The Cinnabon Story

Last week I flew to San Antonio all by my lonesome because Evan and Liliana made the trip earlier in the day while I stayed behind at work for a few more hours.  When I landed in Dallas, I had a pretty long layover which I put to good use.  I wrote thank you notes from our baby shower, I walked around to stretch the legs, and I used the potty.  Suddenly I realized I was pretty hungry and while I was craving an Auntie Anne's pretzel, there wasn't one in that terminal.  SO I did the next best unhealthy thing ... I got myself a Cinnabon.

For those of you that haven't had the pleasure of eating a Cinnabon, they're huge cinnamon rolls completely COVERED in butter, cinnamon, and gooiness.  They're exceedingly bad for your health, but so good to eat.  It's not a treat I give myself everyday.  In fact, I think it's only an airport thing and I hadn't had one in probably a year and a half?  Maybe even more.

Being 30 weeks pregnant, I decided this was about as great of an excuse to get a Cinnabon as possible.  I got water as well, to even out the evilness (ok, it didn't even come close to evening it out, but we women have to be irrational sometimes right?) and enjoyed my treat.

I sent this picture to my Dad and brother (both big Cinnabon fans, especially my brother) and said "stuck in Dallas for an hour ... what to do what to do"

As I was typing this text message, this complete stranger came up to me and said:

"Don't you think it's a pretty bad idea to be feeding something with so much sugar to your unborn child?"

I wish I was kidding.  I wish I was making this crap up.  But she SERIOUSLY asked me that.

I was sitting at one of those high top tables and about 10 other people heard.  Their jaws nearly dropped to the floor.

You're probably wondering "what did Ms. Opinionated Lawyer Cristy say in response?"  I have to admit, I wasn't nearly as mean as I should have been.  I think I was in a greater state of shock more than anything.

I just responded:

"Ma'am, I exercise regularly while pregnant and when not pregnant.  I think life is about moderation and I decided this would be my treat." 

But I could have said SO many other things.  This lady, not to sound rude, but I mean, she insulted me so can't I be insulting in return, was rather large herself and she wasn't pregnant.  Nothing wrong with that, but who is she to be judging me?  If she had seen me eating TEN of them, that's one thing, but if nobody ate cinnamon rolls, the world would be a VERY sad place!  I'm doing my part to contribute to the happiness of the world!!!

So things I could have said:

"Mind your own damn business."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you, I was stuffing my face with unhealthy food and laughing at how much it was hurting the baby inside of me!"

"Hey lady, you look like you've had a few of your own cinnamon rolls in the past!"

But I didn't.  I said the moderation thing.  and it was the best answer.  I didn't stoop to her level.  I didn't want to make her feel crappy.  But truth be told?  I didn't feel crappy at all for eating it!

Life is about moderation.  And if we can't have a Cinnabon every now and then, then we are taking life WAY too seriously.

Exercising and Keeping Fit While Pregnant

When I was pregnant with Liliana I did a horrible job at keeping fit. I felt so sick until I was 20 weeks along that I RARELY exercised. When I got pregnant wiht Liliana, I was doing home workout DVDs about 4 times a week and was pretty fit so it was a huge hit to my happiness that I had to cut out those workouts. Once I started feeling better, I started doing some pregnant workout DVDs (although I must admit, I don't care much for any of them) and before you knew it, I was put on "exercise bedrest" at around 30 weeks because I was having contractions when working out. Moral of the story: not much exercising happened while pregnant with Liliana.

For this pregnancy, I promised myself it would be different. I was adamant my exercising would continue being a big part of my life.

Weeks 6 - 10, I was a shameful act. I rarely made it to our gym and the daycare at the gym looked shocked when they would see Liliana. I was just too sick to get the energy to do anything other than being a Mom, a wife, and having a full-time job. Some days, I barely managed to be honest.

But things turned around and about 5 weeks ago, I started regularly attending the gym once again.

Now that I have the experience with this, I felt compelled to write this post because let me tell you ...

exercise for a pregnant woman is absolutely AMAZING.

I leave feeling SO much better, so rejuvenated, and believe it or not, even though it sounds silly because no matter what your belly is growing ... IT BOOSTS YOUR CONFIDENCE!

Even though I know my belly is bigger this time around at 15 weeks than it was with Liliana, I feel sexier than I did with Liliana. I embrace it more because I know I'm staying physically fit.  You feel proud of yourself and that's something a pregnant woman struggles with.  Seeing our belly growing is beautiful yes, but that doesn't mean it isn't hard to see the changes.

