Ok, so maybe I'm just speaking for myself. .....And maybe I started putting my fingers in my ears and closing my eyes to what I was eating far before the holidays. Because I did. And I keep gaining weight. Yes, I am pregnant, but I know from personal experience that you can keep that "baby" weight down to a minimum and have healthy bundle of joy.So, as I am watching the scale go to higher and higher numbers (egads!) I am wondering what I am doing wrong. I finally opened my eyes to every thing I ate yesterday. In fact, I plugged it in to Calorie Counter Plus, a free on line diet aid. I type in what I eat and it adds it all up, even giving me a grade for the day.
(Here is a picture of my husband and I in May of 08. I had already started dieting but was so surprised at how I looked. It's such a strange phenomenon that we don't see ourselves as we really are? This picture really gave me the drive to get serious about loosing weight.)Do I even have to tell you that my calories were way over what I should be eating? And that's without a single sugar cookie in sight! Who knows how much I was eating with my neighbor's famous Oreo balls in the house.
Time to par back a little! I'm setting a calorie goal for myself and plan to stick to it. Many studies have shown that if you just keep a food log (just writing down what you eat) alone, that you will be much more accountable for what you are eating. When just estimating, we are 40% under the real numbers! My plan is to diligently use Calorie Counter Plus and continue to exercise. Hopefully, I can stop the upward swing of the numbers on the scale.
(This was a picture of me in January of 09, about a hundred pounds less than the first picture. What an accomplishment that was, and what a good feeling! All summer we were able to walk and play and do things that I never would have had the energy to do before.)All of the time and energy put in to calorie counting and exercise is worth it! It is a strange thing, but you receive even more time and energy back for your work.
Anyone else changing the way they eat in the upcoming weeks?
8 comments:
I too am trying to change my diet. As a vegetarian, it is easy to go overboard on the carbs. In fact, that's what I was doing.
I got my wake up call just the other day when I stepped on the scale - eek!
But now that the holidays are coming to an end, it'll be easier to get back on track :)
Blessings!
Jennifer I cut out sugar and flour a couple of weeks ago...I knew I was addicted again so out they went. I've already lost 6 lbs and feel so much better. My hubbys reunion is in July...thats my motivation.
I am trying to keep my baby weight gain to a minimal too. For me keeping veggies/fruits for salads and snacks is key.
Your pictures in the post are so... sweet! Keep up the good work friend!
Wow, this hit the nail on the head!
:-)
I can say that I don't usually gain a lot of weight DURING the holidays, but afterwards I'm usually a bit depressed and eat to "console" myself. :-P
However, my dh and I celebrate our 25th anniversary in April 2010 and I'd sure like to lose 40 lbs. before then---not gain another 5 or 10 lbs. like usual. So, I'm going to consider your post my motivator---after all, if you can do this while pregnant, I certainly should be able to do it when I'm not! :-)
BTW-I used to read your blog a while back but lost everything in a computer crash and it took awhile to find you again. However, I don't remember reading about how you lost your weight-have you ever written about it specifically?
yes! I gained weight too. Cookie addict! Sugar is my foe. I have not worked out in weeks. I'm back to alot raw, and I have very good intentions of working out again sometime soon. Any day now, really. *U*
You will have a much easier delivery and recovery after the baby if you keep the weight down. I was always very thin- until pregnancy! The 2nd trimester I started eating and eating- I gained 52 lbs the first two, then 80 with Ben! Yikes! Pretty funny for someone deathly ill and throwing up for the first 3 or more months!
YOu can do it sister! YOu are very self-disciplined when you make up your mind.
As I am posting I have cookies in the oven. My Multiple Sclerosis causes me to have problems swallowing so like tonight, I was so hungry but couldn't swallow. Now that I can swallow I have let myself get "past the point" and now just want sugar. I really don't enjoy food. If I didn't have to eat to survive I wouldn't. HOWEVER...I do love sweets and would exist only on sugary sweets if I could. I don't care if my husband takes me to a steak house or not but by gosh we better go by the Chocolate Bar on the way home! I need to eat healthier so I would like to make this a lifestyle change in 2010...sounds more successful than a resolution huh? haha.
I'm on board. Actually, Oystein is needing to change his diet for health reasons (stomach issues) so we are going to work on it together. Jennifer, you look awesome in that second picture. You rarely share pictures of yourself. :-)
Jennifer & Maureen, gaining only a minimal amount of weight while pregnant may result in a healthy baby and a healthy mother who is able to fully nurse the baby. But some mothers smoke or drink during pregnancy and many of their babies come out fine too, even though I would not want to risk it.
Remember, each previous pregnancy depletes your body and each time you are a little older and likely a little more tired.
Pay only a little attention to how much weight you are gaining and a *lot* to the quality of every bite you eat. In particular, get enough high-quality protein, food full of vitamins, cut down or eliminate white flour products, reduce sugar & caffeine and stay well-hydrated.
Be well, eat well and have healthy babies!
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