So my love of typing and writing has finally collided with the popular internet pastime: blogging. My topic of the blog will generally focus on my ups and downs with my goal to get back down to a size eight, but of course my day-to-day life will probably seep into my rantings from time to time.
I am a 24 year old mother to my amazing daughter, Adalynn. When Adalynn was still a twinkle in our eyes, my husband and I were living in newlywed bliss....and eating to our hearts contents. He likes to cook and eat, and I was living with him, so what was I to do but eat what he cooked and eat what he ate?
When we happily found out we were expecting, I was already up a few pounds from when we got married. A few? I would say a good 15lbs, to be honest. Not one single sit up was to be found in my routine, and the attempt at exercise was taking my dog for a walk down the road. Once. Fifteen may sound like a whale to some, and 15 might sound like Thanksgiving dinner to others - but to give you a clear picture, the time frame was a mere 8 months.
My husband deployed, I got more and more pregnant. During my pregnancy I was very careful to watch what I ate - and all the fruit and smoothies paid off when I gained a normal weight gain of 32lbs.
But...let's not forget to add that 32lbs to my original weight gain of 15lbs. I cannot even type the sum to that equation so I will let you do the honors yourself.
The good news to this story? I dropped the baby weight by the time my husband came home from Iraq six months after baby Adalynn entered this world! Breastfeeding is a magic diet: I could eat what I want, when I want, not exercise and still drop the weight faster then I gained it.
So why the need to get fit, loose a couple pant sizes, and write this blog? Long story short, 16 months after his deployment I have gained it back. Remember, he likes to cook and eat and I...well, you remember. And, despite what some women think, I couldn't nurse my daughter forever! No, really, I am trying to make a point here. A baby over one starts to look funny, but a five year old? Common ladies.
My game plan is simple: exercise restraint. Or in my case, exercise AND restraint.
I am all set with a spiffy new gym membership to the Antelope Vally YMCA - a beautiful, new facility set up for people who want to get the most out of their work out while doing the least. It has a computer to tell me what weight machine to do next, how long, how fast, and how much weight! All I have to do it simply pull the bars. And let me just say, spending 30-45 minutes on the elliptical is a breeze when I can catch up on my favorite HGTV program or watch an awesome infomercial on the Cricut (which I already own) or on the YuDo (which I really really want).
The computer system logs in every work out I do and does a great job motivating me to persevere. Plus I can earn points for free t-shirts! Who doesn't LOVE a free t-shirt?? The free childcare for Addy is a super duper bonus as well. It gives Addy a chance to play with other kids...even though every time I look in on her she is in the ball pit saying "wheeee! wheee!" all by herself. Who needs friends when you have a ball pit?
I am exactly four weeks and one day into this exercising restraint business and I am very pleased with my results! I only weigh myself every other Wednesday so I don't get caught up in the numbers, but rather the results. As of the 20th I had lost 6 pounds! The good news is that through blood, sweat, tears, and depriving myself of my arch nemesis (the swedish fish) I know that those six pounds are really gone, not just lurking around to pop back up on me.
Other results include: higher amounts of energy, 1 and 1/2 belt holes down, loose jeans, a glowing complexion (yes...no?), and not running out of breath as frequently. I also am finding that I can push myself more and more each day at the gym.
The day to day includes working out for about an hour every day. Elliptical for 30 min and 30 min of weights and machines. I have also cut out anything to drink beside water and NON FAT milk. Not one drop of juice or soda has touched these lips in 31 days. I have also been avoiding sweets and breads and replacing some of my lunches with Slim Fast chocolate shakes or a homemade smoothie. My snacks are usually one of those pre-packaged 100 calorie treats or fruit, and dinners are whatever my mom fixes but proportioned so I don't over eat and ruin the whole day.
So far I have had minimal treats. For example, before my brother went back to college, I worked extra hard all week so I could treat myself to a dinner at Olive Garden. What has happened in the past is I would deprive myself for so long then say "oh I deserve a treat" too many times. This way, I work up to a specific treat and set limits before I go. I only ate half my soup, one breadstick, and half the pasta on my plate. I went away feeling treated, but not stuffed.
I am eagerly anticipating my next weigh-in on Wednesday and will keep you posted. What is extra awesome, is this week I found an accountability partner who is going to do the weigh-ins every other Wednesday with me!
