While Colton and I are still in our “honeymoon phase” – getting a puppy threw it a little off balance! For example, when I get home I go rushing toward her; when I want to cuddle, I grab her; when I daydream, I daydream about us going to the dog park. Ha 🙂 But Colton and I are both so in love with her and super proud parents, trying to soak in all the puppy time before she grows up. As in 8-12 pounds big, she is currently resting at a little less than 5 pounds.

Becoming a Dog Mom to Figueroa, aka Figgy

Wow! Do I love this baby girl after a couple weeks or what! I finally understand how people can talk about their pets 24/7 and expect others to care just as much. I mean who wouldn’t love this pup?! 😉 I gush when someone stops us when we are on a walk because they just have to pet her, or want to know what kind of dog she is.

When you know your a crazy dog mom…

1. can’t stop wondering what she is doing during the day
2. worry about her all the time
3. research different guidelines to raising a pup to make sure we are doing it “right”
4. find any reason to show a photo of her to others
5. drop her into any conversations where it fits

Now, it hasn’t all been easy. I have been surprised at how much work it is, and yes people always told me but I didn’t believe it. But it is! It’s very frustrating sometimes when she doesn’t obey, but I have to remind myself that she doesn’t know English. We have been working on sit, stay, come, touch, release and DOWN! For some reason, she will only bite me, not Colton. Doesn’t she know I am the pack leader? ha. I think Colton might have won the title.

We are in the process of finishing all her shots, big shout out to Midtown Vets. We love it there! They are super sweet to her and give her so much love. I feel totally comfortable there and ask as many questions as I want. She was even reposted on their social media channels so she felt pretty famous all day. I told her not to let it go to her head.

 

The Many Faces of Figgy

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Over the past 3 months I have been using a meal plan developed by Erika from 413 fitness and have seen some amazing results. This journey has made me stronger mentally and physically and I am very proud of myself. I wanted to share my personal experience and possibly encourage you to make some healthy changes in the new year (read to the end and you’ll see the special deal 😉 ).

For you, maybe it’s not as strict as an exact meal plan but perhaps adding a salad to every dinner, or only having 1 dessert. Or, perhaps you are ready to commit to a huge challenge like running a half marathon, or working out 4 times a week. It’s your body, it’s your goals.

I’ve always been able to motivate and encourage myself to eat right and workout so I’ve always chosen to do it on my own. While I overall was pleased with my body and felt good, I began wanting to reach more difficult goals and push myself a bit further. I wondered – what can my body really do?! I had reached a plateau and couldn’t seem to push past it, leaving me annoyed and irritated. I decided it might be time to look into gaining more personalized support.

While I begrudgingly determined I couldn’t do it on my own, I knew exactly where to go. My friend Erika had recently started 413 fitness, where she creates personal nutrition and fitness plans. (You might remember her from this post on 6 quick toning moves.) With a wedding right around the corner, I decided this was the perfect time to get a coach.

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December 2016 is my favorite month and year to date. Why you might ask? I married my best friend, Colton, after what felt like the longest engagement in the history of courtship AND I became a dog mom. Or should I say a tiny puppy mom?

Becoming a Wife –

The Rehearsal

The day before the wedding my aunt had a wonderful lunch honoring me and my wedding party. We ate at the Metro and enjoyed their delicious food and a few mimosas. Salmon never fails to be my chosen option. We also had an incredible sorbet at the end to tide me over until the wedding cake 😉

After lunch I relaxed until the rehearsal at the church. I must say I was surprised by how calm I was! The rehearsal went very smooth and was painless. Following the rehearsal we were off to Dinner, taking place at Waters Edge Winery. Colton did an amazing job planning it and Rococo catering did not disappoint. The night passed quickly and I was trying my best to “take it all in” and remember every single moment. The speeches were all so sweet and one was quite hysterical. Good job Best Man, Made of Honor, Daddy and cuz!

Once the last toasts were made, the last glasses were drunk, and the goodbyes were said, I was headed home to sleep in my childhood bed for the last time as a single lady.

 

The Wedding

The wedding was magical, I couldn’t have dreamt up anything more wonderful. From the beautiful flowers and decor, to the mouthwatering chocolate cake, to the handsome gentleman waiting for me at the end of the aisle, it was an absolute dream. I was never one to plan my wedding as a little girl, but if I had, I’m sure it wouldn’t have been half as wonderful as reality.

Wedding Details:

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Nothing is quite worse than feeling uncomfortable and bloated in a too tight dress before attending a special event. With my wedding less than a week away(!!!), I definitely will be steering clear from foods and drinks that are hard to digest and cause bloating!

To be sure and start from a good place, get the right size to begin with, no one knows the size you get and it’s much better to get the dress that fits you and hugs you in all the right places. And please don’t do the whole, “It’s fine I’ll drop X pounds by X event” Stop it, NO! That’s too much pressure and typically leads to weight gain! Buy the dress that fits, eat well, move and fight off the bloat. Then you’ll feel beautiful and ready when the big event arrives.

Here are some tips and tricks to fend off that bloat leading up your special event. I’ll be following these guidelines all week 🙂 Who wants to join?

What Causes You to Bloat?

Bloating occurs for various reasons but the most common are water retention and poor digestion.

Water Retention

Your body typically looks and feels puffy when you’re retaining excess water. When your body is holding onto water, it’s most likely telling you that you need MORE water. Yes, more not less. Water works wonders in flushing out the bad stuff. When in doubt, drink more water. Also, potassium can help reduce water retention so enjoy some bananas, carrots or spinach!

Poor Digestion

When you eat foods that aren’t easy to digest, your gut is working overtime and much of your body’s energy is being spent on digesting food. Think of all the other wonderful things you could be using that energy for, like a cardio sesh!

Steer clear from foods that are difficult to digest, like animal fat, dairy, and processed foods. Also, while you are enjoying your food, drink water but not too much and don’t drink ice cold water! Drink room temperature, or warmer liquids to help aid digestion.

Foods/Drinks that Make you Bloated

Carbonation

As tempting as a glass of bubbly can be, sometimes it’s best to steer clear to keep you feeling your best. Club soda and fizzy water drinks are wonderful alternative to soda, but still has carbonation so try to avoid them a week before a big event. Water and lemon should be your answer.

Sugar-Free

Sometimes people opt for sugar-free before big events to help in their staying slim efforts, but it can actually wreak havoc. The sugar alcohols in these foods are hard to digest.

Dairy

Stay away from dairy as long as you can before an event. Some people don’t have a hard time digesting dairy, but typically it’s best to avoid if possible. Ice cream normally seems like a good call, but not before something you want to feel and look your very best at! (I’m looking at myself here 😉 )

Salt

Too much sodium is not good for you and causes major bloat. If you mess up and have a lot of salt, drink plenty of water to flush it out.

Alcohol

Alcohol can make your face look puffy and bloated, which is definitely not a winning look. Alcohol can contribute to excessive gas forming in your digestive system causing pressure to build in your stomach – meaning major bloating!

Good luck in your efforts to fight off the bloat! We got this!! 🙂