Pregnancy Thus Far (14 weeks)

Many of you reading this may already know that my husband and I are expecting a new addition to our family in early August 2014. This will be our first two-legged child! So now I'm going to go in to how pregnancy has been treating me...

I found this shirt, which is very similar to to the Insanity shirt I earned upon completing that program, to announce our new addition. This was a perfect way considering how invested I have become with Beachbody and my job as a coach!

Unfortunately, I have to give myself twice daily heparin injections. This is a blood thinner that I have been placed on due to my stroke history. I bruise very easily the way it is, but putting me on a blood thinner makes it worse! Luckily, the bruising is minimal, but still… this ain't pretty! Along with this, I am unable to drink my Shakeology, as the vitamin K content is too high for my doctor's liking. As much as I would like to go against doctor's orders (I miss my Shakeo!!!), I realized I can't put my wants first anymore. Along with this, you'll notice my fabulous blanket. We have become best friends, as I nap SO much! Partially blaming pregnancy, the other is due to the heparin.

 Nausea hit me VERY hard around 7-8 weeks along. I had to take generic Zofran every 4 hours just to be able to function. I was fortunate in that I never physically got sick, but sometimes I wish I would have! I am very lucky in that one of my coworkers makes phenomenal ginger snap cookies, of which I purchased a package to use for medicinal purposes :)

I have been having some pretty strange cravings since day 1. Unfortunately, my tiny human isn't a huge fan of the food I typically ate pre-pregnancy. By that, I mean it hates vegetables and chicken… which is what I LIVED off of! Since eating vegetables wasn't an option, I drank a lot of V8 Fusion fruit/vegetable juice to get my daily intake. I have slowly been able to start adding vegetables in my diet (baby carrots are a great snack right now), however unless it is covered in bbq or hot sauces, I still can't do chicken! Some of the things I have been craving include: chips and queso, Fruity Pebbles (or any cereal really), Skittles, milk, root beer, oranges and orange juice, and pizza. Now I am to the point where nothing sounds good until I start eating it. The husband really hates that… makes prepping for dinner VERY difficult!

My skin has become super sensitive, more specifically the tops of my hands. I wash my hands too many times a day to count, and the soap at work did this to me. It turns very red and raw, followed by dry and cracking/bleeding. I had to purchase a calming soap to take to work, which has helped a little. Before bed, I coat the tops of my hands and fingers with triple antibiotic ointment, which has been a miracle! Luckily, the rest of my skin (minus a few facial outbreaks) has tolerated pregnancy pretty well!

A friend of mine allowed me to borrow a bunch of her maternity clothes. She is much smaller than me naturally, however she was nearing the end of her pregnancy in the summer/fall last year, making the clothes perfect for me right now. Mike and I are going south Florida in a few weeks for a friend's wedding, so I need warm weather clothes! These are some maternity capris that are BEYOND comfortable! However, as I was trying on the clothes, I had a moment of panic. I have always carried my extra weight around my midsection - this is what I worked so hard to lose (most of anyway) prior to the tiny human. Upon trying on these pants, it was a mental tug-of-war between knowing that my tummy is suppose to be getting bigger vs. my normal mentality of keeping that area hidden. Mike came in the room, saw me like this, and stated with a smile on his face, "Look at the belly!" I instantly started crying so hard that I hyperventilated. Luckily, he was sweet and talked me off the ledge, but it's a mental hurdle that will take me a while to overcome. My hopes are that when I start to look pregnant to people who don't already know I'm pregnant, I'll be ok. It is so hard being at that point where it could go either way between extra fluff and pregnancy. One friend told me if I felt self conscious, keep my hand on my belly, as that's a sure sign that you're making a tiny human. Note taken!!

T25 Before & After

THE RESULTS ARE IN!!

After completing Insanity with minimal results (of which I attribute to not changing my diet), I decided to try Shaun T's newest fitness program Focus T25. This program has three phases : Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. Alpha lays the foundation. Beta builds your core. Gamma focuses on strength. The best part of this program was that each video was only 25 minutes a day. Anyone can find 25 minutes a day to work out!

Mixing T25 with a nutritious diet lead to these results. I replaced one meal a day with Shakeology, as well as ate healthy items such as more fruits a veggies. Basic, but it works!!  

