After having a baby in September and having a rough post-partum, by mid October I had actually gained 4lbs, even with breast feeding. I was back to emotional eating and was eating everything in sight, and a lot of it! I was a little discouraged to say the least, but it was a wake up call. In the fall of 2010 I had lost 12lbs using myfitnesspal on my iPhone. This app enables one to input their calorie intake and exercise, and the amount of weight you want to lose per week (or if you just want to maintain). So it calculates the caloric intake you should be having each day. It really helped me see the amount of food I was putting in my mouth. So, in November 2011 I decided to get back on track.
In 2 months I lost 15lbs! I know most of you are thinking "what a hassle! I don't want to input everything I eat!". Well I'll just say that it does take commitment, but if you start recording everything you eat, you become aware of how much you should be having. I don't by any means limit the types of food I eat, because let's face it, it's unrealistic to say "I'm NEVER going to eat ____". When I started in November my caloric intake was pretty low, but once a week I gave myself a free day where I could eat whatever I wanted. Free days were a learning curve too. If I looked at the amount of calories I used to take in on a normal day, my free days were actually less than what I used to eat EVERY DAY! Now, I have mostly eliminated my "free" day, (since having a free day every week is really unnecessary) and upped my daily caloric intake by about 200 calories. Now I realize that breastfeeding is having a huge impact too, but it feels so good to lose weight gradually.
I highly recommend checking out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ if you are looking for a "nudge" in your weight loss or if you are simply having a hard time maintaining. It works similarly to facebook in that you can add friends, and be connected to different groups for accountability and encouragement.
Of course, it is not just all about the food you eat, it is about how much you move. All we have to do is "EAT LESS and MOVE MORE"! It comes in handy to be a dance teacher! So I am getting a bit of exercise 5 days a week at least, and try to do more.
ABOVE ALL...it's a complete lifestyle change. It's not a DIET. I'm changing the way I think about food and exercise. I am blessed to have awesome support in my best friend, who has changed her lifestyle slowly over the last couple of years, and is living a super healthy life now.
Other tips for living a healthy life:
1. Keep stress to a minimum
2. Do something for your mind, body and soul EVERY DAY! (-Marissa Chastain)
3. Nourish your body
4. Laugh daily
5. Drink lots of water
6. Do something active instead of watching TV (even if it's just playing Wii)
7. Spend time with family
8. Do something creative
9. Do something nice for someone else and expect nothing in return.
10. Do something out of your comfort zone.
Well folks, that's it for now. Next blog to come will probably include information about taxes, maternity leave, and child tax benefits.
Peace, Health and Love...
MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter
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