500 extra calories of the past.

Thinking back to my good ol' days of breastfeeding, where I'd burn an extra 500 calories a day (so they say), really makes me miss breastfeeding. Breastfeeding was the best diet I've ever been on (I did gain back some weight after I stopped pumping as often as I was when Linna was a newborn)! I lost all my baby weight in less than three months. Five-hundred extra calories... that's like an extra meal (or alcoholic beverages, if you so choose... and I did often)! Now that I've put the breast-pump into hibernation (I stopped pumping at a little over 11 months), I'm finding myself having to watch what I eat, and actually having to get my butt off the couch to burn some calories. Booooo! Makes breastfeeding seem not-so-bad, huh?!

Having a non boob-dependent baby, and simply having my boobs back to myself, helps make it easy to leave my breastfeeding days behind me. I look back at it as a fond memory. But those 500 extra calories I'd burn in a day... UGH!

Recently, I joined Lifetime Fitness, because...

A. I'm getting fat (not a pretty sight).
B. They have great group-fitness classes, and an outdoor pool.
C. They have an amazing daycare center.

One of my biggest motivations for going to the gym, is the daycare center. Not only is it a break for me from Linna during the day, but Linna gets to play with other kids. I still wouldn't be comfortable leaving Linna at a daycare all day (it's a personal decision), but she needs to be around other kids. By the time I pick her up after my class is done, she is POOPED OUT from chasing around and playing with all the babies and kids. She takes a great nap when we get home, and I can get stuff done around the house! It's a win-win situation.

Delicious dinner tonight with veggies from our garden.

I'm also trying to make healthier food choices (especially after our indulgent "baby-free" trip to Chicago - lots of food and booze). We have so many delicious veggies growing in our garden, and it's time to start using them! Tonight I made a delicious grilled chicken, with a black bean, corn, tomato and cucumber (from the garden) salsa. I found this Chicken with Tomato and Cucumber Salsa recipe on Pinterest, and just added a little "heartiness" (beans and corn) for AJ. It was so yummy, and Linna loved it too! I'm also making kale chips at least twice a week for snacking. I swear I eat at least two heads of kale every week.

It's little steps like this that make eating better and working out seem not-so-bad! Although breastfeeding is an excellent and "easy" way (all you have to do is sit) to burn those 500 extra calories a day, I think I can still wait a couple years to have another baby:)

Do you have any healthy recipes to share???