Bump Update: 23 Weeks

Hello first trimester symptoms again! WHAT?!? Why, when? WHAT THE HECK? Seriously! I have been having some serious carb cravings and morning sickness. It is the craziest thing. And when I did give in to my cravings I felt like crap and had morning sickness. It was an evil cycle but for the most part it is what my body wanted. I am still trying to keep it clean. And will be cutting back on the carbs and eh-hem... Peanut M&M's. (they seem to be my sweets of choice for this pregnancy. Mason was ice cream, super thick chocolate shakes. Collin was Oreos. This one M&M's. I could eat them all day long! 



Oh and Monday, I got to see our little girl via ultrasound! I had my mid-pregnancy check up and everything looks great. The fun part was seeing her suck her thumb, yawn and the crazy part, seeing her kick at me and feeling it at the same time. I don't know why but it is just freaky cool! Since Monday she has been so active. I don't know what happened but it seems like she is kicking me all day and night long! Any time I want to rest she just starts going at it. "ROCK ME TO SLEEP MOM!" Anyways. It has been fun, but man she is very feisty!

 (Baby Elyse. Weighing in aprox. 1 pound 1 ounce.)

Total Weight Gain:  11 pounds total weighing in at 248.1 pounds. EEK! Well that jumped up didn't it!?! I was sick going into last week and at the beginning of this week I was up 10 because I had to weigh myself for my ultrasound appointment. So it is going up about 1/2-1 pound a week right now.

Symptoms: Just the regularly occurring headache, some morning sickness and CRAVINGS FOR CARBS! 

Baby’s Size: Papaya. Saw a papaya at the store yesterday and it was HUGE! 

Maternity Clothes: Yes, bottoms need to wear maternity or stretchy pants. Tops I wear maternity now and my bigger t-shirts.

Stretch Marks: I already have a ton that I got when I gained weight years ago. So nothing new.

Gender: GIRL!!! 

Sleep: I am only waking up once a night to go to the bathroom. I am flipping over from one side to the other a lot, but often times I end up on my back. She is starting to kick me awake at night now.

Miss Anything: Sleeping comfortably flat on my belly or back! Sleeping through the night. 

Cravings: CARBS! Big time. This is the first time where I just want to eat carbs, breads, pasta and goodies all day long! I have not been fighting it very well this week and have given in. Hence why my weight has probably gone up. Plus carbs don't really like me, so when I eat them my tummy gets all in a funk.

Aversions: nothing yet

Excited About: Picking out the coming home outfit and her first photo session outfits. (YES OUTFITS!) I can't wait to show you guys what I am getting! 

Workouts: Got in my workouts 4 days a this past week, which is awesome! I have been doing 21 Day Fix yoga & pilates specifically, Diary Of A Fit Mommy's Fit For Two 2nd Trimester workouts and the Beachbody On Demand Active Maternity 2nd Trimester workouts. 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!

Declutter Your Life

This week is our theme week in my FREE daily motivation and support group (You can click here to join!) And I wanted to share today's topic! 

Declutter- Have clutter? MUST CLEAN! Nothing makes me feel less organized than when I have piles of stuff on the counters, or just stuff in a place where it doesn’t belong. Not just that. But who has a junk drawer? Junk cabinet? Junk storage room? Messy pantry? Bathroom drawers? Junk food hiding in your house? ANYTHING! 

So we have a storage room in the basement that is a MESS! (check out the picture, and I can't believe I am showing you my messy house!) This is one of my “nesting” vibes I am having to clean this crap out. We have toys that aren’t played with. Broken chair, and just unorganized. It used to be organized, but we got in the habit of just throwing crap in there. Well, this weekend is the weekend that we are tackling that one room. (Yes we have another room to tackle too!)

HOW TO START DECLUTTERING YOUR HOUSE AND LIFE? 

1) Schedule a date this month that you can tackle one room. 

2) Set a reminder on your phone so you don't forget about it.

3) And don’t do it all the areas in one week. Break your house down and do just one room at a time so you don't get frustrated!

We all have areas that need to be picked up and cleaned. Pick something that just needs a little sprucing. And you won’t believe how much better you are feeling once you get it done!

What project are you scheduling to declutter? By the way all the areas I mentioned about where to declutter, yeah, those are the areas in my life I have to work on! So no judgements from me or anyone on what we have to declutter in our lives!

