The Struggle

I am not one of those lucky people that can eat whatever I want and not put on weight. I am one of those people that LOOKS at a plate of french fries and gains 3 pounds. This is a fairly recently struggle for me. And when I say recent, I mean in the last 8-10 years. Growing up, I was always an average size. Soccer was a big part of my life so I was pretty active and never really thought about my weight.  I was by no means a stick figure - definitely had my curves - but never felt self conscious about how I looked from a weight aspect.

(a fit, active, teenage me)

In college, I learned that the Freshman 15 is a real thing.  Too many late nights of pizza and beer took it's tole, but once I  added a little bit of exercise, I was able to keep the weight down. 

My 20's were all about happy hour and kickboxing class at the gym with my girlfriends.  The combination seemed to work and I rarely saw too much weight gain.  Thank you 20-something metabolism! 

(happy hour with friends - looking good)

But as I got older - and specifically into my 30's - my weight became a lot harder to control. Pair my age with working from home full time and you have yourself a recipe for disaster.  I found that if I didn't follow a strict diet and get to the gym religiously, I would gain. And I have to tell you, I hate the gym.  Like hate-hate.  I find no joy in running on the treadmill or spending 30 minutes on an elliptical machine.  I do like group classes, but they never seemed to occur at a time that was convenient to my schedule. The only way I was able to get there on a regular basis was when I hired a personal trainer but who has the funds to sustain that?!

(can't believe this is now on the Internet!)

Then I started having babies.  

Having babies does things to your body in ways that you could never have imagined. I only gained about 22 pounds with each pregnancy which is pretty good, but getting the weight off has been a struggle.  After James was born, I found great success with Weight Watchers, losing 20 pounds over the course of 4 months thanks to the support of a great group of ladies (Miriam, Elaine, Lynn - I'm talking' to you!). I managed to maintain the loss (more or less...or more), but then found myself pregnant again.  

(down 20 lbs thanks to WW)

Since Andrew's birth, I have been trying to lose the baby weight using the same tools, but am having a much harder time.  And no matter how many times someone tells me "You created life!" or "It's only been 4 months!", it doesn't change the fact that my once tight, smooth belly is now a saggy mess riddled with stretch marks. 

(who is this person?)

Of course I know the solution. I need to stop putting so much food in my mouth and get off my butt a little more often.  The problem is lack of motivation and good, old plain exhaustion.  It is sooooooo much tastier to eat pizza and cheeseburgers.  And it is sooooooo much easier to sit on the couch and catch up on the new season of Orange is the New Black. Especially when you are averaging 4-5 hours of sleep each night. (I know - excuses, excuses).

Well, that ends now.  Actually, it ended a few weeks ago thanks to something called the 21 Day Fix. I was introduced to this workout program and meal plan by college bud and fraternity brother, Lisa Klein.  I watched Lisa transform her body and change her lifestyle for the better as a Beachbody Coach. After weeks of a constant plateau at Weight Watchers, I knew I had to change things up - and this program was the way to do it.  Now, I'm not going to lie. I was EXTREMELY skeptical at first. I mean, c'mon. This program is featured on a late night infomercial that is flush with almost unbelievable before and after pictures and money back guarantees. But I figured, why not. Doing something is better than doing nothing AND Lisa was staring a Facebook accountability group so it was a the perfect time to get started.

I'm so glad I did.

In the first round of the 21 Day Fix, I incorporated 30 minutes of exercise into my daily routine from the comfort of my own home.  I was also reminded of correct portion controls for meals and snacks using the convenient 21DF containers.  In the first 3 weeks, I lost 5 pounds and several inches off my waist.  I am currently nearing the end of my second round on the program and I can tell you, the scale is moving - in the right direction! More importantly, I feel like I have more energy which is a miracle these days!

I still have a long way to go. And I know that as I age, my weight will be a constant struggle.  But I am taking some steps in the right direction to get things on track to make exercise and healthy eating a lifestyle rather than a nuisance. Oh believe me - there will still be ice cream in my future - but hopefully, between my Weight Watchers knowledge and my new 21 Day Fix tools, I will learn how to incorporate it into my world without gaining 5 pounds in the process.