April Measurements (1 Year Gymiversary Comparisons)

Arms

• Last month (11/16/2013) - 9.75 inches each
• This month (4/13/2014) - 9.5 inches each
• Last year (4/13/2013) - 11.5 inches each

Hips

•  Last month (1/18/2014) - 38.5 inches
•  This month (4/13/2014) - 38.25 inches 
•  Last year (4/13/2013) - 47 inches

Waist

•  Last month (1/18/2014) - 28.5 inches
•  This month (4/13/2014) - 28.25 inches
•  Last year (4/13/2013) - 36 inches  

 
Bust

•  Last month (1/18/2014) - 35.25 inches
•  This month (4/13/2014) - 35 inches
•  Last year (4/13/2013) - 40 inches

Thighs

•   Last month (1/18/2014) - 19.5 inches each
•   This month (4/13/2014) - 19.25 inches each  
•   Last year (4/13/2013) - 24.5 inches each

It's been one year since I stepped into the gym for the first time after having Izzie.  I have never gone more than two months in a row being consistent with going to the gym before now.  I've spent a whole year being faithful to working out and am beyond pleased with the results!

In one year, I've gone from 179.4lbs to 142.8lbs, a net loss of 36.6lbs.  That number alone is so great, but when combined with the number of inches lost really blows my mind and you know I am easily my hardest critic.  2 inches from each arm, 8.75 inches from my hips, 7.75 inches from my waist, 5 inches from my bust, and 5.25 inches from each thigh, bring the total to 36 inches lost!  That's almost an inch per pound which is insane to me.  I went from a size 16 pants to a size 8 and a size 14 dress to a size 6.  In terms of general sizing, I've gone from XL to mainly M with some S mixed in here and there (usually in women's sizes not juniors).

I am beyond excited about buying all new summer clothes.  I am so glad I could do this before my kids no any better so as not to give them body image complexes.  I don't put myself down in front of them (not that I put myself down too much in my head anymore) and when we go to the gym, Brady knows I'm there to exercise, which is something he likes to do too in his own way.  There's no connotation about it being to lose weight.  He knows we eat good food so that we can grow healthy and strong.

Here is the ultimate comparison over the course of the last year.  The top pics are from the first day back in the gym when Izzie was 6 weeks old.  Second set was 10 weeks later at 16 weeks old, the third 10 weeks later at 6 months old, and the final set was after a whole year working out.  I still can't believe how much of a change I've made, especially when I don't see it until put like this.

Weigh-in for 2/28/2014 ~ Starting a Household Challenge

Last weigh-in (2/1/2014) : 141.0 lb

This weigh-in (2/28/2014) : 144.2 lb

Change : 3.2 lb gained
 

Total weight loss since Izzie : 56.2 lb


It's been a rough month.  Historically, February is a rough month for me and weight loss.  There has only been one of the eight Februarys I've been on Weight Watchers that I've lost instead of gained.  I don't know what it is, maybe that winter starts to get to me at that point, combined with Valentine's Day and the past four years, Brady's birthday.  The only February I lost weight, we were living in South Carolina and it was so warm I was sunbathing daily, so there seems to be a correlation with weather and weight loss (something I've noticed from past patterns as well).  It is harder for me to maintain or lose in February than it over Christmas.  

This February, I had gym access, but of course, Izzie has had a runny nose for three straight weeks and can't go to the day care like that.  That means I only make it on the weekends, so in addition to the eating which hasn't been the greatest, I didn't have the workouts to help battle it and keep it in check a little more than I did.  I tend to get to a point once I'm off track, where I let go and start eating things I normally wouldn't because I know I won't eat them when I get back on track.  That only makes it worse.  We had Brady's party, Valentine's Day, and a trip out of town in the span of two weeks and the eating out got to me as well as the cake.

In terms of upswings, it's not that bad.  4lbs gained in the course of 6 weeks.  I've had upswings that have lasted several months and been as much as 15-20lbs.  I am choosing to kick myself out of it immediately.  Even if I can't go to the gym during the day, I will make myself go when Andy gets home from work.  I have to start tracking religiously again (something I haven't done in months, maybe before Thanksgiving).  This will become very important now that I'm weaning Izzie and will be completely done breastfeeding by the end of March.

