Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Tomorrow...only 40 days left

This is the fastest a pregnancy has gone by for me. I'm sure it has much to do with keeping busy with my husband & 3 children we already have.  But sometimes the last few weeks can seem to drag.  I woke up this morning with a sore throat & was more tired than usual today. I'm trying to keep looking at the bright side of things. Since I've been consuming Shakeology on a regular basis, I haven't been as sick as often.  That has been nice for the middle part of t his pregnancy as a pregnant woman is unable to take much of any medication to ease sick symptoms.

I'm experiencing less room for eating so I've had to increase my meals from 5-6 or 7 even.  I have found that if I eat something small but healthy at night I can make it through with a fairly good night sleep.  The aches & pains are creeping in quickly but they are serving as a reminder of how excited I will be to be able to workout with my favorite fitness instructor Chalene Johnson with Turbo Fire as soon as I am free & clear to do so.  Prior to getting pregnant with this sweet baby I had lost 15 pounds & 20 inches. The pain in my feet that I thought would never disappear was gone. Completely gone!  The creaking in my knees was going away & nearly gone on most days & my hip was staying in place for more weeks without having to get adjusted by the chiropractor after only 2 or 3 weeks.  I was feeling great!  I look forward to that feeling again.  I know it will take me some time to get back to where I was at but I also know that I will be doing my heart & body good by exercising on a regular schedule again.  Some days I am sad that I am unable to exercise like I was before, which is amazing because I used to really dislike exercise.  But I was feeling so good  & full of energy & happiness that I look forward to getting back to that.  I am thrilled to be carrying this baby & even more thrilled that my blood pressure & everything else looks great so far.  I keep praying that when our baby is born, she will be super healthy & that I'll be able to recover quickly too.  My hips have been going out more frequently with the extra weight & hormones but as I take each day one at a time, I am reminded of the beautiful gift we will be holding in about 6 weeks.  A precious, sweet, button nosed baby!

Coming soon will be a list of foods that are great snack ideas.  I'm thinking of putting them into categories according to calories so if you need to eat a snack of about 100 calories you look at that list and so on.  Would that be of interest to anyone?  Let me know.  It seems to be taking me longer to accomplish small goals lately but I really want to share this information with all of you as I think it would be extremely helpful.  And I've also been thinking that perhaps I need to include information about portion sizes & easy ways to measure.  I'm not sure if I will look this info up & share a link or if I'll put together my own document.  I am finding that people are  not aware of how many calories they are consuming because of the size of their portions.

PLEASE comment below with other things you would like answered on healthy choices & nutrition & fitness.  I like to arm people with information so you can make informed decisions.  OH & I just found out that Spark People website just added that you can use your cell phone to scan some packages of food & the info will automatically show up so you can add that you ate that food in your daily calorie intake.  How cool is that?  SO neat...its still in the works though so be patient with how it actually works or doesn't work right now.  When they get it all figured out, it will be a huge time saver & fun to use.  At least that's what I'm thinking.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

32 Weeks & 5 days Pregnant (means 52 days left)

The countdown is well underway.  My phone & my i-touch have apps on them set to my due date & so without even thinking about it, I am slightly aware how many days I have left. I say slightly because I have been busy with so much that I don't fully pay attention to the amount of days left.  Besides, it isn't like I know exactly when I will go into labor & deliver.  Each pregnancy is different so its hard to use a definitive date.  I will say, the time is flying by quickly due to taking care of my husband, 3 kids, volunteering, & helping others.  But honestly, that has helped me a lot.


Today my family is on a day-trip to the Chatham Ice Caves about 45 mins away from our house.  Walking on ice & being pregnant just don't mix so I am home.  However, I have plans for getting things ready for our newest addition.  I plan to make a few burp cloths & blankets today & hang the cute clothes that were given to us last week.  I do wish that I could have gone with my family on a little adventure but I have been quite achy & my hip is already giving me trouble so I am being wise to stay behind.  The pictures that Adam took last year were beautiful.  I sent him with the good camera this year so I can share pictures from this years adventure, especially since he's taking the girls too.  Sorry, this pic is not very good. I will post ones that Adam takes once he gets home & I get the time to upload them & listen to all the stories.  Adam & Braly went for the first time last year & this year, Adam took his ice spikes to wear so he can enjoy it better, especially since he'll have to help 3 kids this year.

I should head into the kitchen to find some tasty lunch since my Tropical Shakeology isn't here yet.  I want to start cutting fabric & sewing it together.  But first, I should throw a load of laundry in the washer.  (oh how my mind jumps from one thing to another at times) That would be smart.  I have already come to the point in this pregnancy where I am unable to eat much food at a time.  It is a good lesson in eating several small meals a day which is beneficial to keep our bodies working better & our metabolism up.  I plan to continue eating 5 or 6 small meals after I deliver this little girl so that I will feel better & lose the extra weight as I get back into shape. Come back in the next few days, or better yet, subscribe so you get email notification of when the blog is updated.  The next couple of posts should include ice cave pics & I'm trying to put together or find a great sample meal plan for you all to learn how to spread your calorie intake over the day to be healthier & feel better. :)



Thursday, February 16, 2012

10 Reasons to "Think Pink" with our Tropical Shakeology


Think Pink with our new Tropical Shakeology


Tropical Strawberry Shakeology®—just the sound of it makes you want to enjoy a tall glass on a sandy beach. But there's so much more to it than just an enticing name. What's in it? What's the serving size? Where can I get some?


1) Take a walk on the light side. Tropical Strawberry Shakeology is a new, light, refreshing flavor featuring strawberry, banana, pineapple, papaya, and coconut. And it's easy to customize with any of your favorite additions.


2) Savor the new flavor. In a coco-nutshell, Tropical has a taste and texture so delicious and smooth, you won't believe it's vegan!


