Thursday, July 5, 2012

205 lbs . . . Before Picture


I have been getting requests lately for a "BEFORE" picture.  I got my scanner working and found a picture of me about a week out from delivering my twin daughters.  I find that before and after pictures can leave readers feeling discouraged on occasion.  Sometimes the before resembles someone elses' goal.  Not one person can dispute my pregnant belly was beyond huge, however!  I had 14 pounds of baby ALONE in there!  It is hard to believe that less than four years ago I walked into the delivery room carrying twins at 205 + pounds. Now I write a health and fitness blog hoping to inspire other people to achieve their fitness goals, , , while working on my personal training certification.

My life prior to striving to move forward with my fitness goals included: making excuses to avoid pushing myself to my fullest potential, succumbing to sugar cravings with bouts of binge eating, and living with a constant restlessness in my heart as I struggled to find balance.  I lost 60 pounds of my baby weight and worked out regularly, taking my body fat back down to “acceptable levels”, but nothing motivated me to continue to progress and make true fitness goals that inspired me to the core.

The moment I decided to move forward with my life came when I reached a fitness plateau, became complacent, and stood by idly while my excuses grew:  you’ve had three children, your body will never be the same after having twins, multiple abdominal surgeries left your core weak, you’re no longer in your twenties. My body and my heart literally ached for a change!  I hired my first personal trainer in an effort to kick-start my new attitude on life, but this particular trainer didn’t fit my needs, leaving me even more unsettled.  I started to gain weight back and my motivation to be _truly_ fit waned. 

It was time to take action toward with the new life I craved.  Enter my new personal trainer, Gary!  He took my inspiration to move forward and blasted it to new levels!   Gary challenged me to try things with my body I never thought possible.  I became that FIERCE woman at the gym- strong and lean who is confidant in my appearance and abilities.  If a trainer is in your budget, hiring the _right_ one can change your life!  If a trainer is out of your budget, stay motivated by working out with friends or following fitness fan pages and blogs for new material to keep your workouts challenging and interesting. 

What is life like now?  I am proud of my body for the first time in far too many years.  I love feeling confidant in my appearance despite the c-section scar, hernia surgery scar, and the fact that the skin around my belly is not as taut as it used to be.  I sport my bikinis with pride- not because I have the best body,,, because I have finally come to peace with myself.  More importantly, however, I’ve never been physically stronger (I whipped out 14 pull ups the other day), and I’ve never been so determined to fuel my body with the healthiest food options available. 






205 lbs. . .
You can do it!

Clean eating is key to your health and fitness!  Small changes to your diet add up to large successes!  I can't tell you the last time I used mayonnaise in anything.  I switched to stone ground mustard for everything.  Sound crazy?  It's not!!!  Mustard spices up tuna, chicken, ground turkey,,,,, everything. 

Currently, I am loving Eden Organic Brown Mustard . With all natural ingredients and sugar free, it is the perfect condiment to liven up all of my dishes!



Here is a quick little recipe to illustrate just how versatile and delicious brown mustard can be:

Ground Chicken "Muffins"

2 pounds ground chicken (turkey or lean beef can be substituted)
1 cup cooked quinoa
3 T brown mustard
1 T rosemary
1 tsp cumin
dash of turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients.  Line a muffin tin with baking cups.  Drop spoonfuls of mixture into cups.  Bake 350 degrees or so for about 30 minutes.  This recipe is so healthy and incredibly yummy!  You can pack individual servings into lunches or enjoy them for quick snacks!





--Featured Blog of the Week: --Cave Princess--



Thank you Jean and Nicole for giving me this opportunity to shine!  The Aloha Friday Hop has just exploded these past two months, and that has everything to do with your amazing posts, engaging writing, generous spirits, and all around positive vibe.  I love being apart of this community and feel so fortunate to be the featured blog this week!
It is hard to believe that less than four years ago I walked into the delivery room carrying twins at 205 pounds.  Now I write a health and fitness blog hoping to inspire other people to achieve their fitness goals.... all while working on my personal training certification. I chose to create Cave Princess to illustrate how being FUELED BY NATURE changed various aspects of my life for the better. I wanted to share a feminine perspective on feeding the body with plenty of natural food, and how a healthy relationship with food can facilitate a peaceful balance for the rest of your life.
Please come see me at my Facebook page Cave Princess sometime!  I'm also on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.  I ALWAYS make it a priority to follow any guests back!

Aloha!

Krista

This is all about sharing the Aloha spirit with other bloggers out there and helping each other to gain some exposure and find some awesome blogs to read!!!  You don't have to be from Hawai'i to participate!  In fact, we encourage and welcome people from all over the world to join us on this Aloha Friday Blog hop!

