Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and thank you all so much for a great year!

Post Baby Shape Up

These are some pictures from my "surprise 40th" birthday party last Saturday!

After a few weeks of really training hard to get ready for my next workout, I am finally starting to see results!

Being a brand new mother, I had no gauge for how my body would respond to post baby. Having a c-section set me back a little bit but I tried to be patient and do a little bit every day. I filmed my Post Natal workout at 6 weeks post delivery and you will see a noticeable difference in my body at 6 weeks post natal and now. I thought just because my doctor gave me the green light to resume my workouts, I was going to be able to jump right back to it! Not quite the case! I thought I'd start with Zumba because it was lower impact and not as intense on the cardio front. I found myself getting really winded, I was very sore and my joints ached horribly, my hips especially! This was discouraging but I realized I was doing too much and needed to scale back and give my body a chance to really heal. I listened to my body and did my best to stay active in a reasonable way, if something hurt, I'd back off, but I never stopped working out, I just adjusted my routine to fit how my body felt. Being sleep deprived didn't help me either, my body was physically exhausted and I was trying to take it back to a place it used to be when it was strong and well rested. As the time passed and Scarlett grew, I noticed I was not as sore and could squat down and pick up her "binky" without hyperventilating! Each week I started to feel better and better and now 20 weeks later I feel great! I'm still not where I need to be, but I'm getting there and am determined to stay with it and do my best.

Some things I did that helped me stay on track; I kept at it regardless of how long I could workout or how much I could do, I did what I could, I made the necessary changes to my diet, when I felt my body getting stronger I amped up my workouts - increasing the intensity, duration and varied my routines. This was key - I changed up my workouts on a regular basis to keep my body guessing and it helped, plus it cut back on the boredom!

I am 5 months post baby and I am finally feeling like me again. My ab strength is back 95% and my endurance is back 95% - this took some time. I am just now able to do plyo jump tucks, air jacks and butt kicks. You may see one or more of these in my next workout! I still have a ways to go, but I definitely see a light at the end of the tunnel. Each week I feel stronger and leaner. So, please be patient with yourselves and don't give up! If what you are doing is not giving you results, try something new, push a little harder, I know that is no fun, but I know you can do it!

Help Tracey Celebrate the Big 4-0!

Tracey is 40, fit, and fabulous!! Happy birthday, Tracey!

We are celebrating all day, August 27, by having a 40% off sale. Everything in the Fit by Tracey store is 40% off! One day only!

Stop by the forum to say happy birthday...or just tease Tracey about getting older. While you're there, you can find a coupon code for your 40% discount.

***Only registered members can view the forum. Please take a few minutes to sign up and join us.

My baby!

Getting back to it...

Below are some pictures of my trip to the Midwest and a few others. Sign up on my forum to read all about how my training is going. Remember, if you are not already a member of my forum, you have to register first in order to get into it.

Enjoy!

My baby girl 4 1/2 months!
Scarlett sleeping on Auntie Mellie's shoulder at our family reunion
My cousin Chaz and I at a family reunion
At a park in Ill
"Diva in Training" Need I say more?
This is my girlfriend Carmen & I in KC,MO
This is a picture of my girlfriends and I celebrating a 40th birthday and an engagement! There is nothing like the company of good friends (and good food)!!!

Scarlett's Photo Shoot in St. Louis

just click here untamed heART click on Proofing from the top menu bar and type in scarlett for the password

enjoy!

Time to Talk About Food

As you know, Tracey is in training. A lot of us don't like to think about this, but that includes nutrition.

What we eat not only fuels our workouts, it fuels our lives. Nutrition is important if we're going to get the most out of our workouts. And those workouts get us in shape to enjoy life. That's what it's all about, right? Fit by Tracey is here to make you fit for life.

Both protein and carbohydrates are necessary to get the most out of your workout. Glycogen gives you the energy for exercise and amino acids help to reduce fatigue.

If you're planning a long cardio workout, having complex carbs such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, or other whole grains about 60 to 90 minutes before your workout will help you have the endurance you need. Having simple carbs (sorry, I don't mean cake or candy) like fruit and/or protein in a drink 15 to 30 minutes before exercise will give you quick energy. The carbs can also reduce the amount of glycogen used during exercise, and the protein can increase the amino acids that are delivered to the muscles. That means you will have prolonged energy too.

What you eat after your workout is also important. Replenishing glycogen within 90 minutes after your workout will help your muscles begin to repair and will restore your immune system. Of course protein is necessary for maintaining healthy muscle mass. The best post workout meal or drink is a combination of quick to medium digesting carbohydrates and quick digesting protein. Good news - current research shows that chocolate milk is a great recovery drink.

Don't forget to drink plenty of water during and after your workout to replenish the fluids you lose. And round out your diet with healthy fats like nuts, salmon, eggs, avocados, and olive oil.

These are just some tips. Please don't stress about it. Fit by Tracey is also about making fitness fun. So enjoy the journey.

Here's a sample of a breakfast that Tracey eats during training:



1 slice ww toast (light whole wheat)

1 egg (fried in Pam cooking spray)

1 oz light jalepeno cheddar cheese

2 cherry tomatoes sliced

1 oz spinach

*fry egg, melt cheese, add tomato and spinach and put on toasted bread



Be watching for more recipes.

Jericho McDuffie, myself and Josef Matthews at the Les Mills Quarterly in June

Me, my mom and Scarlett


At the NJ Shore for July 4th

Scarlett's Baptism!

Precious!

with her God Parents

New Pics...

Les Mills Quarterly...And notice I am not drinking, but still having a great time! We had a full day of Les Mills classes so this was our reward...







Scarlett in the tub...

Scarlett 8 weeks...

Scarlett at 8 weeks showing off her pretty new dress while vacationing in South Carolina!

Scarlett

Reggie making sure Scarlett is okay...




Napping in the back yard



Scarlett & Reggie

Scarlett 1 week old

Getting ready for the Easter Bunny

getting to know the rest of the family

hanging out with Reggie

in her bouncy seat

Introducing Scarlett Olivia Staehle

Born March 23, 6 lbs, 12 oz


Special delivery, from the Easter Bunny!

Scarlett, 5 days old, all cozy in her crib

Scarlett, 5 days old, with her Grandma (my mom)


Scarlett, 4 days old, all cozy in her crib


Scarlett, at home in her crib 4/27/09

Scarlett just a few hours old and her daddy.