Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Happy Wednesday!

So many posts to do SO little time ;)
But, this post will only cover boot camp--instead of my usual dumping everything into one rambling post.

This morning I had boot camp.
I use to be an avid boot camp contender pre-Kix days.
It took weeks and weeks to build up any endurance. 
It was a humbling experience those first few months.
The athlete in me that had been buried away under pounds of fat and months of pregnancy and resting due to csection recovery/complications and bed rest begin to emerge.

I began to feel alive again.
 My muscles that hadn't been flexed or used in ages began to pump blood through them.
Sweat that only could come from a vigorous workout started to cleanse my body from medication and bad foods I had enjoyed for so long.

I found my athlete again.
I loved the competition, I enjoyed pushing myself---and before long, instead of being last in every race or fitness drill--I was starting to finish first in many things.
Of course, this was months and months of waking up at 5:30am and busting my bottom.

It took time.
And I wanted to give up a lot.
There were many mornings Justin had to push me out of bed.
I may not of achieved the bikini body you see in fitness magazines, but I was strong again.
I could run, I could jump, I could do burpees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, planks, crunches, bear crawls...you name it!

My abdomen walls that had been sliced through during the csection begin to have feeling again.
I could flex them--and though they always feel a little weaker than the rest of my body--I began to grow stronger there too.

I no longer was out of breath walking up a flight of stairs...
I could run a few miles even!
Hey, I could even crank out 6 or 7 miles after a few months.

But, that was THEN,

Fast forward...
Second pregnancy, second baby--second c-section.
Add 50lbs.

This time, I had an excuse.
Right?
And I used that excuse.
I used it up until this past week.

I have no time.
I don't get sleep.
It's too much work.
I can do it alone.
I have things to do.
I have TWO kids.
I have a million things to do!
I can't...
I can't...
I CAN'T.

I got tired of my excuses.

So, I signed back up.

And here I am.

Am I tired?
YES
AM I sore?
YES
Am I fat?  the politically correct word would be overweight* and the answer would still be yes!
YES
Am I out of shape?
YES

BUT...
Am I ready to be strong again?
YES
AM I ready to run and keep up with my toddler?
YES
AM I ready to find my athlete?
YES
AM I ready to use this body the way God intended me to?
OF COURSE!

God, gave me this body.
I should cherish it.
And treat it well!

Just because it is now full of scars, cellulite, extra meat (especially on my love handles) and I have a nice spare tire does NOT mean I should treat it poorly!

This body is my temple.
I want to be strong for my children, for myself, for my husband.

Do I want to lose weight and fit back in my old clothes?
YES

But, most importantly...I enjoy chasing the natural, beautiful high from endorphins.
I enjoy the sweat.
The feeling of pushing myself to the verge of passing out and throwing up.

I am so grateful to my Lord Jesus that I have TWO LEGS, TWO ARMS and perfectly CAPABLE of working out and making myself healthy.

I owe it to myself.
I owe it to my wonderful Creator.
He allowed me to have children,  two of my biggest blessings.
So to give glory to Him, I should respect and use my body in a healthy manner.

I'm ready to be strong.
I am ready to run again.
I'm ready! :)

On that note,
I've got 4 weeks of boot camp before vacation.
I took measurements...

And from the last time I took measurements,
in December--I'm down 9 1/2 inches.
That's not that much considering.
Most being from my hips and thighs (3 inches both)

I had a goal to lose 10lbs before we leave for the beach--but I think I'm going to change that goal to 5lbs. I can't diet too hard because I am breastfeeding--and I'm still responsible for the majority of Kix's diet.

I'll re-evaluate my goals after boot camp--and of course post them here.

Until next time,
hk

Because, I'm crazy...

Hey readers and friends!

Little update and some ramblings...
Last weekend was my cousin's graduation so my parents were in town.  It is always so nice to have them around and when they leave I tend to go into a little depression.

I wish most times my parents lived closer. Or that they lived here. But, Atlanta is their home--and in some ways I'm glad they're there.

It provides a nice break for us when we go visit and I appreciate both Atlanta and Austin when I'm in either location.
Austin is our home--Atlanta is their home.

That being said, it takes me a few days to get out of the funk of missing my family.
My happiest memories are when they're around! And I thank God for allowing me to have the family that I do--and a family that ultimately makes it a priority to spend time together.

Anywho, the last few weeks I've been trying to implement a 'schedule' for Kie & Kix.
This schedule is more so for my sanity and it's more Kie's schedule--than Kix's.
Kix, has a schedule --but not like Kie's!

