July weigh in-

Last week I slacked off pretty badly from my workout and calorie restrictions. A was on vacation and we were running around a lot, so I feel bloated and out of shape. The scale hasn't shown a huge setback for my slip up though (so far) so I need to just get back on the horse. Especially with the jogging, because I paid for my slacking when I got back on there Sunday. I only missed one jog last week, but it was enough to make that jog feel like an impossible feat. Ugh.

I finally bought new shorts. First of all, a little rant. I had to shop at 4 different stores before I found a single pair of shorts in my size. They all told me they got their summer clothes in March, and that they start getting fall clothing in June. Okay, but that's just ridiculous. They stop carrying summer clothes before summer even begins! Seriously, we have two months left of summer and shorts are a rare commidity. The heat index today is supposed to be 104, and we've had this same weather for the last month (drought, extreme high temperature and humidity) and it doesn't have an end in sight! But, no, we totally need to start buying winter boots RIGHT NOW.

They told me I should have bought them in March... I did buy some in March, but I lost weight since then and they don't fit anymore. So, argument fail?

Anyway, I was lucky and found a couple pairs on clearance, that were actually in my size. I felt pretty good in the dressing room. I started in a size 22 in March, and now I'm in a size 18. WOOT! It was a pretty nice ego boost. It's been a hell of a long time since I've fit into a size 18... a good 7 years. I'm smaller than I was on my wedding day now. Not bad! Now if I can just keep going.

I weighed 211 last month, this morning I weighed in at 204.6lbs. So that makes a 6.4lb loss this month.

Since March 17, 2012:
Weight loss: 22.4lbs
Inches off hips: 5
Inches off waist: 4.5

Monthly weigh in-

I managed to get up to 3mph. Heck yeah! I still struggle with it, but I'm definitely getting stronger.

My workout consists of carrying 2lb weights in each hand for about 8-10 minutes, while jogging at 3mph. Then just jogging (with no weights), until I complete 2 miles. I usually walk to cool down for about 10-15 minutes. All in all, my workout has been taking me about 50-55 minutes. I used to only jog at 2.5mph, and do 30 minutes. So my workout has increased dramatically. Sometimes it just flies by, but other times (especially when I increase my speed) it's a real struggle.

My eating... I stay around 1,500-1800cal, more often towards the upper limit than I'd like, and I know I would do better if I kept myself at 1500cal. It's really hard, but I'm working on it.

My weight has been at a standstill for the past 2 weeks, I also recently increased my workout so maybe things are just regulating. It's a little disheartening, but I know that if I stick with it, and maybe tighten in my calories more, I can get back on track.

So, my weigh in... I started at 227lbs, and I'm at about 211lbs now. I believe I've lost 6lbs this month. I can definitely see the progress now too.

Since March 17, 2012:
Weight loss: 16lbs
Inches off hips: 4in
Inches off waist: 3.5in

Since New Years 2011 though? I'm down 39lbs from my original starting weight of 250lbs. I've lost 6.5in off my waist and 4.5in off my hips. My neck is also 2in smaller, I'm down 2 pants sizes, and my bra size has went down 3 band sizes.

Not bad!

Jogging along-

Another month down of watching my calories, or two months total. For the last two weeks I've even been jogging too- and it feels great. I have to say one thing though... thank goodness for my inhaler! My asthma is a pain, but I'm slowly rebuilding my lung capacity. Yesterday I jogged 1.25miles and fast walked another quarter of a mile while I cooled down; I only stopped for like a minute to walk and catch my breath while jogging. I know that might not seem like much, but for me it's awesome! Hopefully soon I can plow through the entire 30 minutes of jogging without a break at all. I always use my inhaler, but that's a given. My asthma isn't going to go away, but I can make it more manageable.

I had a setback over the week leading up to Mother's Day. I was eating pretty bad and I forgot to take my Metformin for an entire day. As a result, I gained back 1-2lbs. Yeah, that's not pretty. Ugh. I'm back on track though. I have to add... SODA IS THE DEVIL! I don't drink it generally, since it has so many calories, but I let myself over the week because I was just exhausted. The pick-me-up was nice at the time, but probably not worth it.

So where am I at now?

Since March 17th:
Weight loss: 10lbs
Inches off waist: 2
Inches off hips: 2

Heck yeah! I wish it was going down faster, but I'll take what I can get. My clothes don't really fit any different yet, so it's hard for me to gauge my progress. I think most of the weight off the hips is from things still righting themselves after my c-section, so I don't really know if I can claim that as my own doing.

Oh, and I seem to have lost some from my, ahem... bust.

I'm cool with that.

A month down-

It's been about a month since I planned to start working on weight loss, and the first month hasn't went so well. It had a really bumpy start, but since I stopped nursing I've done much better. I've been religiously watching my calories since April 1st. I'm doing pretty well so far, I try to keep it below 1800cal/day for right now, but eventually I'd like to take it down to 1500cal/day. In the past, 1500 has been my magic number, but 1800 is working pretty good for now. So far I've lost about 4lbs, if my home scale is to be believed.

As for exercising... still not much going on there. I really need to get on that, but little man is so clingy and he fights sleep like a master. At night, he gets extremely cranky because he gets overtired, from the lack of naps, then at midnight he passes out for the night. Whew. Once the weather gets better, I really do want to start taking him for walks but right now I feel very strapped for time. The most exercise I get day to day is walking V from the living room to the kitchen, and back and forth, back and forth, all night... and if I'm very lucky, cleaning! I try to look at cleaning as multipurpose- I burn calories, and the house looks better. It's truly a win-win. Still, I would really like to get back on the treadmill.

