Wait... Loss

After complaining about it in January, I’m ready to do something about getting back into shape and losing some of the extra ELLE BEES I’ve been carrying around. The timing just feels better: Emme’s sleep has become more consistent (fingers crossed knock on wood), which means my sleep has become more consistent, which basically means everything is better, I have a little more energy, and I can think straight.

So it’s time to get back at it. And, I’m going to write about it. And I’m going to try to be as honest as possible starting with this: My goal is to lose 25 pounds. I know it’s not some major goal, but that’s probably close to the number most people wrestle with when it comes to extra weight. I’m hoping I can lose a decent chunk of that by my 34th birthday (yikes!) in late June.

So what’s the plan?

As with all things lately, breastfeeding continues to be a major factor. Everyone knows that breastfeeding is supposed to help you lose weight because it burns extra calories, and I think this is true initially for most people. For some people, it’s true in general. I have friends who cannot eat enough to keep weight on while breastfeeding. I am not one of these people. I have the sneaking suspicion I might be in the other group of breastfeeding moms—the ones who hang on to a few extra pounds until the baby weans. Moreover, you cannot drastically cut calories while breastfeeding or your supply will drop. Nursing can also zap your energy, so I basically am accepting the fact that I’m not in the mood to train for a half marathon or take on some other big fitness goal, much less try out more intense forms of exercise. Breastfeeding continues to be a priority, so I have to be careful to make sure my goals are compatible.

That said, I’m going to keep a food journal at myfitnesspal.com. I’ve set my daily calorie goal at 1,800, with 50 percent of calories coming from carbohydrates, 30 percent from protein, and 20 percent from fat. Key to my plan is to lower my carbohydrate intake (and making sure that the majority of my carbs are from whole foods and not processed foods) and up my protein intake. I’ll stick to this plan for most days of the week, but cut myself some slack for special events and weekends. I’ll reassess as necessary.

As for exercise, my Groupon with Get in Shape for Women came to an end. I actually used every single session that I had and considered joining until I found out that the membership fee was nearly $2,000 (!!!!!!!) for six months (and that only allowed me to work out three times a week). That’s not to mention the fact that I really didn’t dig the owner’s approach, but that’s another story. Since then I have been doing some soul searching and internet searching about what I’d like to do now. Here’s what I found out: I hate the gym I belong to. I hate everything about it down to the fact that I feel unsafe walking from the door to my car because the parking lot is poorly lit and it’s not the best area. This means I make it there maybe once or twice a month and that’s only when Running Buddy Meg can meet me there. That’s not worth it. So I’m quitting.

I looked into personal trainers, small group training programs, bootcamps, etc., but right now, I just want to do what makes me happy. While all those things sound great, I don’t have the energy for them, and really, I just want to be reminded of how much I enjoy exercising. And then I found out that the Zumba class that I used to plan my week around is now being taught in the suburb next to me, at a gym that is about 1000 times nicer than the one I belong to now. It’s slightly less convenient, but not much more than Get In Shape for Women was, and I managed to make it there three times a week. I think the promise of knowing that I will get to do a workout I’ll enjoy is worth the extra effort, so MM and I are going to check it out this weekend. It may not end up being the right choice, but I’m hopeful.

But that’s not all!

MM and I have decided it’s time to invest in a piece of workout equipment for our home. We’re getting an elliptical trainer. We’ve been talking about it for some time now, and the reality is that with the baby, sometimes getting to the gym is not possible. This will provide an option that is impossible to escape.

That’s a lot of information, but the bottom line is that to start, I’d like to workout 3x a week. Nothing set in stone, it will probably be mostly cardio to begin with because that’s what I enjoy. I’m also going to try my best to get off my ass at work and take myself out for a walk around the block on days when the weather is semi-bearable. Today is not one of those days.

As for accountability… Hello Blog. I’ll update about once a week with my progress.

And away we go.