What to do with Fall Fashion?

I am normally super excited for all the Fall fashion magazines to arrive on my door step. I love pouring through the pages in search of this year's latest trends and styles.  I then start my careful planning for what to purchase and what portion of my budget goes to what including my favorite....SHOES!  This year is very different.  I am starting to feel like a bog blog.  Please don't misunderstand me I am very excited and happy for this baby to come but I am  not 100% comfortable in my own skin these days.  The mirror can be a very scare place.  I have tried to embrace maternity clothes but I have to say I find them less then stellar.  My mom tells me not to complain as they had even less options.  I am just having a hard time understanding the costs and why people want to wear loud obnoxious prints or these t-shirts with really silly sayings.  So my options not the extensive.  What is a pregnant chick who wants to stay chic and fashionable to do.....?

Pregnancy acne

Who knew acne was going to make a huge debut during my pregnancy.!  Well it has arrived and really makes for a shining beacon of confidence!   I started doing some reading on this and well it seems I have run into another wall because the topical face wash proactive that I am using is not recommended while pregnant.  I will need to bring this one up with the doctor tomorrow since I have been using it throughout the last 16 weeks.  I do have to say when you are pregnant it is like living in a bubble.  If anyone has any safe pregnant skin care solutions for acne I would love to hear them.  I found this line below shown below.

why are pregnant women obsessed with plaid?

I have noticed a growing trend in my quest to find fashion amongst flats and maternity clothes as I embrace my second trimester.  I am shocked to find how many loud prints including obnoxious plaid are considered viable pregnancy options.  I am sorry Heidi Klum I know your are a maternity designer and valued judge on Project Runway but why must you encourage the use of bad plaid?  This just does not make sense to me.  If you have an explanation for the following bad plaid disasters that are consider maternity fashion please indulge me.

why does pregnancy = no fashion?

Okay so I have decided to redirect the direction of this blog and begin to talk about my pregnancy experience.

Few things to state up front:

1. I am 13 weeks pregnant
2. I lost 25 pounds prior to pregnancy
3. I have completely lost the will to work out
4. Since learning I am pregnant we have gutted our entire kitchen as part of a home improvement project
5. I have FSGS this is a kidney disease I have had since I am 6 years old.  This make my pregnancy high risk.
6. I am a shoe addict!  I have had to tamper back my heel height.
7. Prior to pregnancy I considered myself a fashionable person - these days leggings and sweat pants are so appealing!

I think that covers the need to knows.  So my first topic is why does pregnancy automatically mean there is no such thing as style?  And will someone please tell me who thought it was a good idea to name a maternity line Moody Mamas.  Yes we are freakin moody but why are you going to remind of us that?  What once use to be an exercise in retail therapy is now just another frustration I would prefer not to take part in. 

Here are the store I have found so far that are not ridiculously expensive and still have some style in maternity clothes:

• Old Navy
• Loft 
• Gap
• Target - however they are the ones with the line titled Moody Mamas

workout rut

So I was doing so great with the diet and working out and then came along stress and deadlines for work.  I fell off the workout ban wagon and it has been two weeks and I have been traveling a lot.  Looking to find the motivation to get back to working out.  I am also not so please that I gained back 5 of the 21 pounds I lost.  Need to motivate myself!

Stalemate

Can be defined as a noun- stalemate - a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible;"reached an impasse on the negotiations".

This is exactly where I currently am in terms of a few thing and not just my diet, exercise and weight loss.  The question is now how to motivate and push through?  I am looking for a change; possibly warmer weather, maybe less stress or even the ability to fit into a different size then I currently am.  The question then becomes what is realistic?  

I am thinking it is better to tackle each stalemate separately.  Then as I accomplish a few smaller tasks I can find motivation to work on the bigger topics/tasks that are currently stuck in a stalemate.  Now on to find a few small things to get motivated on....

Commonality

Today I am not going to write about nutrition, weight or exercise.  Today I am going to write about seeking out people with similar experiences.  I am a strong believer in everything happens for a reason.  Also that there is a reason we meet certain people and go through similar experiences.  Recently I have found a few examples of this in my life.

