Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Wherein I Reveal My Weight... And My Plans to Change It

During my teens, I weighed around 115 pounds.

During my early to mid twenties, I weighed around 125 pounds. (To my embarrassment, my driver's license still says I weigh 125 pounds!)

When I was pregnant with Rowan, I gained about 40 pounds and — when he was about 1 year old — landed at around 135 pounds and stayed there.

Today, 11 weeks after another pregnancy in which I gained about 45 pounds, I now (as of Monday morning) sit at 156 pounds. That puts my BMI at 25.2 — just into "overweight" territory.

Although I would expect to lose more of my baby weight simply by nursing (and by not being pregnant), I'm ready to take more decisive action. A few recent events pushed me in that direction:

  • Assembling my postpartum work wardrobe. Although I'll only be working part-time, my 5-day-a-week schedule means that I still need a full-time wardrobe... that fits. Ugh. Let's just say that shopping for clothing this week has been frustrating. I will be wearing a lot of gray, black and cardigans for the rest of this winter.

  • Realizing that my current trajectory predicts that I'll gain about 10 pounds per decade. In fact, I discovered that this is exactly what most people do as they age. For the sake of my long-term health, I don't want that to happen.

  • Finding out that my blood pressure is still a little elevated. (It rose during the latter half of my pregnancy.) I'm sure that my extra baby weight and less-than-stellar holiday eating habits have a lot to do with this.

  • Seeing myself in the mirror. Simply put, I don't feel like myself. And although I don't expect to ever again look like I did pre-kids, I know that my current weight/shape isn't right for me. It feels like I'm wearing a shirt that's too bulky, but that I can't change it because the shirt is... uh... me.
So what do I plan to do? Well, I'm a firm believer making big changes by changing small daily habits. This week, I'm focusing on my eating habits. Here are my goals for the week:

  • Significantly reduce simple carbs/sweets. I'm not following South Beach or Atkins or any other strict low-carb plan, but I am doing my best to avoid simple sugars and starches. Instead, I'm filling my belly with protein (eggs, fish, meat), vegetables (salads, broccoli, greens), quality dairy products (natural plain yogurt, good quality cheeses) and fruits (apples, citrus, etc.). I'm also eating some whole grains and beans. My focus will be on delicious foods that make me feel good and help me make plenty of good milk for my babe.

  • Find alternatives to "I deserve it" snacking. By the time I get Miles down for a nap or put Rowan and Miles to bed at night, I'm overcome by a desire to relax with a sugary treat or salty snack... or two. Over the holidays, those treats and snacks might have included Christmas cookies, candy, snack mix, chocolate chips, etc., etc. Now that the holidays are over, it's time to reward myself with things that are good for me. Like a cup of tea and a movie with the hubby!

  • Keep a food jounal. Experts say that people are more successful in changing their habits when they keep track of what they're eating. No more mindless eating!

So, there you have it. My goals for this week. I actually started on Monday, but didn't have the courage to make this public until today. I'm hoping that the accountability will help me reach my goal faster.

What is my goal, exactly? Honestly, I'm not interested in setting a specific weight-loss target at this point. Right now, I'm focusing on the habits. I hope that results will follow.

I'll share my new goals each week — on Mondays, I think — and let you know how the previous week went.

Here goes...

2 comments:

Young Adventures... said...

Ugh!! I feel like every few years I put on a little bit of weight. It is so frustrating. I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted to. I have a terrible sweet tooth that I need to get under control and exercise on a regular basis. You have some realistic goals. Good luck!

Michelle said...

That is so awesome, Angie! I will join you! (Although I won't be posting my weight!) Keep it up and the results will surely follow.

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