Weight Loss - Before and After

This morning, I stepped on my scale, and I'm proud to say that I have lost a total of 50 pounds since giving birth to Owen. At that moment, I was proud of myself, but nothing could have prepared me for what I am about to share with you - my before and after photos (which I promised to share when I reached my weight loss goal):

I never thought to take a photo of myself RIGHT AFTER pregnancy, so the photos on the left were taken 11 weeks postpartum, which was when I was cleared for all types of exercises.

Throughout my entire life, I have struggled with my image, so sharing something like this so openly is an emotional thing for me. Why am I sharing this in the first place? I'm not too sure. Maybe it's a reminder to myself that (as cheesy as it sounds) I can accomplish anything with hard work and dedication, or maybe I hope it inspires new moms (or anyone, really) to take that first step into their weight loss journey.

It may have taken me more than a year, and there may have been one or two setbacks, but I am so happy with where I'm at. I'm still not at my "ideal" weight for being 5'0", but any more pounds lost after today is honestly just a bonus for me.

I plan on continuing the lifestyle that I have now, which consists of healthy eating, exercising several times a week, and, of course, the occasional cheat meal(s). I hope to never be as unhealthy and sedentary as I was a year ago because I owe it to, not just myself, but to Owen, Ralph, and my future children (God-willing).

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged and pushed me to reach this goal. Couldn't have done it without you.

Weight Loss Update

Just a quick update here...

I lost 2.2 lbs last month (not as much as I should have, but I'm happy that I lost anything)! Our trip to Disneyworld is just around the corner, and I still have 3.6 lbs to lose before then. Unfortunately, I have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis AND achilles tendonitis in my right foot, so those last few pounds will be a little harder to shed.

A couple of months ago, I said I would do a 30-day abs challenge to try and get rid of my gut. The results are in - I lost a couple of inches around my waist but didn't get the 6-pack that I was hoping for (lol, just kidding). I'll probably do the challenge one more time before our Disney trip (I got time!), so let's hope I lose a few more inches...though I don't think I'll ever get rid of the "mom pooch". Ugh.

I have been asked how I lost the weight, and the answer is no secret - you must eat right and exercise often. In the past, I used to exercise every single day and embark on crash diets, which would cause me to lose weight quickly; unfortunately, the weight wouldn't STAY off. So this time around, I decided to have a lifestyle change - I have to eat healthy and exercise 4 to 5 times a week. This isn't a temporary thing just so I could lose weight - this is for life. I owe it to myself, Ralph, Owen, and future children to be as healthy as I can be.

I got about 5 weeks to lose 3.6 lbs. LET'S DO IT!!!

Summer Fun, 4th of July Weekend, and Updates

I took full advantage of my Disney Pass and took Owen to Disneyland/CA on both my days off before we were officially blocked out for the Summer. On my first day off, we just hung out at Disneyland, and I finally gave in and bought Owen a bubble wand.

On Dumbo!

As Owen calls them, "BUHBUH!!!"

On my second day off, we met up with Ralph's family at California Adventure to celebrate cousin Matty's 4th birthday. It was one of the hottest days of the week, but we had loads of fun, as usual. I even got to go on a "big kid" ride (Tower of Terror) while Nana watched Owen.

Cousins!

With his Nana.

With Auntie Jen and cousin Desirae.

At the water playground in Bug's Land to cool off.

"I'll have some iced milk please."

Cooling off with our spray bottle/fan that I forgot to take with us to the park (this photo was taken when we were already at our complex). Fail.

Our Disney adventures are now on hold until August. :(

The following day, we celebrated my coworker/friend/favorite Canadian Jeanni's retirement at the Hacienda on the Lake. OCUA will not be the same without her.

Owen was, as usual, "active" throughout the night. I spent a majority of the time chasing him around.

The following weekend was 4th of July weekend. On Saturday, Owen and I went to my mom and dad's for lunch.

Quite possibly the ugliest and hardest cake I've ever made...but it was still yummy!

With his "Wowo" and "Wowa".

On July 4th, we went to Riverside to celebrate with Ralph's side of the family. I didn't want to torture myself by making another flag cake, so I just stuck to one of my go-to desserts - Paula Deen's Banana Pudding (though I used strawberries and blueberries instead of bananas).

We left the party a little early to watch the fireworks at Mission Viejo Lake. It was already past Owen's bedtime, but he stayed awake throughout.

Halfway through, he motioned for his stroller, and that's where he stayed the rest of the show. I don't think he was very impressed...but at least he wasn't afraid! Right...?

It's been a couple of months since I've posted "Owen Updates", so here's what's new:

Eating

Well...

...let's just say he's not picky like his "Datton". He eats everything, but his new favorite foods are garlic fried rice, cantaloupe, and hot dogs.

