Baby Phat

Ok I have really been neglecting this site... I have had so many things I have wanted to write about but I didn’t have time or energy to make it pretty and creative and well written so I just scrapped the ideas... I need to let it go and just dive in I think.  This is a long one... and not very pretty because I just want to get it out... sorry...

Ok my weight loss journey... I need to document this so I can remember this for the next baby (hopefully God willing, someday, not-so-soon J )....  It’s been a long one but I can safely say I am happy where I am and where I am going.  I hope I can encourage or inspire some mama’s to take care of their body the way a dear friend did for me.  

I gain A LOT of weight with my babies... 50lbs with each of them.  Tipping the scales at 215 lbs...   I could say that the weight is what my body needs to grow a healthy baby or I could also say it is because I showed no restraint and had BigMacs several times a week... Hmmm maybe I will stick with the first reason?!  But to justify it, right after I delivered my son the BigMac cravings went away so I will still justify them as completely necessary.

I so wish I was one of those lucky women who lose the baby weight weeks after having the baby.  You know those mama’s who look slim, flat tummy’s  all while having a glorious chest from nursing... I have many beautiful friends like that.  I am not one of them.  I am puffy, swollen, and oh so chubby... and I need to work to get the scale to move.  I need to work HARD.  

This time around I had to kick things into gear much faster.  I am standing in my besties wedding in a few weeks so I always had that motivating me to slim down.  With my daughter I didn’t try to actively start losing weight until around 6 months (I was stuck in the post partum fog and really had a hard time coping.  This time- 6 weeks I did my first video!  Now I don’t necessarily recommend this- It was hard!  But I did it and slowly I was able to make it through a whole 20min work out!   I was only able to work out 1 maybe 2 times a week plus walking the dog as soon as the weather would allow it.  I did try to go out a couple of nights but returned to find the baby screaming and my hubby not too please that I left him helpless and boob-less with the baby...  

Diet wise I dappled into clean eating... I am still fully supportive of eating this way but that in of its self is not enough for me to slim down.  I know how to and usually do eat healthy but I still eat too much of the good stuff.  I have also used breastfeeding as an excuse to eat whatever I want- I really had no idea what 500 calories extra looked like and was eating way too much to ever expect to lose anything!  I needed something more to get me going.  So after eating better, home cooking most of our meals and treats and exercising as regularly as two little ones would allow the weight started to come off slowly....

I have been working out in my basement using Lindsay Brin’s post natal workout mostly and a little Slim in 6 to kick it old school now and then.

Enter Weight Watchers!  I decided to join so I had someone holding me accountable and if you are paying to have someone weigh you.... you will lose weight!!  I have been doing WW now for 17 weeks... (kinda not really but I will get to that later)  I really committed for a couple of months and had great results- 1-2 lbs a week which is perfect while breastfeeding.  My milk supply is very sensitive so this has been really stressful for me... eating too little causes my weight to stop coming off and affects my milk supply, I go into real starvation mode.... so it is always hard for me to figure out if I am eating too much or too little... but it was working...  I am still on the WW plan because I am working towards becoming a lifetime member.  I have 2 weeks left and then I did it!  I am not at my goal weight but I am a weight and BMI that is considered healthy so for economical reasons this is my goal ;)

Now about 2 months ago I was introduced to the world of Paleo/Primal/Whole30 eating by my dear friend...  I am not going to lie... I thought the whole thing was kind of crazy- “Really you are going to give up not only bread but all grains?  And dairy??  How will you ever last on that diet? That can’t be healthy...”   So I tried it because she had AMAZING results and the whole thing was so inspiring! I first went partially gluten free.  I gave up bread and pasta and started baking with spelt, coconut and almond flour... and I felt pretty good!  My energy was higher (relatively though because we still aren’t sleeping in this house!), my tummy was happier and I was still losing weight.   We had some friend visit for a weekend and they happen to be vegetarian and since we weren’t going to eat meat that weekend grains were back on the table.  I couldn’t believe how awful I felt eating all that (and lots of it) again.  After that I was convinced that it was my diet that was making me feel so much better.  So now I am following the Primal Blueprint diet and using My Fitness Palto track my intake instead of WW so I can see my carb intake better.  It’s like the Paleo only a little less strict (80/20 principle which I am probably more like 70/30).  I love it.  I really don’t miss bread (I do sneak in the occasional nibble like my girls left over peanut butter sandwich this morning!!) and I love the challenge of filling my plate with as many veggies as I can.  I eat eggs and some veggies for breakfast, a huge ass salad for lunch, nuts and fruit for snacks, coconut milk in my coffee (I LOVE it this way and now much prefer it to cream!), and for dinner any meat with 2 kinds of veggies loaded on my plate.  Snacks are hard because my hubby loves his cheese and crackers and snack foods as a treat...  The weight came off so fast eating this way- but I am eating tons of protein, and healthy fat (love me some avocado and coconut oil!!) so I feel really good while doing it (and my milk is happy!!!).  I really recommend this to anyone.  Basically if I am making a meal- it will be primal friendly.  But if we go out to friends or family, I will happily eat whatever is on my plate.  Since I don’t have any actual diagnosed food allergies or celiac I will eat wheat or grains on occasion.  I really don’t want to live in any form of bondage and food is meant to be enjoyed so I don’t want to be all legalistic about this...  If I can help it I will eat this way because I know how good it is for me and how good I feel eating this way.  Plus I really like the food I am eating!

So how have I done?  Since the day my baby was born 6.5months ago I have lost 40lbs!  15lbs in the last few months while on WW and doing this Primal thing.  I am so proud of myself!  Really I am... but  I do need to lose a bit more... I am not trying to achieve a body that is perfect or that looks like it did before babies... to quote a friend “I am not the same woman now so why would I expect my body to be?”.  My boobs will NEVER be the same, the marks on my belly aren’t going away, and my hips are probably going to stay the way they are!  I am happy when I see pictures of myself or a glimpse in the mirror but still have some work to do.  Another 10lbs would be a good goal for me.  I have completely hit a plateau and I my body did this last time until I stopped breast feeding.  So I will keep trying but know the scale probably won’t budge much more until I wean my baby.  

I decided a few weeks ago to celebrate my hard work.  I bought two new bathing suits (ok they may have come from a maternity store...I have many GOOD reasons for this purchase!) and some new clothes (in a size medium!!) and felt great about myself.  I know I still need to work hard but I am working towards strength and health and less towards an image.  I want to achieve optimal health and I really believe that excess fat is not part of that for me.  My body has done something miraculous... it has housed and birthed two beautiful babies and continues to provide nourishment for one of them... I need to give it grace.  I still have some baby phat but it’s with a p-h!  LOL sorry I couldn’t resist :)