We have 13 weeks until we leave for the Outer Banks for vacation. 13 weeks to lose as much weight as I can and possibly attempt to brave a 2 piece. I have to say, at almost 31 years old with 2 kids, I didn't think that would ever be an option for me.
I'm going to be brave and track my progress here, including some not so flattering pictures of myself. Hopefully this will be a good form of motivation. If I put these pictures on the internet, I have to be able to post "after" ones to justify it.
A little background: Dave and I started working out and watching our calories last April (2011). I was still breastfeeding Owen, but really wanted to do something about all this extra weight I was carrying around. When we started working out, I weighed 161. This is what I weighed when I got pregnant with Owen. When he was born, I weighed 181 (gulp). I only gained 20 lbs with the pregnancy, which is great. However, I shouldn't have weighed 161 when I got pregnant. At any rate, the breastfeeding quickly took care of the pregnancy lbs, but did nothing for the extra 25-30 I was carrying before that.
We started tracking our calories on myfitnesspal.com and started doing the 30 Day Shred every night after the kids went to bed. It was the last thing I wanted to do at 9:00 pm, especially after working all day. However, that was the only option.
I believe 150% that if Dave and I had not done this together, it wouldn't have happened. Having your partner on board with you makes all the difference in the world. It's really hard to push yourself to eat right and exercise if he's on the couch watching tv eating Big Macs.
So, we did this from April to October. I lost around 26lbs and Dave lost around 36lbs. We were doing great! Then, in October, I got a new job. It was much needed b/c I was so miserable at my old job. However, I fell out of my routine. I wasn't watching my calories as much and slacked WAY off in the working out. Then came winter and the holidays. Blah, blah, excuses, excuses.
In October, when I got the job, I weighed around 135. Monday morning, I weighed 148. I have essentially gained around 13lbs of my weight back. I cannot express enough how frustrating that is and how irritated I am with myself. I threw a lot that hard work out the window and now have to do it all over again. I can't say that all the food and laziness was worth it.
Now, it's time to focus again. My goal this time is to not only get to my ideal weight (I will say 130 for now) but to also have enough investment in myself to keep it off.
Monday I started running with some friends. I was really nervous. I have never in my life run a mile without stopping. I ran 3. 3!!!!! And, it wasn't that bad. I would dare to say I kind of enjoyed it!
Right now the plan is to run M, W, F, do the Shred T, Th and Sa and take Sunday off.
I'm back to watching my calories as well.
I weighed myself this morning and I was at 145.5. So, we are moving in the right direction.
Here are some pictures I took of myself in January when I thought I was back on the wagon (I was wrong).
(I am not sucking in at all in these pictures)
These are from after my run yesterday:
So, no real difference yet. Dave likes to blame that tummy on the babies. Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I want it gone!
Oh, here is a picture of me sucking in as much as I can. Hopefully I will look like this some day w/o holding my breath!
-Alison