POSTPARTUM FITNESS GUIDE PART 1 (MEAL PLAN)

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Hola! While I'm away, I am soooo stoked to have Emily from The Mom Grind share about getting your body back postpartum! This is something I plan on doing once I get back from Mexico!! Thank you so much Emily for sharing! -Laura

Hi I’m Emily from @themomgrind, and I’m so excited to be guest posting here for Laura’s blog! I’ve read her blog for a while now, and couldn’t be more thrilled to be talking about one of my favourite subjects- getting your body back after having a baby!

Backstory

I didn’t have a fit pregnancy the first time around- I think I worked out mayyybe 4 times. I walked a lot, but with terrible morning sickness, and a massive belly causing back pain I really had no interest in working up a sweat. I didn’t watch what I ate- so I ended up gaining just over 40 pounds. I also wasn’t a lucky Mom that lost weight from breastfeeding either, I ended up putting more pounds on!

So weighing my heaviest in my life I was desperate to lose the weight and feel good in my body again. I was successful, and now even 3 months pregnant with number 2 I am the strongest I’ve ever been in my life!

BEFORE (roughly 4 months postpartum)

AFTER (Roughly a year and four months postpartum)

I’m excited to share with you all of my tips & tricks that helped me achieve and maintain a healthy relationship with food & exercise. I’m going to give you the literal guide book for how to lose that baby weight (healthily) while still finding balance in your life as a Mama.

Nutrition

I think there’s a lot of information out there for “dieting, cleansing, and detoxing” etc. But lets take a step back from that all for a minute. Your body just did the most amazing thing! It grew a human, it birthed a human, it may even still be feeding that human. The last thing we want to be doing is depleting this amazing machine of what it needs, so instead let’s think of rewarding it with the best fuel we can get our hands on. Delicious, satiating foods. Meat with some good fats, cruciferous vegetables, fruits, good carbs. Stuff that makes you feel awesome, and if you’re honest with yourself you’ll know what that is and isn’t.

A common mistake people make while trying to lose weight is upping their exercise and lowering their calorie intake. That’s unfortunately a recipe for disaster- they should be upping their calorie intake (just slightly, with nutritious foods) so that their body has fuel to match the extra energy output. If you’re not eating enough it will actually send your body into a panic state where it will hold onto fat- because it’s freaking out that you’re in a “famine.” That’s just something we don’t want to do, because lots of other nasty things can happen to our bodies when we do that.

Here’s what TO DO:

Step 1)

Meal Plan- Sunday afternoons sit down and pick two healthy meals and double or triple the recipe.

BONUS: Pick a yummy snack to make, healthy energy balls, nice cream etc. For those snacky or sweet craving times.

-Write down your ingredients then get hubby, grandma, or auntie to watch your baby (or babies!) and go grocery shopping.

-Come back home, do up your meals and put them in containers for the week!

This whole process usually takes me 3 ish hours to do from start to finish (the efficiency of a Mom without kids I tell you!) You now have healthy meals for the week. I’ve actually gone ahead and given you two recipes to use that I love to meal prep here

A day of eating for me usually looks like:

Breakfast- 2 eggs on 2 pieces of spelt bread, or an egg scramble with a whole bell pepper spinach and maybe some sausage or bacon or mushrooms, or you could also do a smoothie bowl with handful of granola & chopped fruit.

Lunch- Prepped Meal #1

(Maybe an apple with peanut butter, hard boiled egg, handful of nuts etc. between meals)

Dinner- Prepped Meal #2

After dinner treat- dark chocolate, nice cream etc.

You should be eating until you’re full! If you’re hungry then you probably need to be eating more. 

Step 2)

Cut out sugar. In a lot of cases most people lose 2-5lbs from doing this alone. But it’s easier said than done- cutting out sugar is hard, pay attention to what’s in your food & sauces.

-You’re still going to need “cheats” so allow yourself dark chocolate, smoothies, nice cream etc. Eventually your body won’t crave the refined sugars, and when you do have a “cheat” snack with refined sugar you won’t be able to have much without feeling sick.

