Daily Archive: July 25, 2017

My take on Whole 30

Ahhhh, Whole 30…So I shall mention before you read this that I am a Whole 30 graduate.  So I kind of have a love/hate with Whole 30.  I first heard about it when I was pregnant, insert chuckle, obviously the timing was definitely off on that one.  I had zero interest in it then and didn’t think I ever really would.  Fast forward to my third trimester with Emerson(my second child), I found out I had gestational diabetes(save these details for a later date).  I obviously decided it was time to start caring what I was putting into my body again.  I was approximately 6 weeks post partum when I knew it was time to take charge.  For those of you un familiar with Whole 30, in a nutshell you don’t eat anything processed and NO dairy!  Try to do that in 2017, not exactly an easy task.  We live in a world where everyone is in such a hurry and to eat well, it’s hard to be in a hurry.  I have a great situation for eating better because I am home everyday and I knew this, which is another reason I knew it was time to take charge.  I also need everyone to know I was a dairy junkie.  I used half & half in my coffee every morning and afternoon, as well as added cheese to almost everything!!!  Here is a meal plan for an average day while I was in my 30 days.

Average Day

Lots of water, coffee with almond milk or nutpods(you can find them on amazon)

Breakfast: sauteed onions, potatoes, and red pepper, 2 eggs over easy, avocado(and or guacamole)

Lunch:  Kale/Spinach mix, grilled chicken, avocado, EVOO & balsamic vinegar

Dinner: Steak, Brussel sprouts with EVOO and lemon

Every day was fairly similar except sub out different meats and vegetables.

PROS

+I did not miss dairy.  I really thought I would but it turns out vegetables add so much flavor that I really didn’t care.

+I felt very satisfied when I was done eating because taking out the sugars helped me to not have cravings.

+I lost approx 12 lbs, and my huband lost 17lbs.  Overall, we both felt a ton better, no  headaches, not as tired.

+My clothes fit sooo much better

CONS

+I definitely felt like garbage the first few days as my body was ridding all of the nasty processed garbage inside of me.

+You can’t really eat out and I love to eat out.  It is an event for me, especially now that I am a stay at home mom.

+I thought I was going to turn into a chicken because I ate so many eggs. lol

+No Alcohol-although, this is the part of Whole 30 where I made my own rules!  Seriously though, this “lifestyle” is pretty strict and I couldn’t drink for 9 months while I was pregnant!

 

Overall, I am so glad I did this and it truly has been a lifestyle change for myself and my family.

If you are interested in a Health Coach, click here to check out my childhood friend, Natalie’s website: http://www.natalieschroder.com She is actually the one that got me started on feeling like a new person!  She also posts weekly meal plans and has great ideas!

If you are about to start your journey, Good Luck!  If you are on the fence, do it!!!

XOXO,

Lissa

Breastfeeding-The Truth

The dreaded breastfeeding……Breastfeeding is always something I said I planned to do.  My mom nursed my two brothers and I and for some reason I just always assumed I would do it.  To be honest, in my mind it seemed like it was something that was very easy, natural, and would just happen.  In fact, Dusko and I skipped our breastfeeding class before Max was born.  Ha!  That joke was definitely on us or me I should say.  Motherhood is definitely something I didn’t have a true vision of until I became a mom, but nursing was by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do.  This is for a few reasons:

+It is P A I N F U L

+It is A 24 HOUR job

+The F E A R of the Unknown

 

P A I N F U L

To say breastfeeding is painful is an understatement.  Have you ever had someone cut into one of the most sensitive parts of your body and continue to do it???  Probably not, because that just wouldn’t make sense.  Here are my tips for the first week of nursing.

  1.  Lanolin or some kind of nipple cream, make sure to find one that is safe for baby.  I used the Medela lanolin and although it gave me relief there are a lot of better ones out there.  The hospital gave me this one in a time of need!
  2. Warm washcloths, especially if this is your second or third or fourth.  The milk comes in a lot faster and these help with engorgement.  Basically use as a heat compress for approximately one min before nursing.
  3. Pineapple juice-Buy all natural with no added sugars and bring it in your hospital bag! This one I read about on pinterest in a desperate need to feel better.   It either really worked or the timing was there but it’s worth trying in my book.  Pineapple is a natural anti-oxidant so it helps with swelling.
  4. Make sure you have a good, supportive, nursing bra.  This was something the first time around I didn’t think was important-wrong!  Some of my favorites are actually from target.

24 H O U R job

  1.  Baby is attached to mom pretty much ALL the time for the first couple of weeks. The doctors and nurses will tell you to wake the baby every couple of hours to make sure he/she eats.  In a nutshell, I thought I knew what it was like to feel exhausted.  Well, I didn’t….now I do, and I understand the term-Mombie!  lol
  2. Unless you pump, which is truly a hard task when baby already wants you every second, you are pretty much the only one that can feed them.  Thus the exhaustion…
  3. Leaving the house for more than a couple hours at time is honestly a real challenge.  But girl, you deserve it!!!  So leave the hubs at home with the baby or children and go to starbucks, or target, or whatever you fancy.

F E A R of the Unknown

  1.  Is baby eating enough?  This is always one of the first questions a mom will ask.  Sometimes it can take days for your milk to come in.  Since I am absolutely not a professional, what I have been told is that as long as they are going to the bathroom they are getting something!  And apparently colostrum(what the baby is eating before your milk comes in) is the most magical stuff ever and carries so many nutrients!
  2. Is the pain every going to go away?  Yes, yes, my friend, it will, I promise.
  3. Will I ever sleep again?  Yup!  not sure how soon as each babe is special and unique in their own way but you will sleep again.  Infact, when you start sleeping again, you will miss those special moments when no one else was awake but you and the babe!

 

I could literally talk about nursing for HOURS and HOURS, so look forward to some posts in the future, but for now, Have a good week!

 

XOXO-

Lissa