Reality Bites

I was uploading our photos from the Easter weekend to my computer today and there it was...a full length picture of me taken by my husband. Wow. It stopped me in my tracks. Why? Let's just say that as a mom of a 10 month old who is still nursingI am hungry all the time, I have not lost all the baby weight yet and my chest region is...ahem...huge. Yikes. (I knew there was a reason I am usually behind the camera, instead of in front of it!) I have known in the back of my mind for a while now that I needed to address my weight, but it's been pretty low on the priority list. Well, after seeing this picture I know I need to move it higher up on the list.

My weight has been an issue for most of my adult life. I have never been slim or svelte - I was always more aptly described as curvy or "pleasingly plump". I did have a good handle on it through Weight Watchers though, and got my lifetime membership by getting down to my ideal weight and staying there for a good long time throughout my twenties and early thirties. Then I met my husband, got married, got comfortable, got pregnant (twice) and got fat...again. I am now 35 pounds heavier than my ideal weight, and boy, can you tell just by looking at me!

I could go back to Weight Watchers, but I truly don't have time to attend meetings, and I really want to try to create a better and healthier long term lifestyle for me and my family and not just lose the weight again. I had picked up Bob Greene's The Best Life Diet book after I had our first son, but never got around to reading it, and before I knew it I was expecting son number two. Well, I have read it over the last few days and I think adopting the principles in it will lead to a more sustainable weight loss and more active lifestyle.

I love that there are 3 distinct phases. Here are my goals for Phase 1 of The Best Life Diet which will last about a month to six weeks:

• weigh myself ONCE at the beginning of phase 1 and then not for another month or so
  
• eat three meals a day and one snack...making sure to eat a really good breakfast
  
• make sure to take mulit-vitamin and supplements for health
• be more active...ie: do SOMETHING rather than nothing!
  
• stop eating two hours before bedtime
• stay hydrated and eliminate alcohol (not hard since I am still nursing and I rarely indulge)
  

Notice there is nothing about cutting calories? That comes later. This phase is to prepare me with healthy habits. I can do this!!! (I know also that I can't really cut a lot of calories until Sam is weaned, which will probably be in a month or 6 weeks.)

As for the active part...we have been really sedentary and stuck inside during this long, cold winter. I am hoping now that spring is finally here we will be able to get outside and have some fun while moving our bodies. I also got out the Wii Fit...I have had it since Christmas and not even tried it out. It was great...after the body test I did some yoga and strength training while the kids played. I felt really good afterwards and I plan on using it at least three times per week. The Wii "trainer" also sensed that my right side/balance was weaker than my left, which is due to my back and pelvis issues during my pregnancy, labour and delivery. I am looking forward to becoming stronger, pain free and having more energy to get out and play with my boys.

I am going to use my blog to track my progrss on this journey towards not just losing weight, but creating my "best life". Hmmm...maybe reality doesn't bite so much after all.

Happy Scrapping!
Noreen