Comparison is the thief of {JOY}.

I’ve been receiving some messages/e-mails lately from some ladies in my “fit-fam”. {I’m in a TON of fit mom, bodybuilding, fitness, healthy eating groups and meet TONS of ladies who now earn the title of my “fit-family”} They are asking, “How are you losing your baby weight?” and “What exercises are you doing?”, “Do you have stretch marks?”, “How do you have energy to workout?”

I think it’s great that we as women can encourage each other by sharing our tips and tricks to getting the baby weight off. Talking about how we can get a workout in when we are BEYOND exhausted or what we can do to lose weight without losing our milk supply. What’s NOT great is when you compare your body/story to mine or vice-versa. Losing baby weight takes TIME à a concept I didn’t quite understand until I had Moses. I thought at {3 months Postpartum} I would be close to where I was before I had him… Not realizing the havoc pregnancy throws at your body. Not only your “physical shape” but your hormones, your motivation, your lack of sleep AFTER baby gets here, the stretch marks, the mommy brain {They never told me that “pregnancy brain” lasts BEYOND the pregnancy}.

What is working for me, may not work for you. You may lose 10 lbs. in the time it takes me to lose 2 lbs. Maybe you can go on a juice cleanse, well I can’t because I get a farty/unhappy baby. Maybe I’m up walking a couple miles a day and you are still icing it on the couch… The list goes on in ways we can compare our journeys to others, but what’s important is that we LOVE our bodies at whatever post-baby stage they’re at.

The honest truth is that ALL women {and men, but I’m speaking mainly for women} can let judgment and jealousy into our lives and it can steal our happiness.  Moms, you’ve had a beautiful child GROW inside of you. YOU provided life for that child you love so very much. As important as it is to me to get rid of the baby weight! It’s MORE important to me to enjoy my son and his amazingness. Also, to realize how magnificent it is that my body made him and is now feeding him and keeping him healthy. HELLO???? Not everyone gets that gift!!

I’d LOVE to share what I’m doing to shed this weight, where I’m getting my motivation, what I’m eating. But don’t compare. Look deep inside who YOU are and be happy with your journey. We ALL start somewhere and wherever you start is beautiful. You are beautiful!

XO

Hannah

My favorite {JUICE} recipe!

I'm OBSESSED with juicing. {period} It tastes good, it makes me feel energetic and healthy. I whipped up my favorite recipe this morning and here it is to share with you! So if you juice, you have to try this recipe and tell me how it is via: Facebook, IG, twitter or comment here ;)

I'm breastfeeding and a lot of you have commented about my "juicing and BFing" Currently I'm trying to increase my production, so I juice once a day, not as a detox, but as a way to get extra nutrition ANNNNNDDDDD to help me with energy!! Waking up every couple hours during the night to nurse my babe is t.i.r.i.n.g {other mommas can relate, I'm sure}

Later this afternoon when Moses goes down for a nap I'm gonna get my workout in! This is what I'm doing… It's gonna burn! I hope y'all are having a fabulous Friday!! #TGIF

XO

Hannah

Happy New Year 2014 {resolutions and such}

Hello January!!

The month of NEW promises to ourselves and new resolutions made! I LOVE IT! So many people diss the “resolution” process… Not I.

Setting goals, Creating dreams, Finding new beginnings… I THRIVE on those things ;)

Anywho, The last three months have been nothing but CRAZY with becoming parents, the holiday season, traveling to Oregon for those holidays. I’ve loved showing off our little Moses to family and friends. There is NOTHING like being home --- > and I feel like Oregon IS my home.

 

Moses' First Christmas {in Oregon}

But being back at our “home for the next 11 months” MAUI feels great as well! Getting back in to our regular routine, Dave starting his LAST year of Nursing school, watching Moses do all those baby things that are just too adorable. Ahh, life is good.

 

Our first hike of the year {in Maui}

Soooo….