Now, I should say that they recommend to not start exercising if you didn't really exercise prior to getting pregnant. However, I don't see anything wrong with trying to stay fit.  you don't have to train to be in a marathon all of the sudden, but even if you weren't in to working out prior to getting pregnant, I highly doubt that occasionally getting your body moving is going to be bad for it!  In my case, I was working out about 4 - 5 times a week when we got pregnant this go around so it hasn't been a big adjustment for my body.

During this post I'm going to try and recommend workouts for each stage of pregnancy because I know I search Google on a regular basis asking what kind of workouts are recommended and don't find real life experiences easily.

I would LOVE to swim since that is probably the best workout for a pregnant belly, but our gym doesn't have a pool. The only gym with a pool in town is $100 more a month and it's just not in the budget. My husband does go every now and then and pays $5 for a good swim. Evan is a swimmer though. An All-American swimmer at that. I am not. I was on student council. So instead I make my workouts apply at the gym.

For starters, I should add that being pregnant at the gym isn't nearly as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. I was scared I would get looks like "why is she walking so slowly?" or "why is she here? She's a big pregnant lady!" Instead, you got comments OFTEN saying "that is so awesome that you're staying fit while pregnant!  Good for you!"  Other Moms tell me it will be a breeze to take the weight off if I keep exercising throughout. Others have told me the delivery will be easier.

As for recommended workout regimens, here are my experiences so far:

First trimester exercise tips:

- Goal: do what you can do without vomitting. I personally did sit-ups until I was about 12 weeks along and then my belly started growing and it felt like I was pinching some nerves so I stopped. I definitely toned down my workouts from the beginning, both because I am pregnant, because they say to keep your heart rate at 140 or lower (which I never adhere to because all I would be permitted to do at that rate is walk), and because it's what my body could do. I should note about the blood pressure.  I spoke to my OB about this and he said "your body will talk to you."  And it does.  Certain days, I could run all day and feel fine and certain days it just feels exhausted. I listen to it and tweek accordingly.

- First trimester motto: DO WHAT YOUR BODY IS CAPABLE OF.

- Example of a first trimester workout for me: walk/ run 2.5 miles (I would walk half a mile at 4.2 with an incline and then run half a mile around 5.7). This is SIGNIFICANTLY slower than what I do when not pregnant, but it's what I felt comfortable with. After the treadmill, I go lift weights for 2 body parts and do a cardio interval between each. Since I'm pregnant and since your joints are much more sensitive while pregnant, do less weight and add more reps. In other words, when doing biceps, I'll do 10 pounds each arm and do 30 reps straight. After that, I do 40 jumping jacks. Once I work out the biceps and triceps (as an example), if there is time left, I go to the elliptical. The elliptical is a pregnant woman's FRIEND. It's much easier on the belly and on the round ligament pains than the treadmill. I have a feeling I will start switching my time on the treadmill and elliptical as I get further along. I do about 10 minutes on the elliptical after that, varying intensity, and that's it!

- Two ESSENTIAL tips: DRINK LOTS OF WATER!  When I don't, I feel incredibly dehydrated the next day which is dangerous when you have fainting spells when pregnant (like I do).  ALSO, don't be scared to invest a little money in a bigger sports bra (helped immensely with growing boobs) and maternity t-shirts so that your belly isn't suffocating.  I bought both at Target and didn't break the bank.  Plus I use them 4 times a week so the way I see it, it's not a waste by any means.

This is exactly the one I have, in this color even.  Evan went out and bought it for me because he thinks I'm hurting my boobs when I squish them in to the old ones.  He acts seriously concerned for them.  I told him the boobs would survive, but men are funny like that.  Invest in a good quality one (well, good quality for Target).  The boobs will thank you when you're running on the treadmill.

Second trimester exercise tips:

- Side note: I don't feel too confident giving recommendations on this just yet since I've only been in the "second trimester" category for 3 weeks, HOWEVER, at the 12 - 15 week range I can say I've actually done MORE intensity since I've been feeling better. I still do the same routine (treadmill, weights, elliptical), but I walk less and run more. I also run faster. It feels wonderful cutting a couple minutes off my time with a nearly 4 month belly.

- as I continue more in to the second trimester, I will update this and give more advice.

I hope this helps some pregnant women out there! Stay fit if you can! It can only do good!

