First, Justin and I fixed up his parents' old 70's road bikes. We planted $80 bucks into them because we thought they'd be a great thing to have! Well, they are so old, they work just fine, but mine is a bit too big, so I don't actually ride in the drops at all (Just on the flats..which is not ideal). They also shift via these two little knobs that sit on the front post (Justin might know what they are actually called, but I don't.) Like these...
You just move them forward or backward to shift...but there's no "clicking" for the gears. You just have to fiddle with it to get it on the right gear. It's really inconvenient and annoying! It's not very efficient either. So, bike riding has kind of died...
So, I decided I was just going to have to go for walks and runs on my own. See, Justin has to stay at home to help with the house, or if I'm on a run, he gets to watch Caleb. He knows it's important to me to get back into shape...so he fully supported my exercise every morning.
Well, so then the excuse to get over was "I don't have time." Time? What do I do all day? I stay home. With Caleb, of course. How can I not have time? I finally committed to going running this past Monday morning after I did my teaching. I went. Yes! First accomplishment! haha
I only ran ONE mile. that's it. Yes, it was 1/2 uphill, and 1/2 downhill, but it was only ONE mile. I've been achy since then. It's mostly my calves, but not the calf muscle I'm used to being sore. and it doesn't hurt to use, only to touch. But what hurts the most is my right hip! Man, it's like my hips haven't gone back together again or something! Basically, this is what I felt like:
Whereas, this is what I WANT to feel like. I like to look good, but mostly I like to feel good. So, since I've now joined the club of "Moms," I am hoping there are some other Moms who can share some insight or give suggestions on how I can work out. Here are my obstacles:
- Sore body: knees, hips, shoulders
- Scheduling time: I feel bad requiring someone to watch Caleb when there is so much else to do here at the house...
- Motivation: I want to feel good, I want to be able to wear at least a few more of my clothes (mostly because we don't have money to buy more!), but like I said, sweets are really easy to come by here and when I'm stressed, depressed, bored, or uncomfortable chocolate becomes my best friend.
5 comments:
Amber, don't stress too much. I like the saying that it took 9 months to put on the weight, so plan on it taking at least 9 months to take it off. Some moms retain weight until they're done nursing.
To be honest, your body may always be a slightly different shape than it was before, especially your hips.
Maybe watch craigslist for a free/cheap jogging stroller so you can take Caleb with you? Maybe the university has an indoor track you can use when it's cold. Walks are wonderful, or go when he's napping. You really have to just schedule regular exercise in, or else it's put off and forgotten. Make it a priority and you will probably have more energy to deal with everything else, and feel better, allowing you to stave off sweets. I make sure to spend 10 minutes working on sit-ups/crunches etc every day and it helps so much.
My knees were super sore for a while after Cameron was born and they just needed time to adjust. I think your joints will too, again it just takes time.
As far as craving sweets...I do too...a lot. I've found that fruit and yogurt help a ton and are often all I need.
Good luck. You're not alone :)
oh, man, chica. This is the worst club ever, why'd you join? j/k :)
so, I am 3.2 lbs away from having lost 20 lbs. Gwen is 2 weeks away from being 1. My goal is to lose 20 lbs by her birthday. Much as I know you love your sweets, I can't lie to you and tell you that you can lose weight while indulging. Just be selective. Each sweet is a choice. I usually give myself 1 indulgence a day, otherwise I'd go crazy. And portions are key too. (Eric reminds me I don't have to have a huge bowl of ice cream, I can have just a couple bites and be satisfied.)
Judy's tip about the jogging stroller is great advice. If you think you can ever get the bikes to fit you better, you might invest in one of those bike trailers that the kids sit in while you ride. I got our jogging stroller for 45 dollars. Though in all honesty I use it MUCH more often for fast walking than for jogging.
I tried checking out jazzercise and aerobic dance videos from the library and doing workouts during Gwen's naps. For a while I did it everyday. But then my knees and ankles were hurting so badly I couldn't even go up and down the stairs without pain, so I had to stop. Squats are the worst. And why is it that every workout has so many of them? See if you can find a workout that you would enjoy during naps.