Of course, there are days when we totally disregard it--but for most part...we do most of the schedule.
Kie loves it! (Most children like some structure to their days!) And he has been 'reading it' and likes to inform me what is next on the schedule. (It's a big poster on the hallway door)

Also, it is helping me get into gears for a future HOMESCHOOLING schedule!
Yep, I'm homeschooling.
Yes, I've promised to write why---but I think I'd have essay upon essay on the why....

In short,
if you're not a parent yet...you may think I'm CRAZY to want to home school.
Or, that I'm a nut job--or that I want to brainwash my kids.
But wait till you have a child.
Wait until the sole responsibility to raise, protect, guide, nurture and teach that child is upon you.
It's not something I take lightly.

You may think twice about where your child goes to school or what they're exposed to--or what they learn at the hands of another individual (be it teacher, society or peer.)

Frankly, I don't care what others think or say or do on regards to this decision.
If I did care, I'd of cut my 2 1/2 year old's long blond hippie hair ;)

I don't live for others.
I don't even live for me.

I live for my Savior.
God's will and calling for me.

And, I feel I'm being called to home school.
And yes, prior to kids--even prior to this year--I was all about the public school route.
But, my heart begin to change.
Resources popped up, thoughts changed...and I felt a strong tugging at my heart. Then, I saw signs everywhere--telling me I was heading down the right path.
That homeschooling was a path we should explore.
Not only does the daily news affirm to me why I should home school--but a billion other reasons.

My family may not understand,
my friends might not understand,
heck, sometimes I'm a bit scared of what I'm going to attempt to do---
but I KNOW that this is what I should do.

All I know is God changed my husband's heart and mine.
So, this is our path!
I'm excited and happy!

I've never had peace about putting Kie into school--and the peace I have about homeschooling is real and hopeful!

ANYWAY, because I'm crazy we're going to be embarking on homeschooling.
(I say this jokingly because I hear this often from people opposed to the home school route!)

Now for Operation HOT MOM:

(Yes, I realize that has a vain tone to it--and not that I worry about being said 'hot' status for anyone besides myself and husband....maybe I should name it, healthy and hot mom?)

Anyway, for Operation Healthy & Hot Mom

I decided to start boot camp again...because, I'm crazy!

I have a love/hate relationship with boot camp.

It's hard to get up so early when you rarely get sleep (did I mention Kix is teething? Or having some growth pains?) Anyway--we don't sleep much and by the time I drift off into Sleepville--Kie bounces into my bedroom to wake me!

SO...this Monday--5:30am wake up call--and workouts!
For 4weeks.

We'll see how I fair.
I do know with the little working out I've been doing is nothing compared to the rigorous workouts I will be expecting to do during boot camps.

POST-Kie days I use to do boot camps every week. I got in GREAT shape and was strong and had tons of stamina for my running. It took a long time to get there and I'm ready to be fit and strong again!

Of course, I would be lying to say it wouldn't be nice to fit into my pre-Kix jeans. (Size 7-8) and even better pre-Kie jeans (Size 4-6).  ANYWAY--I'll post/update on my boot camps and hopefully in 4 weeks I'll be a lot stronger and if I'm lucky, LEANER!

Alright, this momma is going to go clean house while one baby naps.

Until next time,
hk

My friend sent this to me and I love it! lol

The time Kie got a train stuck in his hair and bullet points!

I have about a million and one posts in draft right now...I start one and then my ADD brain can't finish it. 

SO this one will be a bit of a ramble and a BIG jumble of a few posts in one

...I apologize in advance.

Let's rewind and do some bullet points of the past two weeks and what's been going on here @ The Knuth household.