Andy and I are both unhappy, so we decided to buckle down together.  Andy is in a wedding in early May, and we leave for our 11 day California vacation in mid-May.  We want to look and feel good when we get there.  We have committed to weekly weigh-ins (going into WW for me every week to keep me honest and on track, rather than once a month).  We have 11 weeks until Cali and have set goals.  Andy wants to lose 20lbs (putting him at 200lbs) and I want to get under 140lbs (4.4lbs away).  We have both laid out rewards for if we reach our goals and I think we'll have to consider a punishment if we don't so we have even more incentive.  Wish us luck!

Weigh-in for 2/1/2014

Last weigh-in (1/18/2014) : 140.2 lb

This weigh-in (2/1/2014) : 141.0 lb

Change : 0.8 lb gained

Total weight loss since Izzie : 59.4 lb


We've certainly had a lot going on in the last two weeks, including being stuck inside again for extreme temps.  That certainly makes it hard for me to avoid eating all day long.  I don't have junk food in my house, but even eating too much healthy food isn't good for you.  All in all, 0.8 lbs in two weeks isn't so bad.  I've maintained my workout schedule and as long as the inches come off or continue to maintain, the number on the scale isn't going to bother me fluxuating a few pounds here and there.

Weigh-in for 1/18/2014

Last weigh-in (1/11/2014) : 142.0 lb

This weigh-in (1/18/2014) : 140.2 lb

Change : 1.8 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 60.2 lbs



Well it was certainly back to business this week.  Brady was back in school all week, we were all over our sickness from the week prior, I was able to go to a full week in the gym (first time since before Christmas), and I was eating most of my meals at home.  The grocery stores are now stocked full again after the people going crazy trying to stock up for major snowfalls and the roads are clear to get to the store without worrying about endangering your life.

The gyms are still packed, but I'm hoping that will ease up a bit in the next two months.  We joined last year in April and it was pretty dead during the daytime when I normally go.  My Christmas candy was almost gone this week and I started having a bit of withdrawal, so I got some bargain Valentine's candy.  Nothing major, just some Dove dark chocolate mini hearts. One or two a day is enough to make me feel not deprived and doesn't impact my weight loss.  Next week I hope to break into the 130s!

Weigh-in for 1/11/2014

Last weigh-in (12/13/2013) : 142.2 lb

This weigh-in (1/11/2014) : 142.0 lb

Change : 0.2 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 58.4 lbs



Well, we are back from all our traveling from Christmas and back into our routine.  I think I can count the number of home cook meals we had on one hand.  We were constantly running places and meeting people for meals, so it was not the healthiest of eating.  Add in the countless cookies, candy, and big holiday meals and I didn't even want to think about the damage.

I treat the first week back from a trip like that as a kind of detox.  It's a shock to your system to go from glutinous eating to clean eating, so you shock your system into dropping some weight fast.  That's why people starting a diet lose the most that first week or so.  It's a great way to jump start and also a good way to get back on track.  We were snowed in almost all week since being back and I was in the house with only a small amount of food and a lot of leftover candy.  I really had to control myself since it wasn't an option to leave the house to hit the gym to balance things out.  We also all got sick earlier this week, so that curbed my appetite quite a bit.  I was happy to step on the scale for the first time in a month and see a slight loss.  I would've understood a gain and probably would've seen one if I wasn't still part-time breastfeeding.

Meeting rooms and gyms are packed with people this time of year and by March they will be back to normal with the regulars still holding down the fort.  I can't tell you how many meetings I have sat in where people complain about how hard it is to lose weight during the summer and they'll be back in the fall.  I completely disagree and feel like I lose way more weight in the summer versus the winter.  In the summer, there is an unlimited variety of fresh fruit in grocery stores.  The weather is beautiful, making you want to be outside.  You have grill-outs.  In the winter, the weather is cold so you don't want to leave your house.  There's snow which makes the roads dangerous, and you don't want to risk your kids' lives just to get to the gym.  Hitting the gym won't matter if you kill yourself getting there.  The food selection isn't that great in stores and you want to hibernate eating higher calorie options.  I'm more than ready for warmer weather.

