Losing The Baby Weight

Okay, so I've accepted the harsh reality that at least 25 pounds that I gained, was not the "water weight" I had hoped it would be. I do admit I indulged a bit more than I normally would... I had dessert practically every night and my workouts slowed waaayy down (and at the end they were completely non existant). Before pregnancy, I was happy size 2-4, and I had to work REALLY hard to maintain my figure (alas I was not blessed with my mother's metabolism). See pic as the "before"...

Note on this picture... it was taken on one of our cruises by the Carnival staff and it was just so hilarious I had to buy it.

Then, pregnancy....

This picture was taken at 33 weeks.. the latest pic I have uploaded of me preggers... I had Brett at 37 weeks. All things considered, this was a pretty flattering pic of my swollen self.

Then the "after" pic....

I really feel soo much better now than I did during the first month post pregnancy. You literally feel like you've been through a war zone after giving birth. Your body is recovering and it's definitely not pretty. Now, at least I feel HUMAN.

But the thing is... my body is totally different now. I've always gained weight pretty evenly all over my body, but it is now concentrated in my belly and arms. Weird, right?

Friday I decided to accept my fate.. I currently cannot fit into my old clothes and maternity clothes are just baggy. Solution? Shopping. But this wasn't happy shopping. It was "I'm fat and nothing fits" shopping. So, with a heavy heart I drug Steve and Brett with me to Kohl's. The good news? I was able to purchase clothes in the misses section (to my relief I don't have to visit Lane Bryant). The bad news? I am wearing clothes 3-4 sizes BIGGER than I had before (you do the math). And, my body is all different. The pants I bought fit my pregnancy pudge, but are waaayyy too big across my rear and legs. It just looks strange. And the tops had to be large no matter what... if nothing else for the sheer fact that I am nursing.

So I left with a few tops and pants and most of my dignity.

The bright side is that I started back on the treadmill 2-3 weeks ago. I had to start really slow but I am gradually building back up. I'm only still walking, but I hope to be running by the middle of next month. And, today I started lifting weights and doing crunches (I currently don't have a waist, so I need to work on that). After initally loosing like 30 pounds, the rest is creeping off slowly, but I am determined to make it work. Hey, I own a pair of Seven jeans, and I WILL wear them again!

Also, my mother did me one of the biggest favors post pregnancy that anyone has done for me. She bought me a large tube of Strivectin (and thanks mom, that stuff is really expensive!). I did not fare so well on the stretch mark war (if you saw my belly at the end, you'd understand). This stuff is amazing! While the stretch marks aren't gone, they look sooo much better than before. As I keep applying it, they look less and less visible.

So, hey, along with my Seven jeans, I will set a goal to get back into a 2 piece by next summer! Now that I've said that, everyone needs to hold me accountable!