Exploring Cloth Diapering...

Sooo I've given in!! I have thought about since before Bella was born, but after watching my best friend Megan successfully and easily cloth diaper her daughter Anastasia, I've decided to give it a go. Not only will it save us money, but its super cute too :) My fears that were holding me back from doing it before were that it was still the old school "Little House on the Prairie" like in terms of cloth diapers... but it is SO not this way anymore!! No pins or towels! They are just like disposables (only cuter, softer and more absorbant....) but instead of tossing them in the trash, you toss them in the washer. I am slowly trying some out and so far I am really loving the pockets....especially my smartipants that I got for $36 (for 3 of them!) I have to thank Megan for convincing me that I could do it and she is very very right. So here is my thought to all you mommies out there that might be afraid of it... its not gross and not hard. Just watch out.... its easy to become obsessed! :)

Go Wear Fit Review

The BodyBugg has been pretty popular on shows like The Biggest Loser, but have you heard of the Go Wear Fit? I had the priveldge of trying this device for the past few weeks for myself. The Go Wea Fit is designed by the same company that makes the BodyBugg. They share the same revolutionary technology of counting your calorie burn with minor differences.

So what is the Go Wear Fit?

The Go Wear Fit will measure the number of calories you burn all day long, 24 hours a day. No more do you have to wonder what your RMR is. The GoWear Fit does the work for you. Strap on your armband and go. The GWF then is easily uploaded onto your computer so you can view your calorie burn—visualize the data for yourself and even see how many hours at night you are actually sleeping (Personally, I thought this was one of the coolest features of the device!)

If you track your calorie intake carefully, you can accurately determine your caloric defecit to help you reach your weight loss goals. GWF has their own activity manager that you can subscribe to and they will calculate this defecit for you.

The Go Wear Fit is not a heart rate monitor. Its not a pedometer. It has a 3 part system that includes the multi-sensor armband, the online activity manager and the display. The armband is a small computer that measures motion, heat flux and skin temperature to accuately measure your calorie burn, physical activity, steps taken, sleep duration and sleep efficiency.

Now I'll be honest. The biggest thing I was skeptical about when I went to try the GWF, was the accuracy. GWF claims that they have less than 10% error with the caloric burn. So I took this information for myself—strapped the armband on for 24 hours a day for 1 entire week. I measured and tracked every morsel of food that went into my mouth. The results shocked me!

*First of all—my average daily calorie burn was about 2300 calories. My highly active days, I burned as much as 2800. Low activity, non-workout days, were as low as right around 2000.

*I ate an average of 1600-1800 calories the week I wore the armband.

*My sleep efficiency was only 89%. I would be lying down for 8 hours but only sleep 6. What was I doing? Not sure! Haha!

*While I burn less calories during a workout than a larger person, I burn more calories during the day than I thought I did!

*From the GWF data, I should have lost a pound at the end of the week. I did in fact loose 1 pound at the end of the week.

So here are the PROS/CONS that I saw with this device:

PROS:

*Accuracy. I back up this device in terms of accuracy. I did all the number crunching, included the error that is possible and it did what it should have in terms of caloric expenditure.

*Learn more about your body's sleep habits.

*Makes you more aware of your daily activity—not just working out but an extra walk around the neighbohood

*Easy to use

*Helps makes weight loss clear and concise

CONS:

*You are wearing an armband. It looks like a radio on your arm. Its lightweight and I barely noticed it… BUT to get the most accurate readings you need to wear it as much as possible. This included a wedding during my week and I did in fact wear the armband. Did it match my dress? Not so much.

*The price. It IS cheaper than the bodybugg, but still not cheap. Its an investment in your health, however. Technology at its best.

*Tracking your food is still a challenge… you still have to do it. You still have to measure in order to loose weight

Overall, I was very happy with this device. As a personal trainer and nutrition specialist I would love for my clients to utilize this to help them reach their goals. I liked it so much, that Body Life Works is now offering the Go Wear Fit here.

Here's to our Health!

Recipe--Crockpot Soft Tacos!

Chicken Soft Tacos--Crockpot Style!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
16 oz jar of salsa
4 oz can diced green chilis
15 oz can black beans
15 oz can sweet corn
2 tbsp lime juice, or whatever you get from 1 lime

Put salsa, chicken and lime juice in the crockpot. Cook on high about 6hours or low all day. Shred the meat with 2 forks (it will pull aparteasily) and return to crockpot. Add the drained corn, rinsed blackbeansand diced green chilis. Cook another 1/2-1 hour on high until heatedthrough. Serve with tortillas and toppings of your choice. Serves 6.



Nutrition Info for 1 taco (not including tortilla) 230 calories1g fat 34g carbs 24g protein 9g fiber

Exercise Benefits

We all know that exercise can help you manage your weight, but what else can exercise do??