Weigh-in for 11/24/2013

Last weigh-in (11/16/2013) : 144.8 lb

This weigh-in (11/24/2013) : 143.2 lb

Change : 1.6 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 57.2 lbs


I said I was going to buckle down this week and I kept that promise.  I'm happy that I could get a good loss under my belt before Thanksgiving when everyone overeats to some extent.  My family comes to us and we have a full weekend planned of eating our hearts out. I'd be crazy to weigh-in next weekend in the middle of that, so the next weigh-in will be after I've had a week of damage control.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

November 2013 Measurements

Hips

•  Last month (10/19/2013) - 39.25 inches
•  This month (11/16/2013) - 38.75 inches

Waist

•  Last month (10/19/2013) - 29.5 inches
•  This month (11/16/2013) - 28.5 inches  

 
Bust

•  Last month (10/19/2013) - 36.5 inches
•  This month (11/16/2013) - 36 inches

Thighs

•   Last month (10/19/2013) - 20.5 inches each
•   This month (11/16/2013) - 20 inches each 

Arms

• Last month (10/19/2013) - 10 inches each
• This month (11/16/2013) - 9.75 inches each

The last month hasn't yielded too much lost on the scale (less than 2lbs), but the inches are still coming off and that's what matters when it comes to clothes fitting better and seeing changes in yourself.  While I've set a weight goal for myself, as long as the physical changes are still happening, I won't stress too much if the weight comes off more slowly from this point forward.  I probably won't post arms or bust unless there's a major change from this point as well as they are getting to the point where there isn't much more to lose in those areas.

Izzie started taking swim lessons a few weeks ago and that meant I was back into my bathing suits (and more specifically my bikinis) for the first time since August.  I had taken a selfie the first time I wore it during the summer, which was in the middle of July at 163lbs.  Since then, I've had to tighten the straps on the top and moved to a smaller bottom size, in addition to being down about 20lbs, so I decided to take another shot to compare the difference.  It's hard for me to notice other than clothing sizes changing, so this was pretty shocking even for me to see.  I'm not super model skinny, but man have I made a difference.  Four months saw 20lbs gone, in addition to 2.75 inches from each thigh, 3 inches from my bust, 3.5 inches from my waist, and a whopping 4.5 inches from my hips.  I am currently at my lowest hip and waist measurements since starting Weight Watchers 7.5 years ago (and who knows how long before that).  I hope to make even greater changes before the summer!

Weigh-in for 11/16/2013

Last weigh-in (11/2/2013) : 144.4 lb

This weigh-in (11/16/2013) : 144.8 lb

Change : 0.4 lb gained

Total weight loss since Izzie : 55.6 lbs


Well, I'm certainly human and the last two weeks I've kinda enjoyed myself eating wise.  I've not had a full week in the gym either week, but went which is the important part.  There was Halloween candy in the house and while I was good leading up to Halloween, you can only walk by it so many times without having some.  We had a trip home and there was lots of eating out.  I usually make good choices at restaurants, but not so much these times.  All I can do is shrug it off and work hard this week so I can have some loss before Thanksgiving week when I know I'll be enjoying some good food.

Weigh-in for 10/26/2013

Last weigh-in (10/19/2013) : 146.2 lb

This weigh-in (10/26/2013) : 145.2 lb

Change : 1 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 55.2 lbs




At this point in my journey (only partially breastfeeding and getting closer to my goal), 1lb is really great.  There are so many people who quit Weight Watchers because they're only losing about 1lb per week.  ONLY?!?!?!  If they knew how hard it was for some people to put a pound per week, and how much harder it is to do alone, they might stick with the program.  They say it must not be working if they're losing so little.  It's not like we're on the Biggest Loser and expected to put up 8-10lbs or more per week.  We are normal people who don't spend 8 hours each day in the gym.  Most of us have jobs or children, along with many other responsibilities.  In the real world, 0.5-2lbs per week is an amazing weekly average, as there will be weeks when you maintain or gain even.  I've been doing this for almost exactly seven and a half years and I've come to the point where I don't take a single tenth of a pound lost for granted.  It's way too easy to put it back on so any small number is hard won.


