Lots of rest really does wonders on recovering from illness. I took it easy yesterday while Peter worked from home to help with the kids. I don’t quite know what hit me, but I’m happy to report it seems to have only lasted 24 hours. I think having my appetite back excites me the most. I could only stomach the following yesterday during the day:

A Yogurt Bowl

2 Dippy Eggs, English Muffin, Grapes

Banana Soft Serve with a Drizzle of White Chocolate Peanut Butter

All delicious, but not quite the norm for how much I typically eat in a day. Luckily, once dinner rolled around I had worked up the desire for food again. We had quite the delicious meal planned and I was thrilled to partake!

We, and by “we” I mean “Peter”, grilled up some of our cow share steaks and I whipped up a delicious salad combo on the side. My all-time favorite salads include nuts, fruit, cheese, and a light dressing. Avocado doesn’t hurt either. This salad had it all.

Romaine, red onion, cucumber, strawberries, avocado, goat cheese, walnuts, and this homemade lemon vinaigrette Andrea shared last week on her blog. With such nice, warm temperatures outside it felt like fine summer dining. Sunshine always helps cure the “sickies” as we call them around here. <--- Life with kids, I tell ya.

I hope I continue feeling better and better as the day goes on. I’m still going to take it easy today to make sure of that. I plan on spending lunch with a friend, doing some blog reading during my usual afternoon time slot, and figuring out what to pick for my next 4all by jofit outfit. We get to choose our outfits this time. Help me pick! Which top and bottom would you pick from the London and New Orleans lines? Hint hint – let me know because another giveaway could be coming your way soon. 😉

• What time do you usually do your blog reading?
• What items would you choose from the new 4all designs?

Catching up from the weekend? Check out these posts:

• Just What I Needed – girls’ night with my friend Mandy
• Where Did It Go? – wondering what I did Saturday and Sunday
• Weekly Series: FFF Features - How many push-ups can I do?
• Weekly Series: Self-Love Reflection - Trust Your Body

Last week Julie did a PSA on her blog because she wanted to clarify some misperceptions of perfection about her relationship with her husband, Ryan. After some comments and emails over the past week, I want to clear the air with my own PSA of a different topic: my workouts.

(warning: some parts of this discussion may have TMI as it is a post-partum topic)

I have received plenty of concerned remarks about how soon I have started working out again, they types of workouts I have chosen, how often I work out, etc. I do not doubt that the concern is genuine. Not at all. I do not write this post as a defensive one. With what FFF stands for, however, I want there to be no misconception  over whether or not I am trusting my body or approaching my Body After Baby journey in a realistic, healthy manner. So, this is my PSA to say you do not have to worry about either of those two things.

The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists states that women can gradually return to exercise as soon as they feel comfortable. My personal doctors/midwives felt 100% okay with me returning to exercise sooner than my 6 week post-partum appointment. They know my level of fitness. They also know my predisposition to things like depression, including post-partum, and that exercise helps me. They said to keep an eye out for increased bleeding and any pain/discomfort. If neither of those occurred, the exercise I completed was perfectly healthy for my body.

I rested a full two weeks after delivery, which during that time my post-partum bleeding almost completely stopped. It has not gotten heavier than the occasional very light spotting I had before picking up exercise. It has, in fact, continued to decrease. I pay close attention to my body and if anything felt uncomfortable, I would have no problem lightening up. I have not encountered a need for that. I honestly feel great with each and every workout. I feel appropriately challenged and energized, never fatigued or uncomfortable in the least.

Please remember, I have worked out regularly for close to a decade. I have trained for two fitness competitions. I maintained regular exercise during pregnancy. No one can compare what my body can comfortably manage right now to their own bodies or their own ideas of what is right. I have spent years working on getting more in tune with my body because I do not want to do it harm like I have in the past. I have listened to my doctors, but most importantly I have listened to my body…and it tells me that I’m doing just fine.

Once again: please note this message does not come from a defensive stand point. I appreciate every person who shows concern and know you all want the absolute best for me and my health. I just wanted to clarify that, while I do want to get back in shape, I will never push myself too hard or too soon.Thank you for listening!

Question of the Day – Is there anything you feel very strongly about with your reputation and sometimes feel the need to clear the air? I hope you all recognize the importance I place on loving our bodies and also, for me personally, in being genuine and honest (like I did with the scale dilemma).