Move it Monday

So, I am going to talk about weight loss today. Not because I think that it is of interest to any of you, but it is what is going on in my life right now as I try to shed the baby weight, but also because I think that a weekly or bi-weekly check-in will help keep me accountable and motivated to stay on track.

So, in a quick summary to get you up to date, I have always been relatively thin-not super skinny, but I would have never considered myself overweight.  Granted, there were times where I could have lost 10 pounds and looked a little better, but my weight was always in check.  I also have always been pretty active whether it is dancing, going to the gym, being outside, etc.  So, when I first got pregnant with Kiley, I was about 130 pounds which was one of my stages where I could have used to lose about ten pounds.  Kevin and I had just gotten back from a two-week long vacation where we had an awesome time eating out and drinking to our heart's content.  So we got back from that vacation and I realized I should get in gear and signed up for a half marathon--well, low and behold, I found out I was pregnant the next day, so I decided that training for a half marathon when I am not really even a runner while pregnant was probably not going to happen.  I worked out here and then during my pregnancy, but nothing that I was really routine.  When I finally had Kiley, I was 175 pounds. 

So, I worked my butt off last summer and got down to 137 pounds by October and then, suprise, I found out I was pregnant with Ella.  So, now I was starting out still about 17 pounds above where I would have liked to be.  Now, with Ella, I also tried to work out during pregnancy in hopes that I would not gain that much weight again, but again I failed in that department.  Ella was already on the small side, so when my doctor told me to take it easy, I took that as "Eat cupcakes to your hearts content and let's fatten this baby up."  When Ella was born, I was a whopping 185 pounds.  I gained pretty much the exact same with Kiley and Ella.  I think that no matter what, your body is going to gain whatever it wants it to, but that is me talking as someone who didn't really work out and used pregnancy as an excuse to eat pretty much whatever I wanted.  I know--it's not the best example, however, for both of my girls being 5 and a half weeks early-I like to think the extra cupcakes helped :)

So here I was 185 pounds-and yes Ella was on 4 pounds, 7 ounces, so where the additional 35-40 pounds came from, let's not talk about it.  I decided to do Jenny Craig.  I thought that would be the easiest thing for me since I just meet with my consultant once a week and get me pre-packaged food and then I am off for the week.  Here's a picture of me that first visit.  It's not pretty, if you want to shield your eyes, just close them for a second and scroll down.

I do like Jenny Craig in that it is really easy if you follow the plan exactly, however, I was having a hard time with that because we do tend to eat out a lot and after not drinking for 9 months--I wanted a glass of wine (or two) here and there every so often. So, I decided to start logging my meals into Weight Watchers online as well. I am still doing Jenny Craig, but I have found that tracking my points has been a lot easier for me to keep my portions under control and make healthier choices when I am not eating Jenny meals. 

As for working out, I have been pretty good about getting to the gym.  Mainly because, I pay a montly fee for childcare and can take the girls there for up to two hours a day.  The Kid's Club is awesome and after putting Kiley in gym boot camp (to get her used to going, we went everyday for 2 weeks just so she got to know everyone), she now loves it and today even starting crying when we were leaving because she wanted to keep playing. 

My favorite exercise is probably spinning classes.  I just love that someone else is telling me what to do on the bike and I just get to sit there and listen to good music.  I would do spinning every day if I could because I enjoy it and it burns a lot of calories, but I know that I will get burnt out if I do that, so I have been trying to mix it up a bit more.  I started doing pilates to help with core strength.  The first class I took was a killer.  After two c-sections in 14 months, the abs really were non-existent.  I have kept with it though and I am really starting to see some results.  I am doing the mat classes, as well as, the reformer, which if you have not done before is really cool.  Last week, I also decided to throw in doing the Couch to 5K program.  While, I am not a runner at all, and actually don't really enjoy running, I like what it does for my body.  Plus, I am trying to work towards something, so I decided that I would train to do a 5K in the beginning of November (more on that in a later post though, because I have more to share about that). 

So basically, that is where I am at today.  Weighing in this morning, I am down to 147 pounds which is decent.  This is the picture I took last week.  Not the most flattering as my hips look gigantic and I had just gotten out of the shower, but I guess it's a realistic view of where I am at today.

And I would also like to thank Morgan for all of her love and support!

Certainly an improvement from the first pictures, but I also have a good amount to go before I reach my "goal."  I'm not sure if I will ever get to my "goal" weight, but I am going to definitely try.  It's hard to say, after having two kids and getting older, exactly what my ideal weight is.  It's definitely not where I am at now though, so I am still motivated to keep losing the weight.  It's a slow process, which is why I felt like it would be a good post for me to update every once in awhile.  It keeps me accountable to stay motivated on my goals.  So, while not the most entertaining subject, it's pretty relevant to my life right now and something that I have been working really hard on.  So please keep me motivated!!!!