This week I noticed something when I got on the scale.  I normally only look at the big number (usually holding my breath while waiting for it to pop up), but we have a fairly nice scale that tells you other things as well. One of those things is body fat percentage.  I guess the reason I don't tend to look at that number is that I have always seen it over 30%.  That doesn't surprise me anymore, but in high school, we took fat percentage in health class.  I remember how shocked and embarrassed I was when mine came out to 33%.  Women of course have more than men, but that was a very high number (considered obese, but looking back that doesn't surprise me).  The number I saw today was 27.3%!  Not just slightly below 30%, but almost a full 3% lower.  Compared to the other times I've lost large amounts of weight, I'm working out much more and therefore am replacing the fat with much leaner muscle mass.  The average body fat percentage level for women is 25-31% (18-24% for men) and the fat percentage at the fitness level is 21-24% for women (14-17% for men).  I have confidence that I can reach that fitness level by the time I get to my ultimate goal.  As it is, at the dentist, they took my resting heart rate and were shocked at how low it was - 58 bpm.  They then asked if I'm an athlete (which I almost snorted in laughter over) or I exercise.  I said I do exercise and that put them at ease.  Later, Andy was telling me about his resting heart rate and when I told him mine, he said that's at the level of athletes.  I guess all my working out is helping me in many more areas than just dropping pounds.

Weigh-in for 10/19/2013

Last weigh-in (10/12/2013) : 146.8 lb

This weigh-in (10/19/2013) : 146.2 lb

Change : 0.6 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 54.2 lbs


A big week followed by a small week is the way it works and I'm more than happy to see any small loss over a gain.  As long as I'm chipping away at the weight to reach that final goal (130lbs), I'm ecstatic about it.  This week had only one day in the gym due to illness (both the kids and me) and other scheduled appointments.  This coming week has me slated for four days to make up for it.  I've got to work hard leading up to Halloween so I can enjoy some candy :)

Weigh-in for 9/27/2013 ~ Back in the 140s!!!

Last weigh-in (9/21/2013) : 150.8 lb

This weigh-in (9/27/2013) : 149.8 lb

Change : 1 lb lost

Germany weight loss : 18.2lb of 19.8lb gained
Total weight loss since Izzie : 50.6 lbs


I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to get under 150lbs again after all the struggles of the last 18 months.  In the back of my mind, I always wonder what would've happened weight wise had we not gone to Germany and it makes me a little sad.  I can't dwell on that now, especially since I am so close to getting back to where I was before we stepped on that airplane.

Losing over 50lbs in less than 7 months is something I never thought myself capable of, considering it took me over 5 years from my first day of Weight Watchers to get from where I started to get to lifetime weight (42lbs lost).  I have to give a big part of the credit to the work I do in the gym on a weekly basis.  In the past, I've tried to lose weight either through exercise or eating better, but never both at the same time until the last few years.  Using one or the other either led to no loss, or not enough loss to change much in the way of inches because the fat wasn't getting replaced by much firmer muscle mass.  

As an overweight and obese child and teen, I hated recess and gym at school.  I was never athletic in sports that required much speed.  My main sports were volleyball and swimming, and even in swimming, I was better at endurance than sprints.  I'm not proud of this, but there was even a time I pretended to sprain my ankle so I didn't have to go to volleyball practice one day because we were going to have to run.  Never would I have thought then that I'd be one of the regulars at the gym.  The people at the gym daycare know my kids the minute we walk in and if we miss a day because one of the kids is sick or we're out of town, they tell us that they wondered where we were.  There's more to it than just the physical benefits at this point in my life.  It's a mental release as well.  I get to have someone else watch my kids, while they get to run around and play with other kids and toys they don't have at home.  I get some much needed time to myself and I don't seem to mind too much that it's hard work.  It'll be weird when I have to shift to maintain mode and I don't go quite as frequently (likely twice a week instead of three times).

Weigh-in for 9/21/2013

Last weigh-in (9/14/2013) : 151.7 lb

This weigh-in (9/21/2013) : 150.8 lb

Change : 0.9 lb lost

Germany weight loss : 17.2lb of 19.8lb gained
Total weight loss since Izzie : 49.6 lbs 


Not bad for a week after a huge loss.  I'm sure I was eating a bit too much regardless of hitting the gym three times this week.  This was Izzie's second week on rice cereal twice a day.  The first week, she wouldn't eat the whole bowl and still mainly nursed, so I didn't change my daily target to adjust for her eating solids.  It didn't really impact my weight loss last week by not changing the daily target.  This week she was eating more, but I still didn't change it.  I could tell as the days went on this week that she was nursing less than the prior week.  I knew by this coming week when she starts veggies mid-day in addition to the cereal twice a day that I would definitely have to change it.  Now I have 33 points plus per day instead of 40.  In a way, it will be a welcome relief as there were many days where I plotted out my day in advance and had 20 points or more to blow on things that weren't my three main meals.  It will also help mentally prepare me for when she stops nursing altogether and I go back to 26 points plus per day like I was for so long.

