Sunday, June 26, 2011

Breaking The Rules

I was just checking out the following article on Yahoo! I don't know about you, but I am constantly thinking about what I eat. Not to say I never eat anything bad; I do, but I am definitely thinking something negative about it rather than just enjoying it. It's because I know I'm breaking my dieting rules. Well, good news to those of you who are like me - here are some rules it's OK to break:

If you find it hard to stick to a strict diet, here’s some good news: Breaking the rules could actually help you slim down—and keep the pounds off over the long term. A study published in International Journal of Obesity found that dieters with a flexible strategy that allowed for sweets and other indulgences were significantly more successful at maintaining weight loss during the three-year study than those who strived for rigid control of their eating habits.
That’s because the rigid control group typically had an “all or nothing” mindset. As a result, they yo-yoed between shunning all goodies—including their favorite foods—and falling off the diet wagon completely. Flexible dieters, on the other hand, deemed it good enough to “more or less” follow their weight loss plan, without letting slip-ups escalate into eating binges. But which rules are okay to break without sabotaging your diet? NSCA-certified conditioning coach Holly Mosier, author of Stress Less, Weigh Less (Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2011), offers these myth-busting insights:

23 Diet Plans Reviewed: Which one is right for you?

#1: Don’t eat after 7 PM.
Why it’s OK to break this rule: There’s nothing magical about avoiding eating at night. The key to weight loss success isn’t when you eat; it’s taking a close look at what you eat and staying within your daily calorie allotment, says Mosier. “It’s very helpful to keep a food diary and look at your eating patterns.” A study by Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research found that people who maintained a daily food diary had double the weight loss of those who didn’t keep any records. Writing down what you eat helps curb the urge to overindulge, by making you mindful of your dietary patterns and caloric intake, regardless of what time of day the food is consumed.

Mommalicious says: I definitely agree with this one. If I followed this rule, most nights I wouldn't even get to eat! When you have two young children, especially one of which is a baby, you get completely consumed in their bedtime routine. If you're a working mom, it's even harder, because dinner might not even get on the table 'til 7pm most nights, or you just put together something quick for the little ones and take care of some chores while they eat, rather than making a meal for yourself. Some nights, I don't get to eat until after the kids have gone to bed, around 8pm. But I think it would be worse to put my body into starvation mode than to just allow myself to eat at this time of night.

#2: Eat five to six small meals during the day.
Why it’s OK to break this rule: Although the theory behind this rule is that frequent eating keeps your metabolism stoked, the reality is that having more opportunities to eat often results in overeating, resulting in weight gain instead of weight loss. What’s more, new research from Purdue University founds that eating three regular-sized meals that include lean protein, such as chicken or tofu, made people feel more full than eating smaller, more frequent meals. The researchers also reported that eating three high protein meals also decreases late night eating and food cravings.
Avoid the worst fitness trends of all time.

Mommalicious says: I'm a little torn on this one because I actually believe the 5-6 meals a day theory works more often than not. I tend to like to eat my meals like this, and I don't find that I overeat. I do have 3 larger meals, and then light snacks no more than 100-200 calories two or three times a day. I guess that's what works for me. I don't consider this to be a rule either, it's just my lifestyle and the way I fuel my body. But of course I know it doesn't work for everyone.

#3: Stick to fat-free or low-fat foods.
Why it's OK to break this rule: The American Heart Association recently reported that low-fat and fat-free foods can contribute to obesity, because these foods often contain as many or more calories than the full-fat versions, yet trick people into thinking that these are good choices for weight loss. Always check the nutrition facts on the label and avoid low-fat products that are loaded with sugar. Everyone, regardless of size, needs some fat in their diet to transport fat-soluble vitamins, such as A and E, around the body. Good fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, also play a role in heart health and may aid immune system function. The AHA advises limiting fat intake to less than 25 to 35 percent of total calories, with less than 7 percent of calories coming from saturated fat. Choose unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, nuts, or oily fish.

Mommalicious says: I wholeheartedly agree with this. Although I do stick to low-fat dairy products vs. full fat...but there is definitely a difference in the calories and fat calories - I know this because I am a dedicated nutrition label-reader! (Albeit, this makes my grocery shopping trips a little longer than my sons can usually handle). But there are many chemicals/substitutes in the fat-free products that are actually damaging to your metabolism in the long run.

