I have watched the last few seasons of the Biggest Loser.  There are some things I really like about the show and its concept.  There are also a few things that I disagree with.  However, after most episodes I dream about living on “the ranch” for just a few weeks.  I would love to have nothing more to do than work out all day and focus on healthy eating.

I enjoyed my fair share of cookies and sweets over the holidays.  I could feel a slight tug when I put my pants on last week.  I have been weening myself off the crack I mean sugar and although I maintained my regular workouts during the holidays I decided to amp it up a bit.  I may not be living on the ranch but I am taking advantage of having my husband home all the time.  He is a mason and is laid off for the winter.  I always feel the need to let people know that since his job can be affected by inclement and cold  weather we anticipate the layoff and prepare for it financially.  I am also very fortunate to have a stable job.  With that said, I decided that while my husband is home I am going to extend my workouts each day to include more weight training and as much outdoor running as I can.

My son goes to preschool on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:50 until 11am.  I insist on driving him to school and picking him up because I like doing it.  On preschool days I now go to the gym for the entire time that he’s in school.  I do a warm up on the the elliptical followed by at least an hour of weight training and then I spend the remaining time on the arc trainer and/or the treadmill.  Or like today I went to the gym until about 9:30 and then headed to the reservoir for a 3.6 mile run.  It was a beautiful, sunny morning.  Fabulous run!  On the opposite days I do whatever I feel like doing for at least an hour but usually more.

I have also seen the return of the Green Monster over the last week.  I try to have one in the morning if possible or before work when I work back to back nights.  I have felt a surge in my energy level.  I have also managed to avoid some of the sickness going on around me. My mom and Orlando have been sick recently.  Fortunately Carlos hasn’t picked anything up either.  (I am knocking on wood as I type!)

We have a big trip planned in a few weeks, but I’ll get to that later. (Sometimes I like to act like people actually read this and I’m going to keep them in suspense!!!)  Let’s just say it is really hot where we are going so dresses and a bathing suit are a must.  I want to feel as good as I can and I know that the additional exercise and a return to healthy eating will ensure that.

2010 was full of accomplishments for me.  They were not New Year’s resolutions that I fulfilled.  I’ve actually shunned resolutions for the past few years since they always revolved around weight loss and I never seemed to accomplish them.  At the end of 2009 I was beginning to come into a new way of thinking about my weight and dieting.  I finally stopped dieting and opted for a less rigid course of healthy eating, more moving and less focus on numbers.  I eventually ditched the scale in spring of 2010.  I began to crave running and firmed up running goals which culminated in a half marathon in October.  I stopped buying fat free, sugar free and other artificial products in exchange for the real thing.  I started baking my own treats which were much healthier and wholesome than anything I could buy in a store.  I dropped an entire size and have maintained the weight loss for months now.  I finally started this blog to hopefully share my weight loss and fitness journey in progress as I balance those things with family and career.

As 2010 came to a close last night I thought a lot about the year I had.  It was an excellent year.  Aside from the healthy changes and physical changes in my life I also changed jobs.  I transferred to the psychiatric unit at the hospital I have worked at for over 4 years.  It was a really positive change for me.  I now work with a wonderful group of women and for the first time in my career as a nurse I truly love what I am doing.

I enjoyed some special family time in 2010.  In February, Orlando, Carlos and I spent four nights in the Dominican Republic for a truly restful and relaxing beach vacation.

View from our hotel in the Dominican Republic

In April the three of us headed to lovely Kennebunkport, ME for an overnight.

I traveled solo to upstate New York in June for one of my dearest friend’s bridal shower and bachelorette party. Summer was full with many trips to Lake Wyola with Carlos and his friend Gracie and her mom.

Lake Wyola

We also explored some of the local hikes in our area this summer.

Atop Skinner Mountain

Over Labor Day weekend Orlando and I went to my friend, Amelia’s, wedding in Plattsburgh, NY.  It was a beautiful wedding complete with multiple rainbows over Lake Champlain which was the site of the wedding reception.

Amelia and Scott's Wedding

Later in September, Carlos and I spent an unseasonably hot day in Boston visiting my sister and acting as tourists in the city.

Boston

Although we really wanted to getaway for a weekend in the fall we decided to make the half marathon weekend a mini vacation by renting a hotel room near the starting line of the race.  Hartford is hardly a vacation when you live in Western Massachusetts, but I really wanted to avoid any travel issues on the day of and I thought it would be easier on all of us if we spent the night nearby.  We soaked up the rest of the fall with nature walks in our area and out in Stockbridge, MA.