September 2013 Measurements

  Hips

•  Last month (8/17/2013) - 42.5 inches
•  This month (9/15/2013) - 40.25 inches

Waist

•  Last month (8/17/2013) - 31.5 inches
•  This month (9/15/2013) - 31 inches 

 
Thighs

•   Last month (8/17/2013) - 21.75 inches each
•   This month (9/15/2013) - 21 inches each 

Arms

• Last month (8/17/2013) - 10.5 inches each
• This month (9/15/2013) - 10.25 inches each

Since the last set of measurements 6.3lbs has come off and the inches seem to have come off equally quickly.  Right now, the only measurement that isn't smaller than the last time I was at this weight (151.7lbs) is the waist measurement. That's still the same as about 15lbs up from last time, but that was also much longer after having a baby.  As long as the numbers keep going down at the waist, no matter how slowly, I'll be happy.  My hips are the smallest they've been since joining weight watchers!  That's my biggest problem area and the one I put the most focus on in the gym, so I'm thrilled to see the results.

I broke into my "skinny" clothes bin that had been packed away shortly after returning from Europe.  I was so bummed that they had only fit me for a few short months before the carbs and fat got me.  I tried on all the pants and some of the tops and almost everything fit comfortably!  I did a little happy dance thinking about all of the options I will have this fall.  

I spent most of my teen years hiding behind too large clothing.  I was uncomfortable in my own skin and didn't want people to see what I really looked liked.  I hated to wear jeans and even when I got rid of most of the oversized clothes, I lived in sweats or pajama pants.  Even after Brady, if I wore jeans out (which was rare), as soon as I came home, I changed into something more comfortable.  Now that I'm becoming more confident and comfortable in my clothes, I think that I'll be dressing a bit better.  Of course, if I'm not going out, I'm not going to go all out, but I think it's important for my kids to see their mom not slouching around out and about all the time.  A whole new world of possibilities is opening up for me.

Weigh-in for 8/24/2013

Last weigh-in (8/10/2013) : 159.0 lb

This weigh-in (8/24/2013) : 155.6 lb

Change : 3.4 lb lost

Germany weight loss : 12.4lb of 19.8lb gained

Amount needed to get back to WW lifetime weight : 0.6 lbs


I was so excited when I checked my weight this morning, that I jumped in the shower, got dressed, and ran to Weight Watchers to do an official weigh-in!  I almost couldn't believe it.  It's been two weeks since I last posted a weight, so it's 3.4lbs over those two weeks, but still I am excited!  I was able to get my free etools voucher for the first time since January 2011!  This is huge for me. 

I'm finally starting to get more comfortable and confident in my appearance.  It's a mental game as well as a physical one.  It's unbelievable to think that I spent five and a half years trying to get to goal before I got there, constantly going up and down in an effort to reach it.  Less than six months after having a baby (starting 3lbs up from when I walked in the door in 2006), I am less than a pound from it.  Granted, I had a bigger motivation this time, knowing what I was missing out on.  Hitting the gym on average 2-3 times per week played a huge roll and although I hate it going in, I can't deny that I love the results at the end of the day.

Izzie will start solids two weeks from today, so I have two weeks left of my breastfeeding powers.  I shouldn't really give breastfeeding all the credit.  Whenever I get compliments on my weight loss and Andy is within earshot, he goes, "Well, she loses it all because she breastfeeds."  I get very annoyed when he says that because he gives the breastfeeding sole credit.  I won't say that it doesn't give a very helpful boost, but I want some of the credit for busting my butt in the gym and watching what I eat.  There are plenty of women who breastfeed and have a very hard time losing weight because they don't know how much to eat and how to compensate for exercise.  It's a fine line I walk, and one that has been learned from experience.  I was certainly not down almost 45lbs with Brady at this point.  I've learned from past mistakes and used that to my advantage.  My goal of hitting my pre-Germany weight is so close and attainable that I can almost taste it.  I have 16 weigh-ins before Christmas and 7.4lbs to go, which means if I lose half a pound per weigh-in, I've got it.  I think the best Christmas gift I could give myself would be to get below that weight and push towards a new lowest weight!

