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Postpartum Health + Fitness After Baby # 2 //

May 31, 2017 by Rachel 27 Comments

Real talk: Postpartum health and fitness after one baby felt like a breeze. Postpartum health and fitness with a toddler and terrible newborn?? It feels impossible. Well, it felt impossible…

I know, I know — I’ve heard that we make time for things that are important. And if health and fitness are important, you do whatcha gotta do.

But here’s the thing — I tried really, really, hard to live by the motto “DO NOT COMPARE YOUR HEALTH AND FITNESS JOURNEY AND YOUR LIFE WITH OTHER PEOPLES.”

For me, I’m telling you, it was impossible to workout and focus on eating healthy in Remy’s first year. I was in full-on survival mode. She didn’t sleep, like, at all. No, I’m not just saying that. If you’ve followed this blog at all over the last year you’ll know she legit did not sleep. 2 hours of broken sleep in a 24-hour period. So I was a zombie. I wasn’t even on Mom-bie level; I was a straight-up emotional wreck without being able to comprehend how to perform normal daily tasks, let alone focus on myself. Heck, I was lucky to make it to the end of the day with all of us alive and well(ish).

I was so tired of hearing well-meaning(ish) people saying “You just have to make time for it.” Because, here’s the thing — I know how good it feels to work out. I really do. I spent the better part of my life in a full-on obsession with eating super healthy and working out 2.5-3 hours a day (yep – you read that right… 3 hours of working out a day). So I know how awesome endorphins feel. And, yes, I craved them. It just wasn’t in the cards for me the first year. I’m really and truly lucky that I didn’t end up hospitalized for postpartum psychosis (I had severe PPD/anxiety, but not psychosis — I know this because I was lucid enough to make the decision to hand my children off when I was at my breaking point).

But then, right around Remy Bea’s first birthday, something magical happened — she began to sleep. She was acting like a normal baby. And I could regain some sort of (new) normalcy back into my life.

It changed everything for me. Not only was I able to hold conversations and laugh again, but I wanted to start working out again!

Here’s what’s been working for me in this moment:

Weight Watchers  //

About 8 weeks ago I got an email from Weight Watchers with an offer that I just couldn’t pass up — but it required a year commitment. And, truthfully? that’s exactly what I needed to kick my butt in the right direction. In my mind, if I commit to one year, then I will be able to make the changes that I need to make and stick to it.

I was successfully with Weight Watchers after Ari was born because it doesn’t require calorie counting. See, I get obsessed with calorie counting — and not in a good way! And in the short amount of time I’ve been back on WW, I’ve already seen weight loss and other non-scale victories!

I really like weight watchers because there is some flexibility. Instead of focusing on each day, I focus on the week. It really focuses on the lifestyle change and creating balance instead of a ‘diet.’

Switching it up  //

The first time around I only did one thing, fitness-wise, to get back into shape: running. It really was the best option for me at the time because I had an hour lunch break at work and a running path right outside the door. So I would lace up and head out during the one hour of the day when I didn’t have my kids and I wasn’t busy working.

But this time, running is… difficult. I’ve been trying to still catch up on sleep, so waking up at the butt-crack of dawn to hit the road while the kids and husband are still sleeping isn’t going to happen. So I have been squeezing in time to work out at the YMCA when I’m not working (which is pretty much always). And instead of going for distance and speed, I’m focusing my treadmill efforts on intervals and incline.

 

Post-workout stretch!

I’ve also committed to three group-fitness classes a week: 2-HIIT/strength training classes and 1-cycling class. There have been plenty of days when I didn’t want to work out, but 100% of the time I am in a better mood afterward. And these group fitness classes are something that I’d forgotten how much I enjoy! I’ve been, unknowingly, longing for the comradery of sweating it out in a room full of other people who have an equal love-hate relationship with exercise! Ha!

Getting out of my comfort zone  //

Recently I did two things that really brought me out of my fitness comfort zone. First, I volunteered for the Cleveland Marathon a week ago. I helped get all of the runners into the starting corrals and watched them take off over the start line. It was energizing! It’s been awhile since I’ve run a race, let alone a major race! It reignited a fire inside of me — my love for running is slowly coming back!

The bonus? I get a free race entry into next year’s Cleveland Marathon just for volunteering! So while it’s a bit far away, I’m not pressuring myself to run a race before my body is ready (which I’ve totally done in the past); but I have set this goal for next Spring — to run the Cleveland Half Marathon!

 

The Starting Line of the 2017 Cleveland Marathon.