3) Tropicology 101 It is 100% vegan.  It is also dairy free, lactose free, soy free, fructose free & gluten free.  It slows down how quickly your stomach empties after a meal so you feel fuller longer. Promotes satiety for reduced cravings, decreases cholesterol and blood sugar. And it has a low glycemic index.

4) No animals allowed. Tropical is a completely plant-based formula with NO animal products. This makes it very easily digested and assimilated (absorbed) by your body.  


5) Sharing the love. I have samples, new recipes, ingredient info, & answers to your questions.

6) Blinding you with science. Our proprietary vegan protein blend contains all 9 essential amino acids. It also contains a protein blend featuring raw, sprouted, fermented brown rice protein, along with sacha inchi, chia, flax, quinoa, amaranth, and spirulina.  


7) Superfoods to the rescue. Tropical also includes NEW superfoods, including coconut flower nectar, luo han guo, Himalayan salt, and konjac root. All of the key nutrients come from natural wholefoods. There are no added vitamin or mineral isolates and no fortification.


8) Get your mac on. Maca, that is. Just like Chocolate and Greenberry, Tropical also contains maca powder (root), which carries strong libido-enhancing properties. Maca also helps increase stamina and energy levels, calms the nerves, and contributes to overall well being. Just sayin'. 


9) Try Tropical on for size. This delicious new Shakeology flavor is available in both a 30-day bag and single-serve packettes. What's more, you'll also find it available in Challenge Packs too!


10) Weight no longer. Eager to try Tropical right away? Can't say we blame you. You can switch your orders now, so delicious Tropical Strawberry Shakeology will arrive to your door in your next shipment.  New to Shakeology?  visit my website www.myshakeology.com/jetta7 to order yours today.  Order with HD (that's home direct) & get free shipping & continue autoshipping to your door every 30 days.  How easy is that?  Questions?  Message me with a comment below or contact me via email coachjetta7@gmail.com or visit my shakeology website & leave me a message.  I'd love to help you order this & enjoy top notch nutrition with a great flavor & texture.

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*All trademarks, products, and service names are the property of their respective owners

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I am just so excited to try this new formula & flavor of Shakeology.  I will still be drinking the other 2 flavors but I'm excited for the benefits of the new formula.  It's not necessarily 'better' than the Chocolate or Greenberry, but different & still of the utmost highest quality.  Visit my Shakeology site www.myshakeology.com/jetta7  to get more info or contact me directly email me at coachjetta7@gmail.com

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Do You Know HIS CraZy Love this Valentine's Day?

I can't believe it has been something like 2 weeks since I have shared anything.  I guess perhaps due to the busyness as well as not wanting to complain about anything, I have been having a hard time finding positive things to say  so I have not said anything.  Remember that saying your mom used to tell you, "If you haven't got anything nice to say, say nothing at all."?  Well that may be what I was doing because I was taught that phrase.

I have been reading this book by Francis Chan called Crazy Love & this last week we had to read Chapter 3 titled "Crazy Love".  We have been discussing this in our small group that meets on Sundays but Adam & I are new to the group & I am not quite comfortable enough to just start blabbing yet...but I'm close.  Plus, I'm trying to keep things in perspective like I stated above & guarding my tongue like it says in James.  I have been getting more achy with the hormones circulating in my body preparing for our baby's arrival & probably somewhat crabby.  Anyway, I thought that perhaps I would share about how I came to discover or "get it" in regards to God's Crazy love for us.  It was not just a single moment but a culmination of events in my journey of life & seeking God.


I've known the love and affection and discipline of my parents ALL my life. In fact, I don't ever remember even hating them like some kids/teens do.  I didn't always agree with them but I always knew that they did the things they did because they loved me & wanted what was best for me.  *As a parent myself now, I understand that concept even better & wrote my parents a letter to tell them thank you*  But even though I knew that love, and it seemed so unconditional, I was still missing some understanding about love.  My parents were my parents so I thought they loved me just because they were my parents.  Then I met Adam & he loved me with a choice; his choice.  So I experienced another part of love but the puzzle wasn't quite compete yet.  Even though Adam loved me & I loved him, I still never knew the love one has for a child.  When we were blessed with children, I was completely amazed at the love I have for each one.  I don't love one more than another but I love them each so much in individual ways. As their mom, I do so many things for them on a daily basis & I think that I'd do just about anything to protect them.  We often make choices that make us "unpopular" with our kids for a bit because they don't understand but since we know it is with their best interest in mind, it helps make it a little easier to deal with their dislike of us for not allowing them to do certain things.What gets me is how much MORE God loves us that he gave his son for us.  He knew what his son was going to have to go through. The hurts & pains physically were only one thing, the temptations, the hurt of betrayal, the hurt of name calling, rejection, etc.  Jesus experienced them all & God knew it was what had to be done because he knew it was the best for us, the ONLY way for us to get to heaven to be with God some day.  God also knew that his son would be able to endure all those things & that he would follow through with it because he had a love for his father unlike any other.  I've heard people say they can't stand when their kids are sick because they don't like to see them suffer.  And I get that but it reminds me how God knew how much his son would suffer and he sent him anyway because it was best for us....for me....for you!  That's definitely CraZy LoVe!  And it's so neat that he has that love for each one of us!  I'd sure love to have that kind of love FOR God and not just the "stuff", like the gifts and promises he has for me.  I feel that everything I've experienced in my life so far has helped me gain a little better understanding of who God is.  He's so complex and not at all one dimensional, yet he made the way to him so easy & even a gift to us.  I am thankful that each step of my life, the journey and all the experiences I've had with love have helped me gain a better understanding of God and the CraZy LoVe he has for each one of us.  I hope that you too experience the unconditional love God has for you & that you will understand the depth of it.