August 2013 Measurements

 Hips

•  Last month (7/13/2013) - 43.25 inches
•  This month (8/17/2013) - 42.5 inches

Waist

•  Last month (7/13/2013) - 32 inches
•  This month (8/17/2013) - 31.5 inches 

 
Thighs

•   Last month (7/13/2013) - 22.75 inches each
•   This month (8/17/2013) - 21.75 inches each 

Arms

• Last month (7/13/2013) - 11 inches each
• This month (8/17/2013) - 10.5 inches each

No weigh-in this week because we had to leave town unexpectedly and I want to get a few gym sessions in before I step on the scale.  Two weeks left to lose 2lbs!  Since measurements don't change drastically in one week, I decided to do those this week to give me an idea of how things are progressing since last month.  I've lost 4lbs since the last set of measurements five weeks ago and I was pretty pleased with the results, considering two of those weeks were spent either on vacation or out of town.  In the back of my mind, I always wonder what they would be like if I'd been in the gym the whole five weeks, but I can't dwell on that.  I can only look forward.

My hip measurements are now exactly in line with the weight from two years ago.  I usually focus my workouts on the lower half of my body, so I'm very glad to see the hard work paying off.  The waist measurement is still from over 10lbs ago (last time), but Brady was just turning one, so it's definitely coming off faster this time around.  I was most pleased with the thigh measurements this month.  I was just about 150lbs when my thighs were last this size.  This is the first time the measurements have been better now than at a lower weight and that's exciting because I know when I get to that weight again, the measurements will be even better!  I can definitely tell a difference in the way clothes are fitting.  Two months ago, we attended a funeral and I was wearing size 14 dress pants and they weren't exactly comfortable to sit down in.  We attended another funeral this week and I was wearing size 13 dress pants and they were extremely comfortable.  Those who have worn both know that juniors and womens pants are cut very differently, so I was happy to be in a junior cut as well.  It was also nice that several people who had seen me only seven weeks ago (and 8lbs up) noticed and complemented me on my loss in such a short time.  I sometimes don't even see that much change (since I see myself in the mirror every day), so it's really nice when other people notice.  Once I get to lifetime weight again, I won't be fretting as much about the week to week weigh-ins, but will be focusing on the measurements more as they are what control the clothing sizes.

July 2013 Measurements

Hips

•  Last month (6/18/2013) - 45 inches
•  This month (7/13/2013) - 43.25 inches

Waist

•  Last month (6/18/2013) - 33 inches
•  This month (7/13/2013) - 32 inches 

 
Thighs

•   Last month (6/18/2013) - 23 inches each
•   This month (7/13/2013) - 22.75 inches each 

Arms

• Last month (6/18/2013) - 11.5 inches each
• This month (7/13/2013) - 11 inches each

I think my favorite measurement to watch go down is the hips, which has always been my problem area.  The lowest I have ever gotten my hips was 40.5 inches, so hoping to push through that when I get back to pre-Germany weight.  Although I love watching the hips go down, it's likely the waist that's what will keep me from donning my bikinis at the beach in a week.  They fit and I have worn them at higher weights before, but the "mommy belly" is still shrinking back to normal.  It's not bad when I'm standing or laying down, but sitting down, there's some pooch and I'm a bit self conscious about it.  Maybe next year.  A small victory was that I was finally able to wear those size 12 bermuda jean shorts comfortably.  That was a goal I set for my self to do before the beach and I did it!  

I'm finally starting to get to a point where my measurements are lining up with the weight.  The last time I was at these hip measurements I was 163.4lbs (163 now), but the waist measurements are still off as I was 174.4lbs.  I'm starting to look at it another way, though.  That was when Brady was 9 months old, so my belly and waistline are shrinking much faster, no doubt a testament to my hitting the gym on a regular basis for the last three months.  It does a lot for my self esteem to be getting into a more comfortable weight range and wearing some of my clothes again.  I really hated wearing bigger clothes after Brady, I just didn't feel like myself.

Weigh-in for 7/6/2013

Last weigh-in (6/29/2013) : 167 lb

This weigh-in (7/6/2013) : 165.8 lb

Change : 1.2lb lost

Germany weight loss : 2.2lb of 19.8lb gained

Amount needed to get back to WW lifetime weight : 10.8 lbs


I got my butt into the gym three times this week and it paid off.  We had guests over on Sunday night, so we made things that aren't necessarily the best and ate out on Tuesday, but working out (while eating well the remaining days) did the trick.  The Fourth of July was this week, which usually means eating bad at family gatherings, but we stayed home this year, so it was a day in the gym and eating healthy.  To hit my goal for the rest of the month, the next two weeks I need to lose 1.4lb average per week.