Come back Wednesday to catch PART 2, the Workout Plan!

And in the meantime, be sure to follow Emily on instagram!
XO!

GOALS FOR 2018 + READER SURVEY

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I've always loved the New Year. New starts, blank calendar.... a whole new year before us! The past number of years I have prayed for a word for the year. I did that this year and can't wait to share it with you but before that I want to share some goals of mine.

Are you a goal setter? I am but I suck at follow through. This year I want to get waaaaay better at following through. I'm re-reading this post I wrote last year on goal setting tips and actually putting these tips into motion.

A huge thank you to everyone who gave me your tips on instagram!
Here were a few of them:

• write them down + keep them visible
• make a strategy for each goal
• be specific
• make them fun! (love that tip from my friend Jbakes)
• do a one month goal and check in half way
• set weekly goals

This year I went with the Day Designer and I LOVE it. There is a super thorough goals section which really helps you break down your goals and how you should achieve them (monthly actions, weekly routine, daily habit, what progress looks like).

Here are my 10 goals for the year...I'm telling them to you because you can help keep me accountable right? ;)

1. Grow in Prayer Life
2. Build a Stronger Marriage
3. Make Memories with the Kids
4. Get to 140lbs (my pre-Luca weight)
5. Build GT's Young Adult Female Small Groups
6. Take Better Care of Self
7. Blog consistently throughout the year
8. Grow in Social Media
9. Grow Beautycounter Biz
10. Further Educate + use Essential Oils

 So there are my 10 goals for the year! 10 seems a little insane so I have to see what is manageable. We're going to Mexico on Saturday so I'm excited to be unplugged and start planning/executing the first steps to some of these.

I'm also very excited to consistently blog this year! I would love to hear what you want to see on the blog this year...please take a minute to answer the survey below...it means a lot!

Happy 2018 everybody. Would love to hear what your goals for the year are so we can slay it together!
 

XO,
laura

2017 IN REVIEW

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Well hello there 2018! It seems so surreal that we're at the very start of a new year, but I feel like that every...single...year. I have a lot of plans for this year but before we start talking about all that, I want to take the time to look back on the year.

2017 seemed like three years to me. It was a year that so so so so many things happened. 

January- I started the year with all the plans. Luca was 7 months and I had half a year of maternity leave yet. I felt like I finally had a handle on being a mama and I was excited to do allll the things in 2017...little did I know that London would be conceived 10 days into the year, ha. I tested positive at the end of January and it definitely rattled me. I like to say that I had my plans and God wanted to teach me that His plans are always better.
In January I also got to see my all time hero...BETH FREAKING MOORE! That was amazing!

February- Even though I was on mat leave, I still ran our church's teen girl conference, Illuminate! It's a lot of work but there is a great team I have the privilege of serving with. The weekend was so so fun and it's such an honour to be able to be a part of seeing girl's lives impacted. Can't wait for this years!
Also in February, my friend Rachael shot these photos of Luca and I. I still treasure them so much.

March- In March we started planning our living room reno. We decided to do built ins and a new fireplace. James did such an amazing job and I need to get my butt in gear and shoot the room because I can't wait to show you.

April- Early in April, we made it public that we were having another baby! I took a couple trips that month...We got to check out my in-laws cabin on Pender and I went to Whistler to celebrate my besties 30th! 

May- I went back to work in May. It was bittersweet. I love my job and was excited to be around adults but it was hard to leave sweet Luca. It all worked out though. We had great care for him and I realized I loved being back at work. 
In May we also had our gender reveal! That day was definitely one of the highlights of my year....especially Luca's face..lols

June- Luca turned ONE and we celebrated lumberjack style!!! I can't believe how much a baby grows in their first year....my little lion entered toddlerhood. He started taking his first steps just before his birthday and started fully walking near the end of the month...such a milestone.

July- We took a mini vaycay to Pender again in July. On that getaway we realized that getaways with toddlers are not relaxing at all..ha. Still had fun though. James also turned 28!

