Losing the Baby Weight Again

Yes, you read that right. I am starting over. Again. ( Is that a redundant statement? Perhaps but it seems life is full of those)

But it’s not really baby weight anymore, is it? What should I call it?

‘Lazy, spending too much time on my butt in front of the computer weight?’

Nah, it’s easier to say baby weight. ‘Cause it IS related to the little late life surprise we call OLM. And I’m still not over it.

Anyway, I need to shed this excess weight as it’s dragging me down. So I am going to reignite the journey to lose 50 pounds, and in the process rediscover why I’m keeping it on. Is it my fault? I’m not sure yet but I promise I’ll tell you all about it. Does that sound good?

I’m also not exactly sure how I’m going to figure this sh*t out as I’ve been unsuccessful at maintaining a healthy weight most of my life but I know that being accountable is the key. Accountable to you, and more importantly, accountable to me. How do I do that? What follows is what will be a growing list of tools for success.

TOOLS for Success

1. Make a Plan

In order for new habits to stick it’s helpful to work within a timeline. The big goal of losing 50 pounds is, after all, HUGE. So with that in mind, smaller, more achievable goals are the ticket. Committing to the plan is also imperative.

2. Use a Fitness Tracker

I’ve been using Fitness Pal to log my meals and Google Fit to track my activity. It works when I work it, meaning that when I stay true to documenting those parts of my life, they work for me. It’s easy to get distracted, right?

3. Change Diet to Improve Digestion

In the past month, my little family has decided that it is time to switch to a mostly plant-based diet. Symptoms like a scratchy throat, stomach pain, chronic cough and sneezing, congestion in both chest and sinuses have been linked to eating eggs and dairy and wheat but eliminating those foods didn’t solve the entire problem. It was, it seems, the other animal products we’ve been eating like beef, pork, and poultry.

I had no idea that eating meat could be so hard on the digestive system. It was only when we adopted a mostly vegetarian diet that we noticed a significant improvement in digestion.

As for wheat, it’s next on the list. Eating too much sometimes leads to bloat and stomach pain which is the problem. It’s not all the time. We have a source for some really nice wheat free bread from a local bakery so we’ll eat more of that. Or just abstain altogether. Sigh..

4. Improve Metabolism

I’ve tried a few diets in my day, mostly post baby and had amazing results. The problem is maintaining those results for the long term. It’s frustrating as all get out and it leaves me feeling bad about myself.

I’ve been reading a few interesting articles lately though that may take the pressure off. Maybe it isn’t my fault. Check them out here and here.

Maybe it’s about metabolism. Has it been messed up by the diets and therefore not my fault or is the weight gain just a side effect of getting older? Is it that I spend too much time in front of my computer and not enough time moving my body?

If my metabolism is slowing down because of past dieting or getting older there is not much I can do besides get some serious plastic surgery and promise to never diet again. And that’s not going to happen, especially the diet. Kidding! It’s the plastic surgery, of course.

No. It has to be lifestyle stuff. Building metabolism fueling muscle and eating foods my body likes and needs will, therefore, be the modus operandi for this journey.

Breaking Down the Plan

The BIG Goal = Lose 50 pounds

How am I going to achieve this? By breaking it down into manageable pieces.

Tracking food and activity is the best way I know to stay on track because when I do it, it works. So….I WILL commit to tracking both daily food intake and exercise in 2-week increments, reevaluating my progress every two weeks.

I commit to 45 minutes of movement every day in those two weeks, again reevaluating at that time.

I’m also committing to tracking my food BEFORE I eat it and paying attention to hunger signals.

Staying Accountable

How long it takes to lose 50 pounds is not at all important. It’s not a race and I don’t need the pressure. But I do need to stay accountable.

Small goals = big results = smaller Lee-Anne. And that will feel good.

Before I use Fitness Pal to track food and of course before I eat anything I’ll ask myself,

‘Am I hungry or just bored? Then I’ll wait for the answer. And trust it.

Join Lee-Anne in herbquest to lose the baby weight. Again. And have fun doing it. Click To Tweet

As I write this I’mm absorbing the weight of it all. It feels huge to make this commitment to myself and to you. Then again, I’m feeling pretty huge so it’s fitting. Although my clothes don’t fit. See what I did there? I so funny. Anyway…

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