Dad: what's 9x5?

Me: umm...

Dad: WHAT IS IT?!

Me: uhhh....(panic)

Dad: That's not fast enough! You have to say it faster! You haven't memorized it enough!

Me: 45?

Dad: (look of disappointment).

It's not quite the way I want to raise my kids, but I do want a healthy balance of "Tiger parenting" and my own style.

I mean, I guess Tiger parenting can be a little harsh at times, but there really are some awesome results, and some amazingly smart and bright children that come out of these homes.

Love

She got dressed for school, and came downstairs with this green necklace on.

She said, "Mommy, I am wearing this green necklace to school today because green is my daddy's favorite color."

Yeah...she's definitely a daddy's girl...no question about it.

I told her to smile with her eyes (or in Tyra Banks terms, "Smeyes".)

This is what I got...lol.

Tyra Banks would be proud.

Just me and the kiddos.

We are seriously counting down the days when daddy comes home!

He comes home next weekend for President's Day Weekend/Valentine's Day!

We're so excited!

I Think I'll Dance Today

It's official.

I am back in my pre pregnancy size 2 jeans!

Allow me to gloat a little.

I've seriously worked my @$$ off these last 4 months.

Hours of working out and countless miles on the pavement even on days I didn't want to.

Knee pain and knee flair ups...

I FORCED myself.

I even had to practice some major self control over the holidays which meant I didn't quite get to fully enjoy just indulging on some delicious food.

(Maybe that was a good thing)

But it was SO worth it!

I'm totally regretting not taking a "before" pic now.

I was SO self conscious of my body after having the baby that I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror naked.

But it goes to show you that if you aren't happy with something, fix it.

Hard work and discipline.

Let me just add that these jeans did not even fit me prior to finding out I was pregnant with Baby #2.

I had knee surgery 2 years ago, and in the recovery and physical therapy process, I gained 5lbs and all of my jeans were fitting super snug and uncomfortable.

I know 5lbs doesn't seem like a lot, but I have a naturally small frame, and I'm only 5'4.

Five pounds on my frame is the difference between a size 2 and a size 6.

It's crazy because it took me 10 months for me to get back into these jeans after I had Dannika.

I really think that breastfeeding had a huge role in my post pregnancy weight loss.

I've always been a "workout-a-holic", but I didn't breastfeed Dannika past 6 weeks.

 It took me A LOT longer to lose the weight with her.

 Not to mention, I gained 65lbs with Dannika and only 35 with Mattis.

I was even taking weight loss supplements after my first pregnancy, and it took me 10 months.

I haven't been taking any supplements this time because I'm breast feeding.

Oh, and in my overly dramatic excitement this morning in wearing my old jeans, I fell down my stairs and scraped my knee really bad.

But it was in jeans that didn't fit me since after my knee surgery before pregnancy!!!! Win!!!

Let me go do my happy dance now.

Y'all can resume normal activities.

Hello, 1st Day of Winter

It's December 21st.

The OFFICIAL first day of Winter.

So far, we have built our first snowman of the season...

 And by "we", I mean Dannika and Nick, cause EVERYONE knows that this girl doesn't play in snow!

 AND YES...OUR SNOWMAN IS A DALLAS COWBOYS FAN!

BOOYAH!

My "punkin" had her last day of school for 2013.

I absolutely can not fathom the fact that this time next year, she will be a Kindergartener.

Seriously.

When did this happen?!

Last night, we put the kids in their Christmas jammies, got hot chocolate at Dunkin Donuts, turned on Christmas music on Pandora, and drove around town to different neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights.

 Unfortunately, I can not take credit for this idea, but I'm glad we did it!

On a side note, people in Orange County are so over the top with everything, and I was expecting the same out here (not knowing any better). 

While we did see some gorgeous lights, and Dannika thought ALL of the houses that had any sort of light was "beautiful and amazing", none of them really compared to the lights people put up in Southern California.

I blame the weather.

No one wants to spend hours outside in the freezing cold (like my husband did) to put up lights. 

I get it, New England...I forgive you, cause I sympathize with you and hate the cold too.

 After we got home, we sat in the living room and just hung out as a family watching TV.

 It was a perfect evening.

I find it harder during the holidays to find the motivation to work out daily.

I have managed to get my butt off the couch AT LEAST 5 times a week to crossfit and spin.

So we are renting our home here in Massachusetts, because we have no reason to ever want to move back here once the military takes us away from here again.

I forgot how nice it was to own a house, until we became renters again.

In the home we own in California, we had granite counter tops in every room in the house, and it's a little luxury that we took for granted until we moved to a home without one.

If you've never had the pleasure of having granite...it will seriously change your life...

Ok...maybe not your life, but it is really nice.

Thank God that our landlord wanted granite put into our house.

She let us pick out the granite, the sinks, the fixtures...everything.