#4: Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking.
Why it's OK to break this rule: It’s true that studies consistently show that people who eat breakfast tend to weigh less and are more successful at maintaining weight loss. In fact, having breakfast daily is one of the habits that 78 percent of the “successful losers” who have enrolled in the National Weight Control Registry share. All of them have sustained a weight loss of 30 pounds or more for at least one year and some for up to 66 years. But that doesn’t mean you have to force yourself to eat first thing in the morning if you’re not hungry. Consuming breakfast later in the morning, perhaps after a workout to rev up your appetite, is equally effective. One study found that eating a big breakfast that’s high in protein and low in carbs helped overweight women lose an average of nearly 23 pounds.

Mommalicious says: I definitely always have a breakfast, even if it's just a quick cup of yogurt on my way out the door. But I do love to get a workout out of the way in the wee hours of the morning when I can go non-interrupted through the whole thing because the rest of the household is still sleeping! And I definitely have an appetite after that.

#5: Cut out certain food groups.
Why it's OK to break this rule: This “rule” recycles every few years. Some years we’re told to cut out red meat. Other years we’re told to avoid dairy or fruits. And we are always told to shun sugar. However, even with the willpower of iron, it’s hard to stick to a diet that leaves you feeling chronically deprived, which can set the stage for bingeing, Mosier points out. Instead, eat your favorite foods in moderation, and tweak recipes to cut down on calories. Understanding nutrition and taking a flexible, balanced approach to weight loss helps you make the smart food choices, without saddling yourself with the stress and frustration of a rigid diet that’s impossible to sustain over the long term.

Mommalicious says: I'm all about moderation. I could never completely cut out my carbs - and definitely not fruit! For me, anything like that is too stringent and definitely sets me up for failure. What I do is try to eat the complex carbs - whole grains, fresh fruits, etc. rather than the simple carbs. Red meat, well I'm just lucky there because I've never been a big fan of it. No steak for me, please. I do like the occasional burger, but that's about it, everything else is turkey, chicken or fish. My husband hates it, but his waistline and heart are thanking me. And mine are too.


Friday, June 24, 2011

5 Question Friday! (Blog Link Up)

Linking up again with My Little Life for 5 Question Friday. Here are the 5 Questions, along with my most certainly awesome and witty answers:

1. What is your current favorite tv show?
Modern Family. If you have seen this show, I'm sure I don't need to do much explaining here. This show is awesome...and the epitome of the modern dysfunctional family America has come to know and love. I relate, I laugh, I cry (from laughing) and I desperately want to be an extra on at least one episode. Claire is my favorite - I find our personalities to be very similar. If you haven't seen this show, you need to - it's on ABC at 9pm EST.

2. What's the worst haircut you ever got?
I think when I was around 6 or 7, my mom got me this horrible bob. (Any haircut named "bob" should throw up an immediate red flag). It was about chin length and of course I had the huge 80s-style bangs to go with. (In my mom's defense, I think that she had to do this to me because I got gum in my hair.)

3. What was something that you did as a child that you thought you were so cool for doing?
Getting hit by a car (33 mph) when I was 8 and (obviously) surviving. I totally thought I was superhuman - no broken bones even. Watch out Bruce Willis - you've met your "Unbreakable" match!

4. Do you have any GREAT frugal family fun tips?
No. But http://www.kraftfoodandfamily.com/ does. :-) OK, and stay away from the storefront windows.

5. Would you drive across country if you had the money to fly?
If I had the time, I love a good long road trip. As long as there are plans to stop in fun places on the way. I would love to take a family road trip to visit my family in Idaho (we live in SC)...but we would definitely need 2 weeks and a good bit of savings to do so.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

I Always Get The Screamers...

Breckin discovered his vocal cords a long time ago. He would coo and babble...squeal with delight. It was all so precious. However, it has progressively gotten louder and louder. And more ear-piercing. I mean, it's like nails on a chalkboard.

Last night we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant. We love to go there because it's a great atmosphere (and they make the best Morga-ritas) and it's always pretty loud in there so if you have kids, they can be somewhat loud and it's hardly noticed by the other diners.

Breckin is super-sweet. He laughs and laughs...squeals...he's just soooooo happy. (I hardly take credit for that, I claim he's that happy despite me) It's just his natural disposition. So immediately when I sit him in the high chair, he starts laughing and pounding his hands on the table...he was just so crazy-excited. Maybe he feeds off the energy around him. But then he started letting out the screams...screams that if you heard them, you think he's upset rather than happy. And they were blood-curdlingly loud. We definitely got some stares of disapproval from nearby diners. But what could I do? He wasn't upset and needing consoling...he was just deliriously happy...how he is most of the time. I tried some ssshhhh-ing...but he just thought it was funny. This is Breckin. Breckin the Screamer.

