So I did what every normal pregnant girl out there does...Throw out all sense of boundaries when it comes to eating. If you are going to be fat anyway, you might as well enjoy the ride, right? I am not one to argue with such watertight logic, but there are consequences that come with such an attitude and I have seen the outworking of how one reaps what they sow...
Having trained and competed in a mini-triathalon with friends (...and, ahem, winning...) I was in peak physical fitness. A great time to embark on the incubation process again; we promptly fell pregnant the following week. My peak physical condition went on a dramatic decline. I maintained walking regularly as much as I could but combination of build-up weather and feeling mildly depressed in the first trimester meant that continuing exercise was a monumental effort. So, I put on about four kilos in the first trimester....and then, I stopped weighing myself til the day after Hudson was born. I only did it that day because the Nazi midwife made me! Gosh who makes someone step on the scales the day after they give birth?! I didn't really want to know...But I will now share with the world the horrifying number that glared at me from the scales that morning. 105kg.....Oh....My.....Gosh.....This is the heaviest I have ever weighed, on record. And might I add that this is the DAY AFTER giving birth, and losing 1600mls of blood. Whoa.
At this point I would like to put in here as disclaimer that I don't hate myself. I am quite fond of myself, at any weight. I do think having babies is worth all the fluctuating weight, and I am not into giving people (including myself) a hard time about doing so. Weight fluctuation is part of the journey, but it IS a little freaky to go beyond where you have been before in this department...
Anyway. I had a caesarean so I had a few weeks of healing ahead of me. Within a week my body had dropped down to 98k without me having done anything. It really is incredible what the body goes through in pregnancy and how much fluid etc you retain. 7kg in a week is pretty incredible. But hey, I was still 98k and a LONG way from a healthy weight. I reckon my ideal weight is somewhere between 75-78k ( being 170cm). I think that is quite a reasonable and attainable goal weight. Which meant there was 20k to go....
When Hudson was about 6 weeks old, I was feeling pretty well fully recovered from the surgery and eager to get out and exercise! I began walking around the neighborhood, and after a week or two managed a 3km stretch (carrying H in the bjorn as well!). After we moved house and settled in, Hudson was about 2 months old. I decided I was ready to implement the healthy eating component required to achieve the results I was seeking.
This is a big challenge for me. I love food. Especially bread, pasta, dairy, cream, ice cream, pizza, cookies, cake and the list could go on and on... I find it really difficult to eat small portions and to say no to sweets and to eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Sigh. BUT I am determined to change! I know that if i want to see significant changes in my weight I really need to make some major adjustments in my eating. Which means I need to completely rethink how I think about food and find new things that are appealing which are a lot healthier.
I really believe that in the process of losing weight you cannot be motivated by hate. If you are motivated by hating how you currently look I think the results achieved will be short lived. You really need to be motivated by caring about yourself and your body, wanting it to be the best it can be because you actually LIKE it. (I think supernatural help is needed to achieve this by the way)Also I believe it is critical that you are focused on all the wonderful things you can and should eat rather than focusing on the things that are prohibited. There really is an extraordinary variety of delicious, satisfying and incredibly yummy things you can eat that are amazingly good for you as well. The key is to find, learn and become familiar with a bunch of new recipes that fit this category. This is a fairly big ask when you have a bunch of small children and a husband to feed, as well as all the other tasks that need to be completed in a day. However, I will not accept any excuses! Where there is a will there is a way!
I have been helped along this 'way' in large part thanks to 'the total well-being diet' by the CSIRO. This is a 12 week eating plan that comes complete with recipes and shopping list. I decided to just throw myself into it. Use the plan, do my shopping. The all or nothing philosophy really works for me. JUST DO IT! So I have completely redone how I do food. In a nutshell breakfast is some sort of healthy cereal or muesli with some fresh fruit thrown in. Lunch is a healthy sandwhich with lots of protein and salad. Or some soup and salad. Dinner is veggies and protein. Carbs are generally relegated to morning and lunch and completely avoided at dinner. Its a simple and healthy way of eating that I am getting more used to cooking for. I usually throw on a pot of rice or pasta so I can pad out the kids and Shane's meals a bit more. I don't find it difficult make it healthy for me and enjoyable for them.
Currently I am in week 4 of the 12 week plan. Though I hope to continue on this healthy way of life for much longer than 12 weeks. I am working really hard to maintain a positive focus on the health benefits- not just the weight loss. Though I have been obsessively weighing myself....Today I got Shane to hide the scales so I can't look for awhile. Though I am happy to report that this morning I have reached my lowest so far (since H) 86.6k! Yay! I am feeling really great and have had loads more energy which is a huge bonus in a life with small kiddies. Slow and steady wins the race I reckon. I want to keep it off for good so it is ok if it is a gradual process. That said, it has been coming off fairly quickly. Around 10ks to go to reach my goal weight...
Here I come!
