Life of Erin

Wow! Sorry for the lack of updates in nearly two months! To say I’ve been busy is quite the understatement.

Well, if you haven’t heard by now, my OCS date is June 2nd! I am going to be driving from Colorado to Rhode Island (with the help of my dad for the CO to OH leg) and then will be spending 12 weeks at Naval Air Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. After training, I’ll be commissioned in the United States Navy as an Ensign. We have also found out that my first assignment will be Fleet Weather Center- Norfolk in Norfolk, VA. We are ecstatic about moving back east!

I will have very limited phone and Internet access at OCS (especially the first two months), but would love any letters that you wish to write to me. My address is:

OC Erin Harvanek
Officer Candidate School
Class 15-13
OFFICER TRAINING COMMAND NEWPORT
1356 Meyerkord Avenue
Newport, RI 02841-1641

There is also a facebook page, which will be posting weekly photos and updates and can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/OTCNewport, my class is 15-13. Also, there is a facebook group for my class, if you want to connect with any of the other families and those who maybe coming to my graduation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/516756655054890/.

In the meantime, I’m continuing to work on my transition out of the Air Force, working out a lot, and memorizing all of the info that I need to for training.

My rank when commissioned

Since I’m actually on a normal schedule this week, Scott has head back to Tucson for work. I remember the first time he left for a week when we only had Aiden and then the first time it was both of then and it’s crazy how much easier things get. Overall, I have no complaints especially since Scott will have both kids to himself when I’m away from military training.

In a way, I like having a week with just the kids and I. I really focus on eating well and keeping the house clean, but I also know it comes with the fact that I’m on a “normal” schedule versus the dreadful 0230 wake up call. Plus, I get to watch all my TV shows in the evening

The weather is finally starting to warm up and should have highs in the 50s/60s all week, which means I’m going to be able to get outdoors for some run. I’m still steady losing weight, at the rate of about 1.5-2lbs a week, and should reach where I need to be for the Navy in about 2 months. I’m still waiting to hear about a class date, but am going to keep pressing for info this week.

Also, thanks to my parents, we’re officially coming back to Berea April 9-16th! We currently don’t have anything planning, but are possibly still considering attending my friend Heather’s wedding in Key West over the weekend, if we ever get our tax refund……

I’ve also decided to start a new tab of some great recipes that have worked well for the family (I know my mom was curious of some new things to try) so please see the tab above or click here

I hope everyone has a great week! Here’s some photos!

Scott only has weekends off and I often work 0400-noon on the weekends, which then results in not getting to spend any evening with Scott or the kids because I’m in bed by 8PM. Well, this weekend I was lucky to have off and on top of it, its in the 60sF outside!

This weekend we spent time grocery shopping, cleaning house, and playing outside. I also just turned in my final assignment for my Microsoft PowerPoint class, which now means I’m officially done with my Microsoft Office Certification! The only thing we tried to do, but didn’t work is get a rail for Lillian’s bed. Lillian has begun to outgrow her crib and with her already been sleeping on a cot for months at daycare, we are going to begin to transition her to a bed. A few of the stores we tried didn’t have any, so we are going to resort to the ever trusty Amazon.

We have also decided that we’re going to be coming back to Ohio in mid-April (with a quick trip down to Key West for my friend Heather’s wedding). Dates are not 100% confirmed yet (as we are waiting on our federal refund), but plan for us for a week in mid-April. It’s going to be a busy next four weeks with Scott heading to Tucson, Carol coming out for a visit, and us going back home. Hopefully, in that time, I’ll also find out when I’ll be heading to OCS.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Here are some pics from the new swing-set in our neighborhood.

Well, I’m finally getting back into the blogging game. It’s been far too long and so much has happened in my life this past year and there are going to be a lot of new changes coming in the year. Overall, I think I do a pretty good job of keeping up with family and friends, at least via Facebook, but there is always more I can share with those who care. My goal is to post at least times a week and go from there….so before I get back into posting, let’s give an overall recap of my past year…..

Job: Currently, still an E-5 SSgt in the United States Air Force doing weather for NORAD-USNORTHCOM. However, after working on an officer package for the US Navy since May 2012, I found out within the past week and a half, that I’ve been selected to Navy Officer Candidate School as an Oceanographer (technically it’s their meteorology career field, but it’s shorten as OCEANO).  What does this all mean? Well, hopefully here shortly, I will be receiving a class date to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) for 12 weeks in Newport, RI. Upon which after training, I will be commissioned as an Ensign (O1-E, the “E” stands for enlisted time, which give me more pay) and begin my life as a weather officer in the Navy. There are still a lot of unknowns about when I’ll be leaving and where we will ultimately end up, but I can now officially say that I’m going to be finishing out my 20 years of military service and retire.

Family: Overall, the family is doing great! Scott is just a few classes short of his Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology from Colorado Technical University. He’s expecting to graduate in June. He’s also on his 8 year at Login, out of Tucson, and continues to work out of his home office. The kids are growing like crazy! I can’t believe that in a few months Aiden will be 4 and Lillian will be 2! They are both incredibly smart, very talkative, and have a memory like an elephant. The kids are each others best friends, are always playing, and looking out for one another.