Sleeping

Still consistent in his sleeping habits. Awake no later than 7am, morning nap by 10am, afternoon nap by 3-4pm, and bedtime before 9pm. And he always wakes up happy and babbling.


"Playing"
He's reaaallly pushing his boundaries now. Several blog posts back, I had a list of things that Owen does that drive me and Ralph crazy. Here are a few more things to add to that list:

• Taking down all of Ralph's books from the shelf and throwing them on our bed.
• Going to the bathroom and pushing shampoo/conditioner/body wash bottles into the bathtub.
• Climbing on top of the ottoman/coffee table and standing on them.
• Grabbing the TV/cable remotes and pushing every button as quickly as possible before we take them back from him.
• Grabbing our shoes from the cabinet and playing with them...and he seems to favor my work shoes, which makes me cringe (ya'll know I'm a urology nurse, right?).

*Sigh* Seems like the "terrible 2's" came 7 months too early.


Talking
Owen can now understand simple commands such as, "put it back", "close it", "sit/get down", "don't touch", "give to Mama", "kiss Daddy", "blow kiss", "say 'bye-bye'", etc. He knows to go to his room when we say "change diaper" or "take a nap"; he also knows to go to his highchair to eat when I say "om om".

New words he has learned to say:

• Mama (yay!)
• "wah-wah" - water
• "shuh"- shoes
• "moh" - more
• "Elmuh" - Elmo, though he thinks every single Sesame Street character is Elmo...
• "Poh" - Pooh
• "Tigguh" - Tigger
• "buh" - book

He knows some shapes (star, cross, square, triangle, circle), though he can't say the words yet; and he can show you where his head, feet, hands, belly, tongue, and kili kili (Tagalog for "armpit") are. He no longer calls Wendy "Deedee"; he calls her "Nah", and Ralph and I suspect it's because we always tell Wendy "no".

I think that's it's for "Owen Updates". As for me, I lost 3.6 pounds last month, making it a total of 21.4 pounds this year...though I think I gained back 10 during 4th of July weekend, heh. It's getting harder to run outside because of the weather, so I've been going to the gym at our complex; I think it's for the best because I need to start doing some strengthening exercises to gain some muscle anyway.

Eating healthy has been a challenge, especially when there are BBQs/parties/gatherings left and right...but I've found fun in cooking healthy meals.

More protein, veggies, and fruits.

Even though I've lost a ton of weight, my gut still remains. I honestly look like I'm 4 months pregnant, so I'm gonna do a 30-day "abs challenge", starting on the 13th and ending a day before my birthday. Let's hope we see some progress.

Until next time!

Taking a Toddler to Disneyland...ALONE

Summer is coming, and that can only mean one thing for a ton of Disneyland Passholders - BLOCKOUT! We're completely blocked out the entire month of July and most of August, so we've been trying to go as much as we can these past couple of months. And since it's still relatively cool, I had this crazy idea of taking Owen to Disneyland today...all by myself.

And even though Disneyland is like my second home, I knew going solo would be "a whole new world"; however, after going today, I can tell you that it IS possible! (I'll be sharing some tips later.)

I like going to Disneyland early, so we left as soon as Owen woke up. We were in the park by 8:30am, and my first priority was to get some food; and, for me, there's only one place to go for a great breakfast - Carnation Café!

He was definitely hungry, and so was I!

He will always yell "POH!!!" whenever he sees that silly old bear, without fail.

We got a great table - outside and right on the edge, so we could see Main Street.

Eggs Benedict, seasoned potatoes, and coffee for me. Silver dollar pancakes, turkey bacon, and fruit for Owen.

I gave him a small piece of turkey bacon to try, and he just snatched the whole thing from my hand and began to eat it like so, lol!

We were lucky enough to meet Chef Oscar! He's been working at Disneyland for ALMOST 60 YEARS, making him the longest tenured cast member. Such an honor!

Between loading/unloading Owen from his stroller, going on rides, and walking around, I wasn't able to take many photos. From 9:30am to 11:30am, we managed to go on four rides: Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I would say that's an all-time record, especially with Owen!

After we went on the "Poh" ride, we headed to Fantasyland. I was hoping to squeeze in a couple more rides before we headed home, but Owen passed out on me. Kid can't hang.

So we headed home...Owen was OUT, so I took advantage of this time by going to Irvine Spectrum AND The Shops at Mission Viejo to do some Father's Day shopping. Owen was asleep this whole time, and as soon as I was done, he popped his eyes open. This was around 2pm, so we stayed a little longer at the mall to have a late lunch.

CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!

And now we're at home, watching "The Good Dinosaur" and snacking on some blueberries. Needless to say, I am EXHAUSTED.

So after my solo trip to Disneyland with a toddler, this is what I've learned...

