My Journey (including a pregnancy)

Better_Balance_2011

Hello friends. I wanted to share my journey to just my friends via blog, but I coudn't get my pics to show up that way so what the hell, here you go MFP!

I had a baby January 2012 and have been working pretty hard trying to lose the weight, which I have and now am toning up and trying to get the body I have always wanted. I am close: parts of my body I am happier with than I have been in a long time. My arms are starting to get definition. My legs are back to pre-preg snazzy, and my face has slimmed out. My tummy, however, has not. I'm still a work in progress. Anyways, I wanted to document my journey on MFP including losing the baby weight so far. Here it goes:

I have always been active. I clogged from age 5-10, cheered from 10-13, played soccer at 14 and then began (at the "suggestion" from my Mom...thanks Mom after all) going to the gym. I started with step class, stairmaster and the like and really half assed my workouts. When I turned about 16 or 17 I started running, did Slim Fast and lost lots of weight. I weighed 106-108 pounds and will never be that skinny again. (I am 5'2"). I also did a little weight lifting on machines.

Once college came, I continued with the same workouts, gained about 7 punds and thought I was getting "fat". I continued to gain weight in college, and attribute some of that as just doing the womanly "fill out" thing. My hips got a little bigger, legs larger, and butt bigger. I also drank a lot more and topped out close to 140. I worked out some, but nothing like I'd been doing. School was a lot of hours in design studio (landscape architecture), on top of other classes and I also had a job and social life.

Finally upon graduation, I was able to become a regular exerciser. I would go to the gym 4-5 days a week doing everything.....spin class, yoga, kick boxing, free weights, machines, stepmill, elliptical, running (treadmill and road). I weighed around 130-133. I continued this regimine up until my husband and I moved cities and I became stagnant for about 3 months and got back up to around 140. I finally got a gym membership and got back to it, doing yoga regularly, running longer distances and several races, and strength training.

Then I got divorced, pretty much quit working out, but weighed in the high 120's again because I was drinking more dinners than I was eating and generally not taking care of myself. After about a year and a half of that, I was done and starting running again.

When I think back over all the times in my life, when I am running, my life is stable. I got back in the low 130's and healthy again. I remarried my ex-husband and about 6 months later got pregnant (on purpose)! Prior to pregnancy, I began MFP as my weight had crept up to the high 130's again (weigh in day it was 140). I lost 6.5 pounds over 5 months before I found I was prego. I did 30 Day Shred in April 2010 and her are my before and afters.

BEFORE



AFTER



Here is what I looked like 10 days before giving birth:



I had my daughter via c-section so had a long recovery. I started walking about 4-5 weeks post partum, very slowly because it was tough. I got cleared "for whatever was comfortable for me" at my 6 week appointment and decided to delve back into 30 Day Shred because I did see result my first time around. These pics were taken on that day in late March:





Measurements were: Weight - 142.5, neck 12.5, bicep each: 11.25, chest 38, waist 31.75, belly 38, hips 37, right thigh 23.75, left thigh 23.5

30 DS didn't work out; I was till sore. I started running slowly but surely pushing my kiddo in my b.o.b. Revolution (I love it!). By the time the next pics were taken, I weighed about 134. I was running 3 times a week combined close to 10 miles a week. I did a little strength training also.






In June I revamped my workout and began lifting heavy using free weights in my home gym doing compound moves, still running once a week, doing HIIT, and walking leisurely about 3 times a week or more. (My husband and I walk wherever we can - dinner, coffee shop, to get a beer...) Now that I am back to work, I am more interested in spending QT with my family than spending hours at the gym. I now come home right after work and squeeze in a 25 minute workout so that once my husband and baby come home, I'm almost done. I am getting great workouts in less time rather than spending 75-90 minutes at the gym on an elliptical. I also have 1 or 2 days off a week and those days I try to get a run in with my kiddo.

These photos were taken Saturday, and I am weighing about 131 these days. My utlimate goal in 127-130, but I am more concerned with toning up (especially my abs although I am pretty certain I'll never have a semblance of a 6 pack) and being healthy.






My measurements showed a loss of 7.5"!

Weight 131, neck 12 (-0.5), biceps 11 (-0.5), chest 37.75 (-0.25). waist 30.5 (-1.25!) belly 36.75 (-1.25!), hips 36(-1), thighs 21.75 (-3.75 total!!).

Happy health and fitness friends! You all have helped me to achieve my goals and will encourage me to continue my lifelong journey!

mrsjennifermaffei

Pictures aren't showing up but congrats!

Better_Balance_2011

There we go!

zyarnykh

What a great story! I am in approximately the same boat - used to be 110-112 before I turned 21 and started to drink. At 118 I thought I was "fat". Joined MFP a couple of years back at 132, but did not lose anything. This March-April, I noticed that even though I was running and working out, my weight was always between 136-138. I attributed it to my lack of diet discipline. First week of April, I found out I was pregnant!! I am now nearly 17 weeks and already gained 13 lbs...Baby due in December so I am hoping to get back into it then. I now do 30 mins of cardio 2-3 times a week.

wanna_be_fit

Awesome job! And you are totally brave to post the post pregnancy pics (which by the way don't look like post pregnancy!). I'm proud of you sister!!!

osewcute

you look great! and I laughed because like me, you can remember your weight at every stage of your life - hilarious. And awesome that you re-married your ex. my sister and brother-in-law did that and they have one of the best marriages i have ever seen.

keep up the good work!

Jentaylor0295

Congratulations on your journey! You should be proud of your progress, you look great! (and I LOVE your preg pic!!!!)

Better_Balance_2011

Thanks everyone!

kimbly71

As always, you continue to inspire me. You set goals for yourself and move forward with accomplishing them. Running, lifting, losing weight, mommy-ing - you are stellar. Your pics look fantastic. I'm proud to be your pal and IRL friend. :blushing: