Losing the baby weight

I dutifully and shamelessly shared with all of you my slow, but inevitable weight gain during my pregnancy. I gained an above-average amount -- a whopping 65 pounds. My ankles were as big as an elephant's (and stayed that way for a few weeks even after Axton was born) and my body and joints ached from carrying it all.

Axton's been out for 5 months, and it's been a long, long road to (physical) recovery and my new definition of "normalcy" (though we'll need a whole other post for my mental recovery). And, well, I think it's only fair now to share my weight loss with you all, if only to redeem a bit of my pride.

Here are some photos of my weight-loss journey:

This photo was taken August 27th. I'm holding a photo of myself taken at 38 weeks pregnant.

So, how did I do it? 

I am quite positive that the number one contributing factor to my weight loss is breastfeeding. It can burn up to 500 calories a day. It does not come easy. It does not come pain-free. But it is best for mom's body and baby's body! Win-win! However, I did do a few other things to help speed along the weight-loss.

I started counting calories on August 1st. I kept a food journal and wrote down everything I ate. I made homemade meals and calculated individual serving sizes and the calorie count. About two weeks into it, I realized there was only one problem with this: It was affecting my milk supply. I had not calculated enough calories for my body to produce 30+ ounces of milk everyday, and my supply was decreasing. Axton had started to get very fussy when nursing and I couldn't figure out why for awhile. One day I decided to pump to see how much I was producing - I could only pump 2 ounces, when I used to be able to pump 4 ounces on one side. Within one week of stopping my diet, I was back up to my normal production. I no longer counted my calories (though I could have, and just set a higher limit for myself). However, two weeks of writing every single thing down and its caloric value had taught me some lessons. I did little things that added up: I dramatically decreased my cheese intake (I lived in Wisconsin for over 5 years; this girl likes her cheese), I swapped white for wheat (including rice! oh the anguish!), and started using plain yogurt for my sour cream.

I also started running. I set a realistic date (October 13) and a realistic mileage (5k). I did not care how fast I ran it in, I only cared that I ran the entire way. When I first started out, I could hardly run for 5 minutes without needing a break. I would walk for another five minutes and then start up again. At times I felt like my pelvic bones were going to give out on me. But I just kept at it. Eventually I could run for 10 minutes and only need to walk for 2 minutes. Then I could run for 20 minutes....now I'm running 40 minutes without stopping. 

And, sad story, I tried to sign up for my 5k a wee bit too late, and it was already booked up. I was put on a waiting list, but still didn't make it in. But that did not stop me from running my 5k on October 13th. I just did it indoors. By myself. On a treadmill. In 29 minutes and 30 seconds - a far faster pace than I was expecting.

Running did more for me than just get me back into shape. It also helped me keep my insanity and push away the depression that I fear would have otherwise taken over me. There were days that I would be dressed in my shorts and running shoes an hour before Adam got home from work, just so I could remind myself that very soon I would be receiving a break and could run out my emotions. I even stopped taking my dog with me once he started to slow me down - I wanted running to be my thing, my time. 

From pre-pregnancy, to conception, to pregnancy and growing a human being inside of me, to pushing a 9 1/2 pound baby out of the very center of my self, to feeding that baby with milk that I made, to watching my stomach shrink back down to its (almost) original size, to witnessing my legs and lungs regain strength and stamina.....I have been absolutely amazed and blown away by my own body. I have never had a greater appreciation for a woman's body, heart, mind, and soul than I do today.