I’m two weeks into my boot camp commitment. If you’ve been reading for a long time, you know that I have always struggled to do any type of strength training regularly. Cardio? Give me cardio! I can do it all day long (metaphorically speaking, of course). But lifting weights? Crunches? Squats? UGH. I would rather run another mile.
That’s why I’m so excited about this boot camp. I LOVE IT. For the first time ever, I’m actually looking forward to strength training. We do a mix of activities – body-weight workouts like push-ups and squats but also dynamic power moves that require weights and sand balls and other fun pieces of equipment. The classes are so hard, and I’m always left dripping sweat. Plus, the atmosphere is great. I was really hesitant to try this boot camp; for years, I’ve watched the classes from the sidelines and (for some reason) assumed it would be super cliquish and that the instructors would be unfriendly hard asses. But it’s anything but! The people are all so nice; everyone introduces themselves to people they don’t recognize, and we all cheer each other on. It is great!
I am really excited about becoming stronger, too. “Stronger every day†is my current mantra, and I try to use it to guide everything I do, both fitness-, diet-, and life-wise. What makes me stronger? What helps me get to my goals? Even if I can only do something small, what positive efforts can I make? I really enjoy this mindset because it keeps me focused without feeling overwhelmed.
Anyway – on Wednesday’s class, I asked the instructor, “How long does it take to see results?†If I’m going to do 100 weighted squats, I want to know when I’m going to start seeing – and feeling – the benefits! She paused, thought about it, and said, “It takes most people 3 – 6 months to see a real transformation.†She wasn’t just talking about weight loss; she was talking about strength and power, too.
Ever since then, I’ve been thinking about how long it takes to see results using a lot of different measurements. Here are different ways to measure progress – which have you tried?
Weight loss
How your clothes fit – pants around the waist, arms of sweaters, whether your rings get loose
How many modifications you have to do to get through a workout class
How many sit-ups, push-ups, or squats you can do in a row
How heavy your weights are
How many miles you can run / laps you can swim / etc
How fast you can run / swim / etc
Whether you need to take breaks during your cardio or not
How hard every day activities feel – going up the stairs, unloading groceries, picking up your kids
I’m currently using the “how hard every day activities feel†and “how many modifications do I need†gauges. I can’t get through an entire boot camp without some changes, especially when doing ab work. I’d love to be able to rock out the moves just like our instructors do! Maybe in a few months…
What other measurements are there to track workout progress? Why do you like using that measurement technique?
I’ve gotten a ton of parenting-related questions lately, so I figured I’d put the answers all in one post. Enjoy!
What’s Claire’s sleep like? How do you get her to sleep like that?
At 3 months, Claire goes to bed around 7:30, although actually falling asleep usually takes some time. She normally wakes up and requires comforting about 2 – 3 times before she’s actually out at 8:30 or 9. I dream feed her at 10 PM, and then she wakes up typically once in the middle of the night to eat. She wakes again at 6 to snack, and then I can usually get her to go back to sleep for another hour or two, which is nice because I either 1) continue sleeping; 2) get up and work; or 3) get up and hang out with Henry alone.
I think some kids are just naturally better sleepers than others. They want to sleep more, they wake up less, they eat more during the day, etc. But I also think I’ve done a few things differently with Claire that helped a lot: from the start, we swaddled (I like this swaddle as well as this warmer option), dream fed, used a pacifier, and used the swing when necessary. I was afraid to do these things with Henry because I didn’t want to create sleep dependencies, but she doesn’t seem to be dependent on any of these things now (she’ll sleep with arms out of the swaddle or let the pacifier fall out). When she didn’t need the swing, I put her in her crib or bassinet (and now, we never use the swing). Beyond the initial first few weeks, I tried put her to sleep in her swing or crib instead of letting her sleep on me. I also put her down for naps a lot – she is just now staying awake for longer than 1:00 – 1:30 hours at a time. She naps 4 or 5 times a day! Sleep begets sleep, after all. Re-reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child helped us a lot.
Also, I regularly let her fuss in her crib longer than Henry EVER fussed before I sleep trained her. Some of this is just practical – I can’t always jump up to rescue Claire from her crib; sometimes it takes me 5 minutes to get to her because I’m supervising Henry in the bathtub or whatever. But some of it is also that I think my biggest mistake with Henry was that I always rescued him whenever he made a peep. I trained him to expect to be picked up the moment he woke up (even if I had just fed him a full bottle at 3 AM and had merely startled himself awake). 50% of the time, she fusses and cannot work herself back down – this is normal. But the other 50% of the time, she fusses for a few moments and puts herself back to sleep. I plan to sleep train her at 5 months (I CANNOT WAIT!) and know this is good practice for her. I wrote extensively about Henry’s sleep patterns and eventual training (here and here). I know sleep training is not for every parent or kid, but it really worked for us.
