Baby number one added 50 lbs to my 5'4" frame...my husband at the time was a firm believer in "you are eating for two now" and loved pasta, meat and potatoes. This wasn't much different from what I was use to. I was 19 livng away from home, I really didn't know any different.
Subsequently 2 months after I had the baby I moved back home, and started exercising to a 30 min cardio program I saw on tv everyday, and mostly eating salads and chicken...I ended up losing 40 of the 50 lbs within 5 months of having the baby...
When my first born was 9 months old, I was pregnant again, and again gained 50lbs...it was after having my second my real struggle with weight began. I think part of it was the meds(birth-control and postpartum) I was on, living in my mother's house and in a unhappy marriage. I spent 6 years trying everything, every diet that I knew about , fat blockers, fat burners, even a diet a nutritionist gave me....my weight fluctuated a lot, like a yo-yo, never dropping more than 20lbs.
Finally, I found Atkins, although at the time (2002) I hadn't heard of the diet, I knew someone who knew someone that had lost a lot of weight on the new lifestyle plan, so I did my research online (wasnt much then), read the book and started it May 2003. I also decided to take up running (which I HATED).
By Fall of 2003 I had lost 40lbs and was able to run 5km without stopping or walking...I was amazed! Within a year I was separated and a single mum. This is when my obsession with a healthy lifestyle began. I joined a gym by Jan 2005 and I was on my way to a new life! I became addicited not only to running but weight lifting as well..by the time I was 32 (2007) I was in the best shape of my life, I was a size 4 and toned..I had run a few races (max 10km) and was now looking at running a half marathon and competing in a body building competition. Then the trouble started.....all of a sudden I had pain in my knee, couldn't run at all, weight lifting was limited, ended up in physio, it took months to get healed up enough to run 5k again, and slowly started working towards a 10k race...then my life changed again and I met my soul mate, who moved me to another province and we decided to have a baby.
So 33 yrs old...single mother of two, I had won my battle with weight, and I decided to do the baby thing all over again! This time I figured I was fit and ate healthy, not only would I not gain much I would get it off so much quicker, I would keep running etc....We had no trouble conceiving...up the duff first month off the pill...and had a wonderfully easy pregnancy, except I was began to suffer from sciatic pain around month 4. I was told this was normal and it would go away when the baby was born....but the pain was so bad, that my running halted and the weights stopped..I was down to 20 mins on the elliptical a day...still eating well so I wasn't worried. About month 6 I could barely walk, exercise almost stopped completely I was off work and the cravings started. I ended up gaining 60 lbs with this baby..now getting close to 200 I couldn't wait for the baby to arrive so the pain would go and the exercise could begin again..
No such luck! 3 months after the baby I was still in extreme pain, couldnt sit, couldnt walk, nothing...that is when I was told I had a herniated disc...my dreams of running a half marathon went out the window....and with an unknown length of time as to when, if ever, the pain would subside enough to exercise, food was my only option to get rid of the weight...
Luckly I only suffered for 2 yrs(I still have flare ups), and have been able to get back to exercise these last 6 months, mostly cardio, as the disc issue screwed with my posture and muscle function...I would need proper rehabilitation in order to get back into weight lifting again, if ever.
My 3rd child will be 2 yrs old this May and I am down to my pre-pregnancy weight, I still have a few pounds to go, but now my goal is to complete my rehab, get stronger and possibly plan for a fitness competition one day....running is part of my past now....I have had to accept that, and move on.
It's been a long battle, but I have surprisingly done well considering my limited ability to burn calories....don't get me wrong I love my sweets, I love chips and dip, and an occasional drink...I haven't deprived myself completely but I did get very strict and was able to lose the weight successfully and in a healthy way...the key is to not diet but eat clean and train smart...
"You have to be the change you want to see in the world"~Ghandi
No comments:
Post a Comment