Gitter done!

I am not one of those "special" cases ~ you know those ladies that have a second baby and a couple months later look as fit and lean as they did before they were even pregnant.  I was probably in the best shape of my life (and happiest with my body) right before I was pregnant with my daughter Marley.  I had just completed a life-changing 12 weeks doing bootcamp at a local gym and was so excited with the very fit and healthy me.  My very last week is when I took a pregnancy test due to some common prego things and voola I was pregnant!  That was a wonderful moment!  I have always been an active girl ~ my weight has gone up and down slightly from about mid-teens til now.  I really enjoyed pregnancy because I didn't feel self conscious like I once did ~ who cares if my tummy sticks out now!:)  It was a freedom I have never experienced since hitting puberty even when I was in great shape.  I gained about 35 or so pounds with that first pregnancy and the weight came off fairly easily ~ I started back at my gym (Excel Fitness Vernon BC ~ http://excelfit.ca ~fitness class based sort of like bootcamp) at about 6 months post partum and became pregnant again 9 months post partum.  I was about 8 pounds shy of my ideal weight at that time but still happy with the progress I had made.  So here I am now 5 months post partum, round 2 and the weight is coming off slow as a turtle.  I started back at my gym at 5 weeks post partum but didn't really focus on food/nutrition until about 3 weeks ago.  Having two babies is no excuse but the fact of the matter is that I am tired and busy busy busy.  At the start when I was getting into the groove I would look at the clock and it would be two in the afternoon and I had not had a bite to eat yet!  Of course my kiddos were fed and happy as clams.  I am making a conscious effort to take the time to eat, drink and be merry even if one of them is crying.  So a few weeks ago I signed up for a 60 day fitness challenge ~ pledged to take minimum 4 classes a week, eat super healthy, no coffee, no alcohol, etc.  I am sticking to it ~ eating great, drinking a ton of water, exercising and I am feeling great.  I am down 5 pounds already and am very satisfied with that.  I gained about 30 pounds with this last pregnancy and it seems like it is just lingering so I am glad to have an action plan set in motion.  Of course sleep aids in weight loss but I can not change that:)  At least there are a couple things I can control like what goes into my mouth, exercise, etc. and that will get me closer to my goal.  Other than being a healthier me, my main reason for wanting to drop pounds is to fit into my damn clothes! :)  Nothing worse than having a bunch of nice pre-baby clothes sitting in your closet just starring at you!  Can't wait to pull on that one pair of nice jeans and zip them up without sucking it in:)  Here's to success and health!

Ground Turkey Quinoa salad with homemade hummus guacamole

Oh and a small organic whole chicken in the slow cooker with veggies is a to-die-for yummy recipe ~ just pinterest it!