Pinch. Ouch. Part II.

You may or may not remember this post, where I talked about my weight loss/health goals for 2011. I know, I know, a sentence like that makes readers want to hit their heads against a wall. A post about weight loss? BLEH.

BUT, I included a picture where I pinched my belly fat. I mean, come on. That's somewhat entertaining, right? We're talking about honesty here, people! Anyway.

This year is dotted with trips and events that serve as small "markers" for me to gauge my progress. Now, the goal in all of this is to lose some post-baby post-holiday weight initially and to then maintain the loss with the ever-popular healthy eating and exercise and such (if you've read this post, then you know the journey it's taken to get there!).

Anyway. So. Today serves as my first marker: My brother-in-law is getting married! WOOT!

March 11: Brother-in-law's wedding (I'm a bridesmaid!)

Weight loss goal: 5 pounds

Actual weight loss: 10 pounds

(Before)

(After)

(Yes, I carry ALL OF MY WEIGHT IN MY STOMACH.)

(Please note my clean bathroom! And SHINY BASEBOARDS!)

The ten pounds is honestly a little surprising, because, when I look at my stomach in the mirror (sans outer garments), it looks as though it has officially declared war on the rest of my body. I have an angry stomach. It is angry at me for gaining and losing lots of poundage thanks to pregnancies ... pregnancies that were fairly close together ... and it has decided to make its saggy self infomercial-worthy for laser surgery. Maybe I could post a picture of THAT and woo a sympathetic plastic surgeon who could do some magic for FREE! How fun would that be?

Not fun, actually. Not really fun at all. Anyway.

But, I'm happy to see the scale rest at a number that I am pleased with. And, I have to remind myself that my body is still in the process of getting back to normal post-baby (which is why, I believe, the weight came off more quickly than I had anticipated). My initial goal was to lose 15-20 pounds throughout the year, but, honestly, I think I'm going to halt worrying about anymore weight loss at this point, and just focus on being healthy. I just want to keep jogging with the kiddos and eating desserts in moderation and not eating frozen processed stuff and see where that takes me. If it means more weight drops off, then that's fine, and if not, then that's fine. I'm in a good range and I'm happy with it. I'm going to keep guzzling my whole milk.

However, I will continue to post my progress at the previously instated markers, to keep myself motivated to maintain the weight loss. Ohhh, maintenance. How I loathe you so! I won't necessarily post pictures, because that seems a little shallow. But, I figured it was good to do with this first marker post, simply because you had seen a picture of where I started at the beginning of the year.

So, here's to ten pounds and the tenacity to keep it off.

Have a lovely weekend.

Cheddar Bunnies Get a Free Pass.

I received an email from someone asking me about the weight loss deal and how everything was going. Thank you for asking!

It's going well.

I've passed my short-term goal, but I'm not jumping for joy until March 11th. I almost think that losing weight is the easier part--it's the keeping if off that's really tough. For me, anyway. So, I'm happy with the progress, but doing my best to keep my eyes on the prize: Maintaining where I want to be. I constantly envision my life one year from the current day. What will my life look like? I want my weight loss tactics to blend seamlessly with our daily lives--it can't be anything that requires too much extra work or expense, because it simply won't stick. I've learned!

My guidelines are pretty simple:

1) The rules only apply when we are under our own roof or are in control of our choices

2) If I wouldn't feed it to the kids, then I don't eat it

-Nothing advertised as "low fat", "non fat" or "sugar free" (only whole milk, whole fat yogurt, etc.--if they're cutting something out, they're typically replacing it with something else)

-As few packaged things and as many whole foods as realistically possible for our lifestyle

3) Realistic expectations

-There will always be instances where the rules are broken (i.e.--blizzards, church potlucks, etc.) and that's when portion control comes into play. I won't turn down comfort food on a snowy day!

4) Splurge meal

-Once a week, I get to eat whatever I want for one meal. Appetizer, entree, dessert. So far my splurge meals have included items such as a bacon cheeseburger, chili fries, ice cream, onion rings, and cheesecake. Yum. It's nice to go out with friends and dig into a yummy dessert, guilt-free.

5) Exercise

-It's just gotta happen. I do Zumba once a week and some weight training throughout the week. The double stroller is staring at me in the garage, begging for some use, and I can't wait until the weather warms up so I can push the kiddos around on our route.

There you have it! I will keep you updated when I reach my first goal date. But, thanks for checking in on me. It helps to keep me motivated!

Have a lovely day.

Pinch. Ouch.

Yes. I am totally pinching my gut and putting a picture of it on the Internet.

After Naomi was born, I lost the baby weight fairly quickly, thanks to my no-dairy diet regiment. Naturally, when she was weaned, I comforted myself with the likes of venti Starbucks drinks, most of which included caramel and chocolate to some degree, and I, slowly but surely, started gaining weight. Add in some holidays with a side of pie, and I've officially done myself in. I stepped on the scale yesterday to see that I was a whopping EIGHT POUNDS over my pre-pregnancy weight. Do you know what this means?

This means it's not baby weight, folks.

It's just weight.

So, thanks to a helpful friend who initiated some circuit training I can do at home, plus Zumba classes, plus some tweaks in our diet (like, say, passing over those four cookies for some apples and almond butter), I have set some weight goals for myself this year.

Now. I know that some people hate reading about other people's weight stuff, finding it petty and annoying. And if that's you, then go ahead and skip this post. But, I hate to admit it, but this blog has very little to do with pleasing its readers and has more to do with being honest. And if that pleases you, then great! And if not, then please note that there are no banners, no ads, no money coming from this blog. It's really just for me. And if you'd like to read along, then you are more than welcome to. I love the company!

So. Back to The Plan. This year is punctuated with events that will serve as small markers for my overall weight loss goal. I've mentioned before: I am a short-term goal lady. Long-term goals and I just don't work well together. So, I've decided to make a weight loss goal with each event. My overall goal is to lose the weight slowly and steadily. I know if I drop it fast, the chances are better that I'll gain it right back. Now that we are finished having babies (as far as we know), it is very important for me to develop and keep a healthy lifestyle from here on out, knowing that a) I can't eat like I used to be able to, and b) I won't have breastfeeding to bail me out!

Here is The Plan:

March 11: Brother-in-law's wedding, in which I am a bridesmaid

Weight loss goal: Five pounds

Memorial Day: BEGINNING OF SUMMER

Weight loss goal: Five more pounds

August: Trip to New England (where we will undoubtedly go to a beach)

Weight loss goal: Five more pounds

October: Trip to Aruba (LOTS OF BEACH I'M HYPERVENTILATING)

Weight loss goal: Two to five more pounds

The overall weight loss goal is between 15-20 pounds in ten months. Overall, it isn't so much about weight loss as much as it is about being healthy and feeling good in my clothes. But, at this point with these first ten pounds, it HAS to be about weight loss. My "Mom pooch" is now a "cookie gut" and that just needs to change!

So, why put it on the Internet? Well, if posting a picture of myself pinching my fat isn't good accountability, then I don't know what is. You have all now seen me at my worst. And I hope that in ten months, you will be able to see me at my best. I will keep you updated at every marker, posting a picture of my progress. And if there hasn't been progress? Boy, will that be embarrassing! And if there has? Then you know I've worked hard for it.

I love food. This won't be easy.

Okay. I just heard a big splash and a very giddy "WATERFALL!!!" come from the kitchen, which means TROUBLE. Gotta go!

Have a lovely day.