Goal! I'm Healthy!

This morning I stepped on the scale and smiled.  I smile most mornings because I'm slowly and steadily going in the right direction, but this morning it was an ear to ear grin. 

I hit 164.0 pounds.  Why is that number important?  Let me just briefly recap.  I lost all the weight by six weeks after Pete was born and then lost even more.  I hovered between 150-155 for about a year before getting pregnant again.  I ate and drank and did whatever I wanted and scoffed at the other Moms trying to lose the babyweight saying "Nine months to put it on, nine months to take it off." 

After Chester I did not lose all the weight.  Ugh.  And then I got pregnant again. 

After Marek, I was stuck at 177.  According to my calculations I needed to be 167 to be at a healthy BMI.  I set my initial goal to 167 pounds but sadly, after a visit to my new pcm, I am an inch shorter than I remember, bumping that elusive healthy number to 164.  I never felt "fat" but when I did the calculations, I was 27 (that's NEARLY 30!) pounds over my easy weight just after Pete was born.  It was time to get serious.

I snuck the baby into the YMCA a week early so I could go back to the gym.  I put my health and exercise time at the top of the priority list, removing my other playdates and MOPS group so that I had my mornings free to hit the YMCA.  I quit drinking so much.  Notice I said "so much".  I still indulge in a few cocktails, beer or wine occasionally, but it has to be occasionally or I gain weight again.  And probably most importantly, I started tracking calories on Myfitnesspal.com.  I programmed  my goal to 2,000 calories, which includes about 400 for breastfeeding and I lose 1-3 pounds a week if I stick to my calorie goal.  Whenever I stop tracking, my progress stops dead. 

It's not easy.  It's not fun.  I would much rather eat ice cream than veggies, but I know that this is important.  It's important for my health, so that I can play with my kids, and so that I'm still healthy enough to play with my grandchildren.  It's important so that I can enjoy life and not spend my days tired or sore or uncomfortable from carrying around extra weight.  It's also important to me (judge me all you want) that I remain attractive to my husband.  I love him dearly, and I know he wouldn't stop loving me just for being pudgy, but I feel it's my responsibility to look nice for him because he deserves to have a hot wife. 

Earlier this week, Pete and I went for a run.  It filled my heart with joy to put him on his bike help him strap on his helmet, and then lace up my sneakers and strap on my ipod.  It was a short run, just 20 minutes, but I hope for many more evening runs with my little man.  I look forward to sharing a special time with him and I hope that it's the time that he would be jogging along with me and saying "You know Mom, I'm having trouble with my girlfriend" or "Mom, I think I want to change my major" or whatever difficult conversation is weighing on his soul. 

So let me give you encouragement if you're not happy where you are.  And let me give you congratulations if you're making progress towards a goal.  Whether it's 3lbs or 30lbs or 100lbs, you can do it!  Join me on Myfitnesspal.com (my screen name is SKPK) and we'll do it together.  I'm just 4 pounds from my second goal and 14 pounds from my "wouldn't it be nice" goal.  I want my friends to be happy and healthy too so that we can all be sitting around the old folks home someday, laughing at our great-grand-children.