Taryn and Tavia

Getting My Body Back

January 7, 2015January 11, 2015 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

39 weeks

5 days postpartum

2 months postpartum

8 months postpartum

These pictures are my progress pics from 39 weeks pregnant all the way until now! 8 months postpartum.

I get asked a lot about how I lost my baby weight. There are two major factors…nutrition and lifting weights! My focus is never on lots of cardio. Here’s why and it’s fairly simple; muscle burns fat the most efficiently, period. The only way to gain muscle is to lift weights. I promise you will not get bulky by lifting weights! Unless you are eating a huge surplus in calories lifting weights will not make you big. I’m not saying ditch the cardio all together…try to get cardio twice a week for 30 minute sessions. If you are consistent with your weight room sessions, that is all the cardio you will need!

Here are some quick work-outs to get you started in the weight room!

Total Body:

Warm-up: 10-15 minutes on a cardio equipment of choice..it’s just important to get that blood flowing!

Dumbbell Squat Press: Grab a pair of weights you are comfortable with that are challenging and complete 15 reps

Shoulder Side Lateral Raises: 20 Reps of these bad boys.

Walking Lunges: My all time favorite. Add weights if you can! I like to do these timed. Try 30 seconds of walking lunges, increase your time if this is to easy.

Step-up with Bicep Curl: Step-up on a bench or a step if your gym has one, and complete 20 reps per leg with a bicep curl at the top!

Complete this whole work-out 4x through. Your heart will be pumping and your muscles will be talking to you (Ok, maybe YELLING at you) and you will love every minute! 🙂

Legs:

Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes on cardio equipment (I prefer the elliptical)

Squats: 20 full range of motion squats (add dumbbells or use a barbell) I use the 20’s

Lying Hamstring Curls: 15-20 reps with a weight that is burning like crazy by rep 8!

Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts: 15 reps

Leg Extension: 25-30 reps

Walking Lunges: Use dumbbells and time yourself! Go for a minute!

Repeat this workout 3x through!

Upper Body:

Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes on a cardio machine

Lat Pull-downs: 12-15 reps with a weight that is challenging

Incline Chest Press: 15-20 reps

One-Armed Rows: I love rows. And I love to go super heavy on rows. Reps of 12-15

Tricep Extensions: 15-20 reps

Bicep Curls: There are so many variations to bicep curls, choose a different one every workout! My favorite are hammer curls with a heavy weight super set with a lighter barbell palms up curl. Get 12-15 reps with the hammer curls immediately follower by 20 reps with the lighter barbell.

Abs: I don’t make ab exercises a focus of mine because abs really are made in the kitchen! But with that said, who doesn’t love a good belly burner?! Choose your favorite ab exercise; crunches, v-ups, leg lifts, bicycle crunches, etc. Whenever I do abs I think high reps! I always complete no less than 20 reps!

These workouts are just a few examples that should help you get going in the weight room. Don’t be afraid to try new things! YouTube is full of fun examples that you can put to use in the gym!

The Montanas in Montana Part II

January 5, 2015January 5, 2015 Taryn and Tavia1 Comment

Our trip to Montana was nothing but amazing. We spent the first few days in my hometown, Billings, visiting family and enjoying every second. Then, we left for Big Sky to shred some “pow pow”. The weather was freezing, -20 to be exact, the snow was perfect, and the mountain was beautiful. I am not a very good skier, I’m so bad that most of the green runs were somewhat terrifying. The only thing going through my head most of the time was “make a pizza, pizza, turn, turn, holy crap!” The good news is that by the end of our trip, 3 full ski days, I was starting to feel much more confident! And there is an upside of being bad, I got a major workout! Talk about some burning quads and buns! (I may have counted that as my workouts) Our vacation was perfect; so much snow, beautiful mountain views, precious bundled babies, family naps, and priceless family bonding. We can’t wait for next year!

^^Max was a little too excited about our trip to sleep on the airplane ride home! Thanks Auntie Kienna for the pic! 🙂

I hope you all enjoyed your holidays as much as we did! Here is to an amazing 2015!!

The Montanas in Montana Part I

December 28, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

We have made it to Montana! Our flight was completely uneventful and even easy. My ergo baby carrier and chompy chic teething chewlery were a godsend. If you have a baby and haven’t checked Chompy Chic out..you need to. You and your baby will thank me! Anyways, we were welcomed here in Montana by the whole gang. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and lots of dogs! Max is in all his glory and so am I! So many babysitters! Family hackie sack sessions, cooking daddys, bunted baby wearing, and so much great grandparent love is what this trip has consisted of so far!

