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.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
4 comments:
_____
That was me, almost writing your name when I did this. Because ______, I feel exactly the same way. Exactly. Like people look at me and think, seriously? Your baby is almost 18 months old and you still haven't lost it all?
Yikes.
Here are a few things that have worked (so far) for me. Cut out all eating after a certain time of day. When Tessa is in bed, I'm not allowed to eat anything, except a glass of water or crystal light. No popcorn, chips, cookies-nothing. And I stopped buying things that were unhealthy - tortilla chips (which was incredibly difficult) chocolate chips, sugar. If I didn't have those things on hand, it wasn't as appetizing to eat them because I'd have to run to the store.
What kept me good on exercising was finding the right DVDs that I liked, and finding an acquaintance to do them with me three times a week. And we do it regardless of the kids, because it is SO TRUE that naptime is not a fun time to exercise.
Lastly I found that I only truly lose weight when I am both dieting and exercising - at the same time. I tried one or the other, but only got real results when I combined my efforts. And then the weight really came off faster. I'm still not to my pre-baby, but I'm only five pounds away from my goal!
YOU CAN DO IT!!! No, WE can do it!!!
So, I can't actually give any advice because I really should be doing the same thing. Hello, my "baby" is three!
But there is one thing that I was able to do. I realized after Tiger Lily was born that I needed to stop eating like I was pregnant. It was hard—I had gotten in the habit of an afternoon treat and I didn't want to let it go.
Drinking lots of water helps, as does keeping busy. If I would sit down on the couch to read as I usually did, I would want the snack. But if I would get up and do something, it was easy to forget about.
Also, check out the symptoms of hypothyroidism here. If you think it might possibly be a problem, get yourself checked (I know, it's hard to tell the difference between being tired with a baby and actually having an imbalance.).
I realize that I dont have any 'baby'weit to lose, but I have my share of getting married weight. I recently made a decision ( that I am still convinced was the worst decision I have ever made) to run a Ragnar race with some ladies in my ward. I have ran 6 days a week for the last 3 weeks because people are counting on me to do it. I don't know if or how much weight I have lost, because I don't actually have a scale, but I know I am making healthier choices!
Here are some things I've realized about weight.
Forget sizes and numbers and focus on how you feel. Establish a base line for your body. I didn’t figure this out until I was nearly done with college, but once I stopped trying to make my body conform to my sisters’ or my mom’s norm, I was much more successful at gauging what my body wanted and needed from me. I find I need to reevaluate my body’s baseline more often than I would have thought, with age, activity level, and life events (ahem, baby) all affecting how my body both looks and behaves.
Be ok with the fact that your body will continue to change throughout your life. With those changes, continual adjustments will need to be made for you to remain healthy. Since I had a baby later, I can vouch for the fact that even without a baby in the mix, between 23 and 25, my metabolism just slowed down from the rate it worked as a teenager and young adult. Realize that you may also be dealing with that shift.
This will sound dumb, but make sure that you have clothing that fits you well. Trust me, squeezing into pants and tops that used to fit but are now a half a size too small is only going to make the vicious cycle of trying to tone up more uncomfortable and discouraging, and it will actually make you look and feel bigger than you really are while you are trying to get there.
Find active pursuits that make you happy and that are sustainable for your lifestyle. If you hate the exercise you are doing or if it feels burdensome, you will stop doing it.
Keep things moderate. The last thing you need when trying to lose a little weight is more stress. Track progress, but break your goals down into reasonable increments. Don't restrict your diet too much or you will get grumpy. Don't try to do too much all at once or you will burn out. Don’t obsess. The best example of this I have had was my former gym buddy, a co-worker who lost over 80 pounds by committing to sustainable change – she ate smaller portions, walked her dog more often, and went to the gym with me during lunch for 20-30 minutes 4 days a week. Other coworkers we had worked their way through extreme diets and exercise crazes while we continued to be consistent and moderate for a year and a half. They all yo-yoed while we both slowly but surely became healthier and fitter. For her, that meant a substantial weight loss. For me, it meant that I stopped getting sick, I had more energy, and I felt happier.
Educate yourself. I occasionally pop on and track my calories and activity levels for a week or so at a time on my livestrong.com account using their myplate feature. I don’t go nuts with it, but it can be a good reminder about portion sizes, overall caloric intake, and which foods tend to be sneaky calorie bombs. It works well for me as an occasional user. Just don’t go nuts with it!
Be appreciative of what your body does for you. That one probably sounds super corny, but being thankful about what your body does can help you treat it better, which helps it help you accomplish your goals. I believe a happier attitude leads to better overall choices and a healthier view of the things that you can't change about your ever-changing body.
Post a Comment