Hiking in Stockbridge

On top of the watch tower

Carlos and I spent three nights in October visiting my Dad in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  It was a perfect getaway.

Beach Bums

November and December have flown by with all the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

2011 is here and already exciting things are on the horizon.  We have big travel plans coming up very soon.  I am sorting out some fitness goals.  I have new healthy habits that I want to work on and weight loss goals to achieve.  I am going to be working on some home related projects that I would like to start and finish this year.  I also have some thoughts about work related goals.

I feel better than I have in years.  I am enthusiastic about this year.  I want to continue to feel good.  I look forward to trying new activities, making new memories with my family, and challenging myself.

It has been a very busy holiday week.  The craziness began with Carlos’ birthday on the 17th and continues until Sunday.  December 22 was cookie making night with my mom, aunt and grandmother.  We baked macaroons, white chocolate raspberry bars, butter balls, Italian egg biscuits, oatmeal white chocolate chip cranberry cookies and peppermint bark.  They were all delicious.  I remained in control for a couple of days but then a cookie frenzy ensued and let’s just say I’m glad that they have all gone away.  I think that I managed to nip it in the bud before it got too out of control and I am now just about back on track with diet and exercise.

Beginning Thursday night, December 23rd I started a seven night stretch at work.  This was entirely my own doing.  I had initially picked up New Year’s Eve as an extra night bringing my work week to a total of 40 hours.  Then a co-worker asked me to work Sunday the 26th for her.  I jokingly said that I would if the boss approved the overtime since I was already doing 40 hours.  Well it was approved!  And let me just say that the pay check will be much appreciated.

I don’t think that I will do a seven night stretch again in the near future.  I am lucky that I love my co-workers because work itself has been a challenge lately.  Unfortunately I only have tonight off before I have to return tomorrow night.

My Dad is in town for the week so we have been carving time out to spend with him, his girlfriend and her granddaughters.  It has been a great time for the kids.  We’ve gone sledding a few days thanks to a minor snow storm on Sunday.

I feel like the house is in disarray, clean but unorganized.  I suddenly have a “to do” list a mile long.  I want everything done yesterday but I am lucky if I finish one task a day.

Despite the craziness I have managed to make time for a daily workout usually straight after work.  I miss running outside, but I am told that the weather is going to warm up a bit in the coming days.  My workouts haven’t been extremely intense but I keep telling myself that something is better than nothing.

I drank spinach smoothies a couple of nights before work to try to amp up my veggie intake.  I have had little time to cook and some days sleep won out over dinner so a quick smoothie before work was all I had time for (along with a side of cookies).  It’s all about balance right?!

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and the end of 2010.  Overall it was a good year.  I am still trying to decide on goals for the upcoming year.  I suppose one might be to decide if I should continue to blog.  I will hopefully be back with a New Year’s resolutions/goals post tomorrow but it might have to be on New Year’s day itself if tomorrow gets too busy as I am predicting.

As I figured the break room at work has been full of tempting goodies.  I resisted a huge tray of a variety of cheesecake, cookies, rum cake and a bag of Lindt’s milk chocolate truffles.  And by resisted I mean that I didn’t gorge myself on these treats.  I did have one Lindt’s candy, seriously just one and literally, a sliver of plain cheesecake which was probably two spoons full.  I am really proud of myself.  I have vowed not to feel uncomfortable in my pants this holiday season.

I actually brought two pink lady apples to work to share with my co-workers.  They made a nice mid-shift treat and really did make me forget about the other stuff that was in the back room.  I also had a candy cane instead of my usual morning mints which made me feel more festive and indulgent.

I haven’t taken a day off from working out simply because I have had plenty of opportunities to work out recently.  However, yesterday I took it easy and just did an hour on the arc trainer at a comfortable level while reading.  I was still sweating and felt a good workout in my legs, but it wasn’t a strenuous workout.

Yesterday I made Potatoes, Sausage and Cabbage in the crock pot.  It smelled delicious.  Unfortunately due to my wacky schedule I didn’t even try any, but my husband said it was delicious.  The recipe came compliments of Roni on Green Lite Bites.  I used an entire onion because I love onion, purple cabbage, hot turkey sausage and 1/3 of a cup of apple cider vinegar along with the water.  I can’t wait to have some today.

The little guy and I just played a few games of Connect Four, one of his new birthday gifts.  He is really starting to catch on to the strategy of the game.  It was and still is one of my favorite games.