Stay tuned for some crazy winter workouts, our road trip up to the mountain, and how us Texans survive 19 degrees below zero, seriously.

A Christmas Party

December 23, 2014December 23, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

There is something so special about Christmas time. The cozy decorated houses, the yummy candles, and the warm hearts that everyone seems to have make this time of year so special! We have been blessed this year with so much, the biggest blessing of them all being our little baby boy Max. I never knew how much love existed in our hearts until that little guy! This post is all about our little Christmas party we had this past weekend. I really don’t need to say much, the pictures speak for themselves!

^^That outdoor kitchen that is holding our Big Green Egg so perfectly was made from scratch by my handy hubby, chairs and all!

My sweet little niece is growing way too fast!

Baby Max got to meet his Auntie Brittney at the party..and if you look closely Uncle Reese is on Skype!

So many babies!

Uncle’s are always the best entertainment. Seriously.

The precious aftermath. Just daddy and baby enjoying the fire and Eddie the Moose. My heart is so full!

How are you guys spending your holidays?! Stay tuned for my packing/traveling with a baby post coming soon!

What We Ate Wednesday

December 18, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

I cannot believe it is already time for What We Ate Wednesday again! The weeks are flying by. We are 9 days out from Christmas and I am the farthest thing from prepared! With all the crazy that the holidays bring it is so important for me to stay on top of my meals! I try to eat in as much as possible. That is the easiest way for me to stay on track with all the holiday yumminess so easily accessible everywhere. Here is my day!

Breakfast: The usual. 3 egg yolks with 2 egg whites and half a cup of oatmeal.

Snack: A protein shake (orgain organic powder mixed with 2 cups almond milk) and a cocoa loco bar from Mimi’s house. Holy delicious.

Lunch: Taco Salad! Honestly, I wasn’t that excited about this lunch because we literally have nothing in our refrigerator. All we had was some salad and leftover taco meat from the night before. I heated up with meat with some sharp cheddar on top and then threw it all on a bed of super greens. It actually turned out delicious!

I also had a cup of Roiboos tea to go with it…if you have never tried Roiboos, try it! It is amazing and has so many health benefits!

Snack: 1 handful of almonds with about a cup of dried raspberries. I will probably never eat those little raspberries again…they are so sour!

Dinner: Faux fried chicken, super greens salad, and organic macaroni and cheese (my weakness..all in moderation y’all)

Faux friend chicken recipe:

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium size bowl add two whole eggs and mix well.

In a gallon size ziplock add 2 cups organic Panko bread crumbs and 3 tbs of parmesan cheese. Mix well.

Dip your chicken breasts in the eggs until fully coated and throw them into the ziplock bag mixture. Shake well.

Place coated chicken breasts on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes! Super east and super delicious.

What We Ate Wednesday

December 4, 2014December 5, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

I get asked all the time what I eat. So I have decided to show y’all! Every Wednesday I will post all of my meals and recipes! I don’t ever diet, ever. It is much easier for me to stay healthy if I have a good balance. What does that mean? I eat things like cookies and pizza every once in a while and I never deprive myself (that leads to bad decisions later!). I do my best to make sure we are eating organic ingredients all the time. None of that fake food is welcome in this Montana house! We don’t do artificial sweeteners, colors, fat free, low fat, etc etc. I have included Max’s little meals too, mostly because pictures are much cuter with his face!

Breakfast: My breakfast is almost always the same. I do 3 whole eggs + 2 egg whites with 1/2 cup of oatmeal and 1 banana mixed in (I add cinnamon for more flavor). I am pretty much addicted to orange juice, so I have my little glass every morning. Max enjoys his breakfast oatmeal at this time too 🙂

Snack: Ok, this is weird, and not a norm, but breastfeeding cravings have been way worse than any pregnancy craving! Lately, that craving has called for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I use two slices of bread, about 1 1/2 tbs peanut butter and 1/2 tbs jelly.

Lunch: Max and I ventured to our local Whole Foods to buy ingredients for our dinner so lunch was on the go. I made myself a salad from the salad bar at Whole Foods. Loaded that sucker up with spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, almonds, chicken, and a little bit of balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I also had two tacos from the taco bar. (My phone died or I would have had photo evidence of this amazing lunch)

Snack: My favorite part of the day is my Orgain Organic protein shake. I mixed two scoops of the protein powder with 2 cups almond milk.

Dinner: With all this gloomy weather we have been having I have been in the mood for soups lately. I decided chicken chili was the way to go! This bad boy is the bomb.com.

