I had wondered if the day would ever come. Last week, on Thursday morning - as I was preparing to make final preparations to leave for Chicago, I checked the scale - as I do most mornings (after I've peed and before I've eaten anything and with no clothing on : )). I have been very close for weeks - even within a half of a pound. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't say I had accomplished my goal until I was really there. And my friends - I know it will be okay with you - if I do share this accomplishment. I have FINALLY returned to my highest pre-pregnancy weight. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
I know in the grand scheme of things that God probably does not care whether I am 122 or 119.5. But I do. For some reason it is just a reassurance to me that I will still be me post partum. And in all honesty, I am back up a few pounds after my Chicago trip. But that is okay with me because once I have hit where I want to be, I know that I may fluctuate, but I will get back easily.
This by no means means that I think I have "arrived" in terms of my body. Do you really know any woman who is completely happy with her body? I don't. But I have accomplished one small thing and just wanted to share my joy.
How did I do it? Counting calories. I shot for 1500 a day. I'd say I was successful maybe half the time. I felt that for me, I wanted to still enjoy life a bit. And so that meant a lot of days - especially on the weekends - when I just didn't do as well. I probably could've reached this goal a lot sooner had I been strict. As one of my former theatre colleagues said, "I've figured out how to loose weight. You can't cheat."
1500 is doable for me. Not sure I could do 1200. It is much harder though if you eat out. You can even have one treat a day on 1500. Counting calories is pretty tedious though. But I don't really think there is any way around it. It is both easy and hard at the same time.
One other thought: It is truly eye opening to count calories and see how many calories some things have - particularly when eating out. One milk shake can be 1000 calories. Some restaurants have lower calorie options. And most of those meals are around 500 calories (not counting bread or drink or anything else). Imagine what the calories are on the other menu items.
So that's all for this post.
Time to get pregnant again? I don't think so. I think I'll enjoy this for a minute.
Congratulations Annie!
ReplyDeleteWith Celia, my Dr. made a comment over my weight gain that sent me into a tailspin -- and for a dancer, that's not a good thing. I lost it all after she was born but I've never looked at a scale since. I promised myself then that I'd never let a number determine how I would feel each day.
Funny because, I went to do a yearly last week and stepped on the scale with my back turned and reminded the nurse that I did not want to know. She was stunned saying that's what pregnant women say not gals in my place. I just told her that I don't need to know my lightest weight so that at my heaviest I will feel sad. I'm just happy to look in the mirror and feel good about where I am today.
You look amazing!
I agree with Marlowe: You are beautiful!! And, CONGRATS!! It's hard work losing weight. I'm on that journey now. The only thing I've found that works for me, other than hard work of course, is the Lose It! app (for iPhone) or website. It's way easier than thinking about it. Dunno if you have it or another method you use to calorie count, but if you want a resource, it's been my buddy for a year. I hope that you do find love for your body and peace to be in it. I'm working on that, too!!
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