Everything I read said that infants need predictable naps but that seems SO hard when you have a toddler. I was so good about having my infant home for naps when he was little but with #2 coming soon, I don’t know how that is possible. How do you create good sleep habits but not get chained to your house?
I just try to get her in her crib/bassinet whenever possible. For both Henry and Claire, it seemed like the act of sleeping was more important than where they were sleeping. Sleep above all else, right? Again – sleep begets sleep. I’d rather have her nap in the carseat than not nap at all. Right now, we are usually at home for her first nap; second nap is in the car/stroller; third nap is at home because Henry is eating lunch, having quiet time, or watching TV; fourth nap is usually on-the-go as well, but sometimes it’s not. Fourth nap is always the hardest, right?
A lot of having two kids seems to be about doing the best you can. It’s hard to juggle her sleep needs with Henry’s need for play and exploration, so I’m okay with on-the-go naps. I just try to make up for them when we’re at home. Regarding pumping, if you pump milk, too, here’s a handy chart that lets you know how long it can sit out – I usually just toss a back up bottle in my bag without worrying about keeping it cold (and then heating it up). Sometimes I pump in the car with an adaptor that plugs into the lighter; I wish I could recommend ours because it rocks but I don’t know what brand it is.
What’s Henry’s sleep like these days? Does he nap?
Nope. Man, I miss toddler naps a lot. He naps about 2 times a week, but I still make him do 45 minutes to an hour of quiet time in his room every day so he can decompress by himself. On the days he doesn’t nap, he sleeps from 7 PM – 6:30 AM.
Why isHenry still in diapers? Are you going to potty train him soon?
Maybe. I’m letting Henry (who is 2 years and 9 months) take the lead on this. He shows lots of signs of readiness and will go on the potty about once or twice a day, but he hasn’t expressed true interest in going cold turkey with underwear. I want it to be his decision, so I’m waiting for him to let me know.
How was Henry’s preschool adjustment? Any tips?
It didn’t go as well as I thought. Henry is super social and loves people, so I thought he would adore daycare (he goes three times a week for half days). It took him a long time to warm up and there were a LOT of tears (and sometimes, there still are). Things that helped: When I drop him off, I basically drop him and turn on my heel and bolt. Lingering makes the tears a lot worse. When my mom was here for Claire’s birth, she really got Henry into a few other boys in his class. She learned their names and would talk about them a lot and basically motivated Henry to make the boys his BFFs. He really likes having close friends in the classroom, so I think talking up that aspect of it helped, too.
How’s breastfeeding going?
Well, I’m pumping again <—an explanation of last time. I pump all her daytime bottles + first nighttime bottle but breastfeed her in the morning and randomly throughout the day. I still have to use a shield because she struggles to latch onto my flat nipples (TMI, sorry), so that’s part of why I went back to pumping. But also… I just prefer pumping. Which I can’t even believe that I’m saying because I hated it so much last time. I pump really fast, so it’s just easier for me than messing with breastfeeding. I don’t seem to despise pumping as much this time around, mostly because 1) I knew what I was getting into and 2) I have a breastfeeding quit date in my mind already. Knowing that I’m okay with introducing formula, like I eventually did with Henry, takes the pressure off big-time.
Everyone always wants to know what the kids do when I pump – Claire sits in a bouncy seat and Henry and I talk to her and entertain her. Sometimes I feed her a bottle while I pump. Henry usually chats with us, plays nearby, or watches TV. And never doubt the power of a well-timed snack!
Where are Claire’s booties from?
Hah, this is seriously my #1 asked question. Her booties are the Zutano booties – they are so cute and way better than socks.
Remember that orange hat that Henry wore all last summer? Where is it from?
It’s the iPlay Flap Sun Hat. It is awesome and I already bought it in a bigger size for him to wear this summer, too!
What pregnancy books and baby books would you recommend?
You asked this all the time when you were pregnant, so I’d love to know what you think now. What’s harder, going from no kids to 1 kid or 1 kid to 2 kids?
Definitely 0 to 1. That’s when the lifestyle shift occurs – your time is not always your own, your sleep is disrupted, and you have to figure out how to parent a baby. HUGE learning curve, often very stressful. I found #2 to be so much easier because I already knew what I was doing, knew what I was getting (all the great parts of having a baby), and knew what I just to power through and survive (all the not-so-great parts that eventually pass).
