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When I was in college I ran cross country and worked out like a fiend. It was either that or starve myself like the other girls did.
I see a dramatic difference between the way low-income females approach weightloss and the way more wealthy women go about it. It’s quite simple, actually. The poor girls tend to buy cheap fried food and eat it. The rich girls tend to buy expensive chocolate and organic potato chips…and refuse to eat the stuff once they get home.
When I had Alexandra, I always thought I had beginner’s luck and that my body bounced back quickly because I was young and fortunate. Looking back, it wasn’t so much beginner’s luck as an overwhelming fear of not losing the weight that drove me to starve myself and exercise until I collapsed.
I took a different approach with Emily. I paid close attention to my diet and exercise routine while I was pregnant. After having Emily, all I had to do was drop back into my old routine of exercise to bring my weight back down. Only this time there wasn’t so much weight to lose.
With Alexandra I went from 129 (I’m 5′7 and athletic with a medium frame) to 204 and was back at 129 within 5 months.
With Emily I went from 122 to 158 and was back to 125 within a 2 months and missed out on the months of hunger, emotional eating, brutal exercise sessions, and general feelings of guilt.
What was my trick? The same thing I did in college. Run. It clears the brain, endorphins are fun, and works to keep the calories from various umm…drinks from catching up on my ass.
Now, as I continue to think more about whether or not to have another child, (Col. Brandon is still pushing for a dog instead) I wonder if I’d manage my weight well this time around or if it’s a crapshoot every time.
I’m off to get some expensive chocolate and cheap fried food. Then, the run. I would be a complete wild woman if I didn’t have my runs.
What has your experience with weight gain/loss been through pregnancies?
Very inspirational! I’m not one to run, but I’ll walk, swim, do the elliptical, etc. I’ve put on TOO MUCH weight with this pregnancy, and I’d like to see it all GO AWAY once baby arrives!
@Joanna: Oh, I’m not saying anybody has to run in order to keep from getting huge. Sometimes getting huge is part of the fun…some parts are fun, at least. I know CB was fascinated with my ever expanding…parts. He’s not a big-breast guy (fortunately) but he did remark that it was like test driving a car with a different options package. I ignored the part that involved me being a car and didn’t ask him what part of the car my boobs equated to. =p
Anyhow, I’m so glad you’re staying active! I’ve found it makes life much easier after pregnancy to already have some sort of fitness level in play. When your new baby comes, please, just enjoy the wonderful creature you’ve been entrusted with. Take very, very good care of yourself and you’ll have lots of energy to keep the new one (plus any others you have) in tip-top shape. Congratulations on your pregnancy!
It was SO not beginner’s luck. I remember coming to visit just after you’d had Lex and how stressed you were about getting the weight back off. You always seem to learn from your mistakes though and you blazed through post-em babyfat with ease. How DO you do it? You are my role model! =)
I’ve tried guilt-running after eating fried food and chocolate…you always see the food again and the sick feeling lasts for hours. I say run first then run a long bath and enjoy the chocolate! <3
@K: You’re such a mush! =)
Good idea on the long bath. CB is taking the kids out again so I get more time alone. 2 times this week! A miracle!