I was recently lamenting on Facebook about how my daughter turned nine months old last week, and I have not lost all of my baby weight. Not even half of it actually. So I decided I needed more motivation to get up earlier, bust my hump, take my meds, and go hungry. I am writing it right here: Lose 40 pounds or bust! (I am not sure what the bust part would mean. Stay fat?)
My milk has long dried up, so nursing is not an excuse.
My current excuses are:
- I am sleep deprived from an infant who has been demanding to eat twice in the middle of the night despite my best efforts to stuff her during the day.
- I have Poly Cystic Ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and Insulin Resistance, and I keep forgetting to take my meds in order to keep my blood sugar and insulin in check.
- I have a hormone disorder and a sensitive thyroid, but I am able to keep both in check with a strict diet.
- I am unable to go to a gym ( I am a total former gym rat and love working out) since we only have one car and I cannot carry two babies 10 miles to a gym.
That pretty much sums it up. Two of those four excuses are completely in my control. And even though there is no room in our apartment for cardio, or my beloved circuit training, I could still get down on the floor and strengthen the muscles under my fat. The sleep deprivation, well, this kid has been screaming all night and day for nine months now so I doubt there will be any improvement there.
My plan of attack is:
- Order a gym mat for my outrageously rock hard wood floors and wedge it into the 18 inches of available space in our living room.
- Get up much earlier (3 hours at least) and use the gym mat for floor exercises and some much needed alone time.
- Muster up the willpower I had way back in my twenties to stick to an outrageously strict diet to help with my inflammation and hormone issues.
- Drink less wine. (Once a week?)
- Lay my meds out on my night table and kitchen counter so that I can get into a better routine for taking them.
I have always been a health nut and make everything from scratch. We only eat whole foods and avoid soy, PUFAs, most grains, non-organic dairy, added sugars, and additives. I already drag a double jogger down the stairs and push it 10 miles when weather permits. However, it is below freezing at night now and not much warmer during the day, so outside exercise is coming to an end until May again. I work full time at home in addition to all of the childcare and housework, so time is an issue, hence the getting up several hours before dawn plan. I know I can do this if I work my butt off and stay strict. I KNOW I can get back to my normal set point.
With this last pregnancy I gained 70 pounds. Yes, that’s right. I didn’t sit around eating garbage. I am always a huge gainer during pregnancy despite eating salads for most dinners and getting daily exercise. It is just how my body works. Just like before, I dropped the first 30 pounds within a few days of giving birth, but the rest has been hanging on. Due to the PCOS and IR, I have the telltale huge waist and small everything else. So my main goal is to get rid of my belly and reduce inflammation. I WILL DO THIS.
I am hoping to do a weekly update each Wednesday (a Weighty Wednesday so to speak) and report of my strengths, weaknesses, and challenges I encounter each week. I am hoping that putting everything out on the blog will help keep me accountable and motivate me by making me want to write something positive about my progress.
Have you ever had a problem with your weight, especially after having children?
