The Real KBD

So as I was driving on a business trip to Knoxville – thankfully a simple 3 hour drive from here – I was by myself and able to listen to my playlist.  You know the one.  The playlist you make because the songs just make you want to dance.  Its the one you play when you need energy to drive, or the motivation to clean or even to really put your head down and work.It made the drive suprisingly pleasant and upbeat.What music does that for you?  Here are a few of my favorite, make me dance, songs:My #1 right now: Little Lion Manby Mumford & SonsBad Romance (Glee Cast Version)by Lady Gaga although I have the Glee version in my listThe Sound Of Sunshineby Michael FrantiBlack Horse And The Cherry Tree (Radio Version)by KT TunstallTemperature (Album Version)by Sean PaulFirework (Glee Cast Version)by Katy Perry but again, I have the Glee version (Glee is actually how I learn about quite a few songs these days!)Use Somebodyby Kings of LeonRing Of Fireby Johnny Cash (classic!)King Of Anythingby Sara BareillesThat’s just a selection of what makes me get up and go… love to hear some of yours.[Disclaimer: these are affiliate links to Amazon]

Now that we are emerging from the snow and halfway into January – so how are your resolutions, goals and inspirations going?I have to say I love my journal – it’s mostly a to-do list but it’s also just great to put random quotes and thoughts and even pictures… My favorite Amelia quote came when I tried to snuggle and she told me ‘I am not a pillow pet’. Love her.Weight watchers… Well I tracked and did well yesterday. It’s a start. I’m getting back into the grove slowly. I kept off the 2 lbs I lost before the holidays so that’s good too.Exercise – I started slowly with a Christmas gift – dancing with Just Dance 2 on the Wii. Finally moved past it yesterday and did the short version of Jillian Michael’s BMBF – that felt good. I am inspired to keep it up and I do have a sprint tri in June so big goal there.Work – have a lot going on and its been tough to manage with all the craziness – but feeling really productive this year and have some exciting things coming soon.The year did not start out as we thought – we had a sick toddler and them got snowed in. But the bonus is I’ve gotten a lot of time with my wonderful kids. And I have a lot of goals I am making progress towards. So all in all – things are really good.Hope your year is off to a good start too.Coming next week: review of The Beauty of Different.(and don’t forget to comment – tell me how your year is going!)

I am headed out on a girls’ weekend for some rest & relaxation (and maybe a bit of wine?)- but I’m going to miss my baby girls.Last night we had some quality time playing soccer with one another – Katherine was even trying to get the ball – it was fun.  When I said bye to them at daycare, I got a bit teary.  I think the weekend away will do me good – but it doesn’t mean I’m not missing them terribly.

So I’m… 3 weeks into doing shred and 2 weeks into watching what I eat – and the results? Down 6 lbs! I am at the lowest weight since having baby Katherine (who is 6 months old as of yesterday). Still 5 more to be at pre-Katherine weight but I’m getting there. Very inspiring and motivating to keep it up. I’ve moved into a realm where I don’t have to track every calorie, I have a good idea of what I am eating and should eat – so that’s really nice. I work out most days, though I have broken from the 30 day shred and don’t always shred. I do shred some – more when I have a short timeframe and that is all I have. I find it is a bit rough, particularly on my knees, so I also do days of biking and abs or do the Comcast On Demand 25 minute version of Ban Fat Boost Metabolism plus something else. Last week I ended up taking Monday, Wednesday and Thursday off of working out – this week I hope to only take one day off. This coming weekend I have two parties (one costume murder mystery and one is a wedding shower) – so I know I have to do as well as I can prior to those to maintain over the weekend.Also I signed up for a mini-triathlon in September so I have motivation to get in great shape for that. Its a sprint one – so 250 yards of swimming, 9 miles of biking and 2 miles of running. The running is last and will be hardest for me for sure – I am not a big runner. But if I can do that – I feel like I can do anything. So that’s my goal for end of summer.Hope everyone else is doing well with their shred!

So yesterday I met up with a few Twitter friends for coffee – at a lovely bakery in midtown Atlanta called Chocolate Pink. Now all of us are post-baby trying to watch what we eat – so there was tea and non-fat lattes all around – but we did all splurge on just one cupcake each.  (And apparently that’s a good diet because both myself and Karen from Karen Chatters lost weight and neither of us worked out last night either!)I was excited to try their cupcakes – Chocolate Pink is on Atlanta’s Chocolate Trolley tour and so it must be good right?!  The atmosphere was really lovely – the chocolates and cakes and cupcakes were very beautiful, providing all the art the place needed.  The prices?  Well, its pricey.  But I had scored a coupon from halfoffdepot and so the cupcakes were only about $1 each instead of ~$3.  (And ScoutMob had 60% off the other day too – so look out for discounts!)I have to say – I couldn’t wait to eat my chocolate molten cupcake.  And… I was kind of disappointed.  It was good, don’t get me wrong.  But I thought it was kind of dry.  And the two I brought my husband – a Dulce de Leche and a Chocolate Nutella got the same review from him – good but dry.  Everyone seemed to like theirs – they were good – but I wasn’t blown out of the water like I thought I would be.Maybe next time we’ll go for some of their gourmet chocolates instead.  All in all, I would still recommend it as a place to check out for late night dessert and coffee or a middle of the day sugar rush – but it wasn’t the amazing bakery I thought it would be.  So just keep that in mind.I couldn’t beat the company though!  Thanks to Kristin (Motherhood Uncensored), Karen (Karen Chatters) and Angela (Mother Daughter Chronicles) for joining me.  Now if only Angela and I could sneak into Karen’s and Kristin’s luggage to go to Houston with them for Mom 2.0.Here is a video from that – its just so beautiful and moving.  Enjoy girls![youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8K9s7_k3TM&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