Since I was first diagnosed with FSGS at 7 years old I struggled to feel normal.  I struggled to find those I could relate to until recently.  It started with one and then I found a group of people with FSGS or family members with FSGS and now I have a whole support group that I can turn to for help, advice, ideas, etc.
I have also found since my dad passed away 2 years ago I find more people around me who have also suffered losses in their lives.  Again unfortunate grounds to have in common but it helps with a sense of normalcy to say they know what I am going through.  They really understand me.

I believe that when character is tested the brightest shine through and humanity bonds together.  People find commonality and sense of belonging when there are others just like them.  Not masses just a few individuals just like them, to feel normal.  Some how I belong.  Some how I am not alone.  Some how it will all be okay.

You are what you eat

Could not be a more true statement.  Since starting the diet and exercise program 1 month and 1 day ago I have lost 15 pounds!  very exciting!  I have realized it does not happen over night and requires constant attention.  I have made lifestyle changes to accomplish this. Tomorrow will prove to be an obstacle as it is Superbowl Sunday and I know there will be all those fattening and high calorie food around.  I feel like I need to design a strategy just to make it through the game! I hope to loose another 10 pounds in the month ahead!  We will see where this leads.  I will remain optimistic.  I need to to get a new play list for my ipod starting to get bored with the options.

Who knew being blue was good for you!

Blue is a appetite suppressant.  I have been reading that to help curb your appetite to:

1. Change the light bulb in you fridge to blue aka the "diet light"
2. Dye your food blue by adding food coloring
3. serve your meals on blue plates 
4. Have blue tablecloth and napkins

This can all be found in the Color Matters website.  If you look to nature there are not many naturally blue foods.  I never would have though to look to colors for mood inspiration and as an appetite suppressant.

Time to make some changes!

It is all in the box. The lunch Box.

Okay so I only made it to the gym twice so far this week.  I know that is not the greatest but work threw a few curve balls that derailed the exercise plan.  I was pretty good so far this week with the diet.  I am still keeping the food journal separately.  I cheated once this week and had a grilled cheese with tomatoes and a side of waffle seasoned fries with sour cream.  Very delicious not so nutritious!

I am not searching for a lunch box/tote to take food with me as I go.  I have gotten really into this meal planning business.  I also even just subscribed to Shape magazine.  Go me! I am open to lunch box suggestion.  Not exactly sure what I am looking for.  There is a lot of options.  You have insulated, you have green options, fashionable options, technical/gadget focused options, cartoon options.  Way too many choice for me to make a decision so far!  I remember my lunch boxes from childhood.  I turned my my little pony lunch box into a switch alarm for my 5th grade innovation/inventions fair.  My dad helped me build it and I believe I got second place.  I made the town newspaper.  Wow never realized that was such an important lunch box!  Wonder what talent this next lunch box will have?

Things I do not understand about the gym....

Now that I am getting into this regular diet and exercise thing, I have started to notice more around me when I am at the gym.  Here is a recap of some of my observations:

1. Why do some women think it is necessary to wear make-up while working out? by the time you are done working out you look like a crayon left out on the picnic table in the sun.  Not attractive ladies!
2. Perfume, cologne, musk, body spray etc. the more you are the worse it is!
3. Sequins, jewels, glitter, bedazzled, sparkles etc. not welcomed at the gym.  Too distracting and especially not necessary on your ass.
4. Wording around your ass.  Why?  Are you getting paid to advertise something to me as I am on the elliptical behind you?
5. Looking anything like Ke$ha while working out.  If you are too tired to get dressed, put on shoes and practice some general hygene you have more serious issues that I highly doubt a treadmill can fix!  I am just saying.
6. People who concern themselves with your workout.  Don't be all up in what I am doing and trying to read my work out plan and calories burned.  That is between myself and the machine.  Not public knowledge! 
7. I get feeling the burn and an intense workout but groaning, weird noises and the the machine actually moving for the position it was originally in is generally not a good sign.  Maybe time to slow it down and real it back in.
8. 'Chatty Cathy's" I don't need to know about everyone on your blocks business.  You should go out for coffee or lunch with the person to discuss so and so kids or how Ethel cheated in last months lawn decorating contest.
9. Attention this is not your home, living room own personal space!  You can't through your crap every where including but not limited to the majority of the machines around you.
10. Talking very loud on your cell phone on personal calls.  Again I did not come to the gym to listen to your version of day time drama.  Save it for you momma.  No seriously the rest of us are not interested in what Jake, Mike and Susie did over the weekend.