August- In August we went to Vancouver for a couple days to visit my bestie and her hubs. We headed down to the states for a quick Target trip, visited Cultus Lake, shopped and watched some amazing fireworks. It was such a lovely vaycay. I also turned 31 in August and had some maternity photos shot.

September- My friend's threw me an amazing baby shower and I finished up work. I thought that maybe London would come early (as I was due on October 7th).

October- BABY MONTH! I was off work and I waited and waited and waited and London finally came (12 days late) on October 19th. I said goodbye to my incredible grandma, Nanny Rosa. I miss her so much. October was a surreal month as our family saw death and life in a few short weeks.

November- James started working again in November and God showed me that I could do the whole two under two thing! James also went away on a Christmas album tour and I survived three nights on my own...we all caught colds and it was HELL but we made it through. Oh and we had these family photos done..heart melting.

December- Christmas came and went. Lots of family time and way too many sweets. We celebrated NYE watching one of my dear friend marry the love of her life. It was a beautiful way to end the year.

So that's 2017 for you. SOOOO many things happened and it feels like a blur. I'm hoping time will slow down a wee bit in 2018 because I want to soak in allllll the time I have with my baby girl and little lion.

Hope you had an amazing 2018 and praying that your best is still to come this year!

XO, 
laura

Most photos (all the good ones, ha) done by Rachael Alexandra Co.

COLD SEASON SURVIVAL KIT

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Having a fall/winter baby has had its ups and downs. There have been lots of great things like going on crisp walks with London in the carrier (and not sweating my face off like I did with Luca) , not feeling guilty about staying inside alllll day snuggling and enjoying Christmas with a sweet babe but there are a few not so fun things about having a newborn during the winter...the number one being it's cold and flu season! 

We did a lot to protect little London from germs but when you also have a toddler who loves to touch all the things, someone is bound to catch a cold. Which did happen about a month ago. Thankfully being a second time mama I was way less anxious than I was when Luca caught his first cold. It was still not fun at all...especially because James' was away and not only did Luca and London catch it, but I caught it too!! 

It was horrible but thankfully we're on the other side now and I've emerged with new tips and tricks. The main one being, have a cold season survival kit!!

WHAT'S IN MY COLD SEASON SURVIVAL KIT

• Kleenex!! This cold was BRUTAL and I was blowing my nose a lot. I've learned you need to use the good stuff. I LOVE the Kleenex with the soothing lotion because my nose doesn't get dry and Kleenex kills 99.9% of cold and flu germs in the tissue! We get our Kleenex from Walmart through their online 2-day shipping but I've also recently discovered their order + pick-up method. SO convenient when I don't have the time or energy to get into the store.

Click HERE to purchase Kleenex for your family!

• Cool Mist Humidifier- This one is essential for helping baby breathe better. I also have a humidifier in our living room for Essential Oils but you need to be careful which ones you are diffusing around a baby so I would advise talking to a wellness expert for that.

• Saline Nasal Spray + Snot Sucker- This one is ideal for newborns/babies (Luca wouldn't let me near his nose with our snot sucker, ha) as they haven't figured out how to blow their noses. Basically I spray a little saline into the lid and then use an eyedropper to drop a bit in London's nose (make sure you tip their head back or lay them on their side). I then change her diaper to give it some time to loosen up the mucus then after that you use the snot sucker to blow it out of her nose. Luca absolutely hated this right from his first cold but London smiled through it, ha!
• Thermometer- If you have a little one, you need a thermometer on hand. If they have a high fever, I know it's probably time to give 8-1-1 or my doctor a call! Thankfully neither had a fever through this cold!

So that's what's in my Cold Season Survival Kit but I would love to know what's in yours! Send me your tips + tricks!

XO,
Laura

LONDON ROSE // TWO MONTHS

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You guys....London Rose is TWO MONTHS OLD. I'm semi-freaking out here. She has grown so incredibly quickly and seems like a little baby now instead of an infant...weren't we just telling the world we were having a girl?!!?!?

It's been so sweet getting to know this little girl and I can't wait to see her personality come out more. I still can't believe she's mine.