• LAST LAST weekend was J and my 3rd wedding anniversary. In short, we had a great weekend. Our friends also had their wedding the night before. It was a beautiful wedding and it was a great night out with our two boys (who behaved very well for their first wedding) It was a lot of fun with good friends we haven't seen in awhile. Overall, a beautiful night full of lots of love and laughter! 
• Our anniversary fell on Saturday so we of course had Kie's soccer game. Afterwards, J and I got Kie a new bike seat. So we took the boys out for some biking adventures.  It was a lot of fun! We love getting outside and enjoying the beautiful weather. I also attempted to run some--more on that later. In short, we spent the day out and about in the spring time sun.  That night we had a nice dinner at home and shared the evening around the bonfire in the backyard with the boys.  It was nice, chill and a perfect end to a great day.
• As for this past weekend, it was Mother's Day weekend--Kie had another soccer game and got a medal! It was so cute watching all those precious little two year olds. Kie made some great friends! We can't wait to do another soccer session for this summer.
• Sunday, we went to church as usual--and as of late..I've been spending the sermons in the breezeway with a few other moms and their babies.  Kie goes to nursery but I've yet to put Kix in the nursery. So, I spend my time pacing the breezeway and meeting new mommies. It's kinda fun! Plus, I get to burn a few extra calories vs. sitting in a pew. Kix just wants to preach and talk when Dr. Bowman does his sermons ;)
• After church, we had a Mother's Day lunch at one of our favorite spots, Santa's Rita's--and then we got the boat ready and prepped to go to the lake.
• It was our first time out on the boat for the season AND it was the first time going out on the boat  as a family of 4! Basically, Kix's first time out on Lake Austin. And what a beautiful day it was!  It was too cold to wake board still (Lake Austin's water stays considerably cold for most of the summer). But we enjoyed a few hours on the boat--and then we hit up Cain and Abel's on the lake for some great food and drinks.  It was a beautiful day--and a beautiful reminder of how blessed I am as a mother to two precious boys. So grateful to my amazing God for my two blessings! (3, counting Justin!)

Oh, and for Mother's day....Justin and the boys REALLY out did themselves....I got a beautiful new orchid, a card that Kie and Kix colored me and a Tiffany's necklace with 3 rings. The rings representing the three of them.

Justin is getting it engraved with Kie and Kix's name and their birth dates...and the middle ring will have our wedding anniversary on it.

It's a beautiful piece and I'll cherish it for years to come!

As for THIS weekend--my parents are coming in to go to my cousin, Grant's UT graduation.

So proud of him! Justin, Warren and Kie will be going to see some races at the Circuit of America's track--and I'll be seeing lots of family as well! I'm excited to see everyone! 

Oh as for the the train story--guess that should be covered. Well--in short, Kie took a nap with his Thomas the Train. Who, is electrical because it runs on his train tracks. Well, not long after I put him down--I hear some wailing....and I go into his room to discover his train was greatly tangled in his long mop of blonde hair. Guess he decided to drive it on his head? I don't know..

Anyway, Kie was crying and being the good mom I am, I insisted on pictures.

I tried my best to loosen the train from his hair. But, I ended up having to cut a big chunk out. So, now he has a nice little bald spot on the top of his cute little head. 

Lol. Oh toddlers...I love them so! ;)

Texas sky during our bonfire in the backyard

So, yes...that's what's been going on in a short version.

Of course there's a lot of living in the day to day--but, that's the big points I can remember for now.

AS for Operation HOT MOM--I've been slacking some in the exercise department this week. I have tried many attempts to do some exercise dvds and even got two videos for my tablet to watch when I'm outside with the boys... but, I'm so ADHD I rarely finish them. Plus, I get distracted with the needs of the babies.  However, I've been eating pretty clean. I've even cut out my BIGGEST VICE--DIET SODAS!

In fact, it's been 3 weeks today that I stopped
cold turkey drinking Diet Dr Peppers. I have been drinking those things since the age of 13! That means, 13 years of a bad habit! It was hard the first few days--and I still crave them on occasion--but wow, I never thought I could stop them completely!

And to be honest, I don't miss them now. Plus, I've had less headaches--and feel less bloated. I also don't snack as much. Sometimes I'd have a diet Dr. Pepper and grab a snack to go with it, just because it tasted good.

I still like bubbly drinks, so I resorted to drinking sparkling mineral water (Perrier water with lime) when I need something with bubbles.

I've lost another lb or two...which totals my weight loss from Easter to be about 13lbs. I still have a ways to go! However, I couldn't of gone THIS far without my good, GOOD friend Juli! Seriously, she's my healthy/weight loss/exercise sponsor! 

I love her to death--and we check in on one another everyday.  She talks me out of eating Blizzards and cakes for every meal every day ;) Hehe. 

She's been such a blessing and a positive encouragement to me to get back on a healthy kick.  And, I gotta admit--I do feel better! There are days when I'm tired but eating veggies, fruits, lean proteins and healthy fats have helped my mood. Plus, with spring and summer--there are a lot of great fruits and fresh veggies to enjoy.

Alright, enough of that...I'm going to leave you with some pictures!

SOON---I'll post some before/after pictures.

I have some pretty bad BEFORE pictures!

Until next time,

hk

getting ready for our next sport!

Kix having his first solids--sweet potatoes

Coach Sydney & Kie

Lake Austin & the 360 Bridge
LOVE this beautiful city

@ Cain & Abel's

Hot Mom-post baby body

Hey readers, hope everyone had a blessed and wonderful Christmas!

