Since June 4 – roughly 3 months ago – I have lost around 35 pounds. I can wear clothes I haven’t worn in a while. I can walk up stairs with relative ease. Amazing, right? Well, under any other circumstances it might be. But, as regular readers know, I gave birth on June 5 and have been breastfeeding ever since. (It feels like constantly.)
The weight has just dropped right off – or at least it did until I went back to work. Now the long walks of maternity leave have given way to sitting on my butt and stress eating. And every step onto the scale triggers deja vu. Haven’t I seen this number before? Indeed it looks like I have hit the end of effortless weight loss at approximately 217 — 5 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight, which is not a level I was particularly happy with. Now what?
Well I have begrudgingly begun looking at things like skim milk and reduced portion sizes. I’ve been checking out gyms more seriously and have done a couple of workouts. I got a Wii Fit for my birthday (and it promptly told me I was obsese — what a birthday present?!). I’ve been cautiously visiting Weight Watchers Online and considering the Core plan.
But still, I fight it. I don’t think I’m ready. I kid myself that my eating habits aren’t that bad, but even just the last couple of days have included a couple of different candy bars and some ice cream, and that’s not including the chips and other salty snacks. And when I cook, I definitely use white flour, butter, cheese, and plenty of other non-Core items. I don’t know if I could successfully pull off dinner for the family (and me) without having these items in my bag of tricks. And I’m honestly afraid that making a major change would send me mentally reeling and rebelling. But I need to change something, or I won’t be slimming down anytime soon.
So, how’s this for a strategy? Eat smaller portion sizes, substitute fruit for junk, and generally try to raise the number of veggies in my diet. Reduce the number of times I go for creamy salad dressings. Avoid refined carbohydrates (bagels, white pasta) most of the time. Drink more water. And look seriously at our budget for joining a gym. I think it’s the only way I’ll get to exercise regularly — to escape the family for a few hours.
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I stopped writing this the other day, and now I see an amazing NYT article that seems to answer my self-questions for me…
From the article:
Marion Nestle, the New York University nutritionist whose book “What To Eat” (North Point Press, 2006) focuses on sensible eating, said she thinks people view food as the enemy, when the real problem is that they have forgotten how to enjoy food in a healthful way.
“If you’re eating something you really like, maybe you won’t feel like you need to eat so much of it,” she said. “If you want a muffin, then eat a gorgeous muffin with marvelous blueberries that’s moist and crispy on the outside with a little sugar on it. Yum.”
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P.S. I get to hang out with Dietgirl — yes THE Dietgirl — today, as she and her hubby are visiting NYC. So exciting!
I struggled when I returned to work from Maternity as well almost 6 months ago, the weight like you flew off me and this was my second child. I was in heaven! I continued the trend while working and did as you plan to do, and instead of returning to the gym I opted to run or walk outside at 5:30 in the morning! Yes, it’s early and I have to get to bed by 10:00 or earlier and that is a struggle but I have since lost 22 pounds on top of the weight I dropped post pregnancy and now weigh less than I have in 7 years. When my husband who is a FDNY firman is not home some mornings doing overnights, I get up at 5:30-6:00 and do a tape or do the stairs or run in place, and than try to walk at lunch. It’s hard but you can do it! It’s all mental!