LONDON AT TWO MONTHS

WEIGHT: 12lbs 9oz
She's proving to be a great eater, just like her big brother. And my goodness, the thigh rolls have come and they are seriously delicious! Also cheeks and that double chin. She's just under the 85th percentile for weight. During the day she eats every 2-3 hours..sometimes a longer stretch if she's having a good ol nap.

HEIGHT: 24 inches!!! I still can't believe that. She went from 20 at birth to 22 at 5 weeks to 24 almost 3 weeks later. She's now in the 97th percentile for height, so crazy.

WEARS: Sadly she's outgrown newborn clothing :( She's fitting great into 0-3 month clothing but I think she may be moving up to 3-6 closer than I want to admit!!

SLEEPS: She's sleeping like a champ...just like her big bro. Most nights she goes down around 8pm (although tonight I put her down at 7:20 because she fought her last nap) and then sleeps for anywhere between 8-11 hours. She fights her swaddle hard and if it isn't velcro-ed tight enough, her little hand creeps up and wakes her up. Last night was a "bad" night (because it was post shots and James didn't swaddle tight enough), which meant she went down at 8:30pm and woke up at 3am for a quick feed and then back down until 7:45am...I know, she's a dream!!!

Our regular schedule when James' is working looks like- 7am Luca up, 8:30ish London up, 10ish walk to park/mall and she sleeps in the wrap, 12:45ish Nap #2 in her crib (which usually is at least 2 hours!!!), 5ish nap #3 in her crib. I'm finding her fighting the last nap more and more, so on days where James is working, I really just need to put her in the wrap or carrier and get her to sleep! Otherwise she's super cranky and overtired from 5-7pm, which is no fun for any one!

We moved her to her crib at 7 weeks (which was the same time we moved Luca) and I gotta say, it's sooo nice to have our room back. I can stay up reading without worrying about her waking up. I still wake up a ton in the night to watch her in the monitor though.

HIGHS: Her sweet giggles!! Oh man, they have been so precious. She has the sweetest smile too and gives you the best coos. AH, I'm just obsessed with her.

LOWS: Her two month shots!! Oh man, she cried SOOO much and took forever to calm down. It was the saddest thing. Even the nurse was so sad and said most babies do not cry that much. She was also super fussy that night and thankfully calmed down eventually. I don't know how you mamas of colic babies do it. The crying gets to me soooo much. You mamas, are super heroes!

Another low was getting sick conveniently the weekend when James away. Oh man, I got hit with a serious head cold and it was the WORST. And having to take care of two sick babies when you are sick is not fun at all. So glad we're on the mend. 

PARENTING: We've definitely have found a groove with the whole two under two thing. It's crazy and sometimes intense but honestly, not as crazy as I thought it would be. Thankfully, James is able to help get Luca up in the mornings (even on days he's working), which is a huge blessing for me to catch a few extra ZZZ's or quickly have a shower. It was super hard the days when James was on tour but we made it through! 

POSTPARTUM: Oh man, this is an area that I have been SO lazy at. Seriously, I am just not motivated at all to exercise and eat well. I've been eating like crap but thankfully breastfeeding is keeping me around the same weight. I still have 22lbs to go until I'm pre-Luca weight. I know I'll get a better groove in the New Year so I'm really trying to not be so hard on myself but we're heading to Mexico in January....eeeeeek...thankfully I have my one piece from when I was 1 month postpartum with Luca!

LOOKING FORWARD TO: CHRISTMAS! So much to look forward to....our family of four opening presents and eating yummy breakfast on Christmas morning, Uncle Franco and Auntie Emy from NYC meeting London, along with James' sister and hubby coming up from Austin! Oh and did I mention we booked a last minute family trip to Mexico in January!!!! So much to look forward to.

Can't believe London's next update will be in 2018!!! This year flew by WAAAAY too quickly!!

XOXO,
Laura

Huge thanks to Rachael Alexandra Co for snapping these gorgeous photos. If you live in Victoria, BC, you need to hire her!