There are some of my observations to date.  As I experience more I will make sure to share.  They never said the gym would be full of these type of distractions.  Here I thought I had to worry about getting myself to the gym and focused on my work out.  Now I know it is yet another social jungle.

Neglecting the blog but not the diet

So I have been bad at posting on the blog but I have been keeping my food journal and also stayed with the diet and exercise.  I am not doing sit-ups with the "perfect sit-up" I ordered off tv.  I find this funny because I have never purchased anything from tv, ever!  I went to my nephrologist aka kidney doctor today and seems the diet and exercise are also helping out with the FSGS.  I need to remember to try and keep as low salt of a diet as I possibly can.  I have actually trained my taste buds to really not enjoy salt at all.  When I was a kid I would play the salt is poison game and that seems to really work for me.  I have found Mrs. Dash makes a variety of spices that are really great to cook with.  Plenty of taste, no salt and a happy me!

Start of a new week

Okay so I keep to the diet all day even took a one day road trip with Ken to Scranton, PA to check out the Stream Train Museum by packing our own food!

Here is what I ate today:

• Breakfast: oatmeal, small glass of orange juice and coffee
• Morning snack: light baby bell cheese
• Second snack: 5 celery sticks and a tablespoon of peanut butter
• Afternoon snack 15 cheese-its and 1 apple
• Dinner: 1 cup miso soup, green tea and sushi!

I also started developing a lemon poppy seed marinade for chicken which I will grill and chop up to put in a strawberry, lemon poppy seed salad! This new diet challenges me to come up with creative and healthy food combination.

I also visited a organic food store yesterday which I found this really interesting tea that I have been drinking between meals http://www.amazon.com/Yogi-Healthy-Fasting-Supplement-16-Count/dp/B0009F3SB4

Things I have learned so far

If you are going to do a diet and exercise program here are some things I have learned:

1. Men seem to loose more weight and faster then women do
2. It cost more money $$$ to eat right then to eat fast food and other stuff!
3. You pay way too much attention to food commercials on tv
4. You find yourself looking to see what other people are eating
5. Most of your extracurricular reading is nutrition labels and recipes deciding if this is something you can in fact eat
6. You loath your scale
7. Wonder if in fact you will ever get back into the jeans you use to fit in who knows how long ago
8. Read stories about how people lost 100 plus pounds (side not each story they go on an on about how it was easy to do)
9. Start to potential fall for the diet and exercise commercials on tv
10. Drink way more water
11. look for reasons to occupy time
12. You find your self in store or aisles of the food store you never knew existed like a safari in the food store

I am sure there are more I still have to discover but they have not smacked me in the face just yet.

Here is what I ate today:

• Breakfast oatmeal, drinkable yogurt and a glass of orange juice
• Lunch tuna salad with tomatoes and cucumbers
• afternoon snack orange
• second afternoon snack blackberries and then a little after hot peppers
• Dinner 1 glass wine (first one of the week) lasagna salad and cup of cantaloupe for dessert

In summary I worked out 4 times this week on the elliptical for 45 mins each time.  Weight lost not 100 percent sure because some days it is down 2 pounds then back up 3 pounds. So perhaps 1 pound in total which I will not lie is discouraging but I will continue on for the second week! 

Made it through the Friday temptations!

These temptations including a chocolate cake called the bomb and bagels (a huge weakness of mine!).

Instead this is what I ate today:

• Breakfast: drinkable yogurt, bran cereal with skim milk and orange juice
• Morning snack: blackberries and piece of lite baby bell cheese
• Lunch: vegetable sandwich
• Afternoon snack: 15 low fat cheese its and an apple
• Dinner: Seared sesame tuna with orange ginger glaze over rice with steamed Asian vegetables  

Here is the link if you are interested: http://seafood.betterrecipes.com/seared-sesame-tuna-with-orange-ginger-glaze.html

I now know why models are always so grumpy...

because they are hungry.  Cheap shot but I feel like when dieting someone can be moodier.  Maybe that is just me but I notice a difference. 

