The back story -
When I became pregnant with Emmett late last June, I was overweight. Many were shocked to hear it, because apparently I hide weight well, but I was. I was baffled because I had been running since January and hadn't changed my diet. My thyroid issues, which were confirmed AFTER I was pregnant, were partly to blame. The other guilty party was myself - and my inability to stick to any program. This isn't news to anyone who knows me, or reads my blog, but I like to eat. I am Italian and, let's face it, we are encouraged to eat from a young age. To eat, but not get fat. An interesting dichotomy that, for me, has resulted in a love/hate relationship with my body and food. Whenever I cleaned my plate, I was praised. If I left something I was scolded. If I wanted something more, and I ate it, I was praised. If I asked for something more and left any part of it, I was scolded. So I learned to take more of the things I liked (usually not so healthy) and less of the things I didn't (usually healthier items). And I always cleaned my plate. Always. I knew nothing of correct portion sizes until the last few years. I ate my food in record time, like someone was chasing me, and usually ate way too much - and paid for it with stomach troubles later on.
When I became pregnant with Emmett, I obviously wasn't trying to lose weight. I was, however, trying to gain appropriately. I had started Weight Watchers the month before I became pregnant and followed the principles, but upped my points. And it was working! Then, the all day sickness kicked in and I ate whatever sounded good, just to be sure I was eating - usually crap from McDonald's or pizza or some such thing - when I could eat at all. While I didn't gain weight rapidly, it was a vicious cycle to be caught in. I had to actively work to eat a more balanced diet and get back to the WW principles after my 10 weeks of hell, I mean, sickness. To be honest, I did pretty well during my pregnancy. And, the short amount of time I was able to nurse allowed me to lose 99% of the weight I gained during that time. But here I am again, back where I started nearly one year ago. And I am sick of it.
So, off to boot camp I went early yesterday morning. I was up and ready to go at 4:45am - class starts at 5:30. I was energized! I was ready to get my sweat on and burn some fat. And that I did. In fact, I nearly puked. I am THAT out of shape. But, today, I feel awesome. I feel that healthy soreness you have when you're using muscles that haven't been used in far too long. I am looking forward to tomorrow even with the 4:45 wake up time! I know this is good for me and I am excited to shed pounds and get fit once again. I may never be a size 6 again in my life, but that's not important - being healthy is!
In addition, I am following both the WW meal plan and the meal plan suggested by the boot camp director. I am alternating weeks, so I don't get bored. Both simply promote a healthier way of eating - one that can and should last you a lifetime. I fully intend to follow the 80/20 principle once I get into my groove. The 80/20 principle states that 80% of the time, you're eating how you're supposed to eat, so that the other 20%, you can enjoy more indulgent foods. It's too soon to tell how the eating portion is working for me, but I rarely feel hungry and I am eating properly sized meals. It's all about balancing the food groups, and eating protein and fiber.
So, can I count on you to hold me accountable? I need all the help I can get!
(if you're local and interested - here is the boot camp website: http://www.mibootcamps.com/)
1 comment:
Sounds awesome. I need to work with you. In the last two weeks, I've really been hard on myself to start getting healthy.
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