My New Years resolutions: “clears throat & stands on pedestal” ;) {These are not in order of importance as they all interact with each other to create the ultimate resolution = To be better than I was last year}

1} Be a FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC wife and mom to my boys. Nurture them, love on them, cook for them, clean for them, be patient with them, give lots of kisses and hugs to them… You get the idea!

2} Create a awesome post baby body, my {fitness} goals for the year consist of yoga, walking with the stroller, TurboFire and general exercises using my own body weight {lunges, squats, push-ups, etc.} I realize that it took 9 months to create little Moses in my body, I want to take it nice and slow to get back to where I was.

3} My health goals: Juicing more with my {Omega 8006}. Eating 80/20 that’s 80% clean, 20% indulge. Choose greens over grease. Lay off the cheese/dairy and bread, that stuff should be used in moderation {my personal choice, I feel better when I don’t consume tons of dairy & I’m addicted to bread so… That’s an issue}

4} Daily devotions… 13 days in and I’m going strong. Doing different devotion books, spending time reading from the Word, studying and joining a few online bible studies. Bringing the bible into our everyday lives. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. <- My assignment as a mom right thurrrrr…  Teach my baby the word diligently, which mean I have to know it myself! Boom, done!

5} ENJOY my last 11 months in Hawaii. We’ll be moving back to the mainland in December and I want to do EVERRRRRYTHING I can to leave this island feeling amazing and ready for our next adventure.  This summer especially, because Dave will be out of school and we’ll have 4 months to LIVE IT UP!! There are so many amazing people here and so much beauty, I want to soak it up {as well as some sunshine} before we head to Oregon.

Alright! Whew! My resolutions are out there for all to see. Bring it 2014!

XO

Hannah

Mundane Thursday, but I got a workout in and some new makeup!

So far today, it’s been a “get things done” morning!

My mother-in-law left last night after being here for two weeks with us. I’m really blessed with an awesome mother-in-law… ALL of her daughter-in-laws would agree 100% with me! She’s so helpful, encouraging and fun to hang out with. There was lots of girl talk and laughing. But, everything comes to and end and it did yesterday after I dropped her at the airport.

Smiley boy this morning!

This morning after Moses gave me an amazing night of sleep (two, four hour increments) we woke up and hit the pavement with my friend and neighbor, Jen. We walked for an hour and a half and it felt SO good! I burned some major calories!! BOOM ;) I’m slowly getting back into my workouts, mainly walking hills and doing some squats/lunges/pushups. I haven’t started an actual “program” yet, I’m still researching which one I should dive into. DO you have any suggestions???

Burned some MAJOR calories today!

When we got home it was naptime for Moses, so I got some things done around the house, scheduled some appointments, returned e-mails, cleaned, did laundry… Normal housewife duties!

Anywho, in more exciting news…  I literally haven’t worn any makeup since Moses was born 8 weeks ago! I’m not the most amazing woman when it comes to applying makeup, but I love it. Some ladies (most of my girlfriends) can get all dolled up and their makeup looks professional!! I get all dolled up and look like a first grader got a hold of the makeup brushes. BUT things are about to change. I’ve been watching some awesome youtube makeup gurus and they are teaching me how to do my makeup and look good, not scary.

In honor of this “research” I’ve been doing. My hubby bought me some new MAC makeup :D Well, the truth is, I asked him to pick up the blacktrack fluidline eye liner and he went there and they got all crazy and in his words “were talking so fast and telling him, she needs this, she needs that” and soon enough the card was swiped and he walked out all confused on how he got bamboozled by crazy MAC ladies {They are pretty convincing.. And pretty}. Anywho, it ended up in a early Christmas gift for me. Hooray!

My IG pic of the new makeup! So excited to dive in!

I’m excited to try out some looks and look all cute for our Christmas vacation to Oregon!

I hope you are having a great Thursday!

XO

Hannah

41 weeks PREGGGGGGGGGNANT!!

So, it seems as if I will be pregnant FOREVER!! Haha.

I know SO many women carry their babies past the "due date" & everyone has their story as to what they swear put them into labor, but in my current situation... I believe it just happens when it happens.

