Quick Catch Up

Here's a bullet point post for today..I'm a scatter brained mess these days! So this is as good as it gets :)

• My baby shower is Sunday! Super excited to share this day with friends and family and celebrate my sweet boy with a circus themed shower. Should be great fun!
• I'm super emotional lately and can cry at the drop of a hat. Seriously..I watched the movie What to Expect..cue the water works!
• I have also been extra lovey dovey and more affectionate lately. May be a pregnancy thing, but I constantly want to be around my husband and telling him how much love and appreciate him. I feel really lucky to have him as my husband and baby daddy :)
• School this semester has been pretty much put on the back burner. I'm still keeping  up, but it's not my #1 priority right now. I'm still debating if I should take a break next semester....I probably will.
• I'm slightly obsessed with the song "Wanted" by Hunter Hayes. Such a sweet song. Matter of fact, I get to see him open up for Carrie Underwood on October 27th..yup 36 weeks pregnant and all :)
• I'm also really digging knit blazers this fall. I bought this from Target:

Here's what it looks like on:

Yes I'm aware that's a big ol belly :)

• I had a baby Dr's appointment yesterday. Bradley is still head down and approximately 4lbs! My Dr. even said he's just fine with my weight gain. Whew! Sigh of relief.
• I'm still lacking tons of motivation on his nursery.  I'm waiting on that "nesting" to kick in so I can get some stuff accomplished. Maybe next month :)

All right, that's all I have for now. Have a healthy, happy weekend :)

bottomless pit

Ever since I hit the 3rd trimester, I feel like I'm a bottomless pit. Seriously, it is an insane feeling..hunger..true hunger!! It makes me think back to when I thought I was hungry? Um no, nothing compared to this. I feel like I can never become satisfied.

1. I never exactly know what sounds good to eat. So I want it all. I don't just want Mexican food; I want Italian too. ...at the same time.
2. I want a snack. So I look at what I brought for lunch..peanut butter crackers or a banana? I pout a little...what I really want is a Snickers candy bar. So I fight myself over whether to stick to the healthier option or just splurge. Splurging usually wins lately.
3. I'm constantly thirsty. Good thing, I've been drinking a ton of water. Lately, I feel like I have to pee all.the.time. Seriously, I think my bladder is done for.

I've been trying my hardest to keep my hunger/craving under control though. I've been eating more protein in the mornings and more carbs during lunch to keep me fuller, longer. And of course, drinking a lot of water. It's still hard though..I want to eat everything in sight..no joke.

I had a really "off" day yesterday. The number on the scale is reallllly getting to me. I know gaining weight while pregnant is inevitable, but I really didn't think I was already going to be at 30lbs gained by 30 weeks pregnant. I didn't want that. Remember my goal? 1st trimester-5lbs, 2nd-10lbs, 3rd- 10lbs. Um yea, didn't meet that goal. I remember when I was battling infertility I would get so upset when women complained about pregnancy or complained about weight gain, when I'd be sitting there thinking really lady? You have no idea how much I'd LOVE to be in your shoes! and trust me, I feel terrible for complaining. I need to enjoy these last 8-10 weeks because I know I'm going to miss it. This may be the only baby I ever have. but the mental issue I have with the gaining weight is taking over my brain!!

I'll leave with a photo..30weeks2days in all its glory!

"Skinny-ing" up recipes

It's no lie that I try to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible. Whether it be because the kitchen holds food and I'm more likely to over eat or because I'm not the greatest cook! Well..Jordan would venture to say I'm a fine cook if I follow a recipe, so I guess it's more that cooking is not my favorite thing to do.
But, cooking and eating at home is the better option all the way around. We save money by staying home to eat and it's typically healthier than a restaurant. What I hate is the cleaning up afterwards :)
So, here's what I've been doing lately: Skinny-ing up any and every recipe. I know Mama Laughlin does this too. Of course, watching portion sizes play a major role in keeping calories low too. I've been having problems with that one.
For instance, I made this tator tot casserole last night {found off pinterest} Here's how I Skinny-ed it up:

• Used ground turkey
• Low sodium corn
• Added can of green beans (drained)
• used low fat cheese
• used low fat soup
• used skim milk
• used low fat sour cream

It was pretty good. One of those "sticks to you meals" but not in the sense that you just feel over ingorged. Easy enough, too.
How do you "skinny" up your recipes?
-follow me on pinterest: amarshall627

