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 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!

October 2013 Stats & November Goals

Starting weight : 149.8 lb

Ending weight : 145.2 lb

Change : 4.6 lb lost (average 1.05lb lost per week)

This time last year : 178 lb (21 weeks pregnant)


My goal for October was to get to pre-Germany weight (148.2lbs) and I certainly achieved that and more.  I write weight changes on my calendar hanging in the kitchen and Andy saw the start and end weight for the month and couldn't believe how much I'd lost in a month, especially being in a healthy weight range already.  I know that it's not going to keep up like this and the weekly numbers most week have tapered off.

I have 15.2 lbs to go before I reach my ultimate goal of 130 lbs.  I know I set that for early July, but we head to California in mid-May and I'd love to be there by the time we head out there.  That's six and a half months away and that means I need to average about 2.3lbs per month to get there.  There will be four weigh-ins this month, so I will shoot for an average of 0.6lb per week and a total of 2.4lbs.  I'd love to be at the 140lb mark by Christmas and that will get me halfway there.

October 2013 Measurements

 
Hips

•  Last month (9/15/2013) - 40.25 inches
•  This month (10/19/2013) - 39.25 inches

Waist

•  Last month (9/15/2013) - 31 inches
•  This month (10/19/2013) - 29.5 inches  

 
Bust

•  Last month (9/15/2013)   - 38.5 inches
•  This month (10/19/2013) - 36.5 inches

Thighs

•   Last month (9/15/2013) - 21 inches each
•   This month (10/19/2013) - 20.5 inches each 

Arms

• Last month (9/15/2013) - 10.25 inches each
• This month (10/19/2013) - 10 inches each

The measurements have at last lined up with my lowest weight from December 2011 (148.2lbs), with some being lower.  The waist is what I have been waiting for to catch up and it's exactly what it was at it's lowest almost two years ago.  The thigh and hip measurements are lower than they've ever been, with the hips coming in at under 40 inches.  I have the makings of an hourglass figure, but my hips have always been a problem, making me look more like a pear figure.  My ultimate goal when it comes to these measurements is the get the hips and bust at the same size. 

I have taken bust measurements since Izzie was born, but they were pretty stagnant because of breastfeeding.  This was the first time I'd seen any change, so I decided to include it.  I went from a 36D to a 34D within a year of starting weight watchers.  After Brady, while nursing I went up to a 40DD and it took months after I stopped to even get into a 38D.  I was finally at a 36D when I got back to pre-pregnancy weight after him and stayed there until I got pregnant with Izzie.  Because I full-time nursed her, I was still able to get into a 38D when necessary, but mostly wear nursing bras that didn't have cup sizes.  I've realized through this journey that I will not be losing the cup size no matter how much I lose (not the case with most people), so the band size is the only thing of which I have control.  I sometimes have to go up a shirt size to accommodate my bust size and then the waist is way too big, so if I can lower the band size, it should hopefully open up smaller shirt sizes to me.

I am amazed at how fast my "skinny" clothes are becoming too big for me.  My medium pants are almost to the point of falling off, so I've resorted to wearing either my small sized yoga pants, jeans, or my medium leggings.  I'm sure soon, I'll have to get some new pants, but I'd like to wait until I'm closer to my ultimate goal (130lbs) before I do so that I don't have to buy even smaller ones when I get there.  My rings are getting very loose and I'm also holding off on sizing them down.  I imagine sometime after Christmas, if not before, it will become a necessity.

September 2013 Stats & October Goals

Starting weight : 154.8 lb

Ending weight : 149.8 lb

Change : 5 lb lost (average 1.2lb lost per week)

This time last year : 172.5 lb (17 weeks pregnant)


My goal for September was to lose 3lbs and I was more than happy to have lost more than that and break back into the 140s for the first time since December 2011.  We took family portraits earlier in the month and it was the lowest weight (154lbs) that I'd ever been when taking them since Brady was born.  Not traveling most of the month was very helpful in the weight loss for the month as there was more time for the gym and less time eating bad food.

October is here and I have one goal - to reach my pre-Germany weight of 148.2lbs, which is only 1.6lbs from where I am currently.  That would require only 0.4lb loss per week for the full month.  I set this goal for myself shortly after Izzie was born and I wanted to reach it by Christmas.  The weight has come off much faster (with a lot more hard work this time around) than it did after Brady.  I am down 50.6lbs since Izzie was born 7 months ago and that took me 15 months to do after Brady was born.  Once I break through that number, I will have to set a new goal for myself as I will be in uncharted territory.  I can't wait to get back there in the next few weeks and look forward to a new number.  It's only one step closer to getting to a point where I stop trying to lose weight and start to maintain, which has never happened in the over seven years of being on Weight Watchers.

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.

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 Stats & August Goals

Starting weight : 167 lb

Ending weight : 161.8 lb

Change : 5.2 lb lost (average 1.2lb lost per week)

This time last year : 168 lb (8 weeks pregnant)


This month was great and I surpassed my goal of 4lbs lost.  I'm back where I was almost exactly two years ago when I was on my biggest downswing and on the road to becoming a lifetime member.  If I was able to get to 148.2 lbs by Christmas then while not exercising as intensely and breastfeeding, I should be able to get there no problem if I stick to it. 