1. TRAVEL LIGHT AND SMART

Ralph and I typically bring Owen's regular diaper bag when we go to Disneyland, but I knew I needed something easier to carry around - a diaper backpack. In it was his changing pad, a change of clothes (or two), a small bag of toiletries (powder, hand sanitizer, sunscreen), a couple of snack bars, a sippy cup, a water bottle, diapers, and wipes. Now, I THOUGHT it'd be smart to also use it as my "purse", but - EHH, WRONG! - because I had to carry it with me EVERYWHERE, including the rides. So, in the future, I'll be taking the backpack and a small crossbody bag for my own stuff.

2. TAKING THE RIGHT STROLLER

This was my biggest concern. With Owen only being a year and a few months old, a stroller is a must; however, there was no way I could use our trusty Graco one-fold stroller. It's too big and bulky to carry on and off trams/shuttles while also having my hands full with a toddler and a backpack of stuff. Last week (when I first started thinking about doing this solo trip), I purchased a Cosco Umbrella Stroller at Target (and it was on sale too...yayuh!). It's easy and quick to fold up, AND it's super lightweight. 

Funny thing is, on our way to the parking structure this morning, we were forced to go to an alternate parking area, which was right next to Downtown Disney...which didn't require us to use a tram or shuttle at all. Soooo...we could've just used our regular stroller. Heh. 

(Also, you could also just fork over $15 for a rental stroller, but I wasn't going to do that, knowing that I'd be at the park only 5 or 6 hours max.)

(UPDATE!!!)

I've taken our Graco one-fold stroller, and I have to say that it's worth taking...even though it's heavier and bulkier; HOWEVER, only take it if you're absolutely comfortable transferring it on/off trams/shuttles while supervising a toddler. I trust Owen enough to follow directions, and there is ALWAYS someone close by who is willing to help you out. To be honest, I only used the umbrella stroller once.

3. MAP OUT YOUR DESTINATIONS FIRST

Get a map of the park, and identify the rides/attractions you want to (and can) go to. After that, plan your route so you can tackle all those rides/attractions and make the most out of your time. Today, I just stayed on the left side of the park because I knew the rides there were toddler-friendly, and the lines are typically short. If I had gone to Fantasyland first, I probably would've been able to go on just one ride. ("Curse you, Peter Pan!" Always a 10-week wait!)

And last, but not least...

4. PACE YOURSELF

When we first arrived (at the parking structure), I jumped out of the car and was so PUMPED about getting the day started. It was probably a 10- to 15-minute walk from our car to the security check-in, and I zoomed past everyone to get there; and as I was standing in line (and already a little sweaty), I asked myself, "What's the rush?" I had to remind myself, right then and there, that I had to slow down and pace myself for the rest of the trip. After all, there wasn't going to be another adult to carry Owen when he decides to start wandering off while we're waiting in line; or deal with a diaper blowout; or, my personal favorite, monitor Owen's every move during a meal so he doesn't do the following: steal your fork and use it to stab everything within arm's distance, grab his milk cup (by the straw) and turn it upside down because he thinks it's a sippy cup, shove 10 bites of food in his mouth at once, draw on the table with the crayons that come with the kids' menu, etc. So, with all that said, just "relaaax...enjoy the trip". (Yes, I'm quoting Disney movies in a Disney blog post. I can't help it.)

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And I know I'm a little late on my weight loss update, so here it is:

I lost 3.8 lbs last month, making my total weight loss 17.8 lbs since January 1st of this year. I've also dropped 3 pant sizes, so I'm pretty stoked about my progress. Another crazy idea that I had this week was to include a workout before I go to work. On Tuesday, I woke up at 5:15 in the morning to jog for 30 minutes. Let's see if I do it again tomorrow.

Until next time!

Weight Loss - Back on Track

This time, last year, I was on a health kick - I was walking every other day, went rock climbing, and watched what I ate. I lost all the weight I gained when I was pregnant (and then some), and I was determined to lose an additional 25 to 30 pounds.

And then I went back to work in June. Between working full time and taking care of my family, I had no time or energy to exercise, nor did I have the time and energy to cook healthy meals. I gained 10 pounds in the next 6 months. Eek.

After the holidays, I decided that I needed to get back on track with my weight loss, especially since we want to start trying for Baby #2 this year. I've cut down on my Starbucks drinks, soda, and fast food; and now that I'm working part time, I have time to exercise 3 to 4 times a week - Owen and I usually go for a stroll/slow jog around the neighborhood after breakfast.

I'm happy to report that I've lost 10 pounds since January 1st, so I'm back to where I was last year. My goal is to lose at least 20 more pounds before our big family vacation in October, which means I have to lose an average of 3.333 pounds each month. I promised that I'd post a before-and-after photo if I lose 60 pounds - I'm changing that to 50 pounds.

I'm going to post monthly updates to keep myself accountable!