However, in between the joy of being a new mommy, I saw this picture..
and then this...
and I realized how much I was hurting from having all that weight on me. Not just mentally, but physically I wasn't used to being 50 pounds heavier and now with the bending and walking and moving to take care of a newborn I was tired.
A few months after having Leah I got my booty into gear and started on my weight loss journey. I started out with just walking around my neighborhood and logging what I ate through Spark People. I also started running, slowly, with not a jogging stroller but my travel system. My husband and I tried a few "shake" diets and a few "soup" diets and a few cleanses and the weight did start slowly falling off.
My goal was 9 months. It took me 9 months to put it on, I was going to give myself 9 months to get down to 145 pounds.
I worked full time, so I had to make it work. Around my schedule. I did what I could. I joined the gym at work and instead of eating lunch at my desk, I used my lunch for workout classes. I found My Fitness Pal through a co-worker and that's when things really started to change.
Gym or no gym, I did whatever I could to burn some calories:
- I parked the farthest away in parking lots, baby in tote. Walking every last bit.
- Lift that water pack? You bet it! Any extra lifting I would!
- Cleaning was my friend. Any spare time I spent cleaning to burn calories.
- Taking the stairs was my thing. I avoided the elevator.
- I used my breaks at work to walk and tackle the stairs.
9 months later. Through lots of success and failures, lots of "figuring things out" and "making it work", I had lost all the baby weight.
Those last 10 pounds were challenging, but when Leah was 2 years old, I celebrated losing 60 pounds and weighing 135 pounds.
A funny thing happened soon after I lost 60 pounds.
I got pregnant with baby #2.
Did I freakishly only gain 20 pounds? No..
When it was all said and done I went from 135 to 178.
178.. it was a good starting point and I was okay with that.
This time, I felt like I at least knew where to start and knew what worked for me and my body. I got back on My Fitness Pal and I re-joined my gym at work. I began working out 2 to 3 times a week for 30 minutes to an hour. And I logged everything I ate. I also kept busy with working full time and being home full time with a toddler and baby 5 days a week. I don't think I ever sat down.
The weight began coming off and before I knew it the scale was back down to 140 pounds when Hannah was one year old.
At 140 pounds I felt great. But, I had a new goal in mind: muscles.
You can be 140 pounds of just skin or be 140 pounds of muscle and that's what I wanted to be.
Muscle.
In January, my husband I started a new fitness journey together. For him, its losing weight, learning to change his eating habits, and change his overall health. For me, I would like to lose about 5-10 more pounds, gain muscle and strength, and really overhaul my health.
A few months ago I went in for routine blood work that showed my cholesterol was elevated. For a pretty active and healthy 29 year old -- I was shocked.
Much of what I eat now is geared around changing my cholesterol numbers. Watching my sodium, cholesterol numbers, and calories as well. Eating more clean. Less processed foods, cooking at home, and really limiting my fast food and soda intake. Increasing my water is #1.
So, here I am at 136 pounds. I am a full time working mommy of two girls. It may not be easy, it may not happen over night, but I am here to change my lifestyle and build some mommy muscles!!
- Work in Progress-
Bethany
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