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19 comments:

  1. Wow I think your stomach bounced back really well! I didn't carry twins but I looked like I did with gaining 60lbs my stomach still paided the price with having 3 c-sections and a lot of stretch marks and loose skin! I am just grateful like you to have gained the motivation to loose all the weight and finally have a body I am proud of...well I am still a work in progress! Haha
    Congrats on your success. You are truly an inspiration

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    1. Cassidy,
      Your body rocks... you should be very proud! Recognizing you're a work in progress keeps you motivated! Feeling constantly challenged keeps me from falling back into complacency. Thanks for visiting me today.
      Krista

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  2. Go head girl!!...Truly an inspiration...I too, didn't have twins, but I have three sons...and my tummy is NOT cute AT ALL...nor my arms and legs anymore...**SOOOOBBBB!!!!** I know making the choice to do it and being determined as well as knowing and believing in WHY to do it are all important...but without discipline...all I have is dream...DISCIPLINE is my problem...and probably $$ for the trainer...

    OH!!!...Congrats on your Aloha Friday Spotlight!!

    Be Blessed<<3

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    1. Christine,
      I truly appreciate your visit to Cave Princess and your words of encouragement! I think you've taken the first step.... recognizing your (to use your words) "problem" is "discipline". Just take one more small healthy step and commit fully to that (for instance- no dessert Mon-Fri)! See if that one step makes a change. You might just be happily surprised and eager to make more changes :)

      Aloha!
      Krista

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  3. Aloha,

    Stopping by to say "thanks" for letting us feature your awesome blog this week on The ALOHA Friday HOP!!!

    I love this post, not just because you are so candid about the how you felt about your body before you became so very extra "kick a@!" but also because it is so incredibly inspirational.

    All the very best to you on your journey, and thank you too for letting us be along for the ride.

    I'm off to pick up some ground mustard-- see "inspirational" I tell ya. =)

    xo,
    Nicole
    localsugarhawaii.com

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    Replies
    1. Nicole!

      You have made me so happy! Thank you for featuring my blog this week. You have always been so supportive of my blog... it means A LOT to me!

      I hope you enjoy your weekend as much as I am going to thanks to you and Jean!

      Hugs,,,,
      Krista

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  4. Wow! You are such an inspiration!!

    We're not able to have any more children and now that we are done, I want my body back! I read your menu plan a little further down and it sounds delicious (and healthy!). I've just started a weight loss journey and will definitely be popping in over here for inspiration and motivation!

    Thanks for the follows, I'm following back and doing the blog hop. Have a good weekend!

    Shanna
    thesouthernhousewife.blogspot.com

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  5. Hi Krista!

    Congrats for being the featured blogger on the Aloha blog hop! I think you have been really brave to achieve what you've achieved.

    I'm now following you through GFC and liked you on FB.

    Tina - mom of 4, author and blogger of 5 blogs
    http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Christina! I visited your pages and followed back!

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  6. Hi!! Loving the blog hop idea. Following along and saying Aloha! :)

    Sarah
    http://acatlikecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk/

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  7. Hi, coming over from the Aloha Bloghop. Your story is truly inspirational! Congratulations on being the featured blogger..you deserve it!

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  8. I think you look pretty good considering there's 2 bebes in there! I also got up to 205 with my pregnancy and it wasn't even twins!! I got back in shape afterward by eating healthy and exercising... Now I'm pregnant again, I only hope I can do it again!

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    1. Congrats on your new baby Camille! You know how to do.... your body will bounce back.... slow and steady and consistant!

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  9. Congrats on being proud of your body! LIke everybody else said, your story is truly inspiration. And that mustard you posted looks so good and actually would be something healthy to eat for once.

    Just found your blog today via the Weekend Blog Walk and starting following you--I would love for a follow back! Thanks :)
    --Becky
    preppypremed.blogspot.com

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  10. Thank you so much for the FB like. I'm following you on GFC & Linky and liked your page as well. :)

    Have a great Sunday evening!

    Jess @ The Delightful Crafter

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  11. your looking good! dont stress! twins will be so exciting! I am your newest follower and I cannot wait to read more of your posts and hope that maybe you can return the favor and follow my preppy blog. I always comment back and would love to start a friendly relationship with your wonderful blog!

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    1. Thank you for the visit. Looking forward to visiting The Preppy Student!

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  12. Hopping by to make your morning! Congrats on the weight loss! You are doing a great job!

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    Replies
    1. April, Thank you for the encouragement and taking the time to make my morning!

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