PLUS, another point of incentive: the men notice! My husband always liked my belly, even with Liliana, but this go around he is even more complimentary and keeps saying "you look so stinking hot!" While I think he's crazy (I am by no means hot people ... but it's kinda the husband's job to think we are right?) it sure does put a smile on my face every time I hear something sweet.

HECK, if that kind of compliment doesn't get a woman to the gym, I don't know what will! : )

Two BAD Things That Happened To Me Today (Make That Three)

Today started off like any normal day.  I got dressed in my workout clothes and headed out to the gym.  Our gym has this great little daycare downstairs and Liliana LOVES when we head over there ... she starts clapping when I park.  To say that this baby is bored with only my company is an understatement.  I think she'll be thrilled to start daycare again soon once I start work in the fall.  Her boredom with me isn't the shitty thing that happened to me today though.

As I drove to the gym (which is approximately 2 miles from our home), my car started acting weird.  It couldn't accelerate more than 20 miles an hour.  And it was noisy.  And it was shaking.  And it was scary.

And right as I pulled in to the parking lot?  The transmission light let out a big DING for me.

Note: This is the first shitty thing that happened to me.

Then, after a great workout and having to call people throughout to hear about mechanics, I got back in the car to go home.  On the way home, my car could barely drive a second without causing problems.  I had to slow down, put it in first gear, and try to get home as safely as possible. All with my daughter in the car...yes, I was worried.  Yes, I tried contacting my husband and he helped as much as he possibly could from work.  The sweet life of being married to a resident let me tell ya ... and a surgery resident on top of that ... but that's for another post.

As I pulled in to my garage, my car made ANOTHER DING noise for me.

This time?  The engine light turned on!

Note: This is the SECOND shitty thing that happened to me today.

Fortunately, Evan's family is so kind and his uncle came to our house, took Liliana and I to the mechanic, and to top it all off?  They're going to let me borrow one of their cars so I don't have to pay for a rental.  Heaven sent for sure.

When we got home, I sat down to eat some lunch.  I realized I was really sore from my workout yesterday.  I don't want to toot my own horn or sound conceited.  I by NO MEANS have a super slender body or am really thin.  I love my food and I love the peanut butter chocolate chip pound cake that Evan and I finished in a matter of 2 days (in the spirit of honesty, he was gone for the majority of that ... I ate most of it).  HOWEVER, I am in shape.  I workout at least 5 times a week and my running skills aren't too shabby.  I did my personal best the other day and ran a 5K in 26:35 ... rather respectable.

Note: Part THREE of the shitty thing that happened to me is coming up ...  Here is the workout I did yesterday that got my butt, quads, inner thigh, triceps, AND chest sore:

Dear lord.  I did the Situation's (the idiota from Jersey Shore) Workout DVD because it streamed for free on our Wii and I needed a light workout day since I have really bad shin splints right now.  And, the situation got me sore.

That sentence sounded disgusting on many levels.  Not intended.  My bad. 

This lame-o DVD filled with about 100 sexual double entendres has my thighs and my butt hurting JUST as bad as Jillian Michaels.  Wow, apparently, yours truly isn't NEARLY as in shape as she thought.  Apparently doing 5 hours of exercise a week isn't cutting it.  THAT, or I need to do less cardio and more weights.  OK, that's definitely what happened, but either way, I'm a wimp.  That's the moral of the story.

And the fact that my car broke down AND the Situation from Jersey Shore taught me something all in one day?

Oy ... I should have just stayed in bed!

Keeping OFF the Baby Weight

As you guys know, I chronicled my journey through losing the baby weight, and while it wasn't easy in the slightest, it wasn't the worst thing I've experienced either.  It mainly took a lot of determination and hard work.  However, as you guys have probably already gathered from reading my posts and getting to know me, I never say no to a challenge, and...I never fail at them either.

Personally, for ME, the biggest challenge wasn't losing the baby weight, but making myself KEEP it off.  I saw losing the original baby weight as a job.  Every single day after work, I would go and work out for at least an hour.  And yes, this meant Liliana was at daycare longer, but personally, for me, losing the weight was very important.  I felt better as a woman, mom, and especially as a wife.  I wanted my husband to think I was a hot Momma, and he tells me I am ALL the time, so it makes every single mile on that treadmill more than worth it.  This is going to sound sexist, but I think it's important to keep trying to look good for our spouses.  We need to keep each other interested right? 

Plus, I had that gorgeous goal dress to get in to...that I did get in to, thank you very much!

