the baby weight

It needs to come off.

I actually just wrote a novel length post about my past year of trying to lose weight unsuccessfully, and then I deleted it because it sounded whiny. This will probably be just as long, but hopefully less whiny. Sorry about the plethora of words and lack of fun pictures. I'll try to do some recent pictures of baby (in pigtails!) soon.


So what I really want to know is this:

Do you have any ideas, tips, etc, on how to lose weight? How to stick to a diet and exercise plan? How to stay motivated?

My biggest problem is exercising. My available work out times are when baby is sleeping. And when baby is sleeping I totally want to do other things. Not exercise. Yuck.


Here's what has helped me so far (food wise):

-I tend to eat when I'm bored. So what I've been trying instead of snacking all the time, is chewing gum. When I head to the kitchen between meals, I stop and think: "Am I really hungry, or am I just bored?" If it's the latter, I grab half a stick of gum and chew away!

-Drinking water. Lots of water. It helps me feel like I'm staying full. Because boy do I get grumpy when I'm hungry!

-NOT weighing myself everyday. I've been doing that for awhile, and it's very discouraging. I would see no improvement, then get frustrated and eat my frustration away. I know, like that helps. See, people? This is why I need help!

-Plan healthy meals ahead of time. If I have a plan, and the supplies to carry out that plan, then come meal time, there is no scrambling around for things. Because when that happens, I usually make pasta with a lot of cheese. AKA macaroni and cheese. Homemade mac and cheese. It's so yummy! Also, along the same lines, keep healthy snacks in the house. And don't buy unhealthy ones. If I buy them, I'm going to eat them. End of story.

-Talking. I realized that I had no system to keep me honest. It was just me, and I really didn't mind sneaking some chocolate now and then. Or some bread. Or pasta. Seriously? I've told a few more people (and now all 2 or 3 of you who read this), and now that THEY know, I feel like they'll be checking me out every time they see me to see if I've lost any weight.