Baby Weight: Plans for Losing It

Perhaps this blog is premature, because I can't say that I've succeeded at my plan. But maybe someday I can tell you if this worked or not.

Baby weight. Most moms of a newborn is trying to lose it. Yes, I've met a few women who want to keep it- but they were wiry to start with.

I've heard a lot of advice for how to make it work. I've seen a lot of moms that at my point (10 wks post-delivery) that have done it. But I've done things a bit differently.

What happened:
Phoenix was in the NICU for her first 9 days of life. This was VERY stressful and any attempt to watch what I ate went out the window. I lived on fast food and Dr. Pepper. I did my best to stay up as much as I could with her.

When Phoe came home, I did do a few yoga sessions and go on walks. But I did not have a consistent exercise routine. Further, I had bought tons of treats to make Christmas cookies before being 'surprised' by Phoenix's early arrival. So when I got home, my mom began making those delicious cookies. While I tried to deliver those cookies to others, most ended up in my belly.

Then I had law school finals. That's a whole other wave of stress. Not only stress, but long hours of studying without working out.

How my body handled it:
At first I dropped a lot of weight. But as I ate those cookies and spent a lot of time studying, the weight came back very easily. * Although I don't really regret it, I think this is what caused Phoenix to bulk up as fast as she has.

The Plan:
Now that finals are done and I'm getting into a rhythm, I'm trying to get back in shape and be more active. I've contemplated what I want to do the past few weeks and here is what I'm doing:

• Accountability: Every time I go to the gym, I check-in on FB. Some may find it annoying, but it is my way of acknowledging I am doing something.

• Once a Day: I like to get in a good hour workout. But that can't always happen with a newborn. So I've learned to take what I can get. 
• Today for example. Phoenix blew out her diaper (peed all over her dad) and I couldn't leave for the gym when I planned. When I finally got to the gym, the child-care center was only open for 40 minutes. So I ran for 30 minutes straight, got the best workout I could, and went home. In a way this is a positive- because it forced me to get a good workout done. And it's the first time since getting pregnant that I ran for 30 minutes straight. In a way, not having a lot of time is a good thing!

• Default Exercise: I would love to be in a spin class and an ab class everyday- or every other day. But truth is, I can't. And I don't always have time to make up a workout. So, I have my default workout: Running a 5k. When I can't plan, I just run a 5k- and I try to do a little better than the last time I ran it.

• Utilize Resources: Russ is a wonderful husband for this. He is very willing to compromise and watch Phoenix so I can go work out. There's been a few times where Russ wants to run to the store and I want to work out. Instead of taking 2 cars, or rotating our time in doing what we want, Russ will drive and drop me at the gym and I'll work out. If there is a bunch of kids in the child-care place, he takes Phoe with him to the store. If there are only a few kids in child-care at the gym, Phoe comes with me. Really, it's a huge help to make sure I get in my gym time.

• Back-Up: Sometimes making it to the gym is just not possible. So I try to have a workout at home. Pinterest is great for having workout lists. 25 jumping jacks, 100 crunches, etc. I've pinned some of these so I can do one real quick on days the gym is not an option.
• Another back-up I've used is running a trail near where I live. I've previously tracked the distance and I know it's the distance of a 5k. Sometimes I've used this to work out.

That's about it for my plan. Any suggestions?

And- I realize I've said nothing about food. I'm off soda for Lent, but other than that I haven't done much to alter my intake. I'm still getting over my sugar love that started after having Phoenix. (When I was pregnant, I couldn't stand sugar. Now that I'm not pregnant anymore, I've gone the other way to loving sugar.)

More to come, I'm sure! I'll at least update in a few months to say if this has worked or not.