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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Losing the weight

I started writing this post earlier this week.

11/30/2011

Wednesday. Weigh in day. Today caused me much anxiety, mostly due to the fact that Thanksgiving was last week, and I had 4 slices of pie during that time. Plus several servings of my mom's fabulous stuffing. (But not all on the same day. It was so scrumptious as leftovers!) I was always conscious of the serving sizes on my plate. I bought a scale at one of the meetings a couple weeks back, and I use that A LOT when I'm making up my plate. I always thought my biggest problem was snacking. When I was home with Riley I found myself in the pantry a lot, pulling out bags of chips to snack out of, or making super buttery popcorn, and eat it ALL. But now I realize my biggest problem was portion control. I still snack a lot. But I measure out my snacks first. I make sure I don't overindulge, unless it really seems worth it to me.

Like homemade pecan pie. That, my friends, is worth it to me. ;)

Anyway...I was pretty nervous standing on that scale waiting for my results when the receptionist said "You lost 0.8 pounds. Good job!"

I didn't share, but last week I hit my first 10 pound mark. (The week before I lost 5% of my body weight.)

And today, 12/4/2011 I fit back into my pre-pregnancy jeans. Just shy of one year after he was born, and I can say I fit in my old jeans again. Comfortably.

I have to say, I am very proud of myself. It feels amazing to be able to look in the mirror and be happier with what I see. I was feeling pretty crummy about myself before I started losing weight. I am still on the losing side of this journey though, I have about 8 pounds left to lose until my goal weight, but it feels doable now. I still have a little "muffin top," but I had that before I got pregnant. So, it would be nice to lose it.

I keep thinking about those lucky few ladies who have babies and are in their pre-pregnancy jeans within 6 weeks. I was hoping and praying that I would be one of those women who could blink and lose 15 pounds (and well I did that for the first 20 pounds, but I had more weight to lose than 20 pounds.) But it became abundantly clear to me that I was not in that category. I'm okay with that now. Because I have lost 12+ pounds and I am almost there. I can feel it. I feel my confidence building. I feel sexier. But most of all, I feel like I could do it all over again.

And hopefully I will. Only next time I vow to only gain 20 pounds, not 40 as I did the first time. Even though I had read about pregnancy and what to eat, and what not to eat, and how you only need 400 calories more to help support a pregnancy. I still felt entitled to treats, extra helpings, and extravagant desserts, because I was carrying something precious. I have a feeling that that is why I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. Because I was so overly careless with my diet during the first and second trimester. I did not feel like I was being careless at the time. But looking back, I relied too much on my cravings, and not so much on my dietary requirements.

I craved Coke Icees from Burger King, and some weeks I would have one nearly every day. That meant getting off an exit before mine, just to get one. (During the summer months they are only $1, so it is a steal of a deal.) I would go through the drive thru just for one. Carbs were what I wanted.

I think that this is the reason why I had such a difficult time with the diagnosis and changing my diet. Carbohydrates had become the majority of my caloric intake. I didn't know anything else. Now I feel like I have a better grasp on what I need versus what I want. That is not to say that I won't treat myself to a slice of cheesecake or some french fries, but I will do so in moderation.

This is still true now, even while I am only nourishing myself (I suppose I am also nourishing Riley, as he is still nursing some.) I am taking what I learned while pregnant, and what I have learned so far while on Weight Watchers, and applying it to my life. Because while I wish I could eat whatever I want when I want it, realistically I know that my health is more important.


Monday, November 21, 2011

Family Shoot

A friend of ours agreed to take some family pictures of us, she was so flexible, and rescheduled for Sunday (we originally had planned on Wednesday, but it was drizzling/pouring rain all day, and I wanted some outdoor shots). It was FREEZING out. But Riley was a trooper. He never cried or fussed. But, he rarely smiled as well. These are just a few of the shots Stacy has passed along as a teaser. I can't wait to see the rest. :D Go here to see some of her other work, and contact her to schedule your session. 





I cannot believe my little man is almost a YEAR. It feels like it should be June.

In other news: I continue to lose, and have lost a total of 8.8 pounds. I'm hoping to continue to lose over the next two weeks, but with Thanksgiving, I would be happy to maintain as well. :D