First Run

Went for a run yesterday. It was a beautiful sunny fall afternoon and I just needed some SPACE and some PEACE AND QUIET. It was great.

I ran for 3 minutes, walked 1 minute and alternated like that for a little over 22 minutes.

That was plenty as mid run my lower abdomen and 'parts' became a little sore. I can also feel it today.

I am glad I went but I will have to wait until the 6 week mark before I run again.

4 weeks Postpartum

I'm now 4 weeks postpartum. No diet yet just trying to stay away from crappy food. So far I'm not having much success at that ;)
2 more weeks to go until I get to start exercising and will try to lose the extra 15 pounds I'm carrying by Christmas.


I figured I would wear the same shirt to show the progress of my belly shrinkage. It is a nursing top. Quite comfortable but not very flattering on my stomach. It is also hard to get the exact angle I was standing in but I think my 7 year old did a pretty good job.

So here you go.

This was at the 2 week mark. Oh good I DO see a big difference. Phew!!! Ha! Also notice the LACK of leaves on the ground outside. I have A LOT of raking to do!!!

Crappy Feelings Need to Go Away

I'm tired and fat. Not a nice feeling. The baby is fussing more at night and I can't seem to stop eating treats. I actually think I've GAINED a little weight over the past week or so.

Lack of sleep + Poor Diet = Slowed down metabolism

Crap.

I am still trying not to think about it until the 6 week mark. Hard to do when I'm tired. I think I'm ready to start my Mommy and Me exercise video that was sent to me to review and blog about. It is gentle may be the kick I need to start taking care of myself again.

3 weeks and feeling pretty good.

We went for a walk as a family yesterday. I think the total path was maybe 2-3 kms?? I just strapped the baby to me in the Moby Wrap and set out. We were with all our kids so of course the pace was quite slow and for the first time my uterus and lower tummy did not hurt!
Yay...I'm recovering and on my way back to being a Fit Mommy!!

I'll be three weeks postpartum as of tomorrow and so far I'm feeling alright. Tomorrow I'm going to start to cut out the sweets in my diet and be a little more conscious of the amount of food I'm taking in. I would like to start my 6 weeks postpartum runs a little trimmer. I'm not going nuts...just cutting a few calories. It is more important to keep my energy levels up than diet.

Finding the Motivation

The weather is fowl. Dark and wet.

I am a woman of the sun. The darkness is horrible for my moods. I am one of those people who get SAD. Seasonal Depression or whatever the acronym stands for.

So how am I countering it??

Normally exercise plays a key role but because I still need to rest my postpartum body I am making sure I am taking my multi vitamins and Fish Oils. Oh....I'm also staying away from wine and cutting out the sweets. I think once my friends stop bringing me food (not that I'm complaining), I am going to put myself on a healthy diet. I will need to make sure that I am eating properly. Eating enough fruits and vegetables will also help me to lose more of this baby fat without the need for a 'diet'. This way at the 6 week mark I will have even less weight to feel bad about ;) I'm sure the less weight I have to feel bad about the less SAD I will be as well. Get it??

Such a vicious cycle to break though. When I'm feeling crappy all I want to do is eat sugar, have a glass of red wine, and hibernate on the couch. All it takes is a little will power to make ONE of the changes mentioned above and I start to feel motivated to put the 5th cookie down and go for a walk.

I'm worth it...At least that is what I am able to tell myself today.

I ran today.

I ran today.
O.K I ran for 5 seconds from the back of a building towards the van where my husband was picking me up.
It felt good.
Really good.
I miss running.
I can't wait till the 6 week postpartum date so I can run for more than 5 seconds
Yippee.

But for now I need to rest. I need to rest this body of mine that grew a human being in my belly for nine months. It deserves a rest so I will give that to it.

2 Weeks Postpartum Blues

I realized something last night.
For the past two weeks I've been living off of sugar.
Normally I eat pretty well. I allow myself treats every once in a while but we are not the type of family to always have goodies in the house. Why? because sugar is not good for you and we will eat it ALL in one day.

But, for the past two weeks there has been a steady stream of goodies. REALLY yummy goodies flowing through the house. That is what I get for having amazing friends that have been dropping off meals complete with dessert.

I realized last night that I'm becoming quite addicted to the sugar rush. I'm now CRAVING a sugar high only to be fulfilled by sweats, a glass of wine or a really strong coffee.

I'm noticing my mood beginning to shift. I'm getting weepy as I crash. My inner deep down soul mood is becoming more negative and cranky....depressive.

I need to FORCE myself to eat properly. To make a salad or a healthy shake and take my omega 3's and vitamins because at this point I don't WANT to bother. I can pretend to be enjoying all the goodies but I need to take a stand for myself before my mood shifts even more. Before I spiral down into a depression and lose control of the situation. I feel it. I've been here before and I know enough to stop before it is too late. I love my children too much to allow myself to be miserable around them.

My husband is off work for 4 months and I need to not think of how sad I'll be when he returns. No..I need to get outside, go for a hike in the woods with the kids and ENJOY this time we have together.

Or maybe I just need a few days of sunshine....

Fat Mama

My husband reminds me today that I delivered a baby not yet two weeks ago. I don't care. Today I am fat. I hate that I am and will be in maternity pants for a long while yet. I don't like that my boobs are HUGE, and my belly protrudes. Sigh........... So why post these pictures???

Motivation to stop eating ALL the cookies and treats that people give to us and to save one or two for the children. Motivation to post pictures that I'm proud of in a few months. Motivation to stop eating sugar because it makes me grumpy.......

And finally...Motivation to continue taking pictures at angles that FLATTER my body and not remind me of what I REALLY look like ;)

shrinking....

I notice my belly getting smaller everyday. Phew!! Week one and I don't THINK I look too pregnant anymore. I still have 20 pounds to lose but like I said before, I will worry about that in a few weeks.

My body is healing well. I do get quite sore in the pelvic region when I've been on my feet a little too much. But what can I do? I have an old farm house and 3 OTHER children to look after. I can't just lie in bed all day. My husband has been wonderful for helping with all the big stuff, but he has his limits as well. I can't expect him to look after all his regular 'chores' as well as my own AND take care of the kids.

So, for now I am just trying to pace myself and rest when necessary. It has been raining for a few days so we have just stayed home and done some fun fall crafts. Really, what more could we ask for? O.K maybe a sunny day soon so we can go for our annual walk in the McNish woods and go apple picking.

Soon enough...soon enough...

The New Baby...and Not so New Body ;)

So...She is Here. My long awaited 4th and final child. For the next year or so this blog will be dedicated to my weight loss/fitness journey back to health. I started this blog after the birth of our third baby and found it a great help to keep me on track. It helps to know that people are watching me and supporting me through this journey.
I also think I do a pretty good job at getting back into shape and enjoy sharing my tips and secrets with whoever is interested in hearing about them.
I also like to be COMPLETELY honest about how HARD IT IS TO GET BACK IN TO SHAPE.
I'm a tiny person but don't hate me. I work hard at it.

At this point I'm just recovering from the birth 3 days ago. I am breastfeeding and just trying to sleep as much as possible. I won't even THINK about starting to exercise before 6 weeks postpartum. My body worked hard growing this baby over the last 10 months and it deserves to rest. I deserve to give myself time to recover and allow my body to sleep, relax, renourish and allow it to lose or hold onto whatever weight it needs to.

Besides...being a FIT MOM means being fit physicaly, mentaly and spirituly fit and I can only do that with rest and proper nourishment at this point.

So that is where I'm at. I'll be changing this blog with starting point pictures and goals over the next few weeks...But only once I've had a few naps.

See you later....

Alyson