How I Lost Baby Weight and Then Some

Stemming from another blog post I read, I thought I'd do a post about how I lost my baby weight + and how I've managed to keep it off.

I've always been a fan of some sort of exercise. Dancing, walking, pilates, and some slight running have been in my life since about 1997 (with the exception of pilates, that came in 2005).

However, this is the skinniest/healthiest I've ever been since mid-school I think. There are few factors that have come into play. The biggest two are calorie intake and exercise.

I gained 40 lbs during my pregnancy with twins. After I had them, I lost about 15 lbs instantly. Then about 10 more over the next week or two. Once I realized no more weight was going to just magically fall off (darn it), I decided to take action. I am just NOT ok feeling fat and uncomfortable in my own skin. I'm not a huge fan of Oprah, but one of my favorite quotes comes from her. She said, "I hate working out. I hated it yesterday, today, and will hate it tomorrow. But I hate being fat even more." I totally agree with that statement! Another quote that always comes to mind is "I don't alter clothes to fit my body, I alter my body to fit the clothes I like." Devil Wears Prada maybe? I can't remember. It makes me laugh because of how ridiculous it is, but it's totally how I feel!

Anyway, I had to wait 6 weeks to heal from my c-section, but at week 6 I started walking on the treadmill. Over the week, I started increasing walking into running. I ran on the treadmill for about 3 or 4 months until I lost another 20 lbs. It sucked, and I have never really liked running, but I made myself do it every.single.day. So, when the babies were like 5 months old I had lost all the baby weight, plus 16 more lbs.

Not working has really helped me lose weight and keep it off also. When I was working, people would bring donuts or bagels for breakfast, and then I'd snack on chocolate or other candy at my desk, then we'd all go out for a big lunch, more snacking, and then I'd come home to eat a big dinner to relax. Not to mention, birthday cakes and other crap that was constantly in the lunch room. I was taking in WAY more calories than I needed, and way more than I was burning off.

Once I became a stay-at-home mom, I started eating healthy. I started eating a ton of fruit, salads, veggies, rice cakes for snacks (sounds gross, but they're really good!), baked chips and other baked snacks, and baked chicken with steamed veggies. I don't eat red meat (haven't for years). I also started drinking protein fruit smoothies. I have another post on here about those, but they basically consist of organic fruit, light soy milk, splenda, almonds, and a dash of fiber and protein powder. They are delicious and I'm totally addicted!
We try not to go out to eat very often, and we try to stay away from fast food as much as we can. This is hard for me because I love McDonald's french fries and cinnamelt!!
When we do go out to eat, I keep aware of portion sizes. I usually eat less than half what comes on the plate, and save the rest for a later meal. I also try to choose somewhat healthy options.
I don't have to walk or do pilates as much now that I have two toddlers that keep me very active. But, I still throw those things in there at least twice a week. I take the jogger stroller and jog the babies over to the park and I'll do pilates in the morning sometimes. I try to run on the treadmill when I can, but I've been lacking with that lately.

The bottom line for me is calorie intake and exercise. Once I got those things in check, the weight really stays off pretty easily. It fluctuates a couple lbs here and there, but the main thing is that I feel great! I feel healthy. Sure, I'd like to lose another 10 lbs, but I don't think that's necessary. Really I just want to keep toning up what I have.
This may not be the answer for everyone. I just know what works for me. I have friends that have had great success with Weight Watchers. The key is to find what works best for you and stick with it! :) Also, try not to obsess over numbers on the scale (I'm guilty of this). As long as you're healthy and feel good about yourself, that's all that matters!