The last three weeks I've been dilated, effaced, having regular contractions, feeling extreme pelvic pain,  pressure, heaviness and much much more -- And still, no baby ;) 

I've tried all of the home remedies to induce labor... 

Eaten PLENTY of pineapple

Accu-pressure points

Massage

Swimming

Squatting

Walking

Hill-climbing

Sex <-- Super fun when you feel like a whale!

Had my membranes stripped <-- Not at home for that one ;)

Drank TONS of raspberry tea

Focused on everything besides being pregnant

Talking to my belly

Laying on my left side for two hours... (weird one, right?) 

Fiber capsules 

Bouncing on a Yoga ball

Induce-your-labor-yoga <-- Found that on YouTube... Strange one, but I did it!

And there are more... This is all my weary-preggo-brain could think of at the moment.

Basically, little Moses is going to come when he comes and I think that will be PERFECT timing. Yes, there are days where I have emotional fits and super crazy personality disorder moments:

Here are a few of my personalities -- They are happy to meet you:

Mrs. Sadness -- that Moses is not here yet...

Mrs. Pity -- Like I'm the ONLY one who has ever gone through this "10 months pregnant" agony.

Mrs. Emotional -- Just crying, no reason... Just crying in random locations over absolutely nothing. Yesterday I cried over the rotisserie chicken I was eating... "This little fella was once alive..." :(

Mrs. Excitement -- Overjoyed, happy feelings about his arrival and what he'll look like and the excitement of being a mom. Almost a "High on Life" experience! <-- Endorphin overload.

Mrs. Cranky -- Total disregard for anyones feelings around me. I could care less feelings... "How dare you (anyone) even look at me or talk to me?! I'm over here suffering in the name of pregnancy" <-- I experienced this in Costco yesterday and about lost it on a little kid who was staring at me, or maybe he wasn't, but I wasn't having it... Whatever it was! 

Mrs. Clean -- Everything must be scrubbed RIGHT NOW!

Mrs. Self-Concious -- This comes from living in the ONLY thing that fits me, stretchy pants and huge shirts... "How unattractive can I get??" I finally went and bought myself a pair of big hoop earrings, like that will take the attention off of my huge yoga-pants-covered behind ;)

Mrs. Lovey -- I just want to cuddle my dogs and hubby forever, super at peace with everything, no worries about being pregnant or the uncomfortable-ness I feel. 

Mrs. Stretchmark Patrol -- The moments when I lock myself in my bathroom & survey my belly/thighs/butt for stretch marks --> Attack potential "marks" with coco butter/shea butter/coconut oil/vitamin E oil and pray healing over my skin!

Mrs. Post-baby planner -- Diving into blogs/books about breastfeeding, post-baby weight loss, exercise, meal planning, After-labor care, having a newborn at home, etc...

These are a few of the Hannah's my hubby has been so AMAZING at dealing with. 

Oh, and speaking of my husband... He's awesome! He's SO excited to meet Moses, some days even more than I am. He's working hard for us, going to RN school and still coming home and giving me foot massages, making sure my vitamins are taken, telling me how beautiful I look, "Those yoga pants look hot on youuuuu!" ;) 

I'm SO grateful for him, words can't even express it!

Anywho, hopefully my next post will have little newborn photos all sprinkled through it :)

XO,

Hannah

Fall is upon us... What are some of your health/fitness/wellness goals?

What are some of your fitness/health goals for this Fall? Tell me, I really want to know!

****I know most of my "blog readers" are friends with me on FB/Instagram/Twitter and if you want to private message me through there with some of your fitness goals/questions, go on ahead. You don't HAVE to put them out here for all too see ;)

Considering I'm 9 months pregnant --> My goals need to be bite size {smallllll}. If you know me, you know I'm a "Goal Setter Extraordinaire". Even now, this far along into my pregnancy, I come up with these HUGE plans/goals that are way too outrageous for this season I'm going into--- My husband gladly calms me down and reminds me that I could have a baby at any second, maybe I should take my dreams down a few notches... In the moment I feel that he's a dream killer, but when I step back and look at the HUGE life-change that's about to take place, he's right :)

Sooooo... Since it's still a part of WHO I AM, I do have a few goals for this fall I'm going to share with you.