How do you find time to workout with kids and your job?
Well, remember that I’m a work-from-home mom that works about 15 hours a week, so I have wiggle room in my schedule. I workout either when Henry is in school and put Claire in childcare at the gym OR I put both kids in. If you work full-time, it’s definitely more challenging to make it work. We had a discussion about this on the HTP Facebook page, as well as at the bottom of this post.
Do you let Henry watch TV?
I didn’t let him watch TV for a long time, but now I don’t think we could survive without it. I really, really need that break during the day (especially now that he’s not napping) to work, clean, or cook (or just decompress). I actually think the shows that he watches are pretty cool – he’s super into Octonauts and has learned SO MUCH about sea life from it. I don’t let him watch commercials, and I moderate what he watches (no shows with annoying child characters or hitting, which is in a lot more children’s programming than you’d think). His screen time is limited to the TV; he doesn’t use a tablet because I want him to think of TV as a special thing that we go into the TV room for, not something available in the car etc.
What monitor do you have?
This one – love it! We have two cameras so we can toggle back and forth between the kiddos.
This is my favorite meal lately – it’s awesome for lunch or dinner. It’s a mix of red kidney beans (drained and rinsed), roasted Brussel sprouts, roasted carrots, and sprouts. Sometimes I add in sliced cherry tomatoes, too. Cover it all in a drizzle of BBQ sauce and mix it up.
I had a great day yesterday because… I woke up an hour before the kids. This is truly the key to a good day for me. It gives me time to pull my life together before tiny humans start clawing at me for food and entertainment. Hah. I managed to get so much done, in fact, that I had time to pull together this fun activity for Henry:
We headed to a local greenway with a ‘treasure hunt’ sheet that I printed off my computer. I used Google Image Search to find pictures of stuff I knew we could locate (a bench, a trashcan, a Y-shaped stick, a dog, a leaf, a flower, a bike) and then we searched. I think we walked 1.5 miles. Guess who had a great nap after all of this? Hint – not me, but I wish.
The treasure hunt eventually devolved into a rock hunt. The stroller is an excellent holder for lots and lots and lots of rocks, which were eventually thrown into the river.
Check out what we found at the end of the trail! A bike service station. I’ve never seen one of these before. On one side was a bike pump…
… And the other side had a bunch of handy tools, like Allen keys and wrenches. Neat, huh?
Henry was SOOOOOOO dirty by the end of our walk that I stripped him nekkid in the parking lot and drove him home in his diaper. And then he went straight to the tub!
I got my sweaty workout on, too.
It was cardio day. I’m super excited for the upcoming Publix Savannah Women’s Half and 5K on March 29 – I’m doing the 5K. (PSSST – If you’re in the area, join me! Use coupon code HTPSAV10 for $10 off!) So I figured a 5K on the dreadmill treadmill was a good idea – except I got bored within .25 mile and had to switch to the indoor track. That’s a LOT of laps!
Also – if you don’t have a tea timer, you must get one!
I have a new favorite workout tea tee. I LOVEEEEEEEEEEE this shirt.
I have it in black and the greenish color and am probably going to buy more. Why is it so awesome? Well, it’s loose, breathable, and has a longer front and back, so it’s flattering, too. Also, when you get all sweaty, the shirt doesn’t get super wet. I’ve been rockin’ it to boot camp and it’s perfect (it also goes nicely with actual pants). Warning – it runs large. I originally ordered a medium and sent it back for a small, and it’s still pretty loose on me.
Have you heard about the Sitting Disease? It’s a made-up term, but I’ve been thinking a lot about how much I sit (thanks to the Misfit fitness tracker <– review). You can see a larger version of the below infrographic here.
“Research shows that if people sat 3 less hours a day, it would add 2 years to the average US life expectancy.†Crazy, huh?
Speaking of not sitting… The bootcamp quest continues. We did so many squats on Monday that I had to close my eyes and pretend like I was somewhere else while I squatted. Thought I was going to fall apart. I am really looking forward to the day where I can do the ENTIRE workout without ANY modifications. That’s my goal! I’m really loving the class and feel stronger every time I go.
What else? Oh, I have not one but TWO Book a Week reviews for you! I am late on reviewing Week 9’s book and Week 10 was so good that I read it in a SINGLE DAY, so I’m a bit early with that one.