There are 20 weeks til Christmas and 13.6lbs to lose to make it to that goal.  That means an average of 0.7lb loss per week until then.  Going by that, I should be trying to reach a 3.4lb loss for the month of August.  Ideally, I want to be back at the upper level of my lifetime goal (157), so I'm going to shoot for that at 4.8lbs this month.  If I don't get there, I won't beat myself up since I've been doing so well and eventually the weight won't come off as fast.  If I get somewhere in between the two numbers I will be happy.

I was looking back at some old beach pics and wish I'd found this one yesterday before blogging about bikinis.  The one on the left with my brothers is from 2008 before I had either kid.  I feel way better about how I look now, considering my belly was worse before it was stretched out by two kids.  My goal is to look better at 30 (yikes, but still several years away) than I did at 16, 18, or even 20.

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.

June 2013 Stats & July Goals

Starting weight : 172.4 lb

Ending weight : 167 lb

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

This time last year : 168 lb (4 weeks pregnant)


This is the first time in a long time where my ending month weight is lower than the prior year (at least 18 months), and that's very exciting.  This month was great.  I hit the 5lb goal that I set for myself and went below my pre-pregnancy weight.  Doing that in less than four months is a huge boost to my self-esteem as it took four times as long after Brady.

July is vacation month for us, which means I will only have three weigh-ins.  I want to be back at the buffer of lifetime (157) by the end of August so I took the weight (10lbs) and averaged it over the number of weigh-ins until then (8).  It came out to 1.25lbs per weigh-in.  That's just around the average per week for the last two months, so it seems doable.  So for July, the goal is 4lbs.

June 2013 Measurements

Hips

•  Last month (5/10/2013) - 46.5 inches
•  This month (6/18/2013) - 45 inches

Waist

•  Last month (5/10/2013) - 34 inches
•  This month (6/18/2013) - 33 inches 

 
Thighs

•   Last month (5/10/2013) - 23.75 inches each
•   This month (6/18/2013) - 23 inches each

The last five weeks have been pretty good in terms of measurements and taking off the inches.  A total of four inches gone.  Clothes are definitely fitting better and I'm getting into smaller pants for sure.  I had to attend a funeral last week and was so scared that I wouldn't be able to fit into anything I had.  I was able to get into my size 14 black dress pants (that I bought at 9 months postpartum after Brady) and one of my regular dressy tops.  In addition to that, my size 12 bermudas (non-jeans) fit comfortably.  The jean bermudas are now able to be zipped up (with no muffin top) and I would imagine they will be comfortable within the next month.  That nursing dress I bought at the end of April and felt disgusting in due to how my hips looked, now fits better and I don't feel so self-conscious while wearing it.  I decided to splurge yesterday and buy some new nursing clothes for summer (til this point, I had three tank tops and one dress).  I was able to buy a medium dress and medium tank tops.  That feels soooo good.

The measurements still haven't caught up to the weight yet.  At these measurements after Brady, I was 177.2lbs, almost 10lbs heavier than I currently am.  The last time I was at this weight (168.8), my hips were 44 inches and my waist was 31 inches.  Hopefully in the next few months, we can get the two factors to start matching up.

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.

April 2013 Stats & May Goals

Starting weight : 181.6 lb

Ending weight : 177.8 lb

Change : 3.8 lb lost (average 0.9lb lost per week)

This time last year : 164.6 lb


My goal for April was to lose about 1lb per week.  I came pretty darn close to that, so I'm happy with the progress that I've made.  I'm less than 10lbs away from pre-pregnancy weight, so that's pretty great in my mind.  Since I've been back in the gym for the last two weeks and will be the entire month of May, I will have a slightly higher goal.  I'm going to aim for 5lbs during the whole month, so about 1.2lbs lost each week average.

April 2013 Measurements

Hips

•  Last month (3/23/2013) - 48 inches
•  This month (4/13/2013) - 47 inches

Waist

•  Last month (3/23/2013) - 37.5 inches
•  This month (4/13/2013) - 36 inches 

 
Thighs

•   This month (4/13/2013) - 24.5 inches each

Taking measurements is just as important as weighing yourself because results tend to show differently based on activity level and diet.  In my mind, the measurements matter more than the weight because I'd rather fit in smaller clothes than see a super low number.

I've often mentioned that measurements and weight don't go hand in hand as you can put on weight differently each time you gain.  I am seeing this with my most recent gains via Germany and pregnancy.  The last time I was at these measurements was when I weighed 189.6lbs, almost exactly 10lbs higher than where I am now.  The last time I was at my current weight (179.4), my hips were 45.5 inches and my waist was 34 inches. 

Since my hope is to be below pre-pregnancy weight before the beach (where I was also comfortable in my bikinis), I not only have to hit the weight but the inches to be completely comfortable.  The summer I was at that weight and wearing my bikinis, my hips were 42.5 inches and my waist was 30.5 inches.  In order to get to those stats, I need to lose 4.5 inches off my hips and 5.5 inches off my waist in the next three months.  Hopefully, being back in the gym will help me meet that goal.