Here is how its made:

1 onion chopped and placed on the bottom of the crockpot

3 chicken breasts

1 package taco seasoning

1 can black beans

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can corn

1 10oz can of tomato paste

1 can of rotel

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Layer all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. This made my house smell amazing!

While the hubby and I enjoyed our chicken chilli, Max was chowing down on some sweet potatoes and peas! He loves both! Yay!

And all of that, along with about a gallon of water, is how my Wednesday meals looked! What do y’all think?

A Practice Thanksgiving

November 25, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

Thanksgiving is one of my all time favorite holidays. I think because it is the start of the holiday season, or maybe it is because I love food. Yea, it’s because I love food. This past Sunday on our weekly grocery shopping trip, I decided that it would be more economical to buy a medium size turkey, roast it on Monday, and eat it before we hit the road for Kansas to spend Thanksgiving with family Wednesday morning. The hubby did not object. My idea was to make this mini Thanksgiving as clean as possible…it was such a success!! Little Max also got to grub down on some mashed sweet potatoes and actually liked them!

Here is what we had:

8lb organic whole turkey roasted at 325 for 3 hours

4 organic white potatoes mashed with 3 tbs plain Greek yogurt (these were BOMB)

1 package frozen organic green beans steamed

1 package organic stuffing mix (soo pumped to have found the organic kind at Whole Foods)

Brown gravy made from the turkey juices with 3 tbs flour added

This was SO easy. I will for sure be that person that randomly makes turkeys throughout the year. Plus, the leftovers are the best.

Stayed tuned for a recap of our actual Thanksgiving meal..and our annual Thanksgiving morning workout!

LOL his face doesn’t look as enthused as I remember….I promise, he liked them!!

Solids Y’all

November 22, 2014November 22, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

Well ladies and gentlemen, we have started solids in this Montana household. And to my dismay, Baby Max is not thrilled. At. All. We started with avocado. We had his Daddy, Mimi, Papa, and Auntie Kienna all here to witness his first bites of real food. At first, he was just excited because we were all cheering for him, and then, the reality of this ooey gooey new texture in his mouth set in. He gagged, gagged some more, and it all came back up. Poor guy. I knew this could happen so I wasn’t discouraged (yet). We tried again the next morning, and an even worse reaction. So we took a few days off, and tried carrots, fail. Then we tried oatmeal, by this time the kid gagged at the sight of his spoon. I felt so bad. He wasn’t ready. I don’t know why I felt like I had to rush him into solids. It seemed like that was the next milestone we needed to check off the list right at the six month mark. We have taken a few weeks off from trying new solids and just this morning we went back to the avocados. You can tell by these pictures how he felt. Ha!

He’s not super thrilled but this is a huge improvement from last time. There was one gag, and no throwing up. LOL! In a way, I’m selfishly glad he isn’t ready for solids. I am so not ready for our breastfeeding relationship to begin to end. Any of you other mamma’s experience this when starting solids?

They’re G-r-r-reat!

November 6, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

This Halloween will go down in the Montana family history book as the first (and maybe last) hand crafted costume years. Thanks to Pinterest, I got the idea of making Max Tony the Tiger from the Frosted Flakes cereal box. The picture I saw looked simple enough! Tiger costume, front pack with a little fabric, make a box, cut out the letters, easy peasy. Well, after countless hot glue gun blisters, a floor full of fabric scrappings, a kitchen table with a nice little layer of spray adhesive, and a happy baby in a tiger costume…it all came together perfectly! We all enjoyed baby Max’s first Halloween probably way more than he did!

Cousins first Halloween together! @zmontana47 @asingleton3

That precious little Minnie Mouse is Max’s cousin….seriously how cute are they?! I can’t wait for the years of trick or treating ahead of us!

What did your kiddos dress up as this year?!

Workin’ Out With Mimi

October 20, 2014 Taryn and TaviaLeave a comment

You all know that saying “I got it from my mama”? Well, I really did get it from my mama! Ha! She is the reason I am who I am today. The reason I love eating healthy, working out, and spreading what I know to others. I was lucky enough to grow up with her teaching me her ways to a healthy life. There are so many things she taught me about being healthy and having a healthy body image while growing up. These are just a few that are most important to me:

1. Leave the scale behind. No one cares what that number says and neither should you. It is all about how you feel.

2. Eat in as much as possible. It is much easier to control the quality of your food if you are the one making it.

3. Do something active everyday! Find what you love to do and just do it! It doesn’t matter if you love roller blading or weight lifting, just do something! Your body will thank you.

This whole post was inspired by my walk with my mom today that somehow turned into a “burn up the booty” session. We lunged between every other mail box, did step ups, and Bulgarian squats on park benches. That was our “something active” today. What was yours ?!