The second crazy thing I did was take Megaformer class at Corus Fitness in Beachwood. The Megaformer hits everything: strength, endurance, cardio, balance, core, and flexibility. To me it looks like a pilates reformer; but it isn’t. It uses small, slow movements to create a full-body, high intensity, low-impact workout!

 

Corus Fitness!

I really like pushing myself, but this was totally out of my comfort zone! I spent the first 15 minutes of class thinking “I don’t know if I will be able to do this.” But by the end, I was thinking about when I could make it back for another class! See?? It pays to get out of your comfort zone!

Focus, focus, focus  //

I have to admit, I feel defeated when I see the scale get just a couple pounds lighter each week. Defeated because I feel like it should be coming down faster. But I remind myself (almost daily) that this hard work is paying off and sticking with it will be beneficial.

Heck, I’m already feeling stronger and leaner! Slow and steady is my motto. And even if I have teeny setbacks, this is all paying off; and I am feeling better about myself in the process.

I think I like who I’m becoming  //

Rarely do people talk about how having children really changes who we are as women. I’m not talking about all the things you ‘give up’ to become a parent. I’m talking about how we change into completely different people at the core of who we are. I guess the term really should be ‘grow into’, but still. You catch my drift. Motherhood changes us.

I’ve struggled for a long time at being this new person — absolutely happy about motherhood, but also a bit sad that I don’t recognize myself anymore. But I’m finally growing into my role and embracing this new me. And part of this has been finally being able to make myself a priority again.

I’ve come to terms that I will never be the person who can dedicate 3-hours in the gym 7 days a week; I’m happy with squeezing in a faster, more effective workout and then chasing kids around the park the rest of the day. I’m accepting that sometimes dinner is less than ideal; but I’m making better choices and holding myself accountable. And so much of this is just accepting where I am and the stage of the life we’re living.

 

Had an amazing time at the Columbus Zoo for @andrea_halcat’s wedding! Remy and I were rocking our pretty dresses. . Mine is from @shoppinkblush and Remy Bea’s is from @oldnavy! ?? . . . . #imsobloggingthis #remybea #documentyourdays #letthembekids #letthembelittle #columbusohio #columbuszoo #weddingfun #exploreohio

A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on May 30, 2017 at 5:58am PDT

So if you’re in the thick of it — the hardest, worst part of motherhood, just hang in there and know that you will find yourself again.

Filed Under: #GetFit, #MomLife, #SweatPink, busy mom, children, fitness, health, life, mommyhood, mother runner, Oh baby!, parenthood, postpartum, running, weight, wellness, workout Tagged With: #MomLife, #SweatPink, being a mom, busy mom, children, fitness, health, life, motherhood, parenthood, postpartum, running, weight loss, weight watchers, wellness, workout

get fit!! // jump-starting the wheat belly diet

January 21, 2014 by Rachel 7 Comments

My husband has been super preachy with me about my love affair with carbs over the last year. Prior to my pregnancy in 2012, we ate very healthy. We would obviously have ‘cheat days’ — aka our Vegas trip — for special occasions. But overall, we ate clean, we ate healthy, and we rarely (if ever) got sick.

Then pregnancy — dun, dun dunnnnn!! Carbs were the one thing that staved off the nausea. And boy did I eat them! Postpartum it’s been hard to give them back up.

I love potatoes. LOVE them. I love french fries and baked potatoes. Heck, even the french fries can be baked! I just love the crap out of potatoes!!

And bread. Which is weird cause you will rarely find me eating a sandwich. But I will eat me some bread, man. Especially brioche. And challah. And other buttery, flakey goodness.

And sugars. Well, aren’t these all really sugars?? Yes. Yes, they are. But I also have a sweet tooth. I won’t eat your normal ‘junk foods,’ like Little Debbie. Nope. My tastes for all of these foods are really specific. Local artisan breads, local cookies from teeny bakeries in town, and, well, with the potatoes I’m a lot less picky. Ha! I’ll eat any potatoes from anywhere.

wheatbelly2

So after one self-indulgent weekend, I looked at Chad and said “OK, I’m all in.”

The Wheat Belly Diet is based on the premise that if you cut out the wheat, you’ll lose the weight.

Wheat creates an insatiable appetite for that cycle of blood sugar spikes that make a person crave wheat and go back to it time and time again.

Here’s an article on MindBodyGreen about the effects of Gluten and Wheat on the body.

wheatbelly3

So here’s what I can eat unlimited amounts of (eating ’til full):

  • Unlimited fresh or frozen veggies (excluding potatoes).
  • Raw nuts & seeds.
  • Healthy, unheated oils (such as coconut and avocado oil).
  • Red meat, pork, fish, chicken, turkey, eggs. We use consider free-range, grass-fed and/or organic sources.
  • Teas, coffee, water, unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk or coconut water
  • Real cultured cheeses only (no processed ‘cheeses’ like velveeta or singles).
  • Avocado, guacamole, and hummus.