So I took my 'before' photos in late August 2013. At the end of September/ beginning of October, I took photos when I completed the Alpha round. Unfortunately, I slacked off and did not get photos after I finished Beta. However, I DEFINITELY made sure I got my pictures done after Gamma! I am so proud of my results!!

Here are the stats before the photos:

Waist : 31.5"  now 29"

Chest: 36.5"  now 35.5"

Hips: 38.5"  now 36.5"

Right Thigh: 25.75"  now 24"

Left Thigh: 25.5"  now 24.5"

Right Arm: 13.5"  now 12"

Left Arm:  13" now 12"

THAT'S A TOTAL OF 9.75" !!!!!

I am also down 18lbs. That's right!! I went from 178lbs to 160lbs in just 14 WEEKS! 

Prior to starting T25, I was busting out of a size 12 jeans. Now I need a belt to keep my size 10 jeans up, but my thighs won't quite fit into an 8, so I'm stuck here ;)

This just goes to show that with a little hard work and LOTS of determination, it IS possible to achieve your goals! I achieved my small goal of being able to fit into a size 10 comfortably. Now I'm moving on! Yesterday, I started my next program Turbo Fire. I can't wait to show you those results in 90 days!!

Spending Money

So this is a super tough topic. A topic that I really hate encountering, yet it's pretty common with both of my jobs. Leaving the veterinary side out of it, I'm going to touch on spending money on your HEALTH.

I want you to take a step back and ask yourself how much you spend on your personal health every year. Do you take the easy way out and go for cheap, unhealthy fast food or do you spend a little extra on a healthy item? Do you drop $30+ a month on a gym membership you don't use, do you have a treadmill sitting in the corner that you use to throw your dirty laundry on, or do you get up every morning and hit the pavement for a freebie run? 

Some folks don't bat an eye when it comes to spending money on their body and health. Others would rather spend their money elsewhere. I use to be the latter. I'd rather save money by getting a $1 cheeseburger and driving down the road for a $0.79 32oz pop at the gas station than spend $7 on a salad for dinner. Oy vey… No wonder why I'm faced with trying to lose weight as an adult!! 

Now I spend $115 every month on my bag of Shakeology. Yes, it is expensive, but it works out to UNDER $4 a day for what is what I can say with 100% certainty to be the healthiest meal of my day. I love the way it makes me feel, as well as how it keeps me full. I also now exercise six days a week. SIX!! While it is tough getting up at the crack of dawn some mornings, the energy I have afterwards is amazing! Best endorphins ever!!

Especially with it being so close to the holidays, rarely are people thinking about spending money on themselves. Let alone on themselves for something health and wellness related. Let's break it down…

Typical Holiday Spending

How do you rate with this chart? This year, Mike and I are not buying gifts for one another. We are each getting something small for our parents, as well as something for my nephew and his little brother. We are each contributing a small amount to gifts for co-workers, but that's it. We decided we would rather focus on spending what little extra we have on our health. 

Turbo Fire Complete System

So for my Christmas gift, I got myself another Beachbody workout program!! It was drastically reduced price-wise for Black Friday, basically the only way I was able to afford getting everything vs. just the standard version. I am so excited to have another program to continue with, as I finish T25 this week. I am going to be sad to say goodbye to Shaun T, but I'm greatly looking forward to spicing it up :)

Ok so you took a step back to evaluate. Now take two steps forward so you can keep moving forward for YEARS to come. A healthier you is a BETTER, HAPPIER you. I promise! I speak only from personal experience.

Put yourself FIRST this holiday season.

She Returns!!!

Keeping with the theme of having some accountability, I am standing before you, apologizing for my recent absence. I had some personal stuff happen in my life a few weeks ago that was hard on me. It happens to everyone. It's this thing called "life." It sneaks up on you sometimes! Have no fear, though! I'm back!!

So here is a brief update on what's been going on:

1) In the latter part of October, I drove 8 hours (each way) from Small Town, Indiana to Deep Creek, Maryland. My journey was for a team building retreat in a fabulous lake-front home with some brilliant ladies from the Dream Team. *Side note: The Dream Team was created by my coach, and we are the #2 ranked team out of over 150,000 teams in Beachbody.* I am so lucky that I was able to travel there to meet so many amazing women.  Plus I got to eat some awesome food! I learned that I LOVE pineapple. It was like crack that Saturday night...

