My Journey (including a pregnancy)

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!