Losing Weight Post-Partum

For any woman who has given birth, you will have become familiar with the excrutiating ordeal of losing the weight you have inevitably accumulated during pregnancy (except for those of you out there whom fortune has quite unfairly smiled upon, and who can miraculously fit into your best pair of jeans two days post-partum).

With my first pregnancy, I had gained ten extra pounds. I then lost twenty pounds, to my own utter bewilderment - indeed, just before my second pregnancy, I was able to fit into my prom dress; a feat I had never in my wildest dreams believed I could accomplish (it was a tight fit, but still). And it's not even one of those awful frilly pink dresses - this one is a classic a-line, halter top, satin dress in a pretty shade of green, one I could actually wear again (you know, at a formal military ball or something).

Anyway. This time, after the birth of my second baby, I must redo everything, having gained back every last one of those twenty pounds. I have decided that, for good measure, I will lose thirty. Or at the very least twenty-five.

And I am not wasting any time doing so. Today I spent one hour kickboxing in my basement. I generally find that if, after a workout, my face is a deep shade of red, bordering on purple, I have really accomplished something. I told my husband (who is presently on parental leave) that I was taking a shower, and that if he should hear a loud thump, it was just me passing out.

But it's not so bad. Any exercise routine takes some getting used to, when it has not been done in a while. A good, long while.

I have also begun using My Fitness Pal. It is really quite brilliant, and works very well. Assuming, of course, that you are repelled by the - 450 calories that shows up bright red in the top right corner of your screen at the end of a not-so-good day. Not that I'm a nut who enjoys counting every last calorie. I don't mind ballparking it. Plus, I tell myself that as long as I generally don't go over 100 extra calories in a day, I'm doing just fine.

I used to write down what I eat; that is how I managed to lose weight after my first baby. But this is so much better. This app really makes you aware of what you eat, and helps you develop better habits. For example, I will no longer be having take-out  pad thai - did you know it's actually healthier to eat four Mcburgers? I found that out by looking up the calorie content before deciding on a last minute I-don't-really-feel-like-making-supper binge on fast food. So it's been proving really very useful.

Plus, I love the bar code scanning function.

Only a small 30 (min. 25) lbs. later and that dress will once again be within my reach.