Met my coach, saw a snow ski slope, and brainstormed by a beautiful lake!

2) I have been working my tush off with my Beachbody business and have worked my way up to a DIAMOND coach! Not to pat myself on the back or anything… but this is me patting myself on the back! What does it mean to be a Diamond coach? I'm glad you asked! Being a Diamond coach means I have a group of eight fabulous coaches as a part of my business, with two of those coaches having two coaches in their business. Pretty much it means I have people that actually trust me. It's a great feeling! It says that I am doing something right and leading people in the right direction as far as their health and fitness goals. It was a huge accomplishment for me, as I achieved this in just 59 days of being a coach. Oh hey, there's me patting my back again ;)

Just me… rocking as a Diamond coach!

3) I have kind of been slacking on the nutrition aspect of my life. It's amazing how stress can get the best of you! I am definitely an emotional eater, and that addiction has been kicking my butt for the past few weeks. Sticking with my T25 has been easy, but steering clear of temptations has not been. Seriously, whose idea was it to put a Dairy Queen in my tiny little hometown?! NOT COOL! Ok, so I've owned up to it. I do NOT want to do that again, so this is me vowing to avoid that sweet treat for at least the next three weeks. No sense in ruining all of my hard work as I finish up T25!!

4) My kittens are getting cuter by the day. I can't make this up. Sometimes, I wish I could squeeze them so hard, but I physically have to hold myself back to avoid hurting them. I can't imagine what I'll be like as a parent of a two-legged child.

Clockwise from top left: Eloise, Faye, Elliott, and Audrey

5) I am trying to get back into planning our meals for the week. While I loathe Sunday as meal prep day, I have got to make it a habit. Here is what's happening in our house this week! My husband definitely eats more than I do during the day, but it proves a good guideline as to how we eat. Granted, there are times where we might swap meals around, but we try to stick the plan as much as possible.

Week of November 17 Meal Plan

6) From the bottom of my heart, thanks for continuing to check in and keep me accountable! I GREATLY look forward to writing more frequently, so stay tuned :)

Healthy Turkey Gyros

I am so pumped to tell you about a new recipe I tried. It wasn't so much a recipe as me throwing a bunch of spices together as our kitchen was rather barren. 

Heavenly!

So here is how it all went down

• Brown 1 lb. ground turkey
• Spread cooked turkey across the pan so it creates a single layer
• Sprinkle with : oregano, salt, onion powder, garlic poweder, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, black pepper, and fresh parsley
• I did not measure out anything, but simply dusted all of the turkey with each of the spices.
• Place on a whole grain pita (mine was a whole grain/flax seed variety)
• Add ingredients of your choice: we chose onion, romaine lettuce, tomato, and a small amount of feta cheese
• The sauce was 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt mixed with 1/2tsp minced garlic, a sprinkle of garlic powder, and 1/4tsp salt
• The recipe I found called for cucumber, dill, and other ingredients, however I didn't have any of that in my house.

 I'm not sure the exact calorie count of this meal, the only somewhat unhealthy ingredient was the feta, which is completely optional.

This is definitely a meal we will be enjoying again! Mike even raved about the sauce, claiming I would need to make it for various other dishes. Well then, I did something right! ;)

Productive Wednesday

I seriously had the most productive day today! I finally crawled out of bed around 8:45 this morning. Originally, I didn't have to be at work until 1pm, so I allowed myself to catch up on some zzz's. Then, mid-morning, my scheduling coordinator told me we were over-staffed, so I could take today as my day off. Umm heck yes! So here's how my day went:

• Did two Focus T 25 workouts (Speed 2.0 and Upper Focus). Got a great calorie burn and my arms were jello at the end! 



Laughing at myself because I couldn't flex anymore… and being utterly exhausted after 50 minutes of Shaun T kicking my butt!


• Read a couple of chapters from the book "The Compound Effect"  It's discusses how the smallest steps you make now to better your life can greatly impact your future. Pretty interesting read.
• Played tons with my kitties 



Eloise pulled the blanket off the chair to snuggle in it. Kind of wish my life was as awesome as theirs!

• Chased my dog when he got out of our fenced-in yard. Luckily, he has pretty decent recall when a ball is present, so we didn't have any major problems.
• Did some coach work. Yay Team Beachbody!!
• Finished up the laundry. I hate the smell of bleach, so I always avoid whites for as long as I possibly can.

