The journey of losing my baby weight has been long and tenuous. For months, I have logged nearly every food that crossed my lips. I have sweat away hours of my life, and it has been a struggle. For exercise, I have always preferred running just because I like the sweat I get and I feel like I really worked out. I miss resistance training, but I don't always know what to do on my own. I lacked the motivation to create workouts in my living room. Because Garrett works nights and little buddy goes to bed relatively early and I can't leave the house, I considered buying a treadmill. But then I realized just how expensive they are. I couldn't figure out where I would put it in our house or garage, and I read about how expensive maintenance would be. So I went another direction... I bought Insanity. And now I'm addicted. I had a favorite instructor of group fitness classes at the gym, but then our gym recently closed and she moved to a gym I couldn't afford. This is the closest thing to one of her workouts.
I was planning on only doing an Insanity workout when I couldn't get outside to run due to Garrett's schedule or the rain, but I find myself preferring the workout to running or going to the gym, even when I can. The workouts include all my favorite elements: the time goes by fast, the exercises are in short bursts (30 seconds at a time), I definitely sweat a lot, the exercises incorporate both cardio and resistance training, and I get a good yoga-type stretch in. The other thing I like about the program is the nutrition guide. While I'm not following that exactly, the meals they suggest and the portion sizes are something that you could read anywhere about eating real, whole foods in smaller portions throughout the day. No rocket science or "food" food. They do suggest P90X bars and Shakeology shakes in places, but only as options and not as the only way to get results.
So I'm training for a half marathon May 20th so I still need to get some training runs in. For the last two weeks I've been running twice per week and doing Insanity twice per week. My long run for tomorrow is 8 miles. We'll see how I do, but I truly feel great!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Lucky
Being a full-time, working, new mom can be overwhelming. I know that I am not the only wife or teacher or mother that feels this way. Not by a long shot. And I'm not a single mom: I have a wonderful, loving, helpful husband who is an exceptional father to our son. I know that in many ways, I am so lucky to have what I have.
This squishy face just reminds me to appreciate the little things and try to sleep as sound as he does...
This squishy face just reminds me to appreciate the little things and try to sleep as sound as he does...
Sunday, February 5, 2012
The Journey with my Baby Weight
Today I weighed in at 12 lbs less than I started 2012. I feel good about that, and I feel good knowing that if I keep at it, I will possibly be lighter than when we got married when I get pregnant again - and that is my goal. Ideally, I'd like to be under 140 lbs.
I weighed 197 at my last midwife appointment before Gavin was born. And I was down to 175 at my first check-up postpartum. Then I spent the summer working out, after the initial 8 weeks of prescribed downtime, and trying to eat right--but not succeeding very often. Cupcakes. Oh, cupcakes. And peanut butter. I digress...
Then I went back to work in October and I was still 174 lbs. And then the holidays. Down to 169 at one point then back up to 174. Time to get serious.
December 30th I signed up the Rock N Roll Portland Half Marathon, and I roped my husband Garrett into doing it with me. We looked up the website, paid the fees, and it was official. I started running again as often as I could get to it--which was only about once or twice a week. I still feel slow and heavy, but it definitely feels good to get out there again.
January 1st I started logging my foods using CalorieCount.com. It's a free site and I have used it before to log food and exercise, successfully losing about 20 lbs. It's a simple program that's based on calories in and calories out. -3500 calories in a week would be a pound of weight lost. Easy. I started weighing my foods again, and it really put a stop to my snacking and sweets addiction.
Then I had to figure out how/where/when I was going to get my sweat on if Garrett was working out of town, or working nights, and I couldn't leave the house after Gavin went to sleep. I can't go to the gym in the morning or after Gavin goes to sleep because those are usually the times I'm home alone with him. I hate to go to the gym after work because I feel bad that Gavin is at daycare (or at my in-laws--twice a week) while I'm exercising. I've already been away from him all day and there's only a limited time he's going to be awake before we have to get ready for bed. So I only do that once a week, if at all. I've found that I have to run on the weekends, both Saturday and Sunday, and if I can get some sort of workout done at home twice a week I'll be happy. So I've come up with the TV Circuit Training -- that's what I call it: lunges, wall sits, pushups, squats, shoulder presses, etc. while I watch tv. I do an exercise until the scene changes and then I do jumping jacks during commercials. So far I've only been able to do it for about 20 minutes at a time, but I'm working up to 30 minutes, and my goal is to get to one hour. I know I can do it.
So, while my journey is difficult, and frustrating at times, it has been empowering too. I have found myself being creative and efficient in ways I never thought I could (or want to) so that I can be healthier and be a healthy role model for my son. My mission is to be at a healthy weight. To make as many meals at home as I can. To plan for meals and grocery shop efficiently and eat as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible. I also want to sweat for at least 20 minutes 3-4 days per week minimum.
I know there are other moms out there who go through this, so I know I'm not alone. And that, in itself, makes me feel better.
(And for the record, this post was titled "The Battle with my Baby Weight" at first. But I can't think of my body that way - I don't want to fight my body, I want to show that I love it.)
I weighed 197 at my last midwife appointment before Gavin was born. And I was down to 175 at my first check-up postpartum. Then I spent the summer working out, after the initial 8 weeks of prescribed downtime, and trying to eat right--but not succeeding very often. Cupcakes. Oh, cupcakes. And peanut butter. I digress...
Then I went back to work in October and I was still 174 lbs. And then the holidays. Down to 169 at one point then back up to 174. Time to get serious.
December 30th I signed up the Rock N Roll Portland Half Marathon, and I roped my husband Garrett into doing it with me. We looked up the website, paid the fees, and it was official. I started running again as often as I could get to it--which was only about once or twice a week. I still feel slow and heavy, but it definitely feels good to get out there again.
January 1st I started logging my foods using CalorieCount.com. It's a free site and I have used it before to log food and exercise, successfully losing about 20 lbs. It's a simple program that's based on calories in and calories out. -3500 calories in a week would be a pound of weight lost. Easy. I started weighing my foods again, and it really put a stop to my snacking and sweets addiction.
Then I had to figure out how/where/when I was going to get my sweat on if Garrett was working out of town, or working nights, and I couldn't leave the house after Gavin went to sleep. I can't go to the gym in the morning or after Gavin goes to sleep because those are usually the times I'm home alone with him. I hate to go to the gym after work because I feel bad that Gavin is at daycare (or at my in-laws--twice a week) while I'm exercising. I've already been away from him all day and there's only a limited time he's going to be awake before we have to get ready for bed. So I only do that once a week, if at all. I've found that I have to run on the weekends, both Saturday and Sunday, and if I can get some sort of workout done at home twice a week I'll be happy. So I've come up with the TV Circuit Training -- that's what I call it: lunges, wall sits, pushups, squats, shoulder presses, etc. while I watch tv. I do an exercise until the scene changes and then I do jumping jacks during commercials. So far I've only been able to do it for about 20 minutes at a time, but I'm working up to 30 minutes, and my goal is to get to one hour. I know I can do it.
So, while my journey is difficult, and frustrating at times, it has been empowering too. I have found myself being creative and efficient in ways I never thought I could (or want to) so that I can be healthier and be a healthy role model for my son. My mission is to be at a healthy weight. To make as many meals at home as I can. To plan for meals and grocery shop efficiently and eat as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible. I also want to sweat for at least 20 minutes 3-4 days per week minimum.
I know there are other moms out there who go through this, so I know I'm not alone. And that, in itself, makes me feel better.
(And for the record, this post was titled "The Battle with my Baby Weight" at first. But I can't think of my body that way - I don't want to fight my body, I want to show that I love it.)
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