I am super hard core on my new healthy eating etc

I am very happy to say that I have lost 9.5 pounds and this is just the beginning! I am so happy!!

Darn those last 15 pounds!

Six weeks after I gave birth I'm still wearing my maternity jeans with 15 pounds left to shed. I haven't eaten very heathily over the holidays, but now it's time to really get serious. I got a couple of Christmas gifts that will help me get in shape if I diligently do them. My husband bought me The Firm cardioweights workout which I really wanted. It includes handweights and 4 exercise DVDs that each last about an hour but also include express options that only last 25 minutes for your extra busy days. And my brother-in-law gave me an exercise ball and web with an instructional DVD. Thankfully he included a note on it that said, "I don't think you're fat. Love, David." (My husband didn't need to include any sort of note. : ) ) So where do you start when you're trying to lose weight? Do you make a plan or goals? Place encouraging notes by the fridge?

Pilates and My Belly

I own a couple of Windsor Pilates videos that I enjoy doing for abdominal exercise. After not having done pilates during my whole pregnancy (since it wasn't physically possible), I decided to do it the other day. Wow! I never realized how strong my core was before. It was so difficult. I had to follow the girl doing the modified exercises. I will definitely be using my ability to do pilates well as an indicator of my fitness progress as I try to get back to my pre-pregnancy shape.

I've been trying on my old clothes, and it's depressing. It's only been about three weeks since I had the baby, so I know that I shouldn't be too hard on myself but it's tough having a pudgy belly. I know it won't ever be exactly the way it was before (especially with the insane amount of stretch marks I have), but I want to at least fit back into my jeans. I'll let you know when that happens!

On a happy note, I lost another six pounds since I weighed myself about two weeks ago. So that totals 26 pounds lost in almost three weeks! 14 more to go to reach my pre-pregnancy weight! By request, here are some pictures of my beautiful baby who weighed 9 lbs 8 oz at birth, and at her doctor's visit on Thursday (2 weeks old) weighed in at 10 lbs 7 oz!!

Right after birth

Big yawn!

The stretch marks and weight gain were definitely worth having this bundle of love.

Yeah Down five pounds!!

I am so happy! It's hard but well worth it!

It Feels Good to Walk Again!

I finally had my baby after being induced a week late on November 26th. She weighed in at a hefty 9 lbs and 8oz! So I immediately lost a good 20 lbs--about half of my pregnancy weight gain. So now it's time to get into gear! I have to admit that I've never actually tried to lose weight before, and my plan isn't to go at it full force (as in dieting) because I'm breastfeeding and losing weight too quickly can interfere with that. But what I am going to do right away is start working out (at a pace that works for my body)! So I went walking today, and I felt like a whole new person. I hadn't been able to walk that fast in so long! I guess this post is just meant to be encouraging and of course make me accountable to exercising regularly again now that I can. You often don't realize what you have until it's gone, so move your body while you can today!

Tomorrow is the day!

Okay girls, tomorrow Bobby and I start back on our South Beach diet and working out again. I am going to need a lot of help and encouragement. I have gained a lot of weight back so I need to get it in gear again!

Also, let me know if anyone in my area wants to workout. I have a 24hr fitness membership and I need to use it or Bobby is going to cancel it!

Wish me luck and please pray for success!

Time Change...

Okay is anyone else out there having a hard time adjusting to the time change?

I know it's only an hour (one single tiny little hour) but it's has been throwing my entire schedule off. (Okay maybe it's other contributing factors too.) Anyone else feel my pain?

Do you love the time change or hate it and why?

Thanks - just had to ask!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far! (Is it friday yet? ha!)

Great

That was a good article. There were a lot of helpful hints in there - thanks for posting! I've also been thinking about the "no sweets" post and what my suggestions would be. I never said anything because I don't know the answer. :) I thought about my no soda rule and my desire to exercise and I came to this conclusion. The first is always the hardest. The first day I didn't have soda was the hardest. I knew that if I could get through the first day, then I could do it. After doing it for a few days I knew I couldn't quit - otherwise all my hard work would have been a waste.
That logic works for me anyway. And applies to most things I want to do, but have a hard time doing. Starting is the hardest part. I just need to gather my will power and tell myself to just do it once.
How is everyone doing on eating healthy overall? I'd like to start having more fruits and veggies. Maybe you all are good at that, but I'm not! I love steamed veggies with dinner, but I need to have more fruit - it makes a good snack during the day, especially at work. The only downside is it goes bad so soon after buying it - so I can't buy it in bulk. I have a hard time getting myself to the store so often to buy fresh fruits and veggies. Maybe that's just me. But that is going to be my goal this week. I'll report back and let you know how I do. And I still haven't had any soda at work. Yay!

