Those that know me have undoubtedly heard of my recent efforts to lose weight, and I have to say it's been a success! Not one to toot my own horn often, I take pride in announcing that I've lost 12 pounds in 5 weeks. And it wasn't all that difficult!
What does this have to do with mommyhood? Lots! For example, becoming a mommy usually means having a much differently shaped mid section post birth. Not that I was a size 2 pre-pregnancy, but it still changes things up for you, no matter what your shape before. Being a mom to a daughter also means for me a desire to be a good role model, and that means having a positive and realistic body image. The fact that I also want to make my own wholesome baby food for my little one has made me reexamine the things I put into my own body. And of course- the desire to be healthy and live a very long, very full life all adds up to eating healthy and getting into shape.
So how have I done it? Well, a few different ways. Being at home for nine weeks and not wanting to leave the house because of sheer exhaustion has really changed my perspective on food. I want a kitchen filled with wholesome food that will last - not junk food that disappears as soon as it appears and does no good. Also, if I'm going go take the effort to go out to eat with a baby, it had better be some good food! So there went the desire for most of what I ate pre-baby! Money seems to go quicker and quicker out of my hands now that I'm in a house of three, so anything I can do to hold on to that money is key. If I'm going to pay for food (which, in the end, means paying for nothing more than waste... if you catch my drift), again, it's going to have to be pretty darn good food.
I also joined a weight loss program. No, not the one that ships you frozen food. The one that Charles Barkley spouts off about on the Science Channel. Is it expensive? Well, more so than not being on a diet plan. Is it hard to follow? Absolutely not. I'm all about making things simple, and with having a 4 month old, trying to sell my home, and working 40+ hours per week, I wouldn't do anything that would add a ton of effort into my hectic schedule.
I also have to give huge props to two new ladies in my life- Hungry Girl and chocolatecoveredkatie.com. Hungry Girl has a show on Food Network and also some great cookbooks. I recently got a cookbook of hers that has 300 recipes under 300 calories, and it's worth every penny I spent on it - which was not too many pennies since I got it on Amazon.com. Her recipes are good, easy to follow, easy to make, and have ingredients that are affordable and found at the most vanilla of grocery stores.
Chocolatecoveredkatie.com is a blog that I found through pinterest (a huge guilty pleasure and time waster of mine...). Her blog talks about healthy desserts and recipes. I'm truly in love with her desserts, which are sweet, but not saccharine sweet. I think that a big part of my success so far has been in reprogramming my taste buds to appreciate subtle tastes, vs. the huge sugar and salt tastes that are found in most foods today. I recently tried two of her recipes - one for a healthy cookie dough dip that is actually husband approved - http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/23/want-to-eat-an-entire-bowl-of-cookie-dough/ - and another for roasted cauliflower that was so good that the husband and I ate an entire head of cauliflower in one sitting...
I urge anyone looking to make things healthier, simpler, cheaper, or just to liven things up to check out these two ladies of mine. If ever I meet either of them, a big hug is in order for them!!!
The best thing, is that the longer I stick with the good eating, visiting the gym, and being more active, the easier it gets. So when the baby is up and running and playing and getting into things, I'll actually have a chance to keep up with her!!
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