Losing it...the post baby diaries...Sept 28

Losing the baby weight goes way beyond willpower. It requires the stubbornness to stick with it even though you are exhausted, interrupted multiple times by baby and facing a big pile of laundry in the bin. You also need to strike a fine balance between a dose of pragmatism and avoiding the justification trap. 


Last week, I did it...I made it to my 5-workout-a-week goal. I felt pretty damn good. And here is a ringing endorsement of the Tracy Anderson Method: after doing the video 5 times in a week, there is a significant change in my body. Gravity be damned! Talk about motivation. Still 17 pounds to go, but I am bolstered by this apparent progress.


There was a large amount of stick-to-it-ive-ness required to achieve this goal. The first tenet was, workout no matter what. Typically, I workout after I wake up and have fed my little one and then I set him to lay down near me while I put the DVD on. Early after birth, I would do this and then put him in the stroller and wheel him into the gym while I worked out. And to my delight, he would sleep through my workout. Now, not so much. No matter what I have tried, he refuses to just hang out through the 45 minute DVD. So to get through the workout, I have to stop an average of 3-5 times to pick him up, rock him, change his diaper etc. The first couple of times this happened, it was enough to make me not want to work out...now, I just accept it as part of the routine and allot 1 hour to my 45 minute DVD. 


I am already testing the strength of this first tenet this week: my little guy has taken to not sleeping well through the night and I have been so exhausted that I have gotten up "too late" to get my workout in before rushing to prior appointments. Two days in a row...but tomorrow it ends (and lucky for me, I will still have 5 days left to get my workouts in).


This weekend, I am even leaving for a week with family...and I am determined to keep going. I am bringing my laptop, yoga mat and weights so I can still get my workouts in. Actually, with both my mom and grandma around the house, I now have child care for a week straight and consequently, a lack of excuses. 


As for my eating regime...I have eaten very well for the last week but there have been a few hiccups. Six, to be exact. Let me explain: Sunday was my birthday. And throughout the week, I have had multiple celebrations (and of course, leftovers) which has meant 6 servings of birthday cakes. So much for my "no junk food plan". 


Now here is the balance between pragmatism and justification: the dietitian in me knows that I have eaten really well so I have had a "good" week in terms of nutrient density. And a birthday is once a year...it is easy to forgo treats made for others but pretty impossible to forgo treats made specially for you. However, this will not be a great weight loss week. This is one of the trade offs: if you approach a diet as a quick fix, any number of slip ups could be incredibly frustrating and lead you astray. A common diet mentality is "well, I am 'ruining' this week anyways....". Hold it right there! I did not give myself permission to eat loads of junk food because I knew each day wouldn't be "perfect". To be honest, I wasn't craving junk...but I still planned healthy meals to help "balance" the indulgences. And once we finally rid our fridge of the birthday treats (which my husband can thankfully help with), it is back to the original game plan. I am halfway through this 6 week "phase" of my eating plan...so 3 weeks from now, I am going to ramp up the diet efforts. My motivating deadline is that I would like to be close to my goal so I can wear something fun for New Year's Eve. A week with my grandmother's cooking should be interesting...stay tuned next week. 


In good health,
Desiree


PS: do you have any diet disaster stories? Feel free to share them here!