Worth sharing...

I got this in my email today from everyday health and thought it was good. I try to do some of these things but definitely not enough. Some good stuff here. Talk to me and tell me what you do or think?



Eat slowly. Chewing and swallowing your food at a leisurely pace can help you keep from overeating. Here's why: It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to "tell" you when you feel full. Until then, you continue to feel hungry and want to eat. If you eat quickly, you'll end up consuming more than you need to feel full. But eating slowly gives your brain the time it needs to signal that you've had enough.

Make changes gradually. Don't expect to change your diet and activity level overnight. Instead of switching all at once to a low-calorie eating plan, try gradually decreasing the calories of your meals and snacks. For example, start by cutting out snacking or limiting yourself to certain snacks at certain times of day (such as a mid-morning banana or a late-afternoon apple). Also, gradually reduce the calorie content of particular foods. For example, if you're used to drinking whole milk, first switch to milk with 2% fat; then, as you get used to the taste of less fat, go on to milk with 1% fat and finally to skim milk. Another strategy is to lower the calorie content of one meal at a time. In the first week, you might want to eat a low-calorie breakfast, but keep lunch and dinner the same as before. During the second week, you might reduce the calorie content of your lunch. Finally, you can begin eating low-calorie dinners.

Keep a record. Keeping a daily log of what you eat and what physical activities you engage in can help keep you motivated to stay with your diet and exercise plan. Looking over a week's worth of entries can tell you how successful you've been and can help you identify areas where you need to improve.

Seek social support. You'll find it easier to maintain behavioral changes if you have the support and encouragement of others. Social support can come in many forms and from various people. For starters, ask your family members to keep high-calorie foods out of the house, or at least to refrain from eating them in front of you. You might even try to enlist your family to eat the same meals you do. Exercise with someone else, or join a support group. The camaraderie can help keep your spirits up during the inevitable periods when you become discouraged with your progress.

Use a list when buying food. Stick to your grocery list, and steer clear of those aisles or areas with the kinds of calorie-dense foods that you need to avoid.

Out of sight, out of mind. At home, put the most tempting foods high up in the cupboard, at the very back of the fridge, or in other inconvenient spots. Replace the cookie jar and candy bowl with a fruit bowl. Never eat directly out of a large package; many small containers are better than a few large ones, because they provide convenient stopping points. And don't put out too many different varieties of the same kind of food — you'll be tempted to sample from each one and eat a lot more than if you were faced with fewer choices.

Don't go all out when eating out. Eat a low-calorie snack before going out; you're less likely to go off your diet if you're feeling full when you get to the party or restaurant. Go elsewhere for after-dinner coffee so you are less tempted to segue right into dessert.

Make a plan for special occasions. Decide how much you're going to eat before an event, and do your best to stick with that plan. Set some limits before you go to the movies or watch the Sunday afternoon football games. It's so easy to mindlessly munch when you're in front of a screen of any kind.

Be a copycat. When eating with a group of people, look around. Who's eating the least? Who has the healthiest food on their plate? Model your eating habits on those people's.

Find physical activities that you enjoy. For example, if you don't like exercising outdoors on cold days, join a fitness club, or get an exercise bicycle and hand weights to use at home. If the problem is a time crunch, exercise in increments of 10 minutes whenever you have the time — before work, after work, or during your lunch hour.

Reduce stress. If you overeat when you are under stress, find a stress-reduction method that works for you: meditation, relaxation techniques, listening to music, exercising, or talking to a friend.

No Sweets

I usually say that almost any food or drink is fine in moderation, but my consumptions of sweets lately hasn't been moderate. On Friday I had tons of sweets (candy, cookies, etc.) to celebrate Halloween, yesterday I had birthday cake and ice cream to celebrate a friend's birthday plus a cinnamon roll because a friend brought them to work to share, and today I had some apple pie at work just because it was there and everyone else was eating it. So I've decided that for the sake of my baby I need to cut out sweets for a time (at least until she's born which hopefully will be in the next couple of weeks). I wouldn't be so worried about this unusual spike in eating sweets, but because I'm supporting the life of another human being and I can't really exercise anymore I am worrying about it. So I will use this blog as my accountability tool and will be responsible to report on how I'm doing. I'd appreciate any encouraging thoughts, suggestions, etc.!