The first 5

The scale actually works. I was beginning to think it was stuck. Five pounds down. I've made some attempts to lose the "baby weight" but I've petered out or let myself miss workouts and made poor decisions based on my schedule, etc. Not this time.

I had started working out and losing weight after Isabelle was born and found out I was pregnant again when she was 3 months old. I kept it up for a little while but the gym closed and the pregnancy fatigue set in. So, I never really lost the baby weight I gained with Isabelle and was pregnant again. I figured it wouldn't be a big deal to give into my cravings for spicy food or fast food when I was too tired to cook. Between breastfeeding one infant and being pregnant, I was busy and exercising was far from my mind. Then, I had Ryan and that was an unbelievably tough time and I was going through it while taking my graduate classes. Then, the car accident, his baptism, the holidays, more time intensive classes, and before I knew it, we were on summer vacation. Now, he is turning one. On vacation, I felt more comfortable in my maternity swimming suit than my post-pregnancy one. It was part of the wake up call.

Another factor is my PCOS has not been managed as well as it could which can lead to more serious health problems down the road. People also seem to treat and look at you differently when you are carrying excess weight than when you are simply pregnant. It's as if when you have the watermelon belly of pregnancy, everyone wants to touch it and say how cute you look. So, then the baby is delivered and magically your belly is supposed to melt away. Whatever. Now, you are just fat with too much belly weight. Next, I want to be comfortable in my own skin again. I've never been thin but I have been athletic and curvy. That's all I want. Finally, I'm now showing my children how to live. I can give them all the fruits and vegetables and healthy food in the world but it doesn't mean as much as eating it with them. Modeling behavior and demonstrating good choices have always been hands-down the best way to teach children.

I had to come up with a plan that I thought would work. I realized that for the past couple years, I've made my schedule based on the needs of everyone else in the family. It's to be expected with infants. I was lucky to go to the store alone, much less make a regular commitment to exercise. I'd tried the 5 am gym time and that is just stupid. I was nodding off watching the kids in the afternoon. Plus, I was losing one of the best benefits of staying home with the kids...sleeping in until they woke up. I have many years of working, getting up, doing my hair and getting everyone out the door in my future. Right now, I enjoy my baby girl coming in and crawling into bed with me to chatter and sing until Ryan wakes up. It's just one of those sweet times I'll remember when she is grown. And, as parents, you need to make sure you enjoy the journey, not just the milestones.

So, I just ended up saying I need to work out at least every other day and I'm going to make it happen. John said he'd help me get out the door so that I could go when he came home from work. It's been successful. I feed the kids and make sure there are leftovers for him and I have a light dinner when I come home or we just go with the flow and eat together when I get home. Ideally, I'd love to have a family dinner every night. However, I'm home with them all day and John only gets 1.5 hours a day with them so now he has his own fun times. He has introduced techno chicken and Isabelle has "helped" him with a project by walking behind him measuring everything with a tape measure. And, I am much happier. I can't tell you how great it is to have an hour of solace without anyone fussing, pulling on me, needing to be changed or fed. I can now watch the evening news in peace. I want to continue solely for that reason!

The good news is regular cardio, bi-weekly weights, and healthier, smaller meals seems to be working. Three weeks on the new program and five pounds lost. My 30th birthday is next May and my goal is to look fabulous. I have 10 months to go. I believe it is realistic to say I want to lose 5 pounds per month for a grand total of 50 lbs. As my baby girls says, "go, set, go!"