Other Stuff: Another part of my blog updates will concern my fitness and workouts. Last month, I’ve begun doing Crossfit, which according to my gym is “CrossFit to us is more than just constantly varied functional movement at a high intensity. It is a training regimen that is a means to improve stamina, endurance, strength, speed,  power, it elicits a neuromuscular response, and teaches one to better understand their true fitness potential.  the benefits one receives are scientifically proven to improve ones overall fitness by combining strict programming, quality coaching, and nutrition.” Basically, it reminds me a lot of military physical training, which is just what I need for Navy OCS. I’m also getting back into running. My 1.5mi time (which is what the run distance is for both the Navy and the Air Force) is at a good pace and is only getting faster. I’m going to continue to work on speed up the the 4mi distance at this point.

So, that’s about everything in a nutshell…Like I said going to shoot for posting about 3 times a week. In the meantime, here are some recent photos.

New Updates…New Changes Coming Soon!

Going into my 1st week of Body for Life I knew I was going to face some challenges. The most prevalent one would be it’s my 1st week back to work from maternity leave. Some smaller challenges would include getting a complete understanding of the nutrition portion and getting all my weight machines set up.

Sunday: When I woke up this morning, I was worried how the day was going to go, since I was a bit tired from baby duty and I’m no longer suppose to drink Monster Energy drinks anyway. Today was the 1st day of upper body weightlifting and I know that I’m going to feel it tomorrow. I kept on track with everything and I’m surprised at how good the Myloplex products taste.

Here is how my meals ended up panning out: 715AM- 2 whole wheat waffles, greek yogurt, black coffee. 10-1045AM- upper body weights. 11AM- Myloplex Lite Shake. 1230PM- Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce and tomato. 315PM- Myloplex bar. 5PM- chicken breast, small baked potato, salad. 8pm- while chocolate protein pudding.

Monday: Today is my first day to work from maternity leave and I also had baby duty last night. Surprisingly, I’m not too tired and not as sore as I thought I would be. Started out with a good breakfast and made it the three hours til I had the Myloplex bar, but I was hungry 2 hrs later. I think I need to have a higher calorie/protein breakfast to start out the day. For my workout today, I did a 1/4 miles warm up/cool down and a 1 mile run on the track on base.

Today’s Meals: 630AM- 2 whole wheat waffles, greek yogurt. 0930AM- Myloplex Lite Bar. 1200PM- Whole wheat pita, chicken breast, yellow onions, baby spinach. 230PM- Cardio workout. 3PM- Myloplex Lite Shake. 5PM- chicken breast, potato, salad. 7PM- Protein pudding.

Tuesday: I had to get up at 3AM this morning for work starting at 4AM. I knew that alone was going to be the challenge for the day. Today, I just felt hungry all day long, I didn’t cheat at all, but I felt miserable. Today’s workout for the lower body weights and overall that felt good.

Today’s Meals: 330AM- 2 whole wheat waffles, greek yogurt. 0630AM- Myloplex Lite Bar. 1000AM- Whole wheat pita, chicken breast, yellow onions, baby spinach. 1115AM- Lower Body Workout. 1215PM- Myloplex Lite Shake. 2PM- BFL Creamy Salsa Dip. 5PM- London Broil, potato, salad.

Wednesday: Today was just a rough day from the start. I felt lethargic, hungry, and overall depressed. Fortunately, today was my “Friday” from work, so I knew I would have the next two days at home. Today for cardio, I went to spin class. While I worked hard physically in the class, I wasn’t mentally into it. However, I continued to stick with the program, but I did have a 7th meal, since I was up since 3AM and didn’t go to bed until after 9PM.

Today’s Meals: 330AM- 2 whole wheat waffles, greek yogurt. 0630AM- Myloplex Lite Bar. 1000AM- Whole wheat pita, chicken breast, yellow onions, baby spinach. 1115AM- Spin Class. 1215PM- Myloplex Lite Shake. 2PM- BFL Creamy Salsa Dip. 5PM- London Broil, potato, salad.

Thursday: With all the drama of yesterday, I promised myself that today would be a new day. I was on baby duty last night, so I didn’t get that much sleep. However, today was probably the best day I’ve had on the program (at least mentally). I had a great upper body workout and wasn’t feeling as hungry as I have been the past several days. However, for dinner I did have a small slice of Papa Murphys deLite pizza, while healthy, but probably still not on the list….I didn’t have a 6th meal today either.

Today’s Meals: 745AM- BFL Chocolate Oatmeal. 1045AM- Myoplex Lite Bar. 1130-1215PM- Upper body workout. 1230PM- Myolplex Lite Shake. 3PM- whole wheat bread, turkey, lettuce, tomato. 6PM- Papa Murphys deLite pizza, salad w/ chicken.

Friday: Today was a good day for me all around. I have a great run in the morning, followed by a long walk in the park in the afternoon. However, with my busy day, I only got 4 meals in and had half of a beer a dinner. I am really looking forward to my free day.