She just wrote the check.

Oh, how we've missed you granite.

Lastly, my daughter and I wanted a "mommy/daughter" day.

She packed her little purse with lip gloss, bracelets, toys, and other knick knacks, and she couldn't wait for it to be "just us girls".

We were going to go to Michael's to buy arts and crafts suppies, then head to Ben & Jerry's for milkshakes.

WEEELLLL....

I forgot it's the last weekend before Christmas.

The traffic was crazy....horrendous....

And after 30 minutes sitting still, we turned around and headed home.

Dannika was so heartbroken, and I felt so bad.

So we ended up stopping at the CVS next to our house to get her a candy bar.

And in my best twangy Texas accent...

"People have dang lost their dang minds out there!"

I hope everyone's done with their Christmas shopping, and are getting to enjoy these last few days before the big day!

Merry Christmas!

PT, PT, Every-day...

Build my body the Marine Corps way...

Lo-righty-lay-o...

As of now, I have 10 more pounds to lose before I am at pre baby weight!!!

woo hoo!

I run 4-6 miles, 3 times a week.

I spin and Crossfit 4 times a week.

My husband and I have always eaten healthy.

We rarely eat red meat.

We eat lean proteins.

We don't eat carbs after breakfast.

It's all about diet and exercise!

I do a lot of Crossfit....

I do a crap ton of planks...

I want my abs back...

 I've even got my daughter doing them with me. 

yes that is sweat...

This was after my 6 mile run.

I run...

A lot. 

I've been trying to take advantage of what little "snowless" weather we have left here in New England.

My daughter runs the last mile with me at the end of my runs.

She's pretty quick considering she's only 4!

I always hear my mommy friends complaining that they don't have time to stay in shape, or that things hurt so it's hard to exercise.

Listen people...

I had knee surgery a year ago.

My knee is all sorts of whacked out.

I do what I can to work around my injury, and slow down when I need to.

I wrap and tape myself up when running...

It's all possible!

But really, it's all about making time.

I run with BOTH of my kids in a jogging stroller.

I crossfit and spin during my son's nap time, and while my daughter is in school.

Two hours of my day is for me.

 Staying fit is important to me.

I want to be a good example for my kids, and...

I wanna look good for my man!

:-)

Another Happy Update

I've been up since 530 am, and it's a Saturday.

I'm not up because of the baby.

My husband has to work today, and usually, he takes over "parental duties" on Saturday mornings.

It's a day I look forward to ALL week long, but since he's not here, I figured I'd get my butt out of bed early, make some coffee, have some breakfast, and just enjoy the peacefulness of the house before the kids are awake.

I am almost 9 weeks post partum, and I am ridiculously giddy with my post pregnancy weight loss progress.

I bought a ball dress yesterday in a size 4....yes...a size 4!!!!

My normal pre pregnancy size is usually a 2 in ball gowns and a 4 in jeans.

I wrote an earlier blog post (that I can't seem to find right now to link to) that my goal was to be in a size 4 ball gown for the Marine Corps Ball this year.

I also said that I didn't think that was a realistic goal, but I am happy to say that I comfortably fit into a 4!!!!!!

I still have a long ways to go as far as toning up some of my loose skin on my belly, and losing about 10 more pounds to be exactly where I was at, but I'm really excited that all my hard work is paying off!

 

As y'all know already, after I had my daughter, it took me nearly a year to lose the baby weight.

So after I had this baby, I was determined to make sure it did not take me as long.

Just like most women, I used pregnancy as an excuse to indulge a little more than I normally would.

Although I was a LOT more mindful about indulging during this pregnancy than my first, it doesn't mean that I made great choices all the time when it came to my sweet cravings.

I gained a ridiculous amount of unnecessary weight with my first pregnancy.

I didn't gain nearly as much with baby 2, but I still did gain a little more than I would have liked. 

So here are two things that have been working for me (in case y'all are wondering)...

1) NUTRITION...DUH!

My husband and I don't eat pasta, bread or rice...NONE (unless we are doing a cheat meal or out to eat at a restaurant)! Our lunches and dinners are packed with protein and vegetables. I hate the idea that people think that we HAVE to have a starch with meals. NO YOU DON'T! I'll add quinoa to a meal if I'm really missing having that starch with a meal. Our meals are packed with protein and vegetables. Also, since I'm breastfeeding, for breakfast, I eat a bowl of oatmeal to help with my milk supply. My diet really didn't change much from before or during pregnancy, but I cut out all the "pregnancy cravings" that I gave in to during pregnancy. Healthy eating is really just a way of life. It's not something you can just do to lose weight, then go back to nasty eating habits.

I also enjoy a cup of coffee every morning :-)

My favorite K-Cup right now is Donut Shop's "coconut mocha" flavor.

People also get the wrong idea when I say that my husband and I eat super healthy and clean.

