Take It Off Mondays

Since I'm currently pursuing my weight loss goals, I'm going to join Jenni from the Blog on her weekly updates. Before I had Eva, I was about 10 pounds above my goal weight. Which wasn't bad, let me say. But since I was so close, I wasn't really motivated to get the weight off. I mean, I exercised 3-4 times a week. But I ate CRAP. All the time. I think I was still in my high school/college mentality that as long as I worked out, I could eat whatever I wanted. However, I am older now, and those days are gone. As Rob Base says 'It takes two to make a thing go right'. Meaning, now I need diet AND exercise.

While I was pregnant, I tried to stay somewhat active with prenatal yoga and the occasional workout. But let's face it - working full time + taking care of your home/husband + extra curricular activities ON TOP of baking a baby don't leave much time or energy for physical exertion. I did do a relatively good job of not 'letting myself go' with food. I allowed myself cravings, but I did not double my calorie intake, just cause I was 'eating for two'. Instead I tried to eat similarly to pre-pregnancy minus some crap, plus some fruits/veggies. And I did pretty well. I gained plus/minus 40 pounds with Eva. At about one month post-partum about 28 of those pounds were gone. By January I was about 5-8 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. And this past Thursday (March 3) I weighed in at 167.5. So nice to see that number! Hadn't been in the 160s in awhile.

So what am I doing, you ask? Because I had a tendency to yo-yo with my weight in the past, I decided that this is not just about weight loss. It's about having a healthy lifestyle. Being active and eating nutritionally, so I not only feel good, but so I set an example for Eva. Now that she's eating a lot of table foods, it's even more motivation for me. If I'm eating good stuff, I don't have to make separate meals for her - she can just eat off my plate!

I still allow myself treats. But I don't keep them in the house, which requires me to go out and purchase them and ensures it's not an everyday thing. I also have not baked any goodies since Christmas. And if you know me, that is a big accomplishment. I LURVE baking and then eating my creations. So I had to curb that habit if I was going to be successful.

I've upped my protein and fiber intake. I eat whole-grains and beans and peanut butter and lean meats. I drink mostly water, with the occasional juice thrown in. And I keep my portion size in check. That's it. I knew I didn't want a diet plan like Weight Watchers or similar, because everyone I know that does so can usually lose the weight, but has problems maintaining after said diet is over. Like I said before I wanted a lifestyle change, so it will be easy for me to maintain the weight loss once I reach my goal. And I should mention that I am relatively active - I take Eva on 1 hour plus walks to and from the park. Last week I added a couple elliptical workouts as well.

My current goal weight is 160. Once I hit that, I want to aim for 155. And once I get there, it will be all about toning and firming. I'm hoping to reach that by Eva's birthday, so I've got about 8 weeks and I know it's totally doable. So let's do it!