This is not my first time dealing with a "screamer". Tanner first started his loud squealing around 4 months old. Same thing...just happy and excited. And again, it was a scream that sounded like he was upset...so people eating near us at restaurants think they got stuck sitting by a crying baby...but that was not the case. Tanner is 5 now. And he is STILL loud. He's also a non-stop talker. Yeah, we're officially a freakin' circus in public...never a relaxing moment. My whole pregnancy I had hoped that Breckin would be more mellow...because Tanner was already a lot to take...to add another to the mix? Scary. But here I am...Breckin is 10 months old...and there's no signs of him quieting down any time soon.

This is what I get for having boys. I may not have a quiet moment for the next 18 years. It's like a sentence (and I still don't even know what I did!) At least they're adorable and sweet...and in the meantime, there's always red wine (or Morga-ritas).




Friday, June 10, 2011

Link Up: Five Question Friday

Today I'm linking up with Five Crooked Halos and doing her Five Question Friday blog-hop. Here are the 5 questions she asked us to answer this week:

1. How close to your childhood dreams is your life now? 

Not close at all! I was supposed to have 4 kids - 2 girls, a boy and then another girl. As far as a career, I dreamed of anything in the performing arts...I think I was convinced I was destined to be famous (something I still haven't quite un-convinced myself of). I wanted to be an actress...go to Los Angeles and try to make it. My 2nd choice was to own my own dance studio. Although I did go to Los Angeles and signed on with an agency, it didn't do much for me..though it was a fun experience and I met a lot of interesting people. So at least I can't say I never tried.

2. What is one must have item for the summer?

For me, it's definitely my aviators.

3. Do you have your kids stay up on school stuff during summer vacation?

Well, so far this question is not applicable. Tanner starts Kindergarten this fall. Though over the past year that I've been home with him most days, I have been working with him on Kindergarten workbooks to prep him for what's to come.

4. Do you can or freeze fresh produce?

I don't can it, but I freeze it sometimes. Normally we eat the fresh produce right away...I just buy as we need I suppose. I love going to farmer's markets though! And I've made Breckin's baby food out of fresh produce in the food processor.

5. Do you get ready for the day first thing in the morning?

It depends. If Breckin wakes me up around 5 or 6am, I feed him a bottle first. Then most days, I try to get a workout in before the day gets away from me. But generally, I do try to get ready for the day if I don't have too many distractions (read: kids bugging).


Thursday, June 9, 2011

Beach Day - Pic Share!

Wanted to share a few pics from our family beach day we had this past Saturday:


Somehow Jake managed to escape getting into any pictures! But I promise he was there. It was such a great day spent together as a family. The boys had a blast - we plan on doing this a lot more often!




Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Giveaway: Scentini by AVON

I am so excited to announce the first-ever giveaway on Mommalicious! The goal of this giveaway is to earn more followers and traffic for Mommalicious.

Scentini is a new fragrance line by AVON. As some of you know, I am an AVON Representative. I personally have sampled these yummy fragrances and I adore them. They are perfect for summer (or anytime really). And so cute with their martini-like shape...There are 3 different fragrances: Rose Fizz, Plum Twist and Citrus Chill.


I have one full-size bottle of each fragrance - so this is a TRIPLE giveaway because I'm going to choose THREE winners! It does not cost a thing to enter...all I ask is that you take your time to do the following and you will be entered to win:

1. Comment on this post l etting me know in specific order your pick of the fragrances, i.e. 1...,2...,3...)You will also need to go to the Contact tab and send me an email telling me what you love most about my blog. (This will also provide a private way for me to receive your email address since I will need it to notify you if you win.)

This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and will end on June 21, 2011

Additional Giveaway Entries

Earn additional giveaway entries by doing one or all of the following. Comment on this post to let us know each time you earn an additional entry.
1. Follow California to Carolina on Twitter
2. Become a Fan of California to Carolina on Facebook.
3. Tweet this giveaway.
4. Blog about this giveaway and link back to the giveaway post.

Winners will be chosen at random. I will notify the winners when the giveaway closes and announce them here.



Insanity: Day 1

Well, so I did it. I completed Day One (again). It's been a few weeks since I've done an Insanity workout, so I was definitely sweating after this one...but I pushed through and finished the entire DVD. No breaks, no stopping. I feel energized and accomplished...it's amazing how just one really challenging workout can make you feel inside and out.