They think our meals are bland, tasteless, etc.

So not true!!

I usually take any recipe I find online, and swap out ingredients for healthier ones.

For instance, I made this stuffed acorn squash from Marshall's Abroad.

Instead of using chorizo (which can be really high in fat), I replaced it with chicken sausage (they also make chicken chorizo at Whole Foods).

I also replaced the gorgonzola cheese for a light feta cheese.

It was delicious!

My husband LOVED it, and when he took leftovers to work the next day, his coworkers were all jealous.

 

My husband NEVER eats breakfast.

Usually because he is rushing out the door to go to work at some ridiculous hour in the morning (4am-5am).

I am a strong believer that if you don't eat breakfast, you're setting yourself up for failure for the rest of the day.

I found this cool recipe on pinterest where you put eggs in a muffin tin, bake them, and you have mini omelets!

I scrambled a dozen eggs, poured them in a greased muffin tin, put a little handful of chopped spinach and mushrooms in each tin, and topped each one with some goat cheese. 

I popped them in the oven for 10 minutes at 425 degrees.

I put them in individual ziplock bags and put them in the freezer.

Every morning, my husband makes his coffee, grabs a mini omelet from the freezer and goes to work.

Once he gets to work, he can microwave his breakfast and eat!

 

Also, I bought some really nice and expensive non stick pans.

It's so worth the money because I use half the olive oil (or whatever oil) I used to use (with my old pans) when sauteing or cooking different foods.

Olive oil is a super healthy fat to add to your dishes, but at the end of the day, it's still extra fat that you're adding. 

You can still have it in your dish for the healthy aspect (and so that your food doesn't stick to your pan), but it's even better in moderation!

Most people tend to add so much oil to their food when cooking because their food keeps sticking to their pans.

Invest in a good non stick pan!

2) Work Out Routine

I work out everyday. I know a lot of people tell me I need a day of rest, and I totally agree. I choose to do an active rest day. Usually that means I either go on a really slow and short jog. My hour or two each day that I make for myself to work out is my stress reliever. It's the time of day when I can clear my thoughts and get a work out in at the same time which is why I don't have a "day off". I run, spin, and Crossfit. I'm looking forward to joining a box when my son can be put in childcare at the gym.

I'm also blessed to have a husband who is as passionate about fitness as I am, and it makes it a lot more fun when we can motivate each other. 

"A family that runs together, stays together."

If you enjoy running, you can't live without a BOB jogging stroller. Seriously.

This stroller is God's gift to mommies and daddies who love to run.

I have the BOB Duallie Revolution.

All of these things have really been working for me as far as post pregnancy weight loss.

I also feel that breastfeeding has helped a TON.

A couple of my friends said that breastfeeding made them keep some of the pounds on, but it's been completely untrue for me. 

I hope this helps anyone who's having some trouble getting the baby weight off!

I'd love to hear about what you're doing that's working for you! 

And of course, I can't let you go without sharing some pics of my little family :-)

Seriously though....

I don't know what I'm gonna do with her...

 Or him...

Or those cheeks...

So in love...

Post Pregnancy Weight Loss

Post pregnancy weight loss sucks.

There's no other way to put it.

I LOVE to work out, and I LOVE to stay in shape.

Fitness is a HUGE part of our family's life, and the only time I've ever been in a position to lose weight is after I have a baby.

I've maintained a pretty fit and healthy lifestyle for the majority of my adult life, so I've always worked out to "maintain".

I've never had to lose weight....except for after I have babies.

And it sucks.
I've been running, spinning, and Crossfitting for the last 3 weeks.
I don't eat carbs after breakfast.

I'm impatient, so when I don't see results right away, I get frustrated.

I just want my body back.

I want my stomach that's been stretched out to carry a baby for 9 months to go back to the way it was before....tight and toned.

It also drives me insane when people tell me things like, "It's only been 6 weeks."

I know it's only been 6 weeks!

Can't a girl just mope a little?

Remember how I said I never looked at the scale when I was pregnant?
Because of that, I'm not sure exactly how much weight I gained, and how much I've lost since giving birth.
Based on how my pants are fitting though, I'm guessing I have another 10 to 15 more lbs to lose.

BLAH!

On a random note...
Breastfeeding is going good...not great.
But definitely not bad to where I want to stop.
Breastfeeding is tough, but I'm enjoying it a lot more with my son than I did with my daughter.
I've also been pumping once or twice a day...

There's all 150ozs so far.
And since breastfeeding supposedly helps you burn calories, it's more of a reason for me to continue doing it.
Can I just add though that running for a breastfeeding mama kinda sucks.
I'm sure you can imagine why.

Little man had is one month well check last week.
He's 12lbs 8ozs and 22 inches long.
He's chunky.
90% for his weight!

And the "Duchess" of our home is still doing great.
She's an awesome big sister, and such an amazing help to me.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!