I did, but I gotta admit--this year was INSANE and crazy. More on that later,

for now I'm feeling inspired and thought I'd officially start my postings on my POST-baby body quest.

Some people may criticize that I'm trying to lose weight and get back in shape and that I need to use my time to be with my children. I do agree, but also I want to be a good mom.

Being a good mom entails me having energy for two boys.

I also have a husband who DOES love me regardless how much weight I have on my frame or doesn't care my butt is 5 inches wider than it use to be (seriously, it is nearly 5 inches wider) but I want to feel and look good for him.  And when I feel good, well...the whole family does better!

And most importantly, I want to set a healthy example--and I love being outside and running around--and I want my boys to be outside running too! I want them to use their bodies in sports, for fun, for play and to ultimately be used by God. And I definitely believe our bodies are temples, and I need to set a good example to my family that I think my body is a temple.

Alas, I don't have hours at a time to devote to exercising like I've done before (seriously, I had no excuse before kids to have fat on my body!) so it will take time to lose the weight.

I'm already a bit upset because I'm actually up FOUR POUNDS from Christmas!

I hope a lot of it is water retention but I doubt that.

So now that I'm officially announcing my healthier lifestyle--and exercise plan--I have no reason and no excuse to keep me at this same state!

Though, I will admit--I am going out on a date with Justin on New Year's Eve (our first date since September) so I will be indulging and having a glass or two of wine--

I believe in living life--and I won't be the kind of gal that can totally cut out everything bad. Not now at least.

I gotta ease myself in.

Besides, I tried to do some serious 'detoxing' last year and wowza, my body revolted (if you have been reading my blog awhile) then you may recall my juicing I've done.

So yes, I'll be doing weekly, maybe daily posts on my journey.

I already weighed myself.

And though I don't want to put the number up yet---I do want to say I put on 46lbs while pregnant.

Initially I lost 26--now I've gained 4 back--so I've got to lose 24 to get to pre-pregnancy state.

From there, I'll re-evaluate--and try to lose an additional 15lbs.

If you do the math thats nearly 40lbs to lose!

Here's my plan of action:

Track everything I eat through Myfitnesspal (I've been doing this with a few friends--also, if you're interested in being my friend on Myfitnesspal we can check in on one another and check out our diets!) It can be embarrassing but it keeps you accountable! If you want to know my user name to find me: it's fitmomma918

I also have a Nike Fuel Band I got during Christmas.

Justin surprised me with it!

My brother has one and so does my Sister-in-law.

Another great device to use as accountability and to get you moving more.

It tracks running, jogs, walks...calories spent, steps taken and of course your Fuel points.

It tracks everything on the computer and graphs it for you. It's pretty inspiring and eye opening!

I am striving to get 3500 fuel points a day! Which has YET to happen. However, I have been pretty lazy since Christmas.

I also plan on having at least 20-30 minutes of cardio a day.

This doesn't sound like a lot, but between a 8 week old and a 2 year old--a husband, a house and a job--it's all the time I can allot for now.

Maybe when Kix is more on a schedule I can find more time in the mornings or during their naps.

My cardio will include either Zumba, my dance class, doing the Shred or walking/jogging.

I also plan on doing strength training with some weights. Not much weights because I will be using what I have here. 

I do have a gym membership but I wont be going to the gym until Kix is old enough to go.

Or, when Justin is home to watch the kids.

My walks will happen with a stroller (pushing Kie) and wearing Kix (in the Ergo).

I don't really plan on running until I drop some weight.

I have a bad knee from a ski accident two years ago and extra weight on my joints cause it to hurt more.

I also am exclusively breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding doesn't seem to help me much because I'm always more hungry when bfeeding but I don't do it to lose weight. 

I do it because it ultimately is the best for my baby. 

However, it does help burn anywhere from 300-500 calories!

So if my eating is on track, then breastfeeding will help me burn more to lose more.

I plan on eating around 1600-1700 calories a day. (I do need more to breastfeed so that's why the number is a bit higher)

I know this is realistic.

I just doubt I'll be able to do it most days--until I retrain my eating habits.

I do plan on having one day a week to 'cheat'...

I will track those days--but I won't be killing myself if I have one too many pieces of cheese, Dove chocolates, or what have you.

So there ya have it folks.

My plan, at hand!

I start today!

I did my measurements (waist, stomach, thighs, arms etc.)

and I will check them every 30 days.

I will weigh every other day (I have to for my own sanity) and report a weekly change.

Alright, that's enough rambling!

Stay tuned for a Christmas post and pictures to come!

-hk