Plan for today:

• make a grocery list for Christmas brunch and Christmas cookies
• finish Christmas shopping (only a few things left to buy)
• wash linens and change the bed
• read 25 pages of my book (I’ve been reading “The Book Thief” for too long and I only have about 150 pages left, great book just haven’t had a lot of time to read)
• take a family walk before or after dinner
• run or go to the gym

That’s plenty!  Off to start the day…

This weekend was busy with Carlos’ birthday and my sister’s birthday on Friday, my friend’s son’s birthday party on Saturday, and the final T-ball scrimmage and pizza party today.  The old Aimee would have just threw her hands in the air and said “I’ll just start again after the New Year.”  Anyone who has ever struggled with their weight will know exactly what I’m talking about.  I would have gone hog wild and eaten until my heart’s content.  I would not have set foot in the gym until after the holidays or quite possibly until after winter.  New Year’s day would have been filled with empty promises.  Lots of “this time I will definitely do it,” “I am not going to eat carbs for a month,” “I will work out every day…”

I put my scale away last spring so I don’t even know what I weigh.  I do know how my clothing feels.  Dressing up to go out to dinner on Friday night was a new experience for me.  I slipped on my jeans, black high heeled boots and new black cowl neck sweater in a size medium and instantly felt great.  Everything fit.  The jeans are even a little too big.

I ordered a spinach salad which I shared with my sister and my husband.  For dinner I had a grilled veggie flat bread pizza.  I ate two slices and had a few tastes of other dishes around the table.  I didn’t feel stuffed and saved adequate room for a little cake.  My mother brought a plain white cake with cranberries and dusted with powdered sugar.  I had a small slice and coffee.  Earlier in the day I had gone to the gym.  I also ate on the lighter side so that I could enjoy dinner.

Saturday started with an egg white omelet at my sister’s.  She made it with spinach and feta.  At the birthday party I had one slice of cheese pizza and a small piece of cake.  I refuse to live a life that doesn’t involve birthday cake or ice cream or Christmas cookies, etc.  I have been learning how to enjoy a treat here and there without going overboard.  I could have easily gorged on the pizza, there was plenty of it, but I didn’t.  After a long drive home I immediately threw on my running clothes and set out for a run.  I arranged to meet Carlos and Orlando up at the college athletic fields.  I tried out the new Garmin for the first time and discovered that it was about 5 miles to my destination.  We walked around for a while as Carlos rode his bike.  I added another mile or so making it a little over 6 miles for the day.  Sweet!

Today included more pizza and again I enjoyed one slice.  I did a strength training work out at the gym this morning with a little cardio for balance.  I kept dinner light tonight.

This week is going to be full of treats. I believe that I now have the ability to achieve a healthy balance between my old habits and my new habits.  I will enjoy myself, but I will not overindulge.  I intend on maintaining my work out schedule all week.  I am hoping to get a double digit run in sometime this week.  I will keep veggies on hand.  I will bring healthy snacks to work (tonight I am going to share two Honeycrisp apples with the girls).  I will write about the challenges that I encounter during the week.

For the first time in my life I will not enter the New Year feeling horrible about myself.  I feel good right now and I intend to keep on feeling this way.  No going backwards!

On this day four years ago my baby boy was born.  Right up until that magical moment I had no idea if my baby was a boy or a girl.  It didn’t matter.  But I had a very strong feeling throughout the entire pregnancy that I was carrying a boy.

First look

Yup even with that loud cry, wide open mouth, closed eyes, scrunched up nose, and fuzzy hair it was love at first sight.

Everyone said it would go by quickly and man it sure did.  This morning baby woke up and announced that he was four today.  He even looked a little taller.

A big boy now

A birthday is a special day.  We are extremely lucky to be celebrating two very special birthdays today.  Carlos was born rather unexpectedly on my sister’s birthday.  I was due December 23rd, but I couldn’t have been more thrilled to go into labor just a few hours before December 17th began.  First Carlos had a cupcake party at school.

Bought not home baked

Look but don't touch

Orlando and I surprised Carlos with a trip to Build a Bear after school.  He made an adorable soft teddy bear that he named Stuffy complete with a firefighters uniform.  Since that didn’t take too long we also took him to McDonald’s for lunch (don’t judge) and to play (ie, tire him out for a nap).  Nap he did for over two hours.

Now we are all dressed and ready to go out to dinner with the family.  Tonight Carlos and I are having a sleepover at my sister’s so they can spend a little more quality birthday time together.  I am just happy to report that I haven’t even so much as licked the frosting on those delicious looking cupcakes.  More birthday photos to come (hopefully they will look a little better).

