April 4, 2013

Losing the baby weight...

When I am bored, I like to read others blogs. Sometimes, when I am really desperate, I will read blogs that other people read (listed on their blogs side bar). Over the past year or two I have found a lot of "healthy living bloggers" this way who are around my age and in the life stage of having babies and expanding their own families. I found these blogs fascinating, giving me a glimpse into what pregnancy and life with a newborn looked like. One thing I also took away from these blogs was how easy these women made dropping the baby weight look. Breastfeed, eat healthy and you will be skinnier than pre-pregnancy after a month or two. (Great for you if you are one of these ladies, but these posts can be hard for us who aren't so lucky.)

Well... I am here to tell you that this is not always the case and not to be disappointed or feel alone if you struggle with this as well.

I didn't gain a crazy amount during pregnancy... around 31 pounds.
The first week I dropped 12.
The next week another 3.
And then it sloooooowed to a crawl with a pound here and there.

I've been eating healthy and hitting up the gym a few times a week. I'm almost 4 months out and I still have another 10 lbs to go before I hit my starting weight and about 15 more lbs after that to get to my happy weight. (Thank you honeymoon phase weight gain.) I can get most of my pre-pregnancy jeans to button but they are so tight I would never wear them in public and a lot of my tops are too short.
I know it's not good to compare myself to others but it is hard when it seems like everywhere I read, they make it look so easy. 

I am loving my new little man and doing my best to lose the weight while not tanking my milk supply, (Now that we have our eating routine established I would love to make it to a year) however, to be completely honest- holding onto this weight is really hard for me mentally. Also, breastfeeding has given me an enormous sweet tooth... one I didn't have before. I literally crave chocolate every single day.

My mom told me to remember 9 months on... 9 months off. I keep repeating this to myself when I get upset over all the clothes I still can not wear.

My husband has been completely supportive of me and my feelings during this time, which is wonderful. We've been concentrating on cleaning up what we eat and making an extra effort to get moving. With the beautiful weather we have been having lately, it's so nice to get outside for walks!

I originally wanted to train for another half marathon to kick off my "get back into shape" goal. However, I find myself wanting to strength train and hit up a variety of yoga, spin and body pump classes at my gym instead. Maybe it's the fact that Logan gets bigger everyday and carrying him around in the car seat is a beast.

To keep myself accountable, I am going to add an entry to my blog every so often. If anyone else out there would like to join me on loosing a few lbs and toning up- please feel free to do the same and we can link up to each other. I need all the support I can get right now!

Starting weight and stats- (this is really hard for me to put out there but I want to be 100% honest)
Weight- 160 lbs.
left arm- 12"
left calf- 14.5"
left thigh- 23"
hips- 40"
belly- 33"
bust- 37"


(Please excuse my bad lighting, bathroom selfies)

I find it's really easy to want to portray only the best parts of life on a blog or facebook. No one wants to admit things that seem easy for others are hard for them or show less than flattering photos but I can not get stronger if I don't embrace my life right now! (aka- it is kind of scary for me to be this open on the Internet with something so personal!)

If you have had a baby, any wisdom of what worked for you?
Let me know if you want to join along with me...
Or just leave some encouraging words :)




5 comments:

Alicia said...

Great Job!!! I think you are doing fantastic for just having a baby! I personally think you look great :)

Posting stuff like this online is a great way to keep accountable. I actually just started something called "deitbet" with my boyfriend. Maybe something like that would help? Or using a something like spark people or Lost it! to track food and workouts? Sometimes seeing what your actually eating broken down helps.

Alicia said...

I think you look great!!! 9 months is a good goal to have. I am not a mother myself, but I think you are doing everything right!

Using something like Lost it! or Sparkpeople may help to track your food. Even a food diary may be helpful.

Small goals every week are much more attainable that monster goals like *Lose 20 pounds!* - maybe do something like... chocolate 3 times this week & 60 oz of water a day?

Small goals can add up to big results!

Katherine said...

Great job, girl! Keep up the good work. :) I did a post similar to this topic. :p

http://therealfoodrunner.blogspot.com

Brittney said...

I am close to my pre-pregnancy weight, but I still don't fit comfortably into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes because my body has changed A LOT. Most of my shirts don't fit the same at all, I think because my boobs are bigger, and I have a very flabby mid-section. I know it's possible I just may not return to the body I had before, and I'm ok with that, even though it's frustrating to have all these clothes that don't fit that well. I may just have to gradually redo my wardrobe or it just may take a while to get into good enough shape to fit into that stuff.
I'm just going to try to stay active every day if I can, even if I just walk. I too have a big sweet tooth since I got pregnant, so I feel ya on that!
Anyway good luck!!

Joanna said...

I think you look great!

I agree with your mother - 9 months to put on, so give yourself at least 9 months to take off.

I want to add another point, with my first, I BF until 11 months. I swear I kept the weight on while BFing. And with my second, who I BF for 12 months, she was such a great eater I lost all my weight within a couple months. TOTALLY opposite. Crazy strange, but truth!

Also remember, you just had a baby! You are in a huge life adjustment now. I am all about fitness and nutrition, but right now you need to take care of your little one. Don't beat yourself up if you are carrying a couple pounds, or haven't hit the gym in over a week. It will all come!

Slow and steady wins the marathon - keep aware, keep the drive, and before you know it you will be where you want to be.