This IS going to work...it is not a simple New Year's Resolution, it's the beginning of a skinnier and healthier me!
I am a 24 year old mother to my amazing daughter, Adalynn. When Adalynn was still a twinkle in our eyes, my husband and I were living in newlywed bliss....and eating to our hearts contents. He likes to cook and eat, and I was living with him, so what was I to do but eat what he cooked and eat what he ate?
When we happily found out we were expecting, I was already up a few pounds from when we got married. A few? I would say a good 15lbs, to be honest. Not one single sit up was to be found in my routine, and the attempt at exercise was taking my dog for a walk down the road. Once. Fifteen may sound like a whale to some, and 15 might sound like Thanksgiving dinner to others - but to give you a clear picture, the time frame was a mere 8 months.
My husband deployed, I got more and more pregnant. During my pregnancy I was very careful to watch what I ate - and all the fruit and smoothies paid off when I gained a normal weight gain of 32lbs.
But...let's not forget to add that 32lbs to my original weight gain of 15lbs. I cannot even type the sum to that equation so I will let you do the honors yourself.
The good news to this story? I dropped the baby weight by the time my husband came home from Iraq six months after baby Adalynn entered this world! Breastfeeding is a magic diet: I could eat what I want, when I want, not exercise and still drop the weight faster then I gained it.
So why the need to get fit, loose a couple pant sizes, and write this blog? Long story short, 16 months after his deployment I have gained it back. Remember, he likes to cook and eat and I...well, you remember. And, despite what some women think, I couldn't nurse my daughter forever! No, really, I am trying to make a point here. A baby over one starts to look funny, but a five year old? Common ladies.
My game plan is simple: exercise restraint. Or in my case, exercise AND restraint.
I am all set with a spiffy new gym membership to the Antelope Vally YMCA - a beautiful, new facility set up for people who want to get the most out of their work out while doing the least. It has a computer to tell me what weight machine to do next, how long, how fast, and how much weight! All I have to do it simply pull the bars. And let me just say, spending 30-45 minutes on the elliptical is a breeze when I can catch up on my favorite HGTV program or watch an awesome infomercial on the Cricut (which I already own) or on the YuDo (which I really really want).
The computer system logs in every work out I do and does a great job motivating me to persevere. Plus I can earn points for free t-shirts! Who doesn't LOVE a free t-shirt?? The free childcare for Addy is a super duper bonus as well. It gives Addy a chance to play with other kids...even though every time I look in on her she is in the ball pit saying "wheeee! wheee!" all by herself. Who needs friends when you have a ball pit?
I am exactly four weeks and one day into this exercising restraint business and I am very pleased with my results! I only weigh myself every other Wednesday so I don't get caught up in the numbers, but rather the results. As of the 20th I had lost 6 pounds! The good news is that through blood, sweat, tears, and depriving myself of my arch nemesis (the swedish fish) I know that those six pounds are really gone, not just lurking around to pop back up on me.
Other results include: higher amounts of energy, 1 and 1/2 belt holes down, loose jeans, a glowing complexion (yes...no?), and not running out of breath as frequently. I also am finding that I can push myself more and more each day at the gym.
The day to day includes working out for about an hour every day. Elliptical for 30 min and 30 min of weights and machines. I have also cut out anything to drink beside water and NON FAT milk. Not one drop of juice or soda has touched these lips in 31 days. I have also been avoiding sweets and breads and replacing some of my lunches with Slim Fast chocolate shakes or a homemade smoothie. My snacks are usually one of those pre-packaged 100 calorie treats or fruit, and dinners are whatever my mom fixes but proportioned so I don't over eat and ruin the whole day.
So far I have had minimal treats. For example, before my brother went back to college, I worked extra hard all week so I could treat myself to a dinner at Olive Garden. What has happened in the past is I would deprive myself for so long then say "oh I deserve a treat" too many times. This way, I work up to a specific treat and set limits before I go. I only ate half my soup, one breadstick, and half the pasta on my plate. I went away feeling treated, but not stuffed.
I am eagerly anticipating my next weigh-in on Wednesday and will keep you posted. What is extra awesome, is this week I found an accountability partner who is going to do the weigh-ins every other Wednesday with me!
No comments:
Post a Comment