Maybe a little progress?

This past weekend, I had some sort of flu, and I think I have improved a bit because of it. On Sunday, I was:

196.2

34 waist

44 hips

27 thigh

I slipped a little bit in my discipline about what I was eating lately, but I am still exercising every day.

I still can't wear any of my regular clothes. But I will not give up.

Here we go again

My last post was about a year ago. Joseph was born May 2. I weighed about 204 the day he was born, after gaining 30 pounds during the pregnancy. I weighed 194 the day after he was born. Slowly but steadily, I gained weight and was up to 197 at my postpartum checkup.

Then something miserable happened: my endocrinologist had me reduce my metformin dose to 1000 mg/day to do some bloodwork. My liver enzymes were elevated. Lyme's disease can do that, too, but she wanted to see if it was the metformin. I gained 10 pounds in two weeks, despite daily workouts and pretty good eating.

After I was allowed to increase the dose (slowly), I stopped gaining weight and slowly began to come back down. But achieving a new height of heaviness was seriously depressing. I had never weighed that much, pregnant or not. And I set myself back 10 pounds!!

Now Joseph is 3 months old, and I still weigh more than I did the day after he was born. But I do water aerobics five days a week. I go on a walk and do P90X yoga when I can. I park far away. I do vigorous housework. I try not to look in the mirror. I eat very healthfully.

And Babu's getting in shape for his CFT, so it is good to have his help.

So a few days ago, these were my measurements:

198
35 waist
45 hips
25.5 thigh
36 chest
12.5 arm

So I have lost a couple inches off of waist, hip, and thigh since he was born, even though I weigh more now.

I don't have any specific goals right now, though my sister Teresa has challenged me to a "who can lose 10 pounds first" duel. I don't want to set myself up for failure. I will just do what I can do when I can do it, and not overeat. And pray to be at least back to prepregnancy by the holidays, and maybe to my proper weight by next summer and another pool season. I went from over 200 to under 160 when Babu was deployed--surely I can do that again, even though I am 5 years older?

At least I have metformin now.

More new measurements

Babu:

34 waist

39 hips

35 (under) chest

191.7 weight

Any progress?

I don't remember what my last measurements were, because I was completely traumatized when I weighed myself a little over a week ago and the scale said 180.5. But the next day, I had my first cycle after Simon, so my hope was that I was just carrying water at the time. I went from almost giving up to Babu prodding me on, and this is what I am now:

32.5 waist

40 hips

35 chest

26 thigh

12 arm

177 weight

I am going to keep going, but things move so slowly...

July 12th

Tabitha:

Hips: 43.5

Waist: 34.1

Chest: 35.5

Arms: 12

Thighs: 25

Weight: 178

This is after one week of exercising about half an hour every day, and being reasonably good about what I'm eating. This morning, I exercised for at least 45 minutes, with a short bikeride with Simon followed by a good elliptical time. I hate hate HATE getting downstairs, but once I am on the elliptical, I feel really proud of myself and motivated. If I can get into the 160s by the time Simon is one year old, I will consider that good progress.

Babu is starting to take his measurements now, too:

12 July

Babu:

41 hips

39 chest

36 waist

The beginning stats

When I weighed myself in the morning yesterday, I was just over 181 pounds. I finally got a tape measure, and here we go:

Hips: 45 inches

Waist: 34 inches

Thigh: 26 inches

Arm: 12 inches

This is as bad as I have ever been. We'll see where things are next Sunday.

The Beginning of my Journey to health

This long-forgotten blog is about to get new life, because I don't know how else to start forcing myself to lose weight. I am typing this while eating a cream cheese croissant, for goodness' sakes.

I have given up. I weigh 185 pounds or so, exactly what I weighed the morning after Simon was born. He is going to be nine months old this weekend. They say "nine months up, nine months down," but this time, that is not true. I have not lost a single pound. I guess I should thank God that I do not weigh more than that, considering how poorly I have been eating.

I eat because I love food, but also because I desperately need energy to stay awake. Simon is a terrible sleeper, so I get little sleep along with him. That is not an excuse, just an explanation.

But the time has come to get my act together. I hope and pray we are blessed with another baby, and soon. I just turned 33, and God only knows if we will have many more babies, but if I am going to have another home birth as I hope, I need to be as healthy as I can be.

So it's back to what has always worked before: exercise, which burns calories and gives me an incentive not to overeat. Food journaling. High protein and fiber, low simple carbohydrates. Free foods, like zero calorie drinks and sugar-free jello and fruits and vegetables. Taking my medicines and supplements. Not eating late at night.

So this will be my food journal. I need to buy a tape measure so I can get my measurements down, and then I'll take them once a week, along with my weight. I want to be around 160 before I get pregnant (God willing) again. I know I can do this. Today is the first day of the rest of my life, right?