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that my eating habits took a turn for the better after having my son, acquiring a laptop and discovering the healthy living blog world.  Having my son was the impetus I needed to take a closer look at my bad habits (all of them) particularly my bad eating habits.  Suddenly I had this tiny person depending on me for everything.  I became so cognizant of my every action.  There were days that I felt like I could eat all day, but I knew that if I was doing it with an infant in sight I would also be doing it when he was a toddler and beyond if I didn’t change things.  My son was born in December so by summer time he was crawling and starting to move around more.  I wanted to be outdoors with him as much as possible.  We went for walks, laid on the grass, explored new places.  I didn’t want to be stuck inside.  I lost the baby weight within the first year and then I began to focus my sights on losing what was there pre-baby.  I did not want my weight to affect my health, my activity level or my happiness. I owed it to my son to be the best mother I could be.

In late 2007 my husband surprised me with my very own MacBook.  We had talked about getting a laptop since finding time to use the iMac desktop was nearly impossible.  I was convinced that having a laptop would make my life easier and could possibly help improve the way we eat.  My foresight did not disappoint.  In late summer of the same year I had discovered Roni of Roni’s Weigh.  Her candid posts, relatable story and quick and easy recipes on a separate site called Green Lite Bites helped me to start thinking about weight loss in a very different way.  I knew that the only way I could be successful was to change my lifestyle, but in order to change my lifestyle I had to take it one step at a time instead of all at once.

With the laptop almost always present on the kitchen counter I had a wealth of resources at my fingertips when I needed a healthy dinner or snack idea.  Over the course of the next two years I learned to bake and continue to wow my husband with lightly sweet treats that are homemade and full of healthy goodness.  I have made a wide variety of healthy meals almost every night of the week.  I have ditched probably about 90% of artificial sweeteners and fat free products.  We no longer eat red meat at home.  We eat chicken on occasion and lean turkey once a week.  Tofu and beans have become staples in our house.  Fresh fruits and veggies jack up our weekly grocery bill but we don’t complain.  My pantry includes quinoa, couscous, bulgur, flax, maca powder, chia seeds, agave syrup and steel cut oats.  Some still seem like new buzz words but I’m still learning about ways to improve my nutrition.

Through Roni’s Weigh I discovered Caitlin’s Healthy Tipping Point which led me to numerous other healthy living blogs.  I will include a blog roll within the next few days to recognize the bloggers who were most inspirational and whose blogs I follow regularly.  I have much more to say on the impact of these healthy living blogs so I will save that for Part 3.  In a nutshell I was floored by the sheer motivation, drive and creativity these women displayed.  I wanted to embrace all of the positive energy that flowed from these sites and experience the wonderful joys of living a happy, healthy life.

2011 is just around the corner, my son will be four years old in three days, and I am the healthiest I have ever been, the thinnest (despite still having about 15-20 pounds to lose) I have ever been and the happiest I have ever been. Equipped with an arsenal of new coping mechanisms, tools and habits I am excited about what the new year has to offer.

To be continued…

Someone was a little crabby yesterday while at my mother’s for dinner.

Eating a second dinner of PB&J...toasted special by Nonna

Being 3 is very difficult.

Got milk? That's something to smile about.

Just seconds before he spits it out!

We thought the milk mustache was cute until Carlos surprised us all with a spitting spray of milk across the counter.

Where does he come from?  I ask myself this question numerous times a day mostly because of his eating habits.  I grew up in a big Italian family.  Food was a major focus of life.  Don’t even get me started talking about how much of a role food played on any holiday or celebration.  Considering how much food was always around I was a pretty picky child.  I didn’t eat a vegetable until I was in my 20s (it was then I discovered that corn and potatoes don’t count).

So what did I subsist on?  Breakfast was fairly easy as I ate just about any kind of cereal.  I remember really sugary cereals like Lucky Charms being a once in a while treat.  We usually ate Cheerios, Mini Wheats or Raisin Bran.  I ate toast with butter, jam, or peanut butter.  I always loved fruit.  In the winter I ate Cream of Wheat on cold mornings.  Other breakfast eats included: eggs, french toast, pancakes on occasion, and my grandmothers homemade fried dough.

Lunch was usually a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at school.  When we were home my mother would serve toasted cheese (simply bread with a slice of American cheese on top stuck in the toaster oven until the cheese gets all bubbly), macaroni and cheese, Ellio’s pizza, or hot dogs.

My mother cooked dinner every night unless we were going somewhere special.  Of course I ate pasta.  My mother says that I only ate it with butter and cheese as a toddler.  I only remember eating it with sauce and lots of grated cheese.  I would eat chicken that my mom prepared.  I ate hamburgers, pizza, potatoes, corn, soup (chicken noodle, pasta fagioli, tortellini), steak, baked beans, turkey  and probably a few other things that I’m forgetting.