After baby arrives {Again, could be ANYDAY}

My goal(s) will be: Keep baby, mommy and daddy healthy and happy! Boom <-- There it is!

I am taking 2 classes this Fall at the University of Hawaii, still running a business, helping my husband get through nursing school, trying to maintain a clean house, make sure we are eating healthy meals and so on... Sitting at home with baby is not the only thing I have on my plate, but it's definitely one that I'm excited about and hope and pray I'm good at.

My mom is flying in as soon as she gets the "I'm in labor" phone call and she is staying for a few weeks which will be a life-saver. I'm so blessed that she can do this and thankful my dad is able to take over all of her duties while she's here with me.

I do have some health/fitness goals as well... Definitely journaling my food intake, getting back on track with my usual eating {It's changed a lot with pregnancy}, AS SOON as I feel well enough to go on walks, you bet I'm going to be out there walking!! Once I get clearance to work out from my doc, it's ON.

Yes, the goal is to breastfeed-- {Lots of you have been asking}. So I want to make sure I'm eating PLENTY of calories, healthy foods and not overdoing myself as that can lead to lower milk production and that is no bueno...

I'll keep you up to date on the happenings around here and I'm SO excited to share Project: New Mom & Lose the Baby Weight, over the next few months!!!

XO

Hannah

9 MONTHS PREGNANT <-- Waddle alert!

Definitely coming to the END of this pregnancy. This week I'll be starting my 37th week of pregnancy!! ABSOLUTELY crazy that Moses "could" arrive ANY DAY. My doctor said if labor starts, it's go-time, meaning they won't do anything to stop it :)

I have Braxton Hicks contractions every day, all day! Also, everyday I'll have quite a few really strong menstrual-like cramps. Every contraction is one step closer to meeting my son which is VERY exciting.

Walking for any period over 10 minutes is NOT COOL. I have to sit at least every 10 minutes or I have major contractions and then it's too late to find a place to sit and I just have to stand and breathe through my contraction which won't stop until I sit... Good practice for the upcoming birth.

Nesting is kind of here, kind of not. We are totally prepared for Moses, the ONLY thing we haven't done is pack our hospital bag which is TOTALLY not something to "wait till the last minute" but we have. Maybe we'll work on that tonight!! The pic below is really how I'm going about this whole nesting thing...

Being this far along in pregnancy is definitely a challenge. My pregnancy has been AMAZING, no real complaints. But this last week has been pretty rough.

-Hot flashes that DO NOT stop {a constant state of sweat dripping down my neck, SEXY!}
-NO SLEEP- Possibly because I'm propped up against hot pillows and icepacks, I have to pee every 10 minutes and my hips are sore from only being able to sleep on my hips for the last 5 or so months.
-Walking- uugh! Waddle, waddle & then stop for a contraction... Baby is SO low I feel like he may fall out...
-Exercise- I've been getting in the pool everyday, LOVE the weightless-ness of swimming AND the fact that it's cold water which helps with the overheating feeling.
-Water consumption- WOW! I carry a 33oz Camelbak water bottle with me EVERYWHERE and I drink about 6 of them a day. That's 198 oz of water a day. Way over my body weight which is the minimum I want to drink everyday. YAY for me. I'm thirsty all the time and if I forget my bottle {which has happened twice} I panic and pull into the closest mini-mart to pick up a gallon jug. Water is my BFF right now, that is for sure!
- Weight Gain- I want to the doc at the beginning of the week and I lost 2 lbs... LOVED SEEING THAT ;) I don't know how or why, but it happened and I won't complain.
-Complaining- I'm really trying to not complain, but 95% of the time I'm pretty miserable... Just uncomfortable doing anything. I guess that's 9 months pregnant??

