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

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

Postpartum Shape-Up Week 2: My First Sweet in Two Weeks

It. Is. Working!

I've lost another pound of baby weight this week thanks to my own little spin on the No S Diet. Sure, the results aren't as dramatic as they were in week 1, but I couldn't really expect to continue losing 6 pounds per week. (Although that would be nice!) Losing about 1 pound per week is what most experts (whoever they are) say is realistic and healthy.

The biggest challenge in changing my eating habits has been taking the time to shop/prep/cook in a way that supports my goals. Eating healthy takes time. Lots of time. Especially if - like me - you're not a Lean Cuisine kind of girl. Here's what works for me:

• Pre-chopping veggies. For my salads, I buy two heads of organic romain each week at the co-op. I chop one head right away, rinse it, run it through the salad spinner and then keep it in a Tupperware bowl. That lasts me about half the week, and then I do the same thing with the second head. (Or you can spend more money and buy bagged lettuce.)
• Prepping the night before. I mix up my scrambled egg mixture (eggs, a little cream, goat cheese, a little water and salt) in the evening for breakfast the next morning. Maybe that seems silly, but I need every minute I can get in the morning. I also put lunch items for the next day (usually yogurt with mix-ins, some kind of protein, and whole grain crackers) into individual-sized containers.
• Making my own convenience foods. For example, I flatten chicken breasts and then freeze them in various marinades. Then it's easy to thaw them out quickly for a meal. I also sometimes roast a chicken on the weekend and then take all of the meat off the bird for various uses during the week. (Bags of the pulled chicken also freeze just fine for soups, etc.)

So far, I've been able to avoid junk-food eating simply by being prepared. In the past, this was my biggest weakness. (It's easy soooo to call Jimmy Johns when you don't pack a lunch for work.)

After two weeks of being pretty strict with myself, I enjoyed my first sweet this past weekend: a slice of Cafe Latte's famous turtle cake. It was delicious! I enjoyed every bite!

From what I understand (keep in mind I only recently discovered that I was following an actual diet) that's the whole point behind the No S Diet. You overcome gluttony and put sweets/snacks/seconds back into the position of being a rare treat. And rare treats supposedly taste better.

In my experience so far, this is true. Enjoying a truly delicious piece of cake on Sunday night with your hubby is WAY more enjoyable than eating a handful of packaged cookies at work just because they're there.

This week, I'm adding some exercise into the mix. I began Cool Running's Couch to 5K program today. More on that next week...

Current Weight (taken morning of 1/31/11):

148.2

Postpartum Shape-Up Week 1: I Guess I Am Following a Real Diet

Last week, I set some basic goals to help me on my way to a healthier and less smooshy post-baby body. I cut out the snacking and sweets and focused instead on eating three square meals of healthy food.

Sounds pretty pretty simple, right? Almost like common sense, right?

Well, I've recently discovered that some clever person has actually trademarked a diet program that advocates almost exactly what I'm doing. It's called the "No S Diet." There are just three simple rules, and one exception:

• No Snacks
• No Sweets
• No Seconds
• EXCEPT (Sometimes) on days that start with S (Saturday, Sunday and Special days)

I've basically been following this exact diet for the past week. My plan has a couple of extra S's, though (chalk it up to newbie eagerness):

• No Simple Starches (white potatoes, white rice, white flour, etc.)
• No Sh%$ (crappy, processed foods)

I also didn't break from the plan on the weekend, even though that's allowed on the official No S Diet. For now, I'm trying to save the sugar, seconds and snacks for special treats and occasions when I'll really enjoy them. I can't say that I'll continue to be as disciplined as I've been so far, but I really needed a good first week to keep me motivated. Here's an example of what I've been eating (Sunday's log):

• Breakfast: Two eggs scrambled with goat cheese, lettuce salad with olive oil and vinegar, plain whole milk yogurt mixed with diced grapefruit and apples, coffee with cream
• Lunch: Bowl of homemade beef stew, lettuce salad with olive oil and vinegar, Wasa crispbread topped with butter, whole milk yogurt mixed with blueberries and dried mango
• Dinner: Marinated chicken breast, half a cooked sweet potato topped with butter, lettuce salad with oil and vinegar dressing, whole milk yogurt mixed with diced grapefruit and apples

Most days were a variation on this theme. Sometimes the salad had some cheese on it. Sometimes I crumbled up some Wasa crispbread "croutons" on top. You get the idea.

So far, so good. I feel motivated and, surprisingly, I'm not starving between meals. I think I had conditioned myself to think that snacks (and several spoonfulls of peanutbutter with chocolate chips) were a necessary part of my day. But I'm finding that if I eat a balanced meal with foods that have staying power (i.e., not low fat or high sugar foods), I can hold off until my next meal without a problem.

This week, my goal is simply to stay on track with my new eating habits despite the fact that I'm starting back at work part-time. (I'll let you know how it goes...) If I can make it successfully through the emotional week ahead, then I'll think about adding in some exercise. Maybe. ;)

Current Weight (taken morning of 1/24/11):

149.2!

It's hard for me to believe that I actually lost more than six pounds this week... Is that really possible?!

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...

Can Your Kitchen Make You Fat?

I just read an interesting little article about the connection between your kitchen and your weight. The conclusion: modern-day kitchens are making us fat.

I say "modern-day" kitchens, because most of the problematic features listed are relative newbies in American homes. They include:

• Platter-sized plates and wide glasses
• Super-bright lighting (recessed lighting, under-cabinet lighting, etc.)
• Expansive, clutter-collecting surfaces
• Spacious pantries
• Food as decor (clear jars, etc., to store and display food)
• Centralized, open designs (i.e., your kitchen is the hub of your home)

As a city-dweller, I live in a older home whose kitchen has none of these features (much to our dismay, at times). We have no room for a kitchen table. Our pantry is tiny. Our counter space is minimal. Basically, our 1936 kitchen is designed to do one thing: serve as a space for storing and preparing food. For it serve this purpose well, our kitchen must contain only the most essential foods, tools and equipment.

Hmmm. Could our tiny, featureless kitchen help us stay thin?

Probably not.

Still, it's an interesting connection to consider. As families have shrunk significantly in recent generations (numbers-wise, if not weight-wise), our kitchens have grown magnificently. Why?

What is it that we're stuffing into our huge, French-door refrigerators and walk-in pantries?

After all, fruits, vegetables and meats spoil within just a few days...