WEIGHTLOSS UPDATE {07.22.2015}

Last week, E and I started eating My Fit Foods. Although I have had it before, I was worried that E wouldn't like it. To my surprise, he loved it! We got back into the gym and so far things have been going great. In addition to the healthy eating, workouts, and vitamins, I have also been waist training (read tips here). So far, I have seen a great improvement. We have been following the workouts posted on Body Builder. You can see our workout plan here. I've been feeling the burn and can tell that I am pushing myself, which is good, for a while I was stuck in a plateau. No matter how many times I went to the gym in a week, I couldn't get past that weight plateau. Finally I realized, it's not about the weight scale but how my body image is changing. I've been impressed with the changes so far, even after one week.  

I've been mostly eating (2) boiled eggs in the mornings, My Fit Foods in the afternoons and for dinners. For snacks, if needed, I always had some type of fruit or veggie on the side waiting. Waist training really helps with not over eating so I usually do not need a snack. In addition to the eating healthy, I also drink (1) gallon of water a day.

I am currently taking (3) vitamins: Pre-natal, Fish Oil, and B12. The pre-natal is to help balance my hormones, fish oil is great for the heart and body systems, and B12 is used for a natural energy since I did not want to have to take pre-workouts or fat burners. I also decided to purchase some CoQ10 in addition to the other vitamins. CoQ10 has so many wonderful benefits. (read the benefits here)

Results after one week look great! I'm actually not mad about not dropping five pounds because I've noticed a huge difference in my appearance. Eating right and drinking water all day has definitely made great changes for my body.

Also, for my ladies, and gentlemen, with stretch marks the absolute best home-remedy for this is coconut oil. I have been using it day and night and have seen amazing results. I am not a huge fan of using chemicals and try my hardest to self-heal or home-remedy things, so when I started using the coconut oil, I was thankful that it was a natural ingredient. I typically use it with an essential oil mixture so it smells nice, and it's great to use closer to bed time, it's so relaxing and calming.

Looking forward to week two as I bump up my weights. Have you tried My Fit Foods? What did you think? What is your favorite meal, if you currently eat My Fit Foods? Thanks for catching up with me and please let me know if you have any weightloss tips, tricks, ideas, and more.

God Bless and Thank you for reading!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO CONCEIVE {07.15.2015}

Due to the fact that I have an overwhelmingly large number of readers who are in the TTC world, I wanted to put this up. Keep in mind that E and I are no longer in the TTC world, we have basically taken one huge leap away from that world for a while, but for my ladies that do read this blog, waiting for the TTC posts, here is one just for you.

 

It is crucial that you are taking the correct vitamins for you and your future embryo. Those little eggies need all the vitamins and supplemental boosts they can get. Here are 10 of vitamins you need to conceive!

 

#1 Zinc
#2 Folic Acid

#3 Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

#4 Omega 3 Free Fatty Acid

#5 Iron

#6 Calcium

#7 Vitamin B6

#8 Vitamin B12

#9 Fish Oil

#10 Prenatal

 

Take this list to your nearest pharmacy and stock up ladies, you are going to want all you can get to make that healthy miracle baby.

 

I also wanted to share some other tips and tricks for conception.

 

Pinapple

Although I am not a doctor, I have heard some amazing things about pineapple. If you eat this magical fruit, mainly the core, after ovulation has been determined, you will have a better chance of implantation. You can thank Brolemain, an enzyme found in pineapples, for the help. How much do I believe this? Well, to be honest I'm not sure. I did eat pineapple core with our second pregnancy, in January, which was successful in landing a BFP but I'm not sure how much this factored in. Worth a try though!

 

Acupuncture

I'm sure you've heard me talk about this before, and with good reason. In addition to the pineapple back in January, I was also seeing an acupuncturist weekly throughout my cycle. Not just for fertility, but for relaxation, Acupuncture is so important for balancing systems throughout your body. During a TTC journey, it's easy to get caught up in the frustration and stress, Acupuncture allows us to breathe and calm our body and minds. After all, the most important thing you can do for your future pregnancy is ensure that you aren't stressed.

 

Weightloss

Now, don't hate me for saying this, but weight plays a very vital roll in fertility. If you are even five pounds over your "normal" body weight, your fertility will be negatively affected. Just like the round in January, I was doing all three of these things. I managed to lose about 30 pounds and, although it wasn't easy, we sure managed to get pregnant first cycle after a whole year break. I'm not saying that it's impossible to get pregnant if you are five pounds overweight, but the healthier you are, the better your chances.

 

SMEP Plan

Just go back and look at anyone of my posts from the last cycle in April or the one in January, and you will see that I am an avid believer in the SMEP Plan. I found this little gem searching the web and it has worked wonders for us. Again, we were successful while using this in January. This plan is crucial and can help you and hubby stay on track. Best part is, this plan keeps the man and woman accountable during the TTC journey. It's important that men build up their swimmers, so waiting at least one day for that to build up is so important. Another thing is, it helps remind us to pay attention to dates and timing so as to not miss our small window of opportunity. Find out more about the SMEP Plan here.