Okay so I still stuck to the diet today and let me tell you I feel like I am starving!  I also have never drank so much water in my entire life!  I feel like drinking water is a new hobby. 

So here is the breakdown of what I ate today:

• Breakfast: Bran cereal with skim milk, small glass of orange juice and drinkable yogurt
• Morning snack: baby bell light cheese
• Lunch: Vegetable sandwich
• Afternoon snack celery and 1 and half tablespoons of peanut butter
• Ride home from work to dentist 15 low fat cheese its and 1 apple
• Dinner small pork chop, 1/2 sweet potato and 2 and 1/2 cups of peas

I have been reading all of these celebrities and work out people's success stories and they all seem so tough.  I am beginning to wonder if I have what this take to keep this up?!?  Only time will tell and I am counting down the days to see the nutritionist in hopes she will have some great praise for how I am doing.

Wednesday slump....

Okay now all I do is see food everywhere I go.  Today I had an all day work meeting that they brought in food from the cafeteria.  All the things I love like bagels, croissants and cream of tomato soup and I resisted it all! 

Here is what I ate today:

• Breakfast: glass orange juice, usually morning coffee, small bowl of bran cereal with skim milk and a a drinkable yogurt
• Morning snack baby bell lite cheese and blackberries
• Lunch vegetable sandwich
• Afternoon snack small serving of low fat cheese-its and a cup of fruit
• Dinner chicken broth with pasta and a salad with turkey, avocados and tomatoes tossed in oil and vinegar.

Still does not make this any easier.  I also did my morning weigh in and some how gained a pound!  I will keep monitoring this and see what the nutritionist says in two weeks when I go back.

No deviations from the diet so far

Okay this is going to be harder then I anticipated because it involves control over what I eat.  I am so use to eating what ever I want, whenever I want it.  This new diet requires planning ahead.  I have to anticipate my next meal and pack lunch and snacks from home.

What has today's food consisted of?
Breakfast 7:30 am glass oranage juice, bran cereal w/ skim milk and a dannon drinkable yogurt
Morning snack 10:30 am lite baby bell cheese
Lunch 12:30 1 cup of cooked tri-color pasta with half a can of tuna mixed in and 1/2 of string beans
First afternoon snack 2:30 Apple 
Second afternoon snack 5:30 1oz bag of craisins
Dinner 8:00 1/2 plate broccoli 1/4 serving of ziti and 1/4 serving of lasagna w/ ground turkey.

Now we are off to food shop to buy items that are within the diet.  Need to bring on a variety.

Learn to embrace vegetables!

Okay so I have decided to embrace a healthier me.  What does this mean exactly?  Lifestyle changes to improve how I eat, exercising more and being more balanced in general. 

I started by seeing the nutritionist today.  This was a huge start for me.  I learned there are a lot of changes for me to make.  I need to start a food journal and write down everything I eat.  This concept scares me.  Here is my diet.

Breakfast: Drinkable yogurt, small bowl of cereal and coffee with skim milk and sugar

Morning snack: Fruit or piece of the mini baby bell cheese

Lunch:
1.) Sandwich with one slice of swiss cheese and turkey. (I will be looking into variations of sandwich options)
2.) Salad with protein included and small serving of crackers or chips. 

Afternoon snack: 
1.) stoneyfield or greek yogurt with 1 tbsp of granola
2.) fruit and cheese
3.) 6 to 7 wheat thins with mini baby bell cheese
4.) 1/2 Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
5.) 1 tbsp peanut butter with 1/2 banana or apple
6.) 1 and a 1/2 tbsp peanut butter with celery
7.) Oatmeal packet

Dinner: HALF THE PLATE SHOULD BE VEGETABLES.
The remaining half should be 1/4 protein and 1/4 starch. Starch can be 1 cup cooked pasta, 1/2 cup of cooked rice or potatoes, or 1 small baked potato or 1 small sweet potato.

I have started throwing out all the items that do not make sense and I have started with a brand new food list as well as some recipe websites, motivational quotes, and other websites that have tools and gadgets to keep me on track.  I CAN DO THIS!