Time to get to work

We are almost two months away from a beach trip and I have some serious work to do.  Every other blog I read touches on this issue at least occasionally.  And posting about it gives me some accountability.  I'm unhappy with how I look.  Welcome to the female gender, right?

2007, 2008, 2009 I was in great shape.  It used to be relatively easy.  I'd run or elliptical and do exercises from Shape Magazine.  Probably 90 minutes of exercise 5 days a week.  I could eat desserts, ice cream, yumminess and never gain a pound.  If I fell off the exercise wagon or went on vacation, I'd just run for a week or so and boom I'd be back.

While working, I would eat the same thing every day.  Breakfast: cheese and egg white omelet with one piece of toast or oatmeal with brown sugar.  10am Snack: Goldfish.  Lunch: turkey and cheddar sandwich, banana, and a granola bar.  3pm Snack: Goldfish.  Anyone I worked with can attest to this exact schedule.

On September 4, 2009 (my 29th birthday), I was in the best shape of my life and we decided to start trying for a baby. I got pregnant 3 cycles later.  I lost the baby weight initially, but I am not strong, toned, muscular; let's just say I no longer have a 4 pack.  But I've gained a few pounds over the winter.  And I'm lazy and tired and have all the excuses of a mom with a toddler.  But no more!

I have a random number I'd like to hit weight wise, but it's more about how I look in and out of my clothes and how I feel.   I want my XS undies to fit right; I don't want to tuck my stomach into my jeans; I want to have a flat stomach in my bikini at the beach and forever more!  In the words of Jacqueline Laurita from RHoNJ, I want my belly button to look surprised again (I'm paraphrasing).  The number is 127.  I was 124 when I got married but I can only maintain that weight for about a week surviving on rice cakes and Goldfish alone.

I'm not 28 anymore and I've had a baby.  I still have leaky sneezes. (If you've had a baby you know what that means. If you haven't then you'll find out when you sneeze for the first time after delivering your bundle of joy. If you are a man just delete that sentence from you memory.)  I eat differently now.  More food while Noah's napping, more frozen yogurt, more snacky foods and a lot more coffee.  This is now going to take some time, effort, work, and I'm going to have to be more patient for results.


I bought Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and 6week Ab workout.  (How could I not? It was $14.00 on Amazon. And in unrelated Jillian news, I have a huge hair crush on her.  I think she has the most beautiful hair.)  I'm keeping in mind more what I'm eating and when.  I'm doing my spinach smoothie in the mornings, cherry smoothie at night.  I'm running and ellipticalling.  Wrist injury be damned I did dips yesterday!  Exercising is moving up on the list; which means I'll probably be showing up to some playdates stinky and in running clothes.  Hopefully a small price to pay for getting a bit of myself back, feeling and looking better even though in the short term I'll be looking a little worse out in public.

I debated about including a picture - it's goofy but it tells the story of a missed pre-baby belly.

2008