I read this book after a friend on Facebook shared a quote from the author’s Facebook page. The book is about how to talk to your kids about money so they (hopefully) become more responsible and respectful of money. Many of the discussions in the book is targeted to parents in the middle and upper class, although the book would work for parents with lower incomes, too.
This book reinforced one of my ideas about allowance – that it shouldn’t be tied to chores. Lieber argues that when you tie allowance to chores, kids end up believing that they should get paid to do things around the house, not because they live there, too. Kids also end up holding you hostage over chores for money – i.e. they won’t do an extra chore unless you pay them. Allowance, he says, is given to teach kids how to manage money – that’s it. He has a ton of recommendations for conversation starters, techniques, and other tools for kids of all ages.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Good book with strong points, but I got bored with the last few chapters – it might be because my kids are too young to really do any of these techniques right now. I also think I’m a little burnt out on parenting-related non-fiction. I bet a parent of a school-age child would REALLY appreciate this book.
THANK YOU to every reader who recommended I read The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. It was so good. If you liked Gone Girl, you will love this book! I don’t know how to sum it up without giving away all the good bits, but it’s basically a psychological thriller/mystery that centered on three women and their relationships to themselves and each other. I don’t want to say anything else! But trust me – you should read it.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Like I mentioned, I devoured this book in a single day! Super good with an excellent twist (that I didn’t see coming).
Okay, last, but not least, I’ve been wanting to share this video forever but kept forgetting!
If you are pregnant or have a baby less than 3 months old, WATCH THIS! It’s about “baby language†and how babies make universal noises for certain needs. It TOTALLY WORKS and helps you understand your baby so much faster. I can clearly hear Claire do the “Neh†sound when she is hungry. Pretty cool.
Random Question: Did you get an allowance? Was it tied to chores? What were your chores? I got an allowance, and it was tied to chores and my grades. I don’t think my mom made me save any of it, though – I could do whatever I wanted with it. My chores included walking the dogs before school every morning and washing them once a week. I also had to clean the bathrooms <—I still hate that chore; I am really looking forward to the day that my kids are old enough to do it! Hah.
Holy heck. The weather in Charlotte was BEAUTIFUL this weekend. Especially on Sunday. Warm and sunny and pretty much everything I think of when I think, “Spring!â€
Daylight Savings rocked our world – I totally forgot about it and was super confused when Claire and I woke up at 9:45 (!!). I bolted downstairs yelling, “You’re going to be late to your football game!†I can’t believe that we made it to the Husband’s game on time. I put clothes on three people (myself included) in the blink of an eye.
(Same exact eyes, huh?!)
It was so warm, in fact, that we could have dinner out on the back deck. This is truly my spring/summer “thing†and nothing makes me happier than a meal + a big glass of wine on my back deck.
This week’s workouts:
Monday: High Intensity Interval bootcamp at the gym
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: HIIT bootcamp
Thursday: 1200 yard swim
Friday: HIIT bootcamp
Saturday: 10 minutes on treadmill, 10 minutes on stairclimber, 10 minutes on row + some weights
Sunday: A long walk <—my legs were tired!
On Friday night, I went out with BFF Nicole to get margaritas. Well, I should say that I got margaritas because it turns out that Nicole hates tequila. I cannot get over the fact that I’ve been friends with her this long (five years) and never knew she hated tequila! Anyway, we sat at the best bar ever and chatted for a long time, and then I went back to her place and had this soup. It was SO good that I asked her to write down the recipe so I could share it.
It’s got a ton of goodies in it – carrots, celery, lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, kale… So healthy. And so filling.
Nicole’s Super Soup
Ingredients:
1.5 cups dried lentils, soaked overnight (just place in a big bowl of water overnight)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 inch ginger, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 celery stalks, diced
5 carrots, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
16 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 quart veggie broth
1 cup water
7 ounces shredded kale (that’s a lot of kale)
1 can light organic coconut milk
Directions:
Soak lentils overnight.
In a large pot, cook the ginger, garlic, and oil on medium until soft. Add the celery and carrots and cook until tender. Add the spices and mix well.
Add tomatoes and wait until mixture simmers.
Add veggie broth, lentils, water, and shredded kale. Cook with lid until kale wilts down.
Using an immersion blender or a blender, blend mixture. If using a blender, blend portions of the soup at a time. Blend until kale and veggies are small pieces, but not until it is pureed.
If necessary, return soup to pot. Add coconut milk and mix well.
Let simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until all veggies are tender.
Serving ideas: With goat cheese, shredded cheese, crumbled tortilla chips.
