Weight Loss - Where Do I Begin?

Weight loss… Where do I begin?

These past few years, since becoming a mom, have been filled with lots of highs and lows in the weight loss arena. After having my daughter in 2014 I was determined to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 234 by her first birthday. I dieted, worked out, completed juice fasts, and reached my weight loss goal. I went from roughly 268 to 234 that year and although I was proud of reaching my pre-pregnancy weight, I regretted making Magnolia’s first year so much about my weight loss.

When I got pregnant with Kinnick I weighed 252 pounds. Those two years between pregnancies were filled with battles between focusing on family, working full time, fitting in my own wellness, and losing/gaining weight. I really battled getting pregnant almost 20 pounds heavier than when I had Magnolia, but we were ready to have another baby!

My life during my pregnancy with Kinnick was extremely stressful and trying. We had some personal things going on and I used food to cope with the high levels of stress I was experiencing. It wasn’t good and I gained a lot of weight. I weighed 305 pounds the day I went to the hospital to have Kinnick, a number I never, ever thought I would see.

Learning from my first postpartum experience, I decided to focus on breastfeeding, returning to work full time, and prioritizing myself instead of diving into dieting. I’m really, really proud of my decision, but carrying the extra weight was emotionally draining. With some personal things still going on, I found myself overeating, emotional eating, and binge eating to cope with the stress. I was in an extremely low place until I found Never Binge Again.

I poured myself into breaking the binge cycle. I realized quickly that any diet I went on wouldn’t matter if I was still using food to cope with my stress and the situations I was going through. I lost 35 pounds focusing on not binge eating in 2018 and am so thankful for all I’ve learned. Do I have rough days where food takes the edge off, you bet, but I feel in control of what used to consume me.

As I moved into the new year I decided it was time to face the facts. Beyond the scale there was a reality that maintaining so much excess weight has become hazard to my health and wellness. My knees hurt, I’ve been dealing with plantar fasciitis, it’s harder to run, and I just overall don’t feel light, fresh, and healthy. I started 2019 with the decision to see a naturopath, set up a physical with a new general practitioner, and make a plan for dieting and losing weight. I don’t know if it’s turning 35 this year or being ready to regain my health, but I have got to lose some weight. I am determine to put all I’ve learned together in order to regain my health, wellness, and physical fitness this year.

My focus right now is working towards the first day of summer, June 21, 2019. Kicking off tomorrow, January 21, 2019 (MLK Day), puts me exactly 5 months (151 days) from my first milestone date. My plan is to break these next 5 months into two phases. For the first 8 weeks, January 21 – March 17, I will be doing the OrangeTheory Transformation Challenge. I am really excited to do this challenge, which I’ll detail tomorrow. The second phase will be a 100 Days to Summer Challenge, which will last roughly 14 weeks. The phases will overlap by a few days, with the second phase starting March 13 and the first phase ending March 17.

I am going to make bold goals and have very specific milestones I want to reach. My ultimate goal is to get back into the 220’s. Whether this will happen before the first day of summer, who knows, but I do want to reach both of my pre-pregnancy milestones before June 21.

-Reach my pre-Kinnick pregnancy weight of 252
-Reach my pre-Magnolia pregnancy weight of 234
-Reach 225

The greatest thing about these past 4 years is that I am a much more confident woman than I was before having kids. Losing weight now is a matter of health, not of personal definition. It’s amazing to know the difference and to be on the other side. These next 5 months will require a lot of sacrifice, dedication, and perseverance. I’m excited to be here and to officially kick off this goal tomorrow! Here we go!