When we got back from New York, I was kinda burned out.  I had been working out 5 - 6 times a week, at least an hour each time.  I  had been eating less, purposefully, for the first time in my life.  Before getting pregnant, I had always kept my weight right around where I wanted it.  I've been a size 4 since I can remember!  But, after making my goal weight, my body needed a break.  And, within a week, something hit me:

Keeping off the weight POST baby is much harder than it was PRE baby.

I had to rearrange the way I THOUGHT about food.  When I was pregnant, I ate when I was hungry.  At first, this made the weight come on really slowly, but once I was well in to my pregnancy, I was hungry all the damn time. 

I mean, look at this belly!  It needed LOTS of food to keep it that big!

THIS mind set of "I need to eat constantly"...THIS is the reason women have a tough time losing the baby weight. 

You have to TRAIN yourself NOT to let this happen. 

Go back to thinking, "Do I NEED this?"

For me, this transition took AT LEAST a month.  I would find myself having snacks for no apparent reason, or drinking a soda simply because I had gotten addicted while studying for my bar exam.  I still eat whatever I want. I eat ice cream, pizza, etc.  And, I'm not just saying that.  I eat unhealthy. I always have.  I HATE veggies.  I just don't eat more than I need to.  I don't go back for seconds.  Really, do we ever NEED seconds?

Personally, I don't really believe in eating all the low-cal stuff.   Because in general, to me, it tastes like shit.  I just eat ONE cookie for dessert.  In my opinion, it's better than TWO of the diet ones.  But, that might be just me.

Now, I eat when I'm hungry.  I NEVER deprive myself of something when I'm truly hungry.  I still work out about 4 times a week, about 45 minutes each time.  I would love to do more, but by the time those 45 minutes are up, I'm ITCHING to go and pick up my baby girl.  So, I let myself do that.  As long as I keep that weight where it's supposed to be, then I'm ok and I give myself the flexibility and happiness to do what I want otherwise.

I have proudly kept off the baby weight and according to my husband, my body has never looked better.  One thing though, in case some of you were wondering...my linea negra?  It's still there, in FULL force.  I have LOTS and LOTS of that Hispanic blood in me, what can I say?  I mean, it's a give and take.  I get the linea negra, but I have a pretty superb ass. ; )

Another thing I want some women to know, other than the "retraining" yourself thing, is that the statement that your body will never go back to being the same does definitely hold some truth to it.  While I am in all my prepregnancy clothes (because I always said I would never let myself buy another wardrobe because then I was accepting defeat), my body does look a little different.  My curves are more accentuated, my boobs are bigger YET saggier, and like I said, that linea negra can be seen from a mile away.

I've tried my best to EMBRACE these changes.  As long as I keep truckin, keep working out, and keep telling myself to eat only what's necessary, I'm happy with my postbaby body. 

* Addendum to this post:  After reading this post, I make it sound EASY to lose the baby weight and that sounds INCREDIBLY insensitive to women that are having a tough time.  It is NOT easy to lose it.  I worked out like a MAD woman when I was at the gym.  I pushed myself A LOT.  The point of this post is only to help people that already HAVE lost it to KEEP IT OFF!

I Put an ADDITIONAL Dress in my NY Bag

So last time I did my losing the baby weight post, I showed you the dress I want to wear to my brother in laws wedding in NY.  The wedding is coming up people!  Only 11 days away!  So I've been doing everything in my power to fit in to this dress.

I had planned on doing my "losing the baby weight post" on Friday but then...my period came.  Oh hell no...I'm not getting on the scale when I'm on my period!  So, I finally got on the scale today, for another official weigh in.

In between my weigh ins, yours truly decided to me a masochist and add an ADDITIONAL dress to her NY bag.  You see, I might have a beautiful dress for the wedding, but what oh what was I going to wear to the rehearsal dinner?  The rehearsal dinner is going to be pretty casual and is at 3 in the afternoon, so I started looking through my closet and found this dress.  I bought the rehearsal dinner dress only three weeks before knowing I was pregnant.  It was a dress that I treated myself too for getting a great position as a law clerk here in town. I wore the dress ONCE and only once. 

Behold my additional goal dress:

The dress that gives me a tiny waist.

It was from Ann Taylor, but you know me, I got it on sale!

So, yesterday, I tried my dresses on because if they didn't fit me, I had to go shopping for new ones.  The above one fits like a CHARM!  It's perfect, tight in the right places, and loose in the ones where I've finally lost some weight.  

The other dress though? 

