The 9 Month mark is a milestone for two reasons.
When your pregnant, if you ever mention your weight gain, everyone cheerfully quips, "Nine months on, nine months off!"
Well folks, 9 months have come and gone and I still have 20 pregnancy lbs and 5 pre-pregnancy but extraneous pounds that have not magically "come off."
Totally different than my post-partum with Isla when I was appalled that it took 5 whole months to lose the weight. (If only!)
Today one of my good friends texted me to share that our friend who had a darling little boy on the 13th (yep, 5 days ago), has already lost 19 of the 25 lbs she gained.
There are lots of reasons why I didn't lose the weight...I ate massive quantities of home-made caramels for the first month after Isaac was born (no joke - they were awesome!), I wasn't able to exercise as much or as quickly as I had with Isla, I had to stop nursing at 4 months, I was under a ton of stress from caring for a baby with some health concerns and a 3 year old, etc. etc. etc. I can come up with excuses and explanations aplenty.
Here's what I've done about the weight loss - thought about it, baked goodies & ate them, took a walk, ate more goodies, ate some carrots, more goodies, joined my fitnesspal, lost zero pounds, called my Dr. & got my thyroid tested (fine), ate goodies, joined weight watchers, lost 6 pounds in 1 week, goody time, sort of straggled along with weight watchers for a few weeks while eating goodies, maintaining weight loss...
So, I need some real help. I'm motivated when I lie in bed at night and think about my old clothes, my old energy level and my old body. Obviously after two kids it won't all be the same, but an approximation will be fine.
At this point I know weight watchers works. I know I can lose weight (I've done it before). I just need a kick in the pants and a daily (hourly...moment to moment) reason to follow the plan.
Any ideas?
Oh, and I think I'll just bite the bullet and share the good, the bad, and the ugly... I currently weigh 168. When I was a freshman in college I got up to 168 once too - it is the most I've ever weighed when not pregnant. Keeping the effects of public posting in mind, I'll be sharing my weight for a few weeks to see if it helps.
5 comments:
Oh Ali, I can so relate to your challenge--I have struggled with overweightness for most of my adult life!
All I can say is be really gentle with yourself as you try to do this. And to go slow, although I know that seems to be impossible for most people, including me. Negative reinforcement backfired every time, including negative self-talk.
I know I still have a warped relationship with food and was thinking of reading the book "When Food Is Love". This may be a delusion but may be interesting anyway. My favorite ploy was to read some such self-help book while eating and eating at the same time! So you are certainly not alone in that department!
Is it possible for you to start the Yoga again? Maybe that will help keep you motivated.
Loads of Love,
Aunt Chris xo
You could set up some incentives for yourself (lose 2 pounds - get a pedicure, lose 10 pounds - buy a new outfit, stuff like that). Maybe getting rid of the goodies so that they aren't there to tempt you would help, too ;) I really liked Fitocracy for motivating me to workout more (I get SUPER excited about earning points and leveling up and completing tasks, so that was a good match for me) and joining a gym that had childcare was also SUPER motivating (especially when Nathan was teething! OH how I looked forward to working out and reading my book when he was so cranky!) I found it super helpful when Jason was on board, too (his deciding to finally get active and lose weight made it easier for me to maintain motivation when NOTHING was working).
But I've also found in MANY years of struggling to maintain a good weight that sometimes you can wish and plan and try . . . but you really can't force the motivation until something "clicks". I can never figure out when it'll happen (after Nathan I thought I'd give myself a few months to start getting back in shape, but when something clicked at 2 months, I joined WW ASAP! And then I had my appendix out and everything fell apart and the weight never came off. BUT, I had periods of being really naturally motivated and trying really hard, which you just can't force). So I think that sometimes the best you can do is set up the best environment possible, do what you can to stay focused on the goal, but know that it'll get easier at some point when your brain gets on board :)
I'm so sorry for your struggle, though! I SO feel for you! I still had about 15 pounds to lose when I got pregnant again, so I will DEFINITELY be right there with you in the not-too-distant (but please please please not-too-near!) future! ;)
Ali, I totally relate! I have fallen off the fitness wagon as well as the blogging wagon as well...for good reasons..sort of...but I will post shortly, and we should also talk soon!!!!
I totally also cope with stress and life challenges by eating, have a massive sweet tooth, and a soft spot for fruits (sugar, sugar and MOAR sugar!!!).
Perhaps we can provide each other support in our mutual goals in our blogs. I will probably start pick up where I left off either at the end of this month and/or beginning of next month... *hugs*
Thank you so much wonderful ladies! I feel comforted already reading all your kind thoughts. I admire each of you very much, for specific and awesome reasons and it is comforting to know that there are such great people on this same path with me.
Chris - I can't wait to see you!!!
Kenner - Keep that baby where it belongs! :-P
Emi - I hope everything is ok. Your blog has been so active and fun lately. Please call me if you ever need anything.
Love to each of you!
I gained 40 lbs with Seth and lost only 20 of them before getting pregnant with Spencer. By the time I delivered Spencer it had climbed to 186 lbs. I dieted, worked out 3-4x per week, ate next to nothing and no matter what could not lose the weight. Six months after he was born I'd managed to lose about 2 lbs.
Did they test your TPO and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies when they ran the thyroid test? My thyroid numbers (T3, T4, TSH) have always been in normal range but my antibodies are off the charts high, which means my thyroid is under major attack by my own immune system... but still putting up a fight.
All I know is, when my doctor advised me back in 2007 to go gluten free and eat more protein and vegetables to help my thyroid I was so skeptical, but I lost somewhere around 30 lbs in 2 months and ended up at a nice 120 for years until getting pregnant with Phoebe.
I am very confident that were I not gluten free today, I would weigh in the 150s or 160s. And I am a lot shorter than you!!!
Lots of love, you've given of your body to making two incredible human beings. Huge hugs! I think you look beautiful!
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