I-heart-veggies

Here’s what I can eat limited amounts of:

  • Fruits are limited to 2 servings a day. Stay away from bananas and pineapples if possible because they are very high in sugar.
  • Real fruit juices (which is nice because I love fresh juice!). But it’s limited to about 4 oz.
  • 1 serving of any fat content milk per day.
  • Legumes, beans, peas.
  • Dark chocolate.

dark chocolate

And here’s what I’m not allowed to eat at all:

  • ”Gluten-free” foods made with rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch, or potato starch. Which is OK because we rarely eat anything with rice flour anyways. Chad ends up either grinding his own almond flour or using Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flour!
  • Fried foods (womp womp = my beloved french fries! Ha!)
  • Fast food (which I never eat anyways).
  • Hydrogenated fats/oils.
  • Cured meats like hot dogs, sausages, and bacon with nitrates. (But Yay for nitrate free bacon! That’s what happens when you buy locally sourced and organic meats).
  • Anything with high fructose corn syrup.
  • Salad dressings.

 

Chad has been eating like this since the first of the year. I, on the other hand, am one week in. And in the last 7 days, I’ve lost 4 pounds!

I’ve eaten a lot of avocados (just plain – I know, I’m weird.), a lot of salads with chicken topped with homemade salad dressing (no yucky stuff!), raw/unsalted peanuts, pork chops, cheese and dark chocolate. And I didn’t have the opportunity to work out once during those seven days. Not once, and I lost 4 pounds! No joke.

I feel good. I feel really good actually. I had a moment of “Give me pizza!” Friday night. But I didn’t cave. And I’m so happy about that. It’s a long and slow process but I’m confident that this lifestyle change will produce amazing results for our family!

  photo (14)

Filed Under: detox, fitness, food, goals, health, life, living sustainably, weight Tagged With: being green, fitness, food, goals, health, life, weight loss, Wheat Belly Diet

get fit!! // another week, another weight loss

November 21, 2013 by Rachel 3 Comments

photo (14)

Holler!! I’ve got another weight loss to report!

Weight Watchers //

Ya know, yet again, I didn’t do all that great with tracking points. But I kept my diet of “mostly clean eating” and lots and lots of exercise. I ended up losing a pound, still yet. But I wonder how much more that scale would have said if I drank more water and didn’t eat that cookie the day before my weigh in. Ha!

And I’m making a serious commitment to myself this week — to track EVERYTHING I eat, everything I drink and my activities. In order to maximize weight loss for next week!

Workouts // 

Speaking of activities… I’ve been rocking the workout thing again. We had one heck of a busy 7 days, but I’ve somehow managed to log even more miles of running than I did the previous week. I felt mostly good, too. I’m definitely sore, but it’s better than being achey from stiff muscles & joints, AmIRight?!

But truthfully, it’s taken serious mental strength to decide to run for the last week. It’s been cold — like, real bone-chilling cold. Plus the lack of sunlight has presented a challenge. But I’ve dedicated myself. And that’s meant giving up my hour lunch break to fit a run in most days. Thankfully, the Towpath Trail is right behind our building at work. So I just hop on and run, run, run!

1422500_10153439022640324_1432086523_n

It’s true. Plenty of people are busy. And for me, if I didn’t get in a lunch break sweat session, I very likely wouldn’t have the willpower to work out at all. Cause when I’m not at the office I like to focus my energies on #BabyAri and being a domestic goddess (which really means, keeping the kitchen and the bathroom clean — ha!). And these days, my earlybird tendencies are non-existent. I sleep til THE very last moment possible. 🙂 So I’m working within my means.

Looking Ahead // 

I’m not going to let the upcoming holidays lead me astray this year. I’m using permanent marker in my Erin Condren Life Planner to keep my workouts on schedule! And even though Thanksgiving is my absolute most favorite holiday EVER, I’m going to limit myself to a single helping of stuffing. That’s it! 🙂

In addition, I have TWO races coming up — the 10k, and then the next day, a 5k to benefit the Arthritis Foundation! I’m running AND fundraising for the Arthritis Foundation in honor of blogger friend Kenzie from Life According To Kenz. Kenzie has been battling autoimmune arthritis since her Freshman year of high school. An avid runner herself, Kenzie does everything she can to control her symptoms. So I’m raising money for her. She’s my hero. <3

If you are able, please donate to the Arthritis Foundation in honor of our dear friend Kenzie here.