That one's still pretty tight...HOWEVER...it zipped too!  It's tight around the boobage area, which honestly, pisses me off like no other.  My boobs are bigger after giving birth, but it's not a REAL kind of bigger, but just a SAGGY result.  UGH!  (I should note that Evan's gone crazy and says they're better (which he also says he didn't know if that was possible...really people?  What a kiss up right?) than pre-pregnancy, but he's also wrong quite often, so that doesn't mean much).

So exactly 4 months post partum, here's my progress:

Eating Habits:  I did REALLY well in some parts and not so well in others.  I ate much less, I cook nearly every day to avoid the big meals at restaurants, and I left two bites on my plate after every meal.  But the bad?  Well, let me show you in pictures about my new discoveries.  After all, a picture is worth a thousand words rights (or in this case, 1,000 calories):

This stuff is AMAAAZING.

I only bought a small tub, but it only lasted me a week, because...

have I mentioned it's AMAAAZING?

And these...ooh man...they're chocolate chip cookies FILLED with hot melted chocolate.

Ridiculous you say? 

Delicious I say.

So yeah, perhaps I shouldn't have bought these or eaten these, but as you guys know, I'm not a believer in diets.  I believe in eating in moderation.  I've only had ONE cookie whenever we eat them, and we don't make  them everyday, so again, moderation is the name of the game.

 Exercise:  I did well here too!  I now workout at a gym in town and go at least 3 times a week, but lately it's been more like 5 times a week.  If I don't go, then I do stuff at home.  I tend to workout about 4 - 5 times a week total and I've been kicking my butt while doing it.  Recently, I heard about Jackie Warner's workout recommendation which was intense cardio.  She said to do 30 seconds of easy cardio, followed by 2 minutes of intense, and repeat.  I decided I would try this and holy moly, it kicked my ass.  I've done this every time since and I can tell this is the way to work out.  You get your heart pumping FAST and it keeps you relaxed enough to actually keep going.  For instance, I'll do 30 seconds at 3.5 on the treadmill, followed by 2 minutes at 6.4 mph.  I usually do the treadmill for 20 minutes, go do weights for 20 minuets, and come upstairs and do another cardio machine for 30.  This is a long time to workout.  I realize that.  But when you have TWO beautiful dresses to fit in to, you have to make the time and feel the BURN.   Try this cardio intensity routine next time you go to the gym.  I PROMISE you you'll see results FAST.

And again, the moment of truth:

Prepregnancy weigth: 126 pounds

Weight Day I went into Labor: 163 pounds

Weight Today: 130.2.

I'm happy with this number!  I lost 3.8 pounds in 3 weeks, and considering that I'm getting closer and closer to my goal weight, I'm content with this progress.

Next goal:  Fit in to BOTH dresses REALLY well.  I only have 11 days, but hopefully I'll get there.  I would like to be back to my prepregnancy weight soon and I actually think that if I keep going with what I've been doing, I'll get there!  When I got pregnant, I was at the lowest weight I had been in over a year, so getting to this goal weight would mean a lot to me.

Eventual Goal:  4.2 pounds to return to prepregnancy weight!  

 What I think of when I'm sore, hungry, and lazy...

I want her to know it's important to exercise and keep your body healthy!

Well, it could have been Better and it could have been Worse

It has been a LONG while since I've done a "losing the baby weight" post.  There are a few reasons for this: (1) I like my scale, (2) I was in San Antonio, (3) eating habits are hard when you're on a one month vacation, and (4) the numbers kinda sucked so I was embarrassed.  So let's go in order:

Our Scale: Yeah, it acts like the batteries are constantly out, but I like it.  Yeah it constantly says "error" and I have to stand on it a few times before it actually gives me a reading, but I like it. I like using ONE scale because then the numbers are more consistent.

San Antonio and a One Month Eating Vacation: This sounds like a grand excuse and it is.  But do you guys know how hard it is to lose weight when you're eating out or at someone else's home AT LEAST 4 days a week?  If you haven't ever been to San Antonio, the food there is simply amazing.  We went to Taco Cabana a few too many times and I never finished my plate, but how proud can I be of my efforts when what I was eating consisted of bean and cheese nachos topped with sour cream?

The Numbers:  I was rather happy at the progress back in July so I, very naively, expected the numbers to keep coming off at that rate.  I only weighed myself twice while in San Antonio and both times, I nearly cried.  Ok, not really...but if I was the type of girl that got emotional really easily, I totally would have.