I re-measured my waist/hip/neck to compare to last year to see where things stand. Surprisingly, my neck and waist are the same... but my hips are 2 inches bigger (from the pouch I have on my lower belly). I guessed as much, since my pants fit different there (and I have eyes that can see it) but I didn't realize it was 2 whole inches larger. It's so weird being the same weight but having a different body shape. Well, I take that back... I'm now the same weight, I'm 4lbs lighter now. Ha.

I started regular BCP to control my PCOS. I almost didn't get them because of my clotting issues, but since mine are minor and I take a low-dose aspirin a day it should be fine. BCP has always helped me a lot in the past. Besides regulating me (since I don't ovulate) it also helps with pesky PCOS symptoms. And it works wonders at preventing my cysts, and getting rid of existing ones. I really don't want to worry about cysts right now. So, here's hoping it does it's thing.

I would post a progression picture, but there really isn't much progress. I look exactly the same in each photo. Yuck. Hopefully next month I'll see some changes...

Little steps-

So, I stopped breastfeeding. After I finished the Reglan, my supply dropped so low that I couldn't even nurse him in the morning anymore. I made it to 1 day shy of 3 months, and I know that's the best I could do. What I was pumping really wasn't worth the time and effort it was taking, so I am at peace with this. Honestly, I spent too much time getting frustrated and crying over it, so it was a huge relief when I stopped. I still miss it, but I know it was time to let it go.

Allowing my milk to dry up sucked. It was painful, and I kept second guessing myself, but it's over now.

I'm switching from the mini-pill to a regular estrogen/progesterone pill now.* Hopefully that will help with my PCOS symptoms, goodness knows I need it. I'm still on the Metformin, but that only helps me so much. Meanwhile, the pill should prevent cysts for me at least and give me a regular cycle since I don't do that on my own.

As for the weight loss... yeah, I haven't been on the treadmill in awhile. But, since I stopped breastfeeding, I've been watching my calories. I'm in week one, otherwise known as the hunger stretch! I always find the first couple of weeks the hardest, as my body adjusts. I feel hungry all the time, but it's not a bad hunger. It's bearable, I mean I'm not starving, I'm just wishing for more. I know that once I adjust, it'll be fine. Getting there can be tough though! So no real progress to report but I'm taking it a step at a time.

I really need to get motivated on the exercise. Maybe schedule out some time for A to watch V while I work out- and then, no excuses for not getting it done. I really want to start jogging regularly again, and I do miss yoga too. The weather is starting to get nicer, so I want to start taking V for walks in his stroller too. I think he'd like that anyway.

*eta: I don't know if I'm switching now. The nurse was concerned about my clotting disorders and taking estrogen pills. I think since mine are minor clotting issues, and I'm on low-dose aspirin, it should be fine, but what do I know. So I guess we'll see what happens. I have to talk to them again Monday. I may need to consider other options there.

Struggling with PCOS and weight-

PCOS made my struggle to become a mother an uphill battle. It's made managing my weight hell. I know my lifestyle choices haven't helped that. However, before I got pregnant I had started jogging every other day, watching my calories, I increased my Metformin to 2,000mg a day, and really took charge of my PCOS. I lost 25lbs between January and March last year, and it felt amazing.

So far this year I've managed to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and maintain it. But that's it. Because of breast feeding I haven't been able to restrict my calories for fear of further damaging my already low supply so my weight has stagnated. I believe it's slowly creeped back up a pound or two, but I'm afraid to look at the scale.

Anyone with PCOS can understand what a big deal weight management can be for us. It takes diligent effort for most of us just to maintain our weights, let alone lose weight. Right now, I know there isn't much I can do so I'm just trying to do what I can. I'm trying to get back to jogging, but between pumping, feeding, and entertaining V I really don't have much time or energy. I know I need to, but it's just really complicated right now.

I feel like breast feeding is the biggest complication by far though. Pumping every 3 hours is time consuming, it takes up a half hour of my free time I could use for other things (like cleaning, or cooking, or jogging...), not only that but I have to wait until V is napping or otherwise satisfied so I can pump. Then when I'm done pumping, it's time to feed him or entertain him. Before I know it, it's time to pump again. This cycle repeats from the time we get up at noon, until 1am. I do try to get the housework done in the evenings when A is here, but I really hate to bombard him with the baby every night as soon as he gets home from work. So, on the rare occasions I feel up to jogging I have to time it just right and make sure A is available. It's a lot of work.

I plan to stop breast feeding in a month or two. I gave it my best shot, but ever since the Mastitis/Cellulitus incident my supply has been low. It got increasingly lower for whatever reason (LCs and OB are blaming PCOS), and right now I'm barely making half what he needs. I'm getting to the point where I feel like the negatives of this situation are outweighing any benefits. I'm frustrated. I've done Fenugreek, Goat's Rue, Mother's Love Special Blend, Reglan, power pumping... and I'm still only making about 2oz a pumping session. It really doesn't seem worth it some days. So my old goal was to breast feed until one year, but my new goal is to make it to three months... maybe four. I feel like there are just so many negatives to this situation right now though. I don't have any time, I feel like I'm always chained to the pump, I get frustrated easier because of that, I don't make nearly enough anyway, also it hurts, and I can't do what I need to for my own health. I don't want to quit, but at the same time I am beyond ready to.

Once I stop nursing I'm going to start watching my calories again, in addition to the jogging. So I have a tentative plan in place. So now, I just need to focus on jogging and I need to hold myself accountable. So, here I am starting out:

weight 227lbs

That's my largest side due to my slight humpback (Have I ever told you how much Scoliosis sucks? Because it does.) Hurrumph.

It feels weird that I'm the same weight I was pre-pregnancy, but my body is not the same shape. My clothes all fit different, and I have a pouch on my lower belly. I'm hoping exercise will help me firm that up some... we'll see.

Anyway, so this is me holding myself accountable. I better stick to this.