Month 3 Progress & Tropical Flax Bars
Posted: April 12, 2011 at 8:40 amI faced a sad sight this morning.
One sad, lonely, small bar left. The last of the batch of Tropical Flax bars I made this past Friday. I shall miss you, dense bars of chewy, yummy goodness. Until I make more.
Speaking of which, I need to share this recipe with you all. It’s a good one!
Tropical Flax Bars
- 1/4 c honey
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 c rolled oats
- 1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 c ground flaxseeds
- 1/2 c dried mango slices, chopped
- 1/2 c dried pineapple, chopped
- 1/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 8x8 baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Beat the eggs, honey, and salt until blended. In a food processor, combine the remaining ingredients.
Pulse until finely chopped and blended. Place mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the egg/honey mixture and stir to combine. Make sure the mixture is evenly moistened. Press into the baking dish in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are browned. After cooling, remove bars in foil from pan and cut into 12 even pieces.
Now, it’s time to discuss this month’s progress check-in. As many of you know, I update my Body After Baby progress once a month so I can fully share this journey of getting back in shape and achieving my “happy place”. So far, slow and steady has certainly made this venture a successful one. On with the results!
[Month 2 photos on the left – Month 3 (recent) photos on the right]
FRONT:
SIDE:
For the real kicker – check out the changes since 1 week post-partum!
I don’t think I look too shabby. Three months post-baby or not. 😉
And here are the progress stat totals for my accountability and tracking purposes.
| This Month’s Totals | Overall Totals | |
| Weight | - 5.6 lbs | - 10.4 lbs |
| Stomach (Smallest) | - 1.25 in | - 3 in |
| Stomach (Belly Button) | - 1.5 in | - 3 in |
| Hips | - 0.75 in | - 3 in |
| Butt | - 0.5 in | - 2.5 in |
| Thighs | - 0.5 in | - 1.5 in |
Each month reminds me of many important things to keep in mind while striving to reach these goals. This month did no different. On my 3rd week of this month, I didn’t have much progress according to the scale. Despite my lower weight loss, I knew I was making appropriate choices to reach my goals in a healthy manner. I refused to immediately freak out, think my efforts lacked, and try going overboard with restricting calories or adding more workouts. Those things all sounded tempting to keep progress going, but I knew that one week did not show the whole story. I needed to wait it out and trust my body.
Well, wouldn’t you know, trusting my body after that week meant resting for a few unplanned days thanks to getting sick. I decided to keep on keeping on how I could. I ate balanced meals, took it easy, and focused on getting healthy. When I weighed in for week 4, I had lost the most I have ever lost in a single week in this process. My body proved to me then and there that it knows what it’s doing. All I have to do is care for it with proper nutrition, challenging workouts, adequate rest, and self-love. Consistently doing those things will bring me results. Sure, it may not come as quickly as it could with more restriction, but I know the results will come. And they will last. And I will be happy going through the whole process.
I hope you continue to join me for the rest of the year! 🙂
- What lessons have you learned while working towards a physical goal?
- What is your favorite dried fruit? Pineapple! Hence, the tropical bars.
ETA: Please let me know if you have any specific questions about my “Body After Baby Progress”. I would love to do a Q & A post if there’s enough interest. 🙂
Tags: body after baby, healthy habits, progress pictures, recipes, snacks
You look amazing, Tina! And what’s better than how you look is how you FEEL! And the fact that you’ve fallen in love with running and continued your love affair with weights. 🙂 I love dried fruit – favorite is dried mango followed by cherries, cranberries, dates, apricots, etc.
Oh my you look fabulous!!! Hard work really does pay off! You are totally motivating me to kick in high gear tomorrow!
Those bars look amazing as well!
Thank you SO much for sharing your weight loss journey! I really love how you are doing it through workouts and eating…it shows that all it takes in a little motivation and discipline! You look great! 🙂
You look amazing!!! And I’ll definately be coming back to check on what you did in just a few more months, once I have MY baby!
You are so impressive! What a huge difference in 3 months. I love the way you are doing this, btw. How you feel is SO much more important than a number. 🙂
Yes! I have been feeling SO good again. Pregnancy drained me! It feels nice to feel like myself and just do what makes me happy. The progress is a great side effect to that. 😉
you look great! so much progress in 3 months!!! ahh fav dried fruit?!?! mango!!!