It's been a while since I've done my measurements, but I can tell just by seeing them that even though I've lost the baby weight, I haven't lost all of the baby inches. However, I've definitely made a lot of progress if you look back to my earlier measurements posts in late 2010 after having Breckin. So I'm getting there. Here is where I'm at today:

JUNE 8, 2011
Weight: 134 lbs (5'8")
Hips: 35.25"
Waist: 29.0"
Chest: 31.0"
Thighs - R: 20.5"; L: 20.75" (yeah, this has always been my trouble area! Curse my thighs! LOL)
Arm/Bicep (Unflexed) - R: 10.5"; L: 10.25"
Calves - R: 15.0"; L: 14.75"

And here is the pic...be kind, please:


Well, wish my luck on completing the next grueling 60 days worth of workouts...hopefully I'll see some major progress as a reward! Can't wait to come back with some updates (hopefully good ones)!


Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Back on the Insane Train

Tomorrow I start ANOTHER round of Insanity. I feel like I just need one more good round of it to get where I want to be physically.
 
Oy, Shaun T, we shall meet again in the wee hours of the morning (yeah, that's right, I've got to commit to 5am workouts with the way my schedule goes)...looking forward to a little ass-kicking...it's always a challenge.

I will come back to this post soon and update it with my beginning measurements/stats.

What about you? Are you doing any sort of fitness regime? Do you use a workout program, or just go about it your own way? Any current goals you are looking to attain in the near future? Post them in a comment here...

Here's to being Mommalicious...


Monday, June 6, 2011

Gratitude.

Today I'm linking up with Naomi at Momaholic.
She has started a weekly blog link up about Gratitude.

I have many things to be thankful for and no matter what life may throw at me, I know that I should always be appreciative of what it doesn't throw at me too.

This week I have Gratitude for:

1. Tanner and Breckin - the best boys a mother could ask for.


2. Jake - my husband, my partner, my rock, my friend.


3. Beach days.


4. T-Ball Season being OVER. (Though Tanner was so cute in his uniform)

5. Nice evenings with my husband and a couple glasses of red wine.

6. Tie-dye kits. (Breckin's [once white] onesies are so cute now!)

7. Blogging being a socially-accepted hobby for moms.

8. Cute aviators.


I have so much more, but I've gotta spread it out since I am going to do one of these each week!


Friday, June 3, 2011

Vlog: Playtime!

Just wanted to share a couple of cute playtime videos from the other day when I had some of Tanner's and Breckin's friends over:




Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Writing Prompt: My Passion

For this week's writing prompts from Mama Kat
, I chose: What are you passionate about?

Well, OK, so this is an easy one and not a surprise to most: I'm passionate about health and fitness and keeping in shape.

I'll admit, the need to stay fit (read: hot) stems from my childhood insecurities. I never felt like I was the most beautiful or even close to, and certainly felt regular-sized, rather than slender or skinny. I was always comparing myself to other girls and was very hard on myself. I always felt like I had something to prove. I hated that back then and at the time I never really knew how to change it.

As I got older, I started reading different diet books and studying different trends in weightloss. There was a lot of trial and error. I even splurged on a personal trainer at Bally's Total Fitness. But to be honest, that was pivotal for me. I finally had someone explain to me how the body worked as far as using food for fuel and burning fat and gaining muscle. As part of the package, I got a lot of tests run on me - such as metabolic rate, body fat percentage, etc. and a personalized diet and exercise plan. I actually found out that I had a very high metabolism (my personal trainer was a ripped Asian guy and he said he was impressed because my rate was just about where his was). I was shocked to hear that because I certainly wasn't ripped. After a few weeks of working with him and following the nutrition plan, I lost some weight and started to look a lot more lean and cut - the look I had desired all my school-age years. Ever since then, I have made it my personal mission to learn as much as I can about the science of health and nutrition. It's become such a passion of mine. I love that after two kids I can be proud of my body and that it doesn't even look as though I've had a kid (with the exception of some faint and minor stretch marks). I love working out - I love the high I get after an intense workout session. I love setting goals and challenging myself to attain them.

To date, I've read dozens of body-building and nutrition books. I've even taught group fitness classes at local gyms (dance-oriented classes, as dance is another big passion of mine). And in the past couple of years I've started running a lot of local 5K races - just because I love the feeling of going out there and going for it, no matter what my time is. I just love doing something good for my body and appearance.

So although my "passion" grew from a painful place...I'm glad that it was that way because it has made me who I am today and made me find something I really love. As a mom, I don't get to have a lot of personal hobbies, so the nice thing about fitness is that I can do it anywhere or even incorporate my children in it (jogging stroller, anyone?)...and at the same time, I'm creating a good example for my children. I am actually going to get my personal training certification within the next year. I want to share my passion with others and hopefully help them find a passion in it for themselves as well.

Wordless Wednesday: A Handful

Pictures taken today at my house while I watched 5 BOYS UNDER AGE 5 by myself ☺





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