I’ve been debating about writing this post. It’s not what I normally blog about. But I just keep thinking that I would like to read other people’s experiences, so maybe others would want to read mine? And if you don’t like reading about it, you may want to tune out for the next week or so.
Because I’m going on a diet.
Shocker? Well, it is to me! I have always had the kind of metabolism where exercise was all it took to shed the baby weight. With my first child, I hardly did anything and got back down to my goal weight really quickly. With my second child, I gained a lot of weight and I had to run… a lot. But the weight came off without dieting. With this third child, I didn’t gain as much (thank heavens), but I’ve still got 15 pounds to lose to reach my goal weight and 20 to reach my ideal weight. I turned 30 this year, and I have the feeling it’s going to be a harder battle. I could probably exercise and lose slowly over the next year, but I don’t fit into any of my pants, I jiggle in way too many places, and I can’t handle being this way for that long!
There’s actually another even bigger reason for the diet. Several nights ago, a sweet friend brought me a pan of caramel monkey bread. I ate the whole pan myself. When I snarfed the last bite and realized what I had done, I knew it was time to admit that I have a problem. I am addicted to sugar. In a wow-I-just-ate-four-cupcakes-for-breakfast kind of way. And it’s time for a drastic change.
So for the next seven days I will be making over my food habits and kick-starting my baby weight loss.
Here’s the plan:
YES to fruits, vegetables, lean meats, eggs and legumes.
NO to processed foods, carbohydrates, sugar and dairy.
I didn’t just wake up this morning and decide to diet. I have been psyching myself up since the monkey bread binging experience. I’ve read a ton and decided what I think will help me and what I can stick to. I’ve written up a menu plan. I went shopping and filled my cart with produce. I even got on Pinterest and unfollowed all the food boards… because nothing makes me hungrier than Pinterest. Can I get an amen?! I am going to spend the rest of the morning prepping food so that I have healthy snacks that are ready to eat when hunger strikes.
I am hoping that by blogging about my experience, I will be able to stick with it a little easier (hello, accountability!). I’m going to report in every night and let you know how the day went, what I ate and how I’m feeling. And how I didn’t cheat and eat any crap food. Right? Right! Wish me luck!
Comments & Reviews
The Hayes Family says
I love your post! I made the decision nine months ago after my youngest was born to switch to Whole 30 eating. It too doesn't allow for sugar, dairy, or processed foods to name a few. My premise was to shed pounds, but what I received in return was far greater than pounds lost. I gained balanced hormones (super important when you have five kids, a husband, and a household to run being a SAHM), I gained energy, and I also gained confidence. I know that if you stick with this way of eating, it will become your lifestyle vs. just a diet. Way to go!!
Jennifer {The Craft Patch} says
Thanks for taking the time to comment. It's only halfway through day one and I am already wishing for chocolate and bread. I would love to have more energy, more confidence and balanced hormones… thanks for the reminder of why I am doing this!
Lisa Jacobe says
You go, girl!!! I can relate to your story. I was always skinny, and didn't have much problem losing weight after baby #1 when I was twenty…but then I had baby #2 at thirty-six. Add to the mix that I decided to quit smoking four years ago and that equals me being 75 lbs overweight! I always thought I could lose it on my own, but I never made any progress. Then I joined a weight loss group at the beginning of the year and lost 20 lbs. The group was only a temporary thing, and I've been stuck at that ever since March. So there's something to be said for accountability. I've been reading a lot of books and blogs, and I am amazed how eating well can transform a person's life. I want more energy and balanced hormones, too!! You've given me incentive to get back on track! 🙂
Jennifer {The Craft Patch} says
I had my first baby when I was 22, second at 25 and third at 30. Wow, there's a big difference in how my body has handled pregnancy and weight gain! I can't imagine the extra struggle of quitting smoking too. Congratulations on that!
Tharvey says
Good for you! I gained 60 lbs (yikes) with our first baby & was only able to loose 40. I gained that 40 back with our 2nd but thankfully dropped all but about 5 of that right away without doing anything (about 4.5 months now). I still have plenty of weight to lose though! Unfortunately I broke my big toe a couple of weeks after the delivery & can't do much exercise, and I still want to eat whatever I want like I could a few months ago. 😉
Jennifer {The Craft Patch} says
Isn't that always the problem? We want to eat junk and still be skinny. I'm learning just how tough it is to control my eating, but also how many delicious vegetables and fruits there are in this world. I hope your toe gets better soon!