Friday, April 23, 2010

Chunky babies are cute. Chunky mamas are not!

I think God should've made sure that as soon as a baby pops out, that moms look smokin' hot.  I mean come on, motherhood is tough enough, we don't need to worry about losing weight too!

Today I am having what I like to call a "fat day."  I stepped on the scale this morning and realized I only lost 1 pound this week.  Fat, I'm gonna need you to come off quicker than that.

I've always had some body issues but they have sky rocketed since I had Jackson.  As most pregnant women do, I got bigger all over when I was pregnant.  I really didn't know that my butt could get any bigger!  I have always hated the size of my rear end, as it has always been the largest part of my body.  I mean come on, I was named "Honorary Black Chick" in my teaching cohort because the African American ladies in the group said I had a "sister's booty."  It is things like this that I am sure are partially meant as a compliment, but seem to make me feel worse about myself.  Another reason I hate my butt and legs is that I've had cellulite since the age of 16.  That's a really freakin' long time to see cottage cheese every time you look in the mirror.

Before pregnancy, I could ignore my bottom half somewhat because of my nice top half.  But, I no longer have that flat tummy and "nice rack" that I prided myself on.  Instead, I have a "Kruger."  I call it this because the saggy skin and stretch marks have caused my stomach to look like Freddie Kruger's face.  Also, somehow, my breasts both deflated and got bigger at the same time.  How that's possible, I'm not so sure?  

I see all these celebrities that seem to bounce right back to their pre-pregnancy weight within what seems like weeks after giving birth.  I know they have nutritionists and personal trainers, but come on, it can't be impossible can it?  Also, facebook isn't helping much.  I have several friends who had babies after me and have already reached their goal weights.  I shake my fist at all you skinny girls!  Ugh.

I know that most of my struggle is my fault.  I haven't been sticking to Weight Watchers as close as I should have and need to step up the exercise a little.  It is so hard, though!  Life gets in the way.  Either Jackson gets sick, or it is raining too hard for me to run, or something else happens to prevent me from exercising.  There is always an excuse I guess.  The worst part is my eating habits.  I am totally addicted to sweets and fried, greasy foods.  And, I don't even want to get into how much more expensive it is to eat healthy.  It is virtually impossible to stick to my budget at the grocery store and buy healthy meals and snacks.  It's a conspiracy I tell you!

Today I am recommitting myself to get back on track.  I will be counting points obsessively and trying my hardest to exercise 3-4 times a week.  My goal for now is to get to my pre-pregnancy weight and clothing size before I go to the beach this summer.  That gives me around 2 months to lose 10 lbs and a pants size.  Think it's possible?  I sure hope so!

Any tips and support you can give is welcomed.  Thanks for listening to my rant.  I'll try not to make whiney posts a regular thing.

XOXO

8 comments:

  1. Lindsey, I love your transparency. I know what you mean exactly. I have struggled with my weight since I started at App, mostly because I like to eat, and a good majority of what I like is bad for me. I weighed more than I ever had when I got pregnant with Luke but with lots of exercise and Weight Watchers I lost almost 100 pounds. Unfortunately, I gained a lot of it back. Going into this pregnancy, I am 25+ pounds heavier than I was when I got pregnant with Luke. I know I have to gain weight since there are two babies and that is more important now. I know after is going to be depressing. I am hoping and praying that these babies are good schedulers and sleepers as sleep deprivation doesn't help a mommy lose weight. I am hoping to do Weight Watchers and start working out after the New Year. I am going to focus on eating well to nurse and lose until then to get a good start.

    My tips -
    Don't beat yourself up. Easier said than done.
    Drink a lot of water.
    Find a consistent time to workout (if possible).
    Set a goal to workout 1 day more than you think you will and know that if you do the real goal you've done well. I aimed for 5 and was happy to get in 3-4.
    Follow Weight Watchers - eat all the POINTS, APs, and WPA. My weight came off more when I did.
    Have a small treat each day or a big splurge once a week.
    Find a meal that you can eat the same - breakfast is a good one - so you start the day on plan. I always had the same breakfast and it was a good thing. I don't need that much variety except for dinner.
    Prepare stuff (especially snack and lunch things) ahead of time.
    Try to plan dinner each day and figure out how many Points it should be and work backwards giving yourself a Points goal for each meal/snack.
    I hope this helps!

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  2. Finn is almost 2 and I'm still fighting the baby weight. Don't stress yourself out over it. Jackson will only be a baby once, and when he's 5 or 6 and off to Kindergarten, you'll want to look back and remember all the happy times with him, not all the time you spent in the gym. Mom belly, and boobs, and hips, and butt are more the norm than society would like us to think - thanks Heidi Klum. As long as you eat healthy, and work out, you are doing good! That flat stomach and perky rack are probably a thing of the past, but that sweet little boy is all the prize you need )

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  3. Ash - Thanks for the tips. I think the breakfast tip is a great one! I, too, can do the same things for breakfast and lunch for the most part but need some variation when it comes to dinner. I'll definitely be keeping all of your tips in mind.

    Nichole - Thank you for the encouraging words! You are so right!

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  5. Girl, I have always thought you were beautiful! and only wished I were 1/2 as pretty as you...since we were little! I find it hard to believe that you worried about it b/c of how gorgeous you are! And I have gotten those same ghetto booty comments too.

    Anyways, I love to workout out, but my struggles are on the eating side....one thing that I found that helped me a lot was a book called The Beck Diet Solution and it helps you not beat yourself up over it and really works on the way you think...I don't know that you really need it b/c your issues are baby weight, and mine are just that I eat too much period....but it's a 30 day thing and it's like 2 pages a day and I found it to be insightful.

    What helps me stay on track is that Mike and I make our list of dinners for the week on Sunday and then go to the store so that at the start of the week, we have the entire week planned out and then I already know what I'm going to have for dinner and how the points should fall...it takes some planning on Sundays, but it makes the rest of the week less stressful - again, may not be what you're looking for, but just something that helps me.

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  6. Thanks Crystal but it is me that wants to be like you! Running marathons and what not. Seriously, you inspire me to stay active! Thanks for the tips! I will look into The Beck Diet book for sure.

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  7. When I wanted to start eating healthier, I scoured the internet for tips of how to do that AND save money. Turns out there are plenty of mommy bloggers who have done the work for us!
    Here's a link to a post entitled "8 Ways to Save on Produce". Simple! This blog has a ton of other healthy, easy and frugal recipes.
    http://www.milehimama.com/2009/07/07/8-ways-to-save-on-produce/

    Best of luck!
    Brooklynn

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