You look GREAT! I know I don’t have courage to post before & after pictures of myself when working towards a goal, so props to you!
I love your attitude. Nutrition, self love & workouts – awesome!
You look fantastic, Tina!! Way to go! Not sure if I said this, but congratulations on the newest addition to your family. You have beautiful kiddos! Must be in the genes 🙂
Can you believe I’ve never had flaxseed? I think these bars would be a great way to try it – they remind me of larabars I made recently – love those tropical flavors. 🙂
I don’t really notice much of a taste with them. But I love the texture they add and the health benefits of course as well. 🙂
1) Those tropical flax bars look amazing.
2) You look amazing-er! HOLY moly amazing 🙂 You rock, Tina! You are tireless in your efforts and it shows!
You.are.so.sexy. Not even just saying it. You are smokin hot, my dear 🙂
You look amazing and are such an inspiration to folks like me. I’m 5 months postpartum. I have a 2 year old and a nursing 5 month old who bring me so much joy. I am interested in knowing how you schedule in your workouts during the weekdays. I typically run at about 5 AM MWF and Saturdays. And I do some form of cross-training (Slim in 6 and/or strength training) on TTH. I exercise this early before the kids awake and my husband leaves for work. Sometimes, I’m so tired from nursing in the middle of the night, I just feel like sleeping in.
Sounds like you are doing GREAT with regular exercise. I’m very fortunate to have a gym that has quality child care, so I’m able to go use it most days. I really trust the people, which I am so thankful for! Also, my husband luckily gets home from work by 4:30 so on days I don’t or can’t use the gym, I can go for a run or do a workout DVD after he gets home without it getting into dinner and bedtimes. It’s all about making time that fits your lifestyle. Sounds like you’re doing it. I know it’s hard, but remember how good it feels too. 🙂
You look absolutely fantastic! I can’t believe it’s only been three months. Congratulations, Tina. What an accomplishment!
I love the jumping photo of you, Tina! And great progress. You looked awesome 1 week post partum too! 🙂
Can I just tell you how beautiful you look? I’ve never had a baby, and I don’t look that good. Keep it up!
You’re doing a great job with progress, and definitely huge changes are being made:) Even if it’s maybe not as fast as you would like, it’s happening and you’re being healthy, and that’s what’s the most important:) Congrats!
Thanks! And I wouldn’t want it to be faster. If it were any faster, I would be a hungry and tired Tina. Aka a nasty, grumpy Tina. LOL
Congrats and you look absolutely amazing!!! We’re going to be trying for a baby this summer and in the back of my head I have those fears that I won’t get my pre-baby body back….but you’re showing that it can happen, and most importantly, it can happen through balanced healthy eating without deprivation. And you seem to be so happy and full of energy while still accomplishing your goals. I can’t thank you enough for showing us all how do this the healthy non-extreme way…it gives me hope that I can do it too and I’m going to look back on these posts when it’s my turn!! 🙂
I do have a couple questions for your Q&A…you may have mentioned this already but are you counting calories? And if so, how many do you aim for during this time while trying to lose weight? And how much do you aim to workout per week? I know for each person it’s different and we have to do what’s right for us, I’m just curious to see what’s working for you and learn from it!
Thanks so much again Tina, you’re such an inspiration and not only do you look amazing, but you’re an amazing wife, mother, and blogger! 🙂
Thanks so much Shayla! That’s my biggest hope in sharing all this – to show its possible without anything crazy. 🙂
And I will defintely include those questions in thee Q+A I plan to do next week as well. They are good ones!
Awesome, thanks so much Tina!! And I can’t wait for your Q&A and to hear your answers to all the other questions! Thank you for offering to do that, we all love to learn from you! 🙂
Wow Tina, you look simply amazing. I am loving these posts and updates! I have lots of questions re: fitness during/after pregnancy- I’ll shoot you an email! 🙂
You look awesome for 3 months postpartum. Heck, you look awesome for 3 years post partum! I recently just a had a baby less than 2 months ago and I would love to get my body back to where you are right now. It will take me several months but you have motivated me to keep working!
You can certainly do it!!