Today’s Meals: 830AM- Cardio, 9AM- waffles and greek yogurt. 11AM- Papa Murphys deLite pizza, salad w/ chicken. 12-2PM- walk in the park. 230PM- protein shake w/ half a banana, two strawberries, skim milk, eas 100% whey chocolate. ice. 5PM- chicken breast, rice, and broccoli.

Saturday: FREE DAY! I had my typical breakfast of waffles and yogurt, went to Old Chicago for lunch where I had a chicken wrap and french fries, and Dominoes Memphis BBQ pizza for dinner. I also consumed a lot of beer, which wasn’t the best idea.

Recap: Overall, I think I did ok for week1 and I’m going to try a lot harder going into week 2. I’ve learned that I need to add more protein to my breakfast and need to try to eat every 2-2.5hrs instead of 3-4.

Well, I just took my measurement and my before photo for my Body for Life Challenge starting on Sunday, June 26, 2011. At this time I’m not going to share this information with everyone. I know I just had a baby six weeks ago, but I’m still shy. However, I will share them around my 4 week point of the challenge to show the improve I have made.

Today, I got the “Eating for Life” book from the library and it has excited me more for the next 12 weeks. It goes more in-depth to the eating portion and provides 150 recipes for me to try. At first, I thought I was going to be hungry or stuck eating terrible healthy food, but the book has a bunch of recipes that even Scott will enjoy.

I’m ready to get this starting……T-1 day….

~Erin

The Body for Life program strongly suggests that you plan your meals and workouts in advance for best results, which I agree with. How many times has it been a long day, it’s 5PM, and you’re hungry? It’s so much easier to have a pizza delivered than it is to cook a healthy meal for your family.

So here I am, 5 days from starting, and I’m already beginning to get the wheels turning for next week. I’m also doing this so far in advance because this is my last week off work before I return from an 9 week absence post-baby and my mother in law is coming in on Saturday, so there is some preparation to do.

Food Plan (I’m still working this one out, but my entire week will be planned out by Saturday night):

5-6 small meals a day, At least a gallon of water, two meals will be either meal bars or shakes, Saturday is my free day.

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Pancakes, Cereal, Bagel

Mid-Morning: Bar/Shake

Lunch: Sandwich, Soup, Salads, Frozen healthy meals

Mid Afternoon Bar/Shake

Dinner: Beef, Chicken, Seafood, Pasta, Vegetables, rice/potatoes

Evening: Pudding, Yogurt, Fruit

Exercise Plan:

3X a week strength training, 3X a week cardio (2X a week running, 1X other), workout either prior to or after work dependent on shift, Saturday is an off day

Weeks: 1/3/5/7/9/11:

Sunday: Upper body

Monday: Cardio

Tuesday: Lower body

Wednesday: Cardio

Thursday: Upper body

Friday: Cardio

Saturday: OFF

Weeks 2/4/6/8/10/12:

Sunday: Lower body

Monday: Cardio

Tuesday: Upper body

Wednesday: Cardio

Thursday: Lower body

Friday: Cardio

Saturday: OFF

Starting next week on June 26th I will be starting the Body for Life 12 week program/challenge. While I do like using this site to count calories/workouts to track my weight loss, I want to use a program that will help me reach my goals. However, I will continue to track everything here as well.

I really like this program, since it’s not a fad diet, it’s what the title implies, it showing how to make your body healthier for life. The premise behind the program is that you’re eating 5-6 meals a day, while incorporating at least one EAS product in there, and by doing cardio 3 times a week for 20 mins and strength training three days a week. The program runs for 6 days on and one day off where you can eat what you want. I am going to be using the EAS Myloplex Lite bars and shakes for my products and will be taking Saturday as my off day.

As part of the program, there is also a challenge you can enter. You will out the general entry form, take before/after photo, filling out essays, and generally writing about the experience. When it’s all done you submit it and winners are chosen from there. While I planned on doing this program to get lose weight and get in shape, I like the idea of a contest as motivation for me.

I plan on blogging the journey, not only for me, but for others that maybe interested in it also. While I plan on updating it occasionally here, it will mainly be on http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Chowder_17

I promised myself that after having Lillian I was going to stop procrastinating and lose the weight that I gained after basic training. I started the process about two weeks after having her and the reality is astounding, 47.2 lbs to lose….

The one thing that got myself in this predicament was eating the wrong foods and far too much in general. For starters, I will be tracking everything that goes into my mouth using My Fitness Pal. They have nearly every food imaginable and they have a long term plan to help me reach my goals, all for free!

If you want, you can follow my journey at: My Fitness Pal Diary and also my weight loss tracker at the bottom of the blog.

I waited until the 4 week post-partum point to start the workouts, prior to them I was going on slow walks when the weather and myself co-operated. Obviously, it’s going to take awhile to get back into it. I plan on running a few times a week and once I’m back to work (7 weeks post-partum) I’m going to be doing spin class and some weights as well.

Right now, I’ve set my goals to losing 1.5lbs a week, so the whole process should take 32 weeks (8 months). I take my 1st PT test about 5 months after I started, so I should be at a good place.

I’m excited for this journey. I know it’s going to be rough getting back in shape and the temptation of bad eating habits will be there, but it’s time….

~Erin