Dietbet

This week I'm starting a four week challenge on dietbet.com to lose four percent of my body weight.  I'm competing with a group of moms from an online moms group.
I took my starting weight pictures today and after seeing those, I am so ready to lose the weight.

My starting weight is 205.8. To lose 4% I need to shed 8.3 lbs.

Let the fun begin...

Saint Sebastian

For the mom's group at my church we are reading A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms and the saint for this week is Saint Sebastian. He is the patron saint of Athletes and the chapter talks about how being physically fit is an important part of being a mom.
I thought this was particularly relevant considering my last post. One paragraph stood out to me and I really like what it said.
When I glorify God by using the physical body he has given me, I tell him, my family, and myself that I am worth caring for. Just as the Bible states that the famous "Proverbs 31 Woman" was "girt about with strength," I need to be ready,willing, and able for the plans God has for me. (pg 41)
I need to remember that I am not only doing this for me but also for God.

Losing the Baby Weight

It's been two months since I had my sweet little boy and I just have to say, I love not being pregnant. I love being able to go on walks and tie my own shoes. I am so happy that I was able to grow an adorable baby boy inside me, but it is time to lose the baby weight.
When I had Peter he was born a 33 weeks so I missed out on most of the third trimester. This means I didn't put on a ton of extra weight and any weight I did put on seemed to fall off immediately after I had him. This time it's a completely different story.
My current goal is to fit into my fat jeans. That's right, we are completely ignoring the fact that deep under the piles of maternity clothes in the back of the closet there are skinny or even normal jeans, I just want to fit into anything that doesn't have an elastic waist band.
The double stroller has been my friend lately. Having it around is a constant reminder that I need to get out and move. So now in the morning, if there are no doctors appointments or play dates, we load up the stroller and go for a walk. About a half mile away is an elementary school with an awesome playground so we've been heading there a lot. I've even tried to do a little jogging on these trips but my abs always hurt or get really sore the next day so I think my body just hasn't recovered from childbirth yet.
I'm also trying to lose weight by eating healthy. I already have to eat gluten free and thanks to some digestive problems Joseph was having I also had to cut dairy and soy out of my diet. While looking for recipes I came across a lot about the paleo diet. Everything I read made a lot a sense in regards to health and diet so I am now trying the paleo diet.
Basically on this diet I am supposed to just eat lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. My biggest struggle so far is to get enough meat in, especially during breakfast.
I'm hoping that with the walks and eating well, in addition to taking care of two very small children, I will soon start to lose some of this extra weight that I have been caring around with me.

Two Months of Bed Rest

At any other point in my life if you were to tell me to go lay on the couch all day and watch TV, I would probably be okay with that, maybe even relieved to have a nice break. But today, I just want to get up and move.  In just a couple days I will reach the two month point of being on bed rest and I just can't wait for it all to be over.  I have come across such a wide range of emotions and feelings but one of the most difficult battles has been a physical one.
Before I went on bed rest I was trying to stay in shape. Gaining weight is a perfectly normal part of pregnancy, but I was trying to do my best to keep it under control.  I was going to the gym 2-3 times per week and spending my days chasing after an active toddler. I wasn't any sort of great athlete but I was trying to take care of myself.  In general, I felt pretty good. Tired, but good.
Today is a different story. My body still feels tired, but no longer in a good way.  I've gained 40lbs since the start of my pregnancy and I can feel it.  I know a good portion of the aches and pains come from being pregnant, but I can tell that it is more than just that.
I don't feel healthy, I feel like I have lost all the muscle that I was working so hard to gain.  My legs feel sluggish and weak and they get tired when I walk into the doctor's office from the parking garage on appointment days. I don't think I have any bit of stamina or endurance left and, frankly, that makes me nervous for childbirth and keeping up with a newborn and a toddler when the time comes.
My energy level has also taken a huge hit. I just feel tired all day long.  I've been avoiding napping during the day so that I can still sleep at night. When I first started bed rest I was actually suffering from insomnia because my body wasn't used to lying down all day. Lately, however, I just want to sleep all day long. My body doesn't want to wake up in the morning and I feel like I can just fall asleep at any moment.
My one saving grace has been my diet.  Tom has been a fabulous cook, and makes sure that there are always plenty of fruits and vegetables in the house. This has helped me hold onto the one bit of health that I have and it helps me to know that I've been giving the baby the nourishment that he needs. I won't lie and say that I haven't enjoyed a nice bowl of ice cream or two, but hey, you can't deny a pregnant woman everything.
One thing I have learned from all this is how much I truly want to be healthy.  In life, many people become unhealthy over time and don't realize that it is happening. Over the course of years many people slowly let it go. I feel like I gave it up in the a much shorter time frame. I want to remember this unhealthy, sluggish, and tired feeling so that I don't ever voluntarily enter it.
As a mom, I want to set a good example for my family and I need to take care of myself so that I can take care of them. I know I am doing what is best for my family right now, because I am holding my baby in and we have made it so much longer than people really thought I would when I was first put on bed rest. However, once this is over, and I get through the craziness of having a newborn, I am going to commit to taking care of myself and gaining back the strength I have lost.