Day 6: Sunday rest day

Today was definitely an off day, and I’m chalking up the week to a “prep week”. You know the like – taking note of my weaknesses, remembering my flaws and struggles, getting back into the swing of not just eating anything in sight. It’s no easy task changing that mindset.

On Sundays, though, I don’t track. I don’t over-indulge, but I take a break from the overly intentional eating. You know – I have lactation cookies with my morning coffee, I have a piece of fresh, homemade bread with my dinner. That kind of relaxed.

My first Sunday on my prep week was no exception. We made chocolate chip cookies as a treat for my Chickpea, and I made lactation cookies for my own milk production. I had a couple of decaf lattes (4-6 oz unsweet almond milk, stevia, and espresso). I was treated to Carraba’s family menu as a celebration and support with my newest arrival, and had a piece of fresh bread. It was a delicious and lazy Sunday – perfect for a day my husband is on nights.

But tomorrow? Tomorrow I start for real. And by for real, I mean being able to pay attention to what I eat, not just at meal times, but during the day. Not finishing everything my girls don’t eat. Not eating the grains/sugars (other than oatmeal. That’s a necessity right now!). Even after a week of being more intentional in my eating, I noticed the off day and some swelling in my joints. I want to be more mindful. More intentional.

And that’s a goal that I’m implementing into every area of my life. <3

Postpartum health journey, day 1

Day 1:
 
Today started out rough – I awoke hungry and had to eat something quickly while nursing and getting breakfast snacks ready for my LO’s in my state of lethargy…I had nothing planned nor prepared, and I grabbed a quick bowl of cereal. Whoa, insulin spike!
 
I had a choice. I could then either continue the day as it started, throwing in the towel was a serious option. Blood sugar was spiked, no food was planned, and I was TIRED.
 
The Food:
I chose to get back on board with my goals, and my day went as follows: I enjoyed a cup of decaf coffee blended with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, cinnamon, a couple drops of stevia, and a TB of coconut oil. For lunch was turkey, muenster, orange bell pepper, and kettle chips. Had an iced decaf coffee with almond milk and a square of dark chocolate for a small treat after lunch (sometimes I want just a taste of something sweet, especially if I didn’t have my shake for breakfast!). Afternoon meal was almond milk, scoop vegan chocolate shakeology, TB almond butter, TB brewer’s yeast, splash coconut extract, shredded coconut, and ts cocoa powder. Dinner: homemade carnitas, lettuce and bell pepper, sour cream, taco sauce, shredded cheddar, 1/2 egg, and homemade salsa. Snacks included almonds with dried cherries and yogurt with chia granola.
Drinks: decaf coffee (prepared as described above), 100 oz water, mother’s milk tea with cardamom, brown ale
For those of you interested in what my husband is eating, comment below, as he and I generally prepare separate meals for work days.
The thoughts:
I should state, first and foremost, that my current postpartum goals are to currently ease back in, not to lose weight quickly or achieve some impossible “pre-baby body”, so this may look like a lot of calories to some.  While nursing, my aim is to ease back into healthy eating and exercise without losing or affecting my milk supply. This week, my focus was in lowering my grain and sugar intake without the hot flash withdrawal that occurred the first time or a drastic reduction in production.
Second, I was SO HUNGRY today. Hello, breastfeeding hormones!! It didn’t help that I started the day with a fat free almond milk and carb rich cereal – it did not exactly start me off on the right foot. So many of my snacks were not planned, but were more because I was hungry quickly after my previous meals. I definitely need to go grocery shopping, and I definitely need to plan out some high fat, low sugar snacks that are easy to grab in those times.
Third thought: living with my husband means not only learning every finite detail of something he is interested in, but it also entails getting to know all of the exceptions to the rules. So while you may be surprised I included chips in my lunch, I was keenly aware that technically, chips are paleo, and would help the carb supplement while restraining the grain. He lost a lot of weight by following a eating pattern that some would not deem to be “healthy” because he understands the science behind it. It’s all about your goals!
Stay tuned as we continue on! Don’t worry,  I have before pics and food pics…on my phone 😉 To be uploaded later!