In honor of Valentine’s Day – here is a list of a few things I love, both big and small.Flowers – I love getting flowers, especially when they are unexpected.  Like last weekend I got a beautiful bouquet from my husband for kicking off my eating healthy, working out lifestyle.  And then he got me flowers again this week, an early Valentine’s because we’d have a rough night (neither of us do well sleep deprived).  Twice in one week – do you know how excited I am to have flowers in multiple places in my house?  Love it.My girls of course!  And I love how Amelia is being such a great big sister – she is very concerned if Katherine is upset, makes sure I have toys for her, and more.  Check them out at http://www.dyarfamily.com/DyarGirlsThis week, my week of healthy eating – I am loving my black bean soup (an old weight watchers recipe – just 3 cans of beans, cup of salsa, chicken broth & diced onions with cumin) and my new favorite dip/dressing of reduced fat sour cream mixed with salsa.  It might be the salsa that is making this all so good – its Kirkland’s organic medium from CostCo. Yum.  I don’t even mind not having the cheese dip or the chips – I actually am enjoying dipping veggies into it.  Who would’ve thought.As a side note to the above – I love that today, these jeans fit the best they have fit since Katherine was born.I love my Glee soundtrack on my iPhone – that is probably the most played playlist right now.  Can’t wait for that show to return, although at least I also have Chuck & Lost right now.  Those are probably my three top shows.  Actually about the only shows I watch (oh and White Collar).I love that it might snow today and we might have a snowy afternoon with the girls – just hope it doesn’t cause too much chaos with traffic and such.I love how when you are having a bad body image day, you can put on even the tiniest of heels and it makes me feel better, more sexy.Most importantly, I love my husband.  He really is my rock.  He is my best friend.  He is the most awesome dad to the girls – I love watching Amelia snuggle with him on the couch.  We are two peas in a pod (four with the girls!), and I can’t imagine it any other way.  He is the reason I appreciate Valentine’s Day – though I think we show our love for each other the whole year. Happy Valentine’s Day!

So a week ago I put my goal out there publicly – I was going to do the 30 day shred and let all of you know how I was doing with it.Instead of just a quick update, I need to share something.  I was doing well with the shred – I did 4 days in a row, only took one day off, then resumed… but what I wasn’t doing?  I wasn’t eating well at all – no will power.  I did well about only drinking my coffee in the morning, decaf tea and water – but food?  I ate at Five Guys burgers one day – I mean seriously – how can you make progress doing that.   I know I can eat right – I was a lifetime member of weight watchers before I had kids.  But yet?  I knew I was making bad choices, didn’t care but then would be depressed about my body.  I was so blue by Friday.  I have definitely found that when I get blue I can usually tie it to being tired.  Well I have an almost 6 month old – and she still eats in the night around 1 a.m.  That alone would be fine but she has an ear infection, is on antibiotics and getting a tooth and just has not been sleeping well.  Even if we don’t get up, she will fuss, wake us up before she falls back asleep.  I was tired.So Friday?  I reached a breaking point.  I reached out to my twitter shredheads and got great support and advice.  I came home and had such a wonderful talk with my husband about it.  (I generally have trouble talking to him about weight – its not something he struggles with – but this time I just was as honest as I could be.) And then?  The changing moment of this process – my husband gave me the best positive reinforcement incentive.  If I was making progress towards my goal (we have a way to define that), he would take that night’s feeding (for the next month not indefinitely – hopefully she isn’t waking up anymore after that though!).   To kick start it – I slept in our basement where I couldn’t hear fussing and he took care of everything.  After getting over my mommy guilt – I took him up on it – and I feel so reinvigorated.We spent the weekend with him encouraging me to not just shred, but add in cardio – so I hit the neighborhood gym before doing shred – I even felt brave enough to try level 2 on Friday & Saturday.So last week – I did the shred, but ate like crap and actually gained weight.  But today?  I have lost 2.5 pounds this weekend – so now I’m only 8.5 lbs from my pre-Katherine weight.  And I feel different.  I feel positive.  I feel in control.  My jeans already feel more like they fit instead of me squeezing into them.So this is a huge thank you to my fellow twitter shredheads and even more importantly – to my husband.I know weekends are easier to watch what I eat and get workouts in – but now that I’m motivated – I can’t wait to see where I am in a week!