2 Years of Blogging

I totally missed this earlier, but August 24th marked 2 years of blogging!! Yea! Sure, there have been little "breaks" here and there, but the goal has always been the same: To live a healthier lifestyle. I'm not perfect by any means, but I'm MILES away from the unhealthy person I was before I started my official weight loss journey on January 9, 2010.
In the 2 years I've been blogging about it, you've seen me:

• Me introduce myself
• Me run my 1st 5k
• Battle with the scale
• Face my weight loss fears
• Set 2011 goals
• Lose 50lbs!!
• Quit Weight Watchers
• Train for a 10k with my Dad
• Become pregnant in the midst of training for said 10k
• Suffer my 3rd miscarriage
• Battle some depression
• Seek Infertility Treatment
• Leave my job of 3 years!!
• Gain 12lbs in a year
• Zumba 2x a week!
• Struggle some more
• Start a low sodium diet
• Share Before/Now photos
• Become pregnant through infertility!!
• Finding out I'm going to be a MOM to a BOY!
• Go to Water Aerobics 2x a week!
• Battle dairy intolerance
• Achieve a healthy pregnancy

And guess what? There's SO MUCH more to come. I'm totally anxious to deliver my son in roughly 10 short weeks and start my journey into motherhood. I'm READY to get back into the weight loss saddle and lose the 60lbs needed to get to my goal weight. I'm READY to continue to live a healthy lifestyle with my little family and I can't wait to share it all with you. I'm so thankful for all the love and support I've received through this blog and of course all of my family and friends. Thank you!

Former Fat Bride

3 years difference..

 

~Allie

Recap: 2nd Trimester

Today I am 28 weeks 3 days pregnant and feeling great! Sure, I feel large and in charge, but I'm loving this moment in my life..so many things to get done and to look forward to! We had our 3D ultrasound yesterday and he is just a little doll <3 a frowning doll, but super cute none the less :) So anxious to meet him! Here is a recap of my 2nd trimester:

2nd trimester: Weeks 15-28

Total Weight Gain/Loss for 2nd trimester: 27 pounds! EEK! I'm 7lbs over my goal entering the 3rd trimester was 20lbs. Eh, such is life.

 

Maternity Clothes for 2nd trimester: Pants for sure..I'm too scared to try on pre-pregnancy pants; I'm sure it wouldn't be pretty. I usually wear a pregnancy tank and a cardigan. A few pre-pregnancy tops still fit, but I'm sure not for too much longer.

 

Gender: BOY!! Bradley Xavier

Movement in the 2nd trimester: TONS! Currently he is head down, body on the right side. I feel kicks on my left side. It's been awesome :)

Sleep: Not too, too bad, really. I did tell Jordan the other day that it's getting more uncomfortable to toss and turn, but I've been getting 6-7hours of solid sleep every night, so no huge complaints here.

 

What I miss: I miss feeling like I look halfway decent. I know I'm just being hard on myself though. That's about it though!

 

Cravings: Danishes- Cherry turnovers, chocolate donuts! So weird because I've never been a huge sweets fan. Mexican food, italian food, turkey sandwiches. Dr. pepper :(

Symptoms: heartburn a ton!! Super tired and lazy in the mornings (results in light makeup and hair in a pony tail..everyday). When I'm hungry, I'm hungry!! I want to eat right then. Very emotional..I've had a few freak outs over stress from school..OH, and I basically bawled through the whole Michelle Obama speech the other night. REAL tears..sobbing tears!! Why? No idea. I've been feeling separation anxiety from my husband..I literally want him around me all the time which is super odd for me, lol. Oh, and one more thing..HOT! I feel like I'm burning up all the time!! and I never want to wear a bra!! ha

Best Moment in the 2nd trimester: Sooo many. I've really enjoyed this time in my life. Pregnancy finally feels real and I am just so thankful. Buying nursery furniture, getting nursery together, registering for my baby shower, helping my bestie and sisters plan the shower, watching my stomach move and GROW, getting a 3D ultrasound, SHOPPING and just counting down the days until Bradley bear is here!

At a Dr's appointment

26 weeks pregnant <3 (maternity top from Kohl's)

Proud Daddy after building the crib :)

20 weeks pregnant <3

Mom and Dad to be :)

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