While I was pregnant with Lila I gained 46 lbs. I knew that was too much but I figured I would lose it pretty easily by breastfeeding or dieting after she was weaned. Well, I am still 15 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight and have been since Lila was 3 months old! My body has bounced back some but the weight is still there.
I tried Weight Watchers last fall but I really didn't stick to it. I started eating better for a while and then went back to my old ways of eating out too much, eating too many carbs and not working out. Before I was pregnant I worked out 4-5 times a week, ate pretty healthy and I was very comfortable and confident with myself.
My postpartum body and I are not friends. I try not to look at my body in the mirror. I don't change clothes in front of my husband. I try to ignore my weight. To be honest, I sort of gave up on myself! Things are not what they used to be and I've had a hard time convincing myself that I deserve the change. It's been so long since I've worked out hard and eaten really well, I didn't know where to start, so I never did.
On New Year's Day, I watched my wedding video. My wedding day, July 1st 2006, was the skinniest I've ever been. I was around 130 lbs and a size 4. The few months before my wedding I lost 15-20 lbs on Body For Life and I felt great! I was strong, lean and happy! Of course right before my wedding ALL I focused on was working out and planning meals. Most of the wedding details were already done, so all I did that summer was lay out, work out and eat healthy.
Seeing myself that skinny on video was a huge wake up call. I remembered how confident I was. I loved trying on bathing suits. I wore shorts and tiny tank tops and wasn't self conscious at all. I didn't have to worry about a double chin in pictures. I didn't fuss with and adjust my clothes all the time like I do now. No muffin top, no changing clothes a million times in the morning. Seeing myself at that weight was just the push I needed to make a change.
On Jan. 3rd I started a 30-day eating and work out challenge. I needed to start off strong. Small changes and adjustments just weren't enough. I needed a big change to start seeing results early and to convince myself that I really AM capable of working out and eating healthy again!
My 30 Day Challenge:
- Eat a lower carb, higher protein diet. Between 1200-1500 calories a day, 40% protein, 40% carb, 20% fat. I'm tracking my meals on SparkPeople. I'm eating a lot of oatmeal, chicken breasts, brown rice, fruit and veggies! Staying away from processed foods, no eating out. One cheat meal per week!
- Weekly workouts: At least 30 mins of cardio 3x/week, weights 2x/week. Upper and lower body plus abs and back.
So far, I've lost 3 lbs. This is probably mostly water weight, but it's such a great feeling seeing the scale going in the right direction. I've weighed the exact same for months so it's awesome to lose! I don't have any specific goals for these 30 days really, just stick to the plan and create new habits of healthy eating and working out most days.
After 30 days, I may loosen up my rules or change the plan in some way. I don't really want to be 130 lbs again or a size 4. My goal is 145-150 lbs which is much more sustainable for me. My giant stack of goal jeans are mainly size 8.
2011 was one of the best years of my life. I gained a beautiful daughter but I lost some of myself. This year, I want to get back my confidence and be proud of my body again. I hope to lose about 9 more lbs by Lila's 1st birthday party on Feb. 25! I want to look back at those photos with my baby girl and be proud that I'm making the changes I need to make. Not just for me, but for her too.
This is great! I'm so happy you have found something that is working for you for now. It's so easy to lose track of where we've come from and who we were, it takes effort and work. Sometimes I just want junk, but at the end of the day I want to be healthy.
ReplyDeleteI think you're doing great! :)
Good for you! You can do it!
ReplyDeleteYou can do it :) It's really difficult to eat healthy foods when you have a baby. It's easy to just grab some take out! You really have to make an effort to make time for yourself, but you have to, for you and Lila!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on deleting most pictures of myself post-partum! I finally had to stop myself because I realized I had NO pictures of me and Emma!
ReplyDelete