May 2013 Stats & June Goals

Starting weight : 177.8 lb

Ending weight : 172.4 lb

Change : 5.4 lb lost (average 1.2lb lost per week)

This time last year : 166 lb


The goal for May was to lose 5lbs and I surpassed that with a lot of hours in the gym.  Each week had at least a 1lb loss and most weeks it was more than that.  I know that I won't be exclusively breastfeeding forever and once Izzie starts solids in three months, I'll lose a good amount of points plus per day from my daily target in addition to burning less calories from it per day.  That means I have to take advantage of every moment I'm still breastfeeding as it speeds up the weight loss.  I knew I could eat more and get away with it after Brady so I played around and didn't buckle down like I am now.

June will have five Saturdays and I want to average 1lb per week and have a total of 5lbs yet again.  That would put me below my pre-pregnancy weight with Izzie, which was 168lbs.  That would be a major accomplishment as she's just about to turn three months old and Brady was 16 months old when I got all of his pregnancy weight off. 

The major goal is get back to my lowest by Christmas and to do that, I need to average 0.8lbs per week.  It's very doable and I feel my clothes getting looser all the time.  Just the other day I tried on a pair of size 12 bermuda shorts that I had tried on three weeks prior and couldn't get zipped up.  Not only could I get them zipped up, but I had no muffin top.  They were still a little snug so I need to lose some more before I start wearing them again, but I know that before summer is over they'll be on again and comfortable.

Weigh-in for 5/18/2013

Last weigh-in (5/11/2013) : 175 lb

This weigh-in (5/18/2013) : 173.4 lb

Change : 1.6 lb lost

Total loss postpartum : 27lb of 32.4lb gained 

Amount needed to get back to WW lifetime weight : 18.4 lbs


I am again very pleased with this week's number.  The start of the week was rough with two birthday parties on Saturday and then we ate out twice on Sunday for Mother's Day and Andy's birthday.  The rest of the week has been devoted to the gym and staying perfectly on my points.  It's way more important to be good the second half of the week than the first half.  I have one more weigh-in for the month and to reach my goal of 5lbs, I only need to lose 0.4lb.  I'm hoping for more ;) 

Andy went from 225.8lbs last week to 224.6lbs this week.  I'm hoping he can stay on track a little better instead of gaining and losing the same pound over and over.

Weigh-in for 4/20/2013

Last weigh-in (4/13/2013) : 179.4 lb

This weigh-in (4/20/2013) : 179 lb

Change : 0.4 lb lost

Total loss postpartum : 21.4lb of 32.4lb gained 

Amount needed to get back to WW lifetime weight : 24 lbs 


This week's weigh-in is a little late because we decided to make a last-minute trip home and only got back last night.  I did take it upon myself to weigh-in instead of skip it because of being on the road.  I was down lower earlier in the week, but being in the car for 4.5 hours and eating fast food the night before weigh-in always take a toll.

My big accomplishment of the week was going to the gym three times!  I definitely have a way to go to get back to where I was pre-Germany in terms of endurance, but it's a step in the right direction.  It certainly felt fantastic though.  My biggest challenge of the week was eating all of my points.  Exercise makes it even harder, as I feel like I should eat at least half of what I earn in order not to lose my milk supply.  I typically plot out what I'll eat for my three main meals the night before so I can piece the day together based on dinner.  I found that many days, I'd plan out all three meals and still have 17 points plus to have to eat (before having to eat any activity points earned).  It's difficult to find things to eat for that many points as most of our snacks are low in points and I'd be eating all day long to reach that goal.  It's a totally different mindset than I'm used to and I don't know if it will get easier as time goes on.  I guess I should enjoy it now, because when I'm done breastfeeding, my daily target will go back to 26 points plus (it's at 43 now) and I'm sure I'll be whining about not having enough points to eat.

This week will be a bit more of a challenge and I don't know how it's going to turn out.  We were out of town for 3.5 days and ate out at least once each day.  I didn't track past Saturday, so I'm sure I've used all my weekly extra points.  Also, being out of town means I'm not going to get in as much gym time.  Andy's schedule this week will limit it even more, to the point where I will likely only get to the gym once between this past weigh-in and this coming weigh-in.  All I can do is track now and look forward.