I got a pedicure this week, a massage and the hubby bought me an air conditioner :D Overall, a great week!! I'm hoping this next week will be a tad more active if ya know what I mean... ;)

Here I am this week: comfy dresses are my lifesaver. They are lightweight, they are flowy and I still feel cute in them.

XO,

Hannah

::Just being honest:: A new way of thinking...

This is a totally raw and honest post from yours truly J

2 ½ years ago I took on a HUGE goal—LOSE weight! Get HEALTHY! It was my life, it was my passion, my every thought, my total mindset was focused around this. I did it too—I lost 30 lbs of FAT! Put on muscle and never felt better in my whole life. I never starved myself, didn’t use a “lose-weight-quick” plan, never thought about throwing up my food, nor did I obsessively weigh myself. I am proud to say I got healthy the healthiest way you can do it. Eating healthy and getting active…

In this pursuit for the perfect body ;) What’s that? Right! LOL!

SOOOOOOO many changes occurred. As they do whenever you make or have a significant life change. My goals, focuses, aspirations changed. A lot of them were for the better, but some weren’t… I started asking questions like:

WHY doesn’t everyone do this?? Why don’t people lose weight? What’s with all of the excuses? {I know I had my excuses for about 5 years} What will MAKE people change? How can I MAKE people change? I posted about it on my FB, twitter, told everyone I knew, I just became obsessed with “Fit-Thinking”. I have to make everyone lose weight!!

What I didn’t realize in this crazy, one-track-mind, obsessed frenzy I was in, was that not everyone wants to make this change. Not everyone was as obsessed as I was about their body image. Needless to say, the “healthy-looking mindset” I thought I had, wasn’t too healthy. I offended people with these thoughts and couldn’t give my clients what THEY NEEDED. Even though I thought I was doing it out of love {Who wants to watch their family/friends die, be depressed or get sick because of obesity related issues you can do something about it??} The way I was going about it, was not loving.

My point of this post is not to be an advocate to being overweight or that it’s okay to shovel fast food into our mouths on a daily basis while we follow it with a HUGE soda. I 100% believe in living a healthy lifestyle, but that also means being able to have “cheats”, enjoy cake, take a rest day from fitness, be a size 8/10 without having criticism, help people find a plan that works for them and their lifestyle.

Over the last year-ish {steadily gaining weight} during this pregnancy, not being involved in any fitness/weight loss company, stepping back from FB, prioritizing and re-fueling, I feel I’ve have a “mindset change” I’ve been able to step back, take a break and my eyes have been opened. I thank the Lord for this time. Although I’ve maintained a healthy pregnancy and stayed active throughout- I’ve still GAINED… My skin has stretched and I’m a vessel for this little boy who has already stole my heart and I haven’t even met him!! Also, stepping out of the fitness industry has been huge, constantly feeling the pressure of the competitions and media can take a tole on your thoughts!!

I want to be in a place where I can HELP people. Not force people to be a certain size or weight, but ENCOURAGE them to just make healthy changes in their lives.

It really, really, really is AMAZING to have a healthy, functioning body. To sweat out toxins, fill up with endorphins, feel confident in swimwear, have energy to LIVE, fight off diseases, feel sexy and proud of the work you are putting in. I’ll never stop living a healthy lifestyle!!

After baby comes I’m SO BEYOND excited to work on my post-baby body {I dream about it everyday, lol}, which will be amazing, beautiful and any flaws will be proof that I created LIFE inside of me! I want to encourage others to join me and help people find their way of living healthy.

It’s just important to keep healthy and happy in the forefront of my dreams! There is no one-size fits all fitness plan, people are fabulous no matter their shape or size. As long as they happy and healthy!!

Over the past couple years I’ve been BLESSED to have helped quite a few ladies {And men}

lose weight, get their bodies to a place where they feel confident and sexy. It’s a passion of mine to help, motivate and encourage people. It’s also been amazing to go through this journey and discover my flaws so I can better help MORE people. Thank you Lord for showing us our weaknesses and flaws so we can work on ourselves and be better, more joyful people J