Filed Under: bloggers, fitness, health, Ohio, running, weight, workout Tagged With: bloggers, fitness, health, life, running, workout

get fit! // fitness update

June 14, 2013 by Rachel 3 Comments

I would love to say that if I wasn’t working, I’d be spending hours and hours a day working out. But I know that’s not the case.

That being said, I dream about having 3 additional hours in every day; an hour of which I would spend with Ari. The other two? Working out and cleaning.

But even with working full time, [somewhat] keeping up with our household chores, and taking care of Babycakes, I have been fitting in workouts.

I’ve been continuing Weight Watchers religiously. In fact, the second week I lost 1.5 pounds. After a 5-pound first week loss, I’m proud to have lost a second week in a row! I still had a ton of unused activity points. And I did have a couple of meals that weren’t healthy — but that were worth it! [Umm, hello?? Grilled cheese?! YES!]

Last week I went to TWO yoga classes at Yoga Bliss. TWO! That is nearly unheard of! And it has been doing my body wonders. Power yoga is a really tough workout plus it’s a great way to balance out my runs.

Speaking of running, I totally rocked it again last week. I’ve been running for 30-minutes straight for the last week and a half now. There are times in my run when I start to doubt myself, but I keep moving. I ran a total of 14.5 miles last week, and walked an additional 8.5 miles with Ari! And? I’m averaging a 9.5 minute running mile. Which is certainly not my best, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished post-Babycakes. 🙂

And I’m officially signed up for four races! One 5k in July, one 5k in August, the Pretty Muddy Women’s 5k, and the Akron Marathon Relay 4.8 mile leg in September. Holy smokes! I’m so excited, but I’m also thinking, ‘what have I gotten myself into!?’

But mostly I’m excited. 🙂 I’m excited to see where I’m headed. I’ve been here before, and I’m happy to be making my way back.

Filed Under: Akron, Baptiste Power Yoga, fitness, health, Ohio, running, Team Pretty Muddy, weight, workout, yoga, Yoga Bliss Akron Tagged With: akron, fitness, health, running, Team Pretty Muddy, workout, yoga

i took the plunge

May 30, 2013 by Rachel 3 Comments

After months of plateauing at my current weight, and months of struggling, I’ve finally taken the plunge — I joined the masses — I joined Weight Watchers.

I have to admit, it was difficult for me to do. In fact, I’m not certain I could have done it without the support of my family + friends.

But I did it because something needs to change. For whatever reason, my body is clinging to this baby fat. Regardless of how much I work out, I am just not losing the weight.

Like, not even a single pound. And that’s not even a slight exaggeration.

I’m only a few days into the program and still getting used to it. Tracking everything I eat and all of my activities is nothing new for me. I just have to watch and make sure I’m not becoming obsessive over the point system. For instance, not reaching the daily point allotment on purpose; basically, restricting calories more than I should.

So we’ll see how this goes. I’ll still keep up on my regular exercise routine of yoga, running and cardio. And I’ll still enjoy a real, yummy meal once in a while, too. 🙂

Filed Under: fitness, health, weight Tagged With: fitness, health, workout

an overdue update.

September 9, 2011 by Rachel 8 Comments

Well, there went August — and there went everything else I planned to accomplish during the month! 
I vowed to blog more. And that clearly did not happen. 
But, to be honest, I was tested more in the month of August than I have been in a very, very, long time. and I wasn’t exactly a pleasant person to be around.
Here’s why: 
We went to Wilmington, North Carolina on our week long pre-vacation-vacation…. during the same week, hurricane Irene decided to show up. And I had a severe case of sun poisoning {just a heads up: when the medication your on warns you to stay out of direct sunlight, this is why}.

I’ve been party planning. C’s bachelorette party was this past weekend, and I had been a busy bee getting things ready for it. Pictures to come!


I haven’t been able to sleep. Likely from a combination of stress from work and stress from everything else. In addition, the stress {and inability to workout} has made me gain weight. Which is, in turn, making me stress out more.

I’m really bummed about the weight gain. I don’t know how much it is because I never weigh myself; but I know that none of my clothes fit. I feel uncomfortable in everything. And it’s making me depressed…

I’m trying to hang in there, but to be honest, knowing I have to be in a bikini for our cruise in a couple of weeks is just compounding the stress.

So basically, blah. I’m still not 100% a fun person to be around. Blah, blah, blah.

Filed Under: bachelorette, life, vacation, weddings, weight, workout

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