I absolutely can’t believe that my newborn is now four weeks old. Things in our family feel normal again, having gotten back to the routine of playing with children, school, work, and taking care of a tiny babe. I’ve even started cooking and cleaning again. Not really fun, but necessary!
I’ve struggled a little mentally in the last two weeks. I’m doing everything right technically, and losing weight at an OK pace, but I’m just not feeling strong and fit yet. Normally after a couple of weeks, I’ll feel like the smaller person I am inside. I’m just not there yet this time around!
Today I was offered the chance to take the weight loss drug Alli for free for eight months, just about the right amount of time for me to get to my goal. I was sorely tempted, but I had to remember that I’m nursing a baby and she’s my priority. It was hard to say no to the offer, though!
The Numbers
- Previous weight: 191.2 pounds
- Current weight: 186.4 pounds
- Change in pounds: -4.8
- Beginning weight: 224 pounds
- Stretch goal: 124 pounds (1oo pounds total)
- Percent to goal: 38%
- Bust: 42″ (-1″)
- Waist: 38.5″ (-1/2″)
- Hips: 46.5″ (-1/2″)
Calorie Cycling
Last time around we talked about calorie cycling and how I use it to keep my metabolism guessing so it can’t hit homeostasis and slow my weight loss. I feel like it’s working well.
I’m following the plan 100% most days. One thing I didn’t mention last time was how I deal with special days. For example, tomorrow is my oldest daughter’s sixth birthday, and we’re going to a pizza and play place for kids represented by a large rat. Mothers know which one I’m talking about and generally run screaming (toward the migraine meds) just thinking about it.
I tend to take a three-pronged approach in this situation. First, I look at my calories for that day to see if I’m supposed to be on a high or low calorie day. Tomorrow is a high calorie day (1800) for me, so I didn’t move the rest of the week around to compensate. However, if tomorrow were a 1400 calorie day, I’d definitely switch two days around.
Second, I eat lightly throughout the day, focusing on getting all my fruits and veg in for the day by lunch time. That way I know I’m supported nutritionally even when I’m making less than stellar choices for dinner. I’ll even toss some Vitamineral Green into my smoothie for a little extra kick and take some papaya enzymes to help my digestion through the stress of refined sugar and flour it’s about to experience.
Finally, if I’ve still gone over my calories for the day, I follow a simple formula. I multiply my average calories per day (1700 on my cycle) by 7, then subtract the calories I’ve consumed every day so far this week. That leaves me with the number I have left. Then I redistribute my calories over the remaining days to keep myself at my total for the week.
That’s how I keep “cheat days” from throwing me off track. It keeps me accountable, and makes me react proactively. So many times when we slip, we start a downward spiral of “This is too hard, why bother?” and self-pity. This approach also helps me remain mentally healthy about food, not succumbing to the all-or-nothing mentality that’s common for dieters.
Fitness Plan
My fitness plan has been pretty significantly hampered already by a few factors, but I’m pushing through. I’ve had some commitments in the evenings five times in just two weeks that kept me out of the gym.
I realize that it sounds like an excuse to say that I couldn’t get to the gym, but the baby is too small to go to the child care facility there. When she’s 8 weeks old, I can take her along, but until then I’m at the mercy of our family’s evening schedule. I can’t complain, however. At my last gym, kids had to be at least a year old AND walking before they could go to child care!
When I have gone to the gym, I’ve had to really maximize my workout. I have an hour and forty minutes of actual workout time, as the baby feeds every two hours and I need to get home to her. In that time, I’ve got to manage cardio and weights, which is no small feat. I’m starting back to Pilates next week and am looking forward to how it helps my tunny get flat again, and fast.
I’ve been doing twenty minutes each on the treadmill, elliptical, and bike to burn 500-600 calories (relying on my heart rate monitor for an accurate count). Then I head to the weight room to do one day of full-body lifting, and two days of an upper/lower split.
Confessional
For some reason, the daily grind of losing weight has been harder this time. Counting calories isn’t a problem, logging is a breeze, and even getting around obstacles like cheat days hasn’t been an issue. However, knowing that this process will take the better part of a year is draining.
I’m not as motivated to get to the gym as I was last time, and that’s a big problem. When I joined my gym, I did it purely for financial reasons. It was cheap and I liked the childcare workers. Now I wish I’d spent a bit more and gone with a gym that has a pool and a better menu of classes.
I tend to weigh daily, and that’s going to have to stop. I feel like I’m not making any progress. I’m pleased at having lost nearly five pounds, which is completely respectable for a two week period. Checking my weight on a daily basis doesn’t allow me to feel successful, so I’m going to start weighing every other day with the goal of eventually weighing twice a week.
Probably the most frustrating aspect is that I’ll still be obese for another 23 pounds. Obese. I know I’ve been here before, and I know I’ll drop the weight, but being a fat mom really sucks.
All in all, I’m hanging in there. I’m hoping to be in a size 14 before Thanksgiving, and a 12 by Christmas. It might be pushing, but that’s what it’s all about! I’ll be back in a couple of weeks to update you, and you know I’ll keep it real!