Monday, February 28, 2011

Postpartum Shape-Up Week 6: Re-engaging After Illness

Just a quick post this week about my postpartum shape-up efforts. Miles, Kyle and I were hit with a nasty cold last week, so my Couch to 5K plan was put on temporary hold. I start week 4 today, though, and am also renewing my commitment to the No S Diet.

After losing 10 pounds last month, I have no intention of quitting now. Perhaps I can be back to my prepregnancy weight by spring! Wouldn't that be nice?

Current Weight (taken morning of 2/28/11):

145.2

Monday, February 21, 2011

Postpartum Shape-Up Weeks 4 & 5: "Before" and "In Progress" Photos

A month into my postpartum weightloss adventure, and I am officially down 10 pounds! My clothes are fitting better, and I’ve even zipped up a couple of pairs of pre-pregnancy jeans. Things are going so well that I'm even feeling brave enough to show some "before" and "in progress" shots:

The photo on the left was taken on January 16, the night before I began my own twist on the No S Diet. I was about 10.5 weeks postpartum, and I weighed 156 pounds. The photo on the right was taken just yesterday on February 20. As of this morning, I weigh 145.6 pounds.

Although it's easy to see that my overall shape has changed for the better, what really surprised me was the difference in my face. Those cheeks are looking less chubby, indeed!

Seeing these photos has given me a renewed sense of motivation. I've been a bit lax on the eating front this past week, due to Valentine's Day and two celebrations for my dad's birthday. I also missed my scheduled Couch to 5K workout yesterday due to a cold/flu bug and a mega February snow storm.

I ate well yesterday, though, and will be back at the gym as soon as I'm feeling better. The question is... do I move on to week four of Couch to 5K, do I complete one more week three workout and then move on, or do I start week three over again entirely? Hmmm. (Thoughts?)

Although I feel energized by the progress I’ve made, I can’t say that the last month has been easy. Why? Well, the truth is that if you want to maintain a healthy weight, eat great food and be physically fit, you pretty much have to do the exact opposite of what most people do… most of the time. And that is hard.

Most people are overweight. Most people eat poorly. And most people are inactive. I say these things not to judge "most people", but to underscore just how hard it is to make a change.

For the past month, I've had to say "no, thank you" to the near-daily office treats, the restaurant lunches, the moms night out appetizers, and the post-kiddo-bedtime sweets that have tempted me. And I can't tell you how many times I've succeeded in saying no to the aforementioned diet traps only to hear a well-meaning friend, colleague or loved one (or voice in MY OWN HEAD) say to me, "But it's a special occasion!" or "Everything in moderation!" or "You don't even need to lose weight!"

But is it really moderation when every other day is a "special" occasion? And just because you're thinner than a lot of other people, does it really mean that you shouldn't attempt to lose excess weight?

Like I said, it's hard. We are not a country — a culture — that does moderation very well. In fact, our sense of normal has become so skewed that I'm not sure we don't even know what moderation means.

So although I'm no diet or fitness expert, I can say with certainty that if you want to be healthy, you must be prepared to swim upstream. But hey, that has to burn extra calories, right?

Current Weight (taken morning of 2/21/11):

145.6

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Four Ways in Which My Boys Are Unlike Me

1. They prefer to remain naked for as long as possible after a bath.



2. They consider an "all pink" dinner on Valentine's Day to be a punishment instead of an extra special treat.


3. They look adorable even when making the sourest of expressions.


4. They believe that a predicted snowfall of 15-20 inches in February is cause for celebration.

Monday, February 14, 2011

My Littlest Valentines

Seems wrong to do a diet and exercise update on Valentine's Day. So instead, I give you a sweet pic of my littlest Valentines. (Yep, these really are the best Valentine's Day outfits I could come up with.)

Monday, February 7, 2011

Postpartum Shape-Up Week 3: Making It Work in Real Life

Not much weight loss to speak of this week. I was down a mere 4 oz, which is really nothing at all if you consider that your weight can swing by a couple of pounds during the course of a single day.

I'm not discouraged, though. I've lost about 8 pounds in three weeks. Not too shabby! I'm guessing that the rate of change will be much slower from now on. And really, weight loss isn't my only objective here.

This past week went fairly well. My biggest challenge was sticking to my goals in social and work situations. Although I always followed the principles of the No S Diet (no sweets, no snacks, no seconds), I couldn't always stick to my modifications to it (lowish carb, natural foods).

On Monday, I had enjoyed a fun night out with some girlfriends. We ate at Salut, and I think I did fairly well ordering a lowish carb, moderate meal (beef skewers over a bed of wilted greens and some kind of beans).

Later in the week, I had a training session for work. I didn't fare as well there, but I did my best. We had boxed lunches with sandwiches, chips, a cookie and some carrots. I had a cranberry chicken salad sandwich on a crossoint (tasty, but definitely not something I would have made as a healthy lunch at home), the carrots, just a few of the chips and a bit of the cookie.

Finally, I attended a big family gathering on Saturday that included food, Food, FOOD! Although it certainly counted as a special day within the framework of the No S Diet, I kept my consumption fairly moderate. I had some of my Grandma Adeline's delicious Swedish meatballs, some broccoli salad, and some fruit. I skipped the desserts entirely, because Rowan ended up developing a fever and a sore throat before I even had a chance to check out the selections. (He's doing much better now!)

Overall, I think I did a decent job of sticking to my healthy eating goals.

In addition to eating well, I also began Cool Running's Couch to 5K training program last week. I did the program in 2009 and was amazed that I could actually RUN three miles at the end of it. I didn't exactly keep up the habit, though. And honestly, I might not stick with running this time around either. I'm doing the program mainly to get my heart and lungs conditioned for exercise. At the end of it, my goal is simply to continue exercising. Period.

Next week, I'll share some thoughts I've been stewing on about trying to get healthy in what has become a pretty unhealthy world...

Current Weight (taken morning of 2/07/11):

147.8

Friday, February 4, 2011

My Boys at Thirteen Weeks

Rowan, 13 Weeks


Miles, 13 Weeks

People often focus on how different Miles and Rowan look, but I see a lot of similarities in their faces here. Shave Miles' head and add a little heft to Rowan, and you might have two boys who look quite a bit alike.




Miles continues to be such a sweet baby. Talk to him happily, and you're sure to get a smile and a coo. He's becoming more skilled at grasping things and now attempts to bring things to his mouth. Oh, and the drooling has begun! Will a tooth soon be on the way?
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