Working it out

Since this week has been my first week back into the daily routine of stay-at-home-motherhood, I haven't planned anything extra. My family and I are still under the adjustment phase of Tyler's arrival.

The kids are having to be more patient. Hubs is having to be more helpful. I'm having to juggle as much as I can to help the kids and Hubs.

It's not going to get any easier and Hubs and I are going to get busier as Tyler gets more alert and aware of her surroundings. But, I don't have time to sit around thinking about what life is going to be like in 6 months, or a year from now, or even what next week may bring.

All I know is that with a new beautiful baby I am flooded with new emotion, more responsibility, more love, and more stress.

I handle my stress by working out. I'm unable to do that right now, but I hope to be back in the swing of things very soon. When I say very soon, I mean next week. I can feel my stress building up and I need an outlet.

For some reason, the only thing that makes me feel emotionally lighter is an intense workout. When I push my body to exhaustion, I feel great. I'm not sure if it's the endorphins or what, but a physical challenge brings out the best in me. In 45 minutes, I can sweat away my anxieties and become a more collected person.

I'm SO ready to kick my own ass during a workout!

I'll have to start slow. My body hasn't had an all out workout in almost 5 months. I had a baby 3 weeks ago so I'm still dealing with a bit of post-delivery bleeding. Plus, I'm breastfeeding so if I exercise too much, my supply will disappear. (Learned that the hard way with Baby #1)

With my first pregnancy, I gained 40 lbs. I came home from the hospital 30 lbs. heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight. It took me 9 months to lose it all and believe me, I struggled. I have never worked so hard to lose weight in my life.

When I was preggo with Lauren, I had gained 30 lbs. but had double pneumonia the last month of my pregnancy. I came home from the hospital 12 lbs. heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight. It still took me 8 months to lose that 12 lbs. Weight loss does not come easy for me. Thank goodness I enjoy exercise or I would have given up a long time ago.

I gained 30 lbs. during my pregnancy with Tyler. After I gave birth, Hubs and I got the flu and I find myself 15 lbs. away from my goal weight.

One thing I have learned is that patience is key. The weight will come off but I have to put in the time and effort.

Next week, I will start my weight loss journey. This sounds cliche since it's so close to the New Year and everyone resolves to lose weight after the holidays. But, hey, at least I'll have my Facebook friends keeping me motivated with all of their posts about getting fit and sharing their weight loss successes.

I may even post a picture of myself as a "Before" and continue to post pics monthly. I don't know, we'll see. I'm still on the fence with that idea.

My first approach to losing weight is:

1. Change my eating habits. I still enjoy all of the foods I did before, just in smaller portions. Instead of filling a dinner plate full of food, I use a salad plate and make sure that my portions are no bigger than the size of my fist. I always eat breakfast and I make sure lunch is my biggest meal of the day. This way, I'm taking in most of my calories early in the day and have the opportunity to burn some of them off before evening.

2. I snack every two hours from the time I wake up until 6 p.m. I'll eat a Nutrigrain bar, or a piece of fruit, etc. After 6:00 p.m., NO FOOD. If I get a hunger craving at night that I can't kick, I will make myself a glass of chocolate milk. It curbs my sweet tooth and fills my belly.

3. I do 45 minutes of cardio 4x a week followed by a series of sit-ups and push ups. I always leave time for stretching at the end. It seems that stretching is really underrated and most people don't do it at all. You would be amazed at how much better you feel if you work in 5 - 10 minutes of stretching after a workout.

I obviously am not a dietician, health professional, or personal trainer. However, in 3 years, I have gained 70 lbs. and I've lost 70 lbs. and I managed to keep it off in a healthy way. Another pregnancy has challenged me to do it again and I'm hopeful that my future posts will reflect another post-partum weight loss accomplishment.

Wish me luck and if you are one of the millions of people that resolved to lose weight this year, good luck to you too! I'm rooting for you!!