**I will update with pictures after this weekend with our more organized and cleaned room. So make sure you check back next week! You can view the RESULTS of our round 1 decluttering project here!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

How To Stay Motivated To Exercise

Some days we just don't want to do it, but...you do it anyways. We all have days where we feel like crap, emotionally more than physically. Where we just wanna curl up in bed. But...exercising can help you feel a little better. It can help you realign things going on mentally. It can help you have a little more energy. It can help you just feel more balanced and in control.

Today was one of those days for me that I mentally am just spent. I am scared about summertime. Mason and I have just been butting heads like crazy lately. And I don't know how to make him happy. He is making me feel like the worst mom. It is the hardest thing mentally. I know I am not a bad mom but it still feels like it sometimes. 

Today I needed my alone time. I needed my exercise and I am feeling a little better, but still have things to sort out mentally. I didn't give up. I worked harder and did it despite feeling like crap!  We all have those days. Instead of staying in bed all day (like I wanted to) get up, move and take care of you!

How to get that motivation to keep going? 

Think about WHY you started exercising in the first place. 

Think about how exercise makes you feel after you finish. 

Think about what you accomplished because of adding in exercise. 

Think about how you have changed for the better! 

These are the ways that get me off my butt, and pressing play everyday! 

Have you ever had days where you didn't want to do something but you did it anyways and felt better after?

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!

How To Gain Self Confidence As a Plus Size Woman

245 pounds. That is how much I weigh right now, in this picture. Never thought I would ever share those numbers with anyone let alone everyone, but there it is!

But you know what? I don't see an uncomfortable person. I don't see someone hiding behind their smile, putting up a front, acting like they are happy. I see me. Truly happy. Truly feeling beautiful. Truly stunning. For the first time in my life, I am not judging and scrutinizing every single picture I take of myself because I finally see the beauty in myself. Many of these weekly pictures are happing on the first take which is ASTONISHING! But there it is. Just a girl who loves herself. Accepts herself as she is and is so proud of what she has become and done.

How did I get like this? Daily reading of positive uplifting materials that help me see me for who I am, now, and accept myself as I am. A big big portion of this whole getting healthy, changing your lifestyle stuff is personal development/changing your mindset.

Our team of coaches do it daily. I, for one, am so grateful I became a Coach as I honestly don't think I ever would have opened a book on how to improve myself. It is ingrained in us to do daily personal development, and it has changed my life more than anything else!

Because of personal development I can post pictures like this of myself, and my true weight, and feel proud of myself and see myself as a beautiful woman! And surrounding myself with people who lift me higher. Have you ever just looked at yourself and truly thought, "DAMN! I LOOK GOOD!" and not find something that needs to be better? This is true mental change. Be proud of who you are. Of the work you have done. 

My #1 tip to gain self confidence: 

LOVE YOURSELF! 

See yourself for as you are because you are beautiful. We all have areas we want to be better. but that isn't the point. You have to love who you are, stretch marks, curves, and all to feel amazing in your own skin. Check out the book YOU ARE A BADASS to help you truly learn to love yourself for as you are now! But love yourself. Because this is the only life you have. You deserve to be happy. Work on you from the inside out! 

If you want to get this kind of self confidence, let's chat. EMAIL ME!!!  Let's get you hooked up with amazing materials that will give you the confidence you need to rock your life! 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal

This is one of the most asked for and used recipes in my FREE health and fitness support group! Give it a try and see what you think! 

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal:

Ingredients:
2 Cups Steel Cut Oats
7-8 Cups of Water (depending on how thick you like your oatmeal)
1 ½ Cups Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie mix!)
1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
3 Tablespoons Agave Nectar
Topping Examples: Peanut Butter Powder, Chopped Pecans, Chopped Walnuts, Raisins, Chopped Dates

Directions:
-Combine the steel cut oats, water, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract and sea salt in your slow cooker and mix until it is fully combined. There should be no lumps of pumpkin.

-Cook on your slow cookers warm setting for 7-8 hours. Then turn your slow cooker to the low setting and stir in the agave nectar. After stirring put the lid back on and let the oatmeal cook for another 30 minutes to thicken (still on low).

-Stir once more and serve with your choice of healthy toppings.

**If you and your household will not be able to finish this in a week I suggest you portion the rest out into muffin tin cups, freeze and then pack away in sandwich bags to keep in the freezer. I do this with oatmeal all the time and it works out great! All you have to do is reheat in the microwave :)

Nutrition Info:
Serving Size = 1 Cup
Calories = 200
Fat = 3g
Carbohydrates = 34g
Protein = 8.4g
Fiber = 5.9g