Pitiful isn’t it!  The only thing green in my diet was a Granny Smith apple from time to time.  In my last year of college I lived for a semester in Mexico.  While there I finally got adventurous and tried rice.  Imagine I had never tried white rice.  Upon my return to the states I expanded my tastes to include romaine lettuce, broccoli, salsa and black beans.

In 1998 I moved to Mozambique in Southern Africa.  Surrounded by new foods and gorgeous brightly colored vegetables I adopted the motto “when in Rome.”  I tried everything that came my way.  Within months a typical dinner consisted of a big bowl of tomatoes and onions with a soft Portuguese roll or rice and beans Mozambican style.  In my time there I ate my share of king prawns, goat, tomatoes, onions, peppers, tripe, freshly killed chicken and beef, sugar cane, various kinds of fish, greens and xima (a corn meal based dish akin to grits).  There were plenty of foods that I ate that I didn’t want to know what they were like liver.

When I returned home in 2002 I couldn’t wait to try some of my favorite foods that I always ate without the vegetables.  For the first time in my life I was excited about salads, roasted vegetables, yogurt and oatmeal.  The first few years at home included lots of new foods, but it wasn’t until after my son was born four years ago that I truly began to discover how wonderful healthy food could taste.  Having always struggled with weight issues a new baby, a laptop and healthy living blogs changed my eating habits once again.

To be continued…

It was extremely slippery when I left work this morning.  Cold, rain and ice do not make ideal conditions for a run so to the gym I went.  I’m starting to really like the gym again.  It’s a nice change although I do crave an outdoor run every couple of days.  I’ll just have to take what I can get for now.

I’ve been using the Arc Trainer quite a bit and trying out the different programs and levels it offers.  I am able to read while I’m on the Arc Trainer which is nice because I don’t have a lot of quality time to sit and enjoy a book or magazine.  Is it wrong that I multitask while working out?  I have also increased my strength training to 3 times a week.

I came home from the gym and made breakfast for my husband and I.  Carlos had already eaten.  I made Orlando and omelet with tomato, cheddar and banana peppers.  It looked incredible that I decided to forego my usual oatmeal and make myself an egg white omelet with tomato, banana peppers and goat cheese.  I heated a Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran and Whole Wheat Flour Tortilla and spread a little Laughing Cow Light on it.  My breakfast was delicious but I was definitely missing something sweet.

We are heading to my Mom’s for dinner.  I hear that her homemade turkey soup is cooking away.  I can’t wait.  Nothing like a hot bowl of soup on a cold icy day like today.

As always this time of year is a flurry of activity.  I have been a busy bee for the last couple of weeks, checking things off my ever growing To Do list.  I have been using Google Tasks for a couple of months now.  I like it a lot, especially because I can use it from my iPhone too.

I woke up last night to get ready for work and I noticed that light flurries were dusting the ground with a fine white powder.  It looked quite pretty especially since it wasn’t really accumulating.  I honestly don’t mind winter too much.  It’s just when things get messy, wet and icy that it starts to become a drag.

After work I went straight to the gym.  I wanted to run outside, but I didn’t bring the proper clothing.  I felt a little indecisive anyway and figured the gym would provide more options.  I would love to design a fitness plan to start off the new year.  I have been training for a race since last May and I am starting to incorporate other forms of exercise to try to change it up a bit.  Today I did 60 minutes on the Arc Trainer and some upper body strength training.

Oh I did bring my computer to a couple of technicians and the optical drive is shot.  I was concerned that I did something to cause it but was told that this piece of hardware on the MacBook is just crap, not their best work.  It fails eventually especially with increased use.  So essentially I didn’t do anything it just bit the dust on its own.   It will cost about $250 to replace the optical drive but I could go with an external for less than $100.  I will probably do the external, but I don’t know what to look for.  I just started my research.  Hopefully I will figure it out soon.

Tonight after dinner we did something totally different.  We went up to the town commons for a coffee and a treat for the little guy.  There was live music at the cafe and Carlos was thrilled.  He loves music and sat as still as a three year old can sit for about 45 minutes.  After that we walked around the commons to see the Christmas lights.  It was cold out but with coats and mittens we didn’t feel a thing!

I’m going to nap for about an hour now before getting ready for work.  I work tonight and then I’m off tomorrow night only before working another three nights in a row.  I don’t mind though.  I work with a great group of women who make work an enjoyable place to go.  Tonight I’m bringing baby carrots and lemon hummus to snack on.  Other than that I might nibble a graham cracker or two and drink coffee.

I hear that we are getting more than a flurry tomorrow.  Fingers crossed that it is just another meteorological lie!