This next month shall be REALLY interesting.  On September 30th, I will be traveling to New York for my brother in laws wedding...and...there's an outfit.  Yes, a beautiful dress that my Mommy bought me while I was in Puerto Rico a year ago.  This dress is stunning and sexy and...when she bought it for me, my Mom said "You look beautiful, but you can't gain not even one pound."  That's how curvalicious this dress is.  And, I'm obviously not fitting in to it.  My Mom bought me the dress so I could wear it to a wedding we were going to, but SURPRISE I was 10 weeks pregnant when that wedding occurred and didn't fit in the dress.  SO, I wanna wear it now:

This picture doesn't do it justice.  But I promise it's stunning. 

And, look at the price!!  It was 50% off the NOW price.  Yep, it was a $128 dress that we bought for about $38.  I just HAVE to lose this baby weight and get in to this dress!  It's a shame not to take advantage of this deal.

And look at the pretty brown shoes I bought to match.  

Sigh, I want to wear this outfit!

So, 13 weeks postpartum here's my progress: 

Eating Habits:  As I said above, I could have eaten healthier but that wasn't my main problem.  My main problem was that I put too much food on my damn plate!  I just need to put less food in my mouth.  Simple solution.  That being said, I could have done much worse.  I tended to combine breakfast and lunch and then ate a pretty large dinner.  I'm pretty happy with my combining breakfast and lunch, so I just need to eat a little bit less for dinner.  I continue to leave two bites on my plate and say what you want, but I like that tid bit of advice.  Just add up the calories you'd save by doing that.  Say it's 30 calories a day, that's over 200 calories a week and 800 a month!  

Exercise:  I worked out at least 4 times a week while in San Antonio.  In general, the workouts ranged from 30 minutes to 50 minutes.  I am starting to get back in better shape and that feels great.  I did a bunch of my favorite (Jillian) but since I had so many more options in San Antonio, I took advantage of them:  I ran on the treadmill 3 times, I did the rowing machine once, and I went swimming as a workout twice.  These were nice changes of pace and they really worked on getting me SORE.  This upcoming month, I'll do some more Jillian and I'll be taking part in a free gym membership in Lubbock that has classes, a bunch of weight machines, a pool, and of course, free daycare!  Yes please.

And again, the moment of truth:

Prepregnancy weigth: 126 pounds

Weight Day I went into Labor: 163 pounds

Weight Today: 134.0

So I lost 5.2 pounds in 6 weeks.  It could have done MUCH better, but it could have been MUCH worse.  So, I'll take it.  

Goal for the next 2 weeks:  This upcoming month since we're back in Lubbock, things are going to get even better.  I have to fit in this dress by the end of the month!  I am cooking nearly every day and working out 5 days a week.  I'll report about the progress in a couple weeks.  I assure you, well at least I HOPE HOPE HOPE, I'll be fitting in to that dress by the day I leave for that flight!!

Eventual Goal:  8 pounds to return to prepregnancy weight! 

Here's another picture of my Liliana taken at 12 weeks.

My goodness ... and I hate to be that kind of Mom ... but she is SO FLIPPING CUTE!!

If I Suck in...THEY FIT!

Well welcome to my third installment of losing the baby weight!  I have to admit, I'm more upbeat about it this time.  Approximately one week ago I decided to do it...do IT (no...not THAT...get your head out of the gutter people).  I decided to try on a pair of my pre-pregnancy pants.  You see, a week after I got home from the hospital I made the huge mistake of doing that.  I went in to my closet and found my period pants: you know, the ones that are a little bigger, but you love when you're on your period because you feel all bloated?  I have done some stupid things in my day, but this has to be at the top of them.  The pants barely got above my knees.  I kid you not.  All I could do was laugh at my stupidity and fatness.  I put them back thinking I'd try them on some other day.

So, last week, I decided it was time again.  I was now 7 weeks postpartum and wanted to see if I was making any progress.  Now mind you, I had to suck in A LOT, my muffin top greatly hangs over, and the seems were being stretched to the max, but the things fit!  It was awesome.  I walked all over the house trying to impress my husband.  He just seemed amused.  The pants obviously didn't fit, but man it felt good to get in something that wasn't a dress or skirt (the only things I've worn lately).  All my skirts and dresses from prepregnancy fit me two weeks after giving birth to Liliana, and I don't have too many, so I'm getting pretty sick of wearing the same things over and over again.

