It’s been six weeks since Alvy was born.
My body has, in theory, mostly healed from surgery. Though life with two small children is both physically and emotionally exhausting I think I’m adjusting well. The only remaining evidence of my pregnancy (other than the baby) is my baby weight. More specifically, 20 pounds. To hold myself accountable I’ve decided to, once again, share my weight loss journey with the world via this blog.
Starting today, Monday July 8, I will begin following these rules.
1. I can eat whatever I want but no more than 1800 calories per day. No roll over calories or “free” days. I don’t get additional calories on days that I exercise (unless it’s fuel for a long run, when I get to that point). 1800. That’s it. End of story.
2. I will only weigh myself once a week. No need to fret over small fluctuations in water weight. First thing Monday morning is my weigh-in time of choice.
3. I will record my measurements the first Monday off every month. By recording my measurements I can get a better, more accurate, idea of how well I’m doing.
That’s it. Those are my rules. With that being said I do have a few guidelines I try to follow to help make dieting easier.
1. Eat breakfast. A breakfast full of protein will keep me full for several hours.
2. Put breakfast off as long as possible. Eating breakfast late will help me eat a late lunch which, in turn, will help deter mid-afternoon snacking.
3. Go to bed early. The earlier I go to bed the less likely I am to succumb to late night snacking. This shouldn’t be too difficult since I’m pretty much exhausted all the time.
4. Make meals an event, sit at the table if possible. Try to savor and enjoy what I’m eating and try to avoid eating in front of the television.
5. Serve myself on small plates. The fuller the plate the more food it looks like I’m eating. The phrase, “you eat with your eyes” is true. Dieting is entirely mental.
I got on the scale this morning and my starting weight is 145.8. My weight pre-pregnancy fluctuated between 121-125 which means I’ve got about 20 pounds to loose with a goal date of October 27 – the date of the Houston Half Marathon – which I’ve got my eye on.
I will add exercise into the mix when I get the go ahead from my doctor to start running again. I have my six week post-partum checkup Wednesday, and unless they have exercise concerns with this placenta accreta business, I expect to start running again Wednesday evening. Woohoo! It’s been a long, long, long 10 months! Running I’ve missed you! It’s time to get my body back!
All the best!
Thank you!