Oh, and be careful about food. I was meticulous about maintaining the right number of calories for nursing. I even used a calorie counter online. I was just trying to lose the extra weight while being healthy. Wouldn't you know that as soon as I lost 1 pound (I mean, it wasn't even fast! It took me 2 weeks to do!), my milk supply started to dry up. I talked to the doc about it and she said that is often the way it goes. Lose any weight at all (even if you are still eating enough- just healthier), and you'll start to dry up. I hope that isn't the case for you. I eventually decided at about 8 months that I needed some of my body back, even if that meant no more milk. It was a tough decision. Anyway, I really started to lose weight when I finally stopped nursing. Before that, not really. Just so you know.
oh, and the tips about fruit and yogurt are great. keep healthy snacks on hand, or you know you'll reach for the unhealthy ones. I usually crave savory snacks more (like chips and salsa), so I try to keep veggies, bread, and hummus on hand. Well, sometimes. I don't often have funds. But you know what I mean.
finally, we bought a scale. I know. But we did. It is great: it calculates weight, %body fat, and % water. I have a chart and record myself every day so I can keep track of progress (since I still don't really "see" any difference yet). That is really motivating too, when you start to get close to your goal... suddenly you have more restraint because you really DO want to reach it! When you don't have a goal, it is kind of like "well, I want this cookie and one cookie won't really change things anyway" and 5 cookies later you don't lose any weight for 3 days. At least that is me.
hey little girl! Well, you know how I looked after I had Jacen and Asher! Ha! He's only two months old, hon. If you had already lost your baby weight, I would have to hate you.
Running was the first activity I started to do after Asher. And I think he was 2 months old. I did it in the evening just for twenty minutes a day. If I ran 1-2 miles, yay me! Mark watched the kids and I did it in the evening. Not really an inconvenience to anyone.
I did the running for about a month before I felt ready for more activity. So I joined a gym. Actually, I got a job at a gym so I wouldn't have to pay for the membership. And the daycare watched the kids.
You might see if there's a community club in your neighborhood. They're not usually classy or high-tech, but memberships are dirt cheap. A year membership to the Springdale rec center is $65. A YEAR. The Rogers rec center is only $25. Gasp!
Losing baby weight is HARD. But even after you lose it, like Judy said, your body won't be the same. You'll have to get used to the new you!
wow guys, great comments!! I love the feedback...I think the biggest thing I can do right now is just cut back on the sweets: we don't have money for new strollers, the bikes don't work well enough for a carriage (I want one sooo badly when we do have money and good bikes that fit!)...and Tamara, sadly memberships are not dirt cheap out here. nothing is dirt cheap. a 2 bedroom place, small, and not very nice, is like 700+. At least that's what I've seen. And...we just don't really have money for memberships. We wanted them! if we were blessed with more employment, it might be possible...
Thanks, again! I'll keep working at it and not get discouraged!
forget gyms and expensive things. (though i admire those who are able to pull that off!) i had a membership with Corban and didn't go! I just felt too... self conscious? i dunno. Never up to going. But just going on walks with a cheap umbrella stroller and nursing made lose weight pretty fast.
This time, i've had fun rocking it out with my toddler to christian music, just moving my body and making up steps-- less impact than step aerobics, and more fun. :) And no one can see how silly you look. ;) You really can bring up a sweat if you get into it enough.
And when it gets too cold you can go mall-walking. Malls usually open at like 7 or 8, but stores won't open till later. We used to have a whole posse.
Just try to work up to walking at a good pace for a whole hour, wherever you go. You'll burn calories really well.
And you may find that as you get back to just getting out and doing things (walking, dancing in your living room, etc) you'll be more sensitive to spiritual side of eating, and it will be a cleansing feeling to eat healthy, rather than a restriction. (i'm not there yet, but i'm finding i'm not as excited/satisfied when i indulge now)
I didn't exercise hardly at ALL with my first-- just eating better and walking in the morning (helps to have a buddy!) Don't stress, really-- that will hurt your milk supply too. Just relax, and do what the spirit says to you. What works for some may not work for you. But you're doing a great job gathering information, and the Spirit will let you know. :)
Good luck!
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