I wanted needed to clean, but instead I spent more time with my pets. Priorities, right?

Their heads are resting against each other. They're like Forrest and Bubba!

For dinner, Mike and I had Mexican Pumpkin Rotini that I had prepared Sunday night. (Meal planning has seriously been a huge blessing for me!) While I was cooking, Mike gave me the suspicious look, questioning all of the ingredients. Turns out he actually liked it. Take that!  I got the recipe from TheGraciousPantry.com She has tons of clean recipes that aren't super complicated. 

Clean Eating Mexican Pumpkin Rotini

(Makes 10 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion, chopped,
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1/2 lb. frozen, organic corn
• 1 1/4 lb. ground turkey breast
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
• Salt to taste after cooking but before adding pasta (I used about 1/2 tsp., but do it to your tastes)
• Fresh, chopped cilantro for garnish
• Whole grain Rotini pasta, cooked separately to package directions

Directions:

1. Saute the onions in the coconut oil until they become translucent.
2. Add corn and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the turkey, being sure to stir well so it crumbles well.
4. Stir in the spices.
5. When the turkey is very nearly done, add the chicken broth and the pumpkin. This will create a bit of a sauce.
6. When the meat is done, cool slightly and ladle over pasta. Top with fresh cilantro and serve.

Nutritional Content:
(Data is for 1/2 cup and does not include pasta.)

Calories: 91
Total Fat: 2 gm
Saturated Fats: 1 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 35 mg
Sodium: 42 mg (does not include any you add)
Carbohydrates: 4 gm
Dietary fiber: 1 gm
Sugars: 1 gm
Protein: 15 gm

Read more: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-mexican-pumpkin-rotini/#ixzz2hHRt61X3

Changes to the recipe: I used ground venison instead of turkey because that's what we had in the freezer.  Plain corn from a can was used, as we don't really have many organic options in my area. I made my own broth by using chicken bullion cubes. I used a yellow onion and canola oil (might as well use what we have in the house!). No cilantro was harmed in the making of my dish. I also used the "veggie" rotini, as our grocery store didn't have any whole grain options. The joys of living in a super small rural town! Overall, I'll most likely make this again!

Earn Money While Getting Fit

I am not sure I know a single person right now that wouldn't mind earning a little extra money, especially with the holidays approaching faster than we'd like! We are always watching our budget and trying to figure out how to plan for the holidays without leaving anyone out. Mike and I try not to push the limits, but we love to get gifts for our family! In 2012 (our first year as a married couple), we chose to not purchase gifts for one another so we could use that money on our family. Thanks to lots of hard work, that won't be the case in 2013! This year, we are going to be able to to afford gifts not only for our family but also for one another!

By focusing on helping others and keeping them motivated and accountable during the most tempting holidays (Halloween candy, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, as well as New Years Eve festivities), I am going to be able to help increase our monthly income.

I want to help a small group of exceptionally motivated and driven individuals to do the same. I am taking part in a system that is helping me earn at LEAST $900 towards the holidays this ear! This extra income is made possible through Beachbody Coaching.

This isn't something you will be signed up for and left to figure out on your own. With the help of me and my personal coach, we will help you learn everything (seriously EVERYTHING) you need to know about coaching. By no means do you have to be a health nut or a fitness guru, but you do need to work hard to be a product of the product. This means you are going to be joining in a challenge group along with the individuals you invite. You will need to do a Beachbody workout on a regular basis (I workout 5-6 days a week for less than 30 minutes) and replace at least one meal a day with Shakeology. Leading by example is the best way to get others involved! Another requirement is to be passionate about helping others to succeed! It is so fun to watch people become better versions of themselves :)

If you think you fit this bill, I will include you in a group starting October 14th, where you will receive guidance on a one-on-one basis, as well as in a closed Facebook group. If you are a go-getter that is motivated and determined to succeed, I want you to be a part of my team! Teaching health and fitness tips is a gift that will continue long past the holiday season. Plus, you will be able to continue to grow your business long after the holidays are over. 

The selection process is starting now, and I am only accepting a small group of individuals to join me on this adventure. My coach (who taught me all she knows!) leads the #2 team in the ENTIRE Beachbody company, so she knows what she is talking about! Please send me an e-mail or a message on Facebook to apply :)

k.pivowar@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/simplymotivated