These two weeks I made some startling revelations:  Did you know that if you don't eat out you'll lose more weight?  Uh huh!  See, aren't you glad you read this blog to find out fascinating nutritional advice?  Oh, and another thing: if you don't make any desserts...you won't have any to eat!  And when you don't eat desserts, you lose more weight too!  It's just crazy!

So, 8 weeks postpartum, here's my progress:

Eating Habits:  I kept two pieces of food on my plate (or gave them to my beagle (#3 love of my life after Evan and Liliana)) and we ate here in our house A LOT more.  My mom was here for most of the last two weeks and she cooked nearly every night.  This helped so much.  I told Evan that if I don't get a job immediately and am staying at home for the next few months, I'm cooking every single night and going out will be a thing of the past.  Not only will we save money, but we'll lose weight too! Evan lost a ton of weight the last two weeks too. He hasn't been this weight since before college.  You know what that means right? The abs are looking mighty nice! ; )

 Who could say no to that cute little beagle? : )

Exercise:  I varied up my work outs these two weeks and had fun with it.  We went swimming twice and I did P90X with Evan one afternoon.  Other than that, I did my Jillian Michaels DVDs (30 day shred, No More Trouble Zones, and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism).  I've said this before, but buy all three of these.  They are all excellent workouts.  Even when I was in great shape before the pregnancy, these things kicked my butt.  I had promised on my last post that I was going to increase the intensity, so I did Level 2 of the 30 day shred last night.  I don't think my abs were quite ready for that yet.  Your abs are nonexistent post pregnancy.  It's pathetic and very strange feeling.  But, hopefully, by the end of these two weeks I will feel more comfortable on my level two.

Here we go again, the moment of truth:

Prepregnancy weight: 126 pounds

Weight Day I went into Labor: 163 pounds

Weight Today: 139.2 pounds

I lost 2.2 pounds in the last two weeks.  You're probably thinking "woman, that's not that great," but considering that I'm studying for the bar exam approximately 14 hours a day and taking care of my brand new baby girl, I'm proud of this progress.  I only lost 1.6 pounds last time, so something I did worked better these two weeks.  Plus, I originally thought that my weight would come off more slowly now that my uterus isn't shrinking anymore.  Apparently, my hard work (well, as much as I have time for) is paying off slowly but surely.  Plus, since I didn't ever breastfeed, I'm aware this weight is going to come off more slowly, but I'll get there.  I'm very determined to get my body in shape...it has...after all only been 8 weeks.  I can't wait for August when I'll no longer be studying.  That workout routine is going to get intense and you guys are gonna start seeing major results from me...I hope. ; )

Goal for the Next Two Weeks: I'm not going to give myself a new goal these upcoming two weeks because I have the bar exam in two weeks, so my studying is priority #1.  If I just keep up my 25 minute workouts every other day, I'll be really proud of myself.  I don't foresee any progress in my next update, but as long as I don't gain, I'll be proud.  My main goal for the next two weeks is to stay sane.

Eventual Goal:  13.2 pounds to return to pre-baby weight!

One thing I know for sure..this little girl is SO worth it all. 

She's gorgeous isn't she?  I know I'm her Mommy and all, but wow...

It's the Cut of the Swimsuit...Right?

Well people, it's been two weeks.  Two freaking weeks...14 whole days...and I stepped on the scale again this morning.  Sigh...

I said two weeks ago that I wanted to get my pre-baby body back.  I know that people say "it takes time," but a large part of me believed it was women being lazy and not working out.  Well, as I blogged about earlier, I went for my post-partum visit exactly a week from yesterday.  He gave me the green light on exercising but just told me to take it easy for the first few weeks since my hips could still be sensitive to certain motions.  "Alright!!" I thought.  Let's do this thing.

So, I thought I did pretty darn well the last couple of weeks.  Here's my progress:

Exercise: I've worked out four times already!  I've gotten sore every time.  I got pretty darn sore the first time and it's been subsiding a little since.  Since I'm studying for the bar, my workouts are short: between 20 - 30 minutes.  I realize this is pathetic.  I know.  But, it's all that I have time for, so it'll have to do.   I work out every other day.  My husband is the sweetest and he has been working out with me every single time as moral support.  I think this is a good time to mention what I do for my workout routine: Jillian Michaels.  I am obsessed with this woman.  I own nearly all her DVDs (I have 8 total) and they seriously kick your ass.  Even my husband agrees.

