I am only a few days into my post-baby weight loss efforts, and already I’m craving bad foods. Nice.
Just 8 weeks ago I was still pregnant and pretty much eating what I wanted. Granted, I didn’t eat as poorly as I did with my first pregnancy, but I certainly wasn’t being “good”. I mean, we had enchilada Tuesdays at work, for Pete’s sake. Mmm… enchiladas… Anyway, I’ve decided to share my weight loss journey with you guys. I know I would have appreciated some real world info and encouragement when I was going through this after having my first baby. So here’s my plan.
I’m using the My Fitness Pal app yet again this time since last time it helped me lose nearly 30 pounds (it’s a calorie counting app). Some folks out there absolutely hate counting calories. But for me, it was the only way I could trust that I was doing the right thing. I couldn’t announce that I was just going to “eat right” and it actually make me lose weight. In my opinion, everyone out there should have to count calories for one week of their life. Y’all would be absolutely amazed at how much most of us overeat on most days. There are also the folks that say all calories aren’t created equally. As in, instead of 150 calories worth of Doritos, you should eat 150 calories worth of vegetables since veggies are so great for you. In general, I agree with that. And counting my calories leads me to making better decisions because I can get more bang for my buck if I’m eating healthier in general. But sometimes I really do want to eat 150 calories worth of Doritos instead of veggies, and that’s okay. The bottom line is that I have to burn more calories than I take in each day. 500 more, to be exact. And, yes. I feel hungry sometimes. You know how lots of weight loss experts say that if you’re doing it right you shouldn’t feel hungry? Well, they’re full of crap. Sure, you can figure out ways to not feel ridiculously hungry all of the time – eat lots of produce…drink lots of water – but if you don’t feel at least somewhat hungry in the beginning, then it’s a miracle. They also say not to deprive yourself. Well, that’s crap too. If you’re used to eating fast food 5 times per week, drinking sodas every day and having cake when you want, then guess what? You’re going to feel deprived for a while. And finally, yes, I’m on a diet. I’m not sure how else to describe it. Lifestyle change? Well, sorta. But technically I’m in calorie-burning mode, which won’t last for forever (hopefully – ha!), therefore it’s a diet. Sure, it’s great prep for a lifestyle change, but it’s temporary. After I reach my goals I’ll be able to ease up on myself, and then we can call it a lifestyle change. But for now, I’m on a diet.
I consider myself to be a runner, but I stopped running at the beginning of my second trimester due to general discomfort and pain. So I’m looking forward to getting back to running. I’ve just recently started walking on my treadmill, and even squeezed in a few minutes worth of slow jogging. It felt so good, but I didn’t push it too hard. Doing too much too soon is already one of the most common causes of running-related injuries, in general. Add the fact that I had a c-section less than 8 weeks ago, and doing too much too soon could be disastrous. But I am looking forward to the day when I can truly go for a run. Not only does it feel so good (and hurt so good), but quite frankly, it also allows me to eat more. That’s one of the great things about running. It’s rather efficient in the calorie-burning department. I burn more than 100 calories per mile. So back when I was running 5 miles, that meant another 600 calories were allowed that day. You know what that means? Cake!
Let’s break this down…
My Tools:
My Fitness Pal app on iPhone
treadmill at home
weights at home
My Goals:
1 pound per week
fit comfortably into a particular pair of pants I own
Deadline:
Technically, I’m giving myself until my daughter’s 1st birthday (May 11th) , but let’s hope it’s a little sooner than that.
Stay tuned for my future updates about my weight loss journey. I will fill you in on my own REALISTIC tips and tricks. Tip # 1 – Weight Watchers fudge ice cream bars in the snack size are only 45 calories each. Hey, I didn’t say my tips and tricks would be perfect or “clean” or even anything you should do every day. But I did say REALISTIC. And let’s face it. We all need some ice cream sometimes.
I am not a health professional. This is for sharing and entertaining purposes. Diet and exercise at your own risk.
Kind Kiddo 