*A recent study states that exercise can actually help increase mental alertness in elderly patients. Read the article here

*Exercise boosts your immune system

*Exercise improves your skin

*Exercise improves mood and reduces stress

*Exercise makes stronger bones and muscles

*Exercise can prevent heart disease, diabetes, stroke, lung disease and many other diseases

Best Purchases Since having Bella

Since finding out I was pregnant, I have received and purchased many things....things I thought I would use a ton, others I thought I wouldn't use at all and then come to find out its all different than you expect, and probably different baby to baby as well. Here is my list of my best purchases since becoming pregnant and/or a parent:

5 BEST SO FAR

1. A good camera. I am now officially obsessed with photography. I love it. I'm obssessed with taking pictures of my daughter and a good camera is worth every penny. Of course remember ,that a good camera won't do all the work for you. I have taken a good amount of time learning about my camera and composition and am far from perfect. At the very least, I do recommend a nice point and shoot digital camera so you can capture all the memories :)

2. Ergo. #1 the best carrier I have tried. The sling was uncomfortable past 10 pounds. The Baby Bjorn always hurt my shoulders. The Ergo? FABULOUS. Worth every single penny! And its good up to 40 pounds. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE my Ergo!

3. Jogging Stroller. May not be the best purchase for non-active mommies-- but I AM active, so this was a great investment. Bella loves it, and I love involving her in exercise. Plus the one I have has the cool MP3 player built in so we can jam ;)

4. Bouncy Seat. Has gotten more than my money's worth out of this guy. Bella doesn't like to sit it for very long now that she is mobile, but from early on until she was crawling, she spent ALOT of time in this thing!! We have the Baby Bjorn BabySitter.

5. This one was a toss up for me. I think a good breast pump for BF'ing mommas is SUPER helpful and I used mine all the time when I was nursing (Medala)... but since I'm not nursing anymore, I have to choose my "vaccum cleaner" sounds CD that I downloaded from Itunes. When Bella was colicky, it seriously saved us all!! Thank goodness she doesn't need it anymore to fall asleep, but it was only $1.99 and worth every cent.

I know this list is different for every baby but these are just my experiences thus far :)

Exciting Review in Progress...

I'm pretty excited today because a very exciting product arrived at my doorstep for review over the next couple of weeks. GoWearFit (www.gowearfit.com) is in my house and charging as we speak... stay tuned for the review etc to come... these are the same makers of the Bodybugg!

Also...I've also joined Sam's After baby Body Challenge on her blog-- so be sure to show her some love! www.mamanotes.com


I'm also featured on Marcia's blog today :) Check out my interview and her blog here: http://missionpossible1.blogspot.com/2009/07/mission-possible-interview-with-mandy.html
She is one fab fitness-momma!

Third for today... Turbokick is about to rock Indy! If you are in the Indianapolis area, come check out the master class next Wednesday evening with my fav master instructor, Julie Voris. You can learn more at www.turbokick.com

Recovering from Holiday Bloat

So... how many of you are sitting there reading this blog entry wondering how you managed to gain 5 pounds this weekend??? Take a deep breath, you didn't actually gain 5 pounds of fat. Do you know how difficult it would actually be to gain that much fat in a few days? Very. However, retaining water when you've been busy at 4th of July cookouts instead of the gym can easily pack on some scale pounds that will make your jaw drop open Monday morning. Follow these tips to get rid of the holiday bloat and get back on your program. Remember though, that constantly indulging every weekend will not help your overall weight loss goals and will more than likely stall your progress. But ... if you are like me, and have a weekend (or couple of weeks a year) of indulgences, these tips can help you shed that bloat quickly.

1. Eat PROTEIN at breakfast. Like eggs. Studies show that those who eat eggs at breakfast are 5 times less likely to be overweight and 8 times less likely to overeat throughout the day. So its time to stop eating a granola bar for breakfast and start eating something hearty. I almost always eat oatmeal AND egg whites for breakfast with some berries. Gives me energy, keeps me full and boosts my metabolism.

2. Drink WATER. After a weekend or so of indulging, up your intake to even more than usual. Minimum of 80 ounces, more if you are exercising. Avoid carbonated beverages and alcohol. This alone should help you get rid of bloat within 3-5 days.

3. Eat a serving of raw nuts. Studies show that people who eat a serving of raw nuts a day reduce their appetite by 40 percent!

4. Omega-3s. Find something rich in them and eat it. Fish and flax seed are both good examples. Omega-3s are known to not only be good for your hair, nails and heart-- but they are also shown to help reduce water retention and boost your metabolism as well.

5. Get back into the exercise game. Sweat. It will help :)

Happy 4th of July!

Hello everyone! Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July. We had a pretty good weekend, our "staycation" as I like to call it :) Jerry and I were both off work for a few days and spent time reorganizing and cleaning the house, spending time with Bella, as well as with our friends. Time off always goes way too fast though!

Will be back to normal blogging, recipes, and fitness and parenting tips tomorrow!

Isabella is 9 months