I've been doing some cardio, some strength, and of course my favorite, the 30 day Shred:

I only did Level 1 for now and will probably stick to that for the next couple weeks.  I really do love working out and more so, doing it at home.  Through this blog, I hope to help other women that are trying to lose the baby weight, or just lose weight in general.  I think in another life, I could have been a personal trainer.  The only problem is, I like to eat.  I could have done the exercise part, but would have been horrible at suggesting what they eat...I mean hello, did you not see my post about our Saturday meal?  Anyway, all in all, I'm proud of myself for working out four times and not even being 6 weeks postpartum.  I think I've done rather well.


My Eating Habits:  There's some good...and some bad to report in this department.  I left two bites of every meal on my plate as I had wanted to do.  So, thumbs up there!  Thumbs down though because I ate ice cream nearly every night for a week!  OOPS!  Darn it.  Granted, it was a small amount every evening, but I should have said no.  Fortunately, the ice cream is finished and I'm thoroughly sick of the stuff, so that won't be happening anymore.  As I've mentioned before, I don't' believe in dieting: I believe in moderation. So, if I want a little ice cream, I'll give myself a little ice cream. 

Now, the moment of truth:

Pre-pregnancy weight: 126 pounds

Weight the day I went into labor: 163 pounds

Today's weight:  141.4 pounds

UUUGH!! I'm so freaking frustrated.  I did a better job with my eating, I worked out a few times, and I only lost 1.6 pounds in two weeks?  What the heck?

To make matters worse, guess what I had to do yesterday?  Buy a swimsuit.  I've decided that next time I have a kid, I'm having it during the winter.  That way, I won't have to go out in a swimsuit within weeks of having had a baby.  This weekend, my Dad is coming in to town and we're going to the pool to swim together with Evan.  I took a break from studying and tried on swimsuits at Target...I swear, I would rather be studying!  They looked freaking horrible.  And if you want complete honesty on this blog: the mediums didn't fit. Yep, that's right, I have made my ass large enough to officially be considered large.  Yuck.  So, we went to Old Navy because I decided I desperately wanted a one-piece.  I ended up finding a cute one AND it was in a Medium, thank you very much.  Evan, of course, says I look "freaking hot" in it.  Ain't he sweet? 

Enough with the joking around though.  I know it hasn't even been six weeks, but seeing my body in this fashion has been tough emotionally.  I have definitely done the standing in front of the mirror naked thing...I just stand there grabbing all my gross fat deposits.  Evan will walk by and tell me to stop doing that.  He keeps telling me I look great for only having given birth 5 weeks ago.  But, as a woman, I miss seeing what I used to be.  For that reason, I'm going to keep on trucking every two weeks, posting on here every other Wednesday, and holding myself accountable until that baby weight is off darn it!!

Goal for the next two weeks:  Keep working out!  I won't have time to increase the time of the workouts, so by the end of the next two weeks, I want to have moved up on intensity.  Also, I want to try and keep a more positive attitude.  I know the weight will come off eventually, so I can't give up and get negative about it.

Eventual Goal: 15.4 pounds to go to return to pre-baby weight!

Losing the Baby Weight

Well, I've officially had no excuse to carry around this remaining flabby belly for 26 days.  Liliana is 26 days old, and although I'm technically not allowed to work out yet, it's about time that I start holding myself accountable for this post-baby weight loss.

 Right now, I look like this, and would therefore be wearing this to the beach:

I want to look like this and be wearing this instead:

In order to make this happen, I need this blog post...I'm going to give those terrifying numbers that no woman wants people to know.  So, without further delay:

Pre-pregnancy weight: 126 pounds

Weight the day I went in to labor: 163 pounds

Weight today: 143 pounds

 

So, to lose this baby weight, I think I'll write on the blog.  This will hold me accountable to the few that read this thing.  I will give my weight every couple weeks and critique myself as to how I did in terms of eating, exercise etc.

Since I'm behind 26 days, I'll say what I've done so far:

    - My exercise: nonexistent, because I'm not allowed anyway!  I haven't even been walking around the block because I don't have time since I'm studying too often.  I will try to improve that some this week though.  Again, it's nice to clear my mind and get out of the house some.

    - My eating habits:  I've tried to be a little more mindful of this.  I haven't been dieting.  I actually never diet.  I think that's a horrible way to monitor myself.  I don't want to start a dieting roller coaster.


Goal for the next two weeks: walk more around the block and start leaving a couple bites of foot on my plate after every meal in an attempt to keep some calories off.

Eventual Goal: 17 pounds to go to return to pre-baby weight!