baby weight chronicles

Right before getting pregnant with the girls I was in arguably the best shape of my life. A decade out, I was the same size as I was in high school. I had been thinner in my adult life (you try a summer of working from noon to 9 pm while trying to balance an active social life... it doesn't leave much time for snacking) but I certainly wasn't fit. Prepregnancy I was working out a minimum of 5 days per week, usually doing classes (circuit was my favorite) and sometimes even running a mile or so after the less strenuous classes (i.e. Zumba).

When those two pink lines appeared, I was committed to maintaining my active lifestyle. I continued to go to the gym at my prepregnancy pace until we had the big ultrasound that showed we were having not one, but two babies. The doctors reassured me that I could maintain my previous workout regime, minus the ab work... but I still scaled it back and focused on Zumba and jogging. Although, I figured I could still hit that perfect weight gain of about 35 pounds with nary a stretch mark to be seen.

Well, I hit the 35 pound mark around month 5. Then I remembered advice I had read saying that maternal weight gain had been linked with positive outcomes in twin pregnancies (ignoring that crucial bit from psych 101 where correlation does not equal causation... perhaps mothers who gained more weight happened to make it to term which would be the reason for the positive outcome... not the fact that she downed 5 oreos followed by 2 glasses of milk on a daily basis on occasion... not that I would know anything about that).

Anyways at the end of my pregnancy, I was more than 50% larger than I was prepregnancy. But I wasn't too concerned... I figured I would drop the pounds in no time. Nine months up, nine months down? Maybe for those slackers that don't work out, but not this girl. Heck, some people are even thinner after they have kids- that will totally be me. Funny how things don't work out quite as nicely as you plan.

I still have *gasp* 10 12 extra pounds of baby weight that is hanging out... mostly around my midsection. Getting to the gym is a challenge with 2 little nuggets. For the longest time I wasn't exercising because I wasn't able to make it to my beloved classes, but then I acquired a few new fitness dvds and am back on track. I don't necessarily work out 5 days per week, but I'm finding that 3-4 is quite doable.

Next up in operation banish baby weight is cleaning up my eating habits, because true story, abs are made in the kitchen. No, you won't get a 6 pack from eating quinoa and spinach, but it is way easier to take in an extra 600 calories than it is to burn those calories through exercise.

I've been tracking my calories through my fitness pal. I'm only allotted 1200 calories a day, which encourages me to work out- because I love treats. I have been making better choices in my treats... instead of downing a batch of oreos or peanut butter cups, I've been munching on homemade treats: mini apple crisp, peanut butter granola balls, pumpkin muffins. In fact after cutting down on processed foods, my beloved oreos and a few other snacks aren't as delicious as they once were.

To round out my attack on the bulge, I'm working on meeting the minimum requirement of 5 cups of fruits and veggies per day. I've been loving smoothies lately, which is an excellent way for me to sneak in my daily allotment of fruits. Veggies are a bit trickier- I love roasted cauliflower and broccoli, but that requires a bit of prep work. I recently learned that I enjoy zucchini if it is grated and hiding in quinoa. I love spinach in pasta, omelets, and even the occasional strawberry salad.

So here is a pic of me at my goal size. I was 5 weeks pregnant in this picture:

And here is where I am at now:

There is a bit of trickery in the second picture. They are not the same pants I was wearing in my thinner days (sadly I need to lose an inch or two from my midsection before they fit... the pants in the bottom picture are 2 sizes bigger... curse you Express, for making 00's)

And just for fun, what I looked like at 37 weeks pregnant:

So long story short, overall I'm pleased with where I am at. I'd prefer to trim down my midsection and shave an inch or so off my hips, but with the level of effort I'm putting in the results are to be expected. I could ramp up my workout schedule, but then I wouldn't have time to blog or shop online clean. I could eat healthier, but this is the girl who used to cry at the sight of vegetables. Who spent over 10 years of her life eating a ham and cheese sandwich on a bun, four oreos, and a fudge brownie for lunch every.single.day. Who even in college couldn't find anything appealing on the menu of casual dining establishments and would order a grilled cheese sandwich off menu.

Oh, and side note- I have a secret weapon for measuring progress. I ended up with an extra belt with my bridesmaid dress from my cousin's wedding that is just hanging out in my dresser. Once I get that baby to fit comfortably around my midsection I'll know I have arrived.