So here I am again. After all, it is the new year, right? To be honest, when Lindsay asked me if I would be interested in participating in AW again this year, I wasn’t really keen. I have had a hard time with my body this year. I had my daughter Lila in November 2011 and I did not anticipate how difficult it would be to bounce back from childbirth and get back in shape again at age 38. But then I thought Accountability Wednesday might be a good way to stay on track with the fitness goals I have made for myself this year.
I tried doing Weight Watchers again last year, and also tried to find ways to fit exercise back into my life, but with a baby (who even now at 14 months is not much into "independent" play) and then going back to work full time last summer, I have really struggled to find time to even keep a food journal, let alone actually work out. I’ve also had quite a bit of physical pain since my delivery. My left hip cannot take much weight and constantly hurts. I have a lot of lower back pain. In the morning when I first wake up, it is hard to move. All my vertebrae feel fused together. I have seen the physical therapist at work and they seem to think these ailments stem from my current lack of core strength – I still have a small ab separation from carrying the baby.
I am also still nursing Lila, although only a few times a day now. I don’t really know how much this plays into my weight/appetite, but its possible it plays a role.
I’ve decided this year to focus on a few things: drinking more water, finding small windows of time to exercise (I am starting with a small goal – two 20 minute workouts a week), and eating healthfully and most importantly, mindfully. I read this quote the other day and I think its an important concept to hold on to: "I will worship my own temple". I need to honor my body.
I do have a weight loss goal in mind – I would like to weigh about 15 pounds less than I do right now. That is a comfortable weight for me and one that I can maintain once I get there. I actually only weigh about 2 lbs more than my pre-pregnancy weight right now, but I had put on some weight prior to getting pregnant through bad habits on the road (namely eating out and drinking too much) that I am now having a hard time losing.
I want to focus on moving my body this year and being thoughtful about my food choices. I don’t want to focus on the scale and on counting calories because that’s where I tend to get discouraged and want to throw in the towel when the numbers are not moving the way I want them to. I think bigger lifestyle changes are what I need to make my priority and what will hopefully (fingers crossed) lead to success. To that end, although I will be checking in with the scale periodically at home, I don’t think I’ll be posting photos of the scale here. It is more important to me to try and stay accountable to my exercise goals, so likely my photos here will be more fitness/food/health related than a photo of a number. It will also be a good place for me to keep a weekly record of fitness accomplishments.
So this is my immediate course of action:
– drink 3 water bottles worth of water every day
– work out twice a week for 20 min (right now yoga and pilates to get my core back in shape)
– eventually try to increase workouts
– once my core is mended, I would like to start up Couch to 5K again (currently running is not good for my hip)
– focus on eating healthy, whole foods – low carb, low sugar
– occasional splurges are okay, don’t let that throw me into a downward spiral of bad eating
– no sugary snacks at work (everyone needs to stop bringing in donuts and candy!)
– eat slowly
– walk a mile a day (I already do this from Penn Station to work and back every day)
– take the stairs
– stay mindful. don’t lose course.
Alright. So, there it is. Let’s do this!
