Losing the weight - Part 1

This is a hot topic regarding pregnancy, very hot.  Moms to be stress over the pounds that are adding up over the nine months... and there is no stopping this cravings! 

I have seen those women who have managed to keep the weight from going anywhere but their bellies.  These people are the exception, not the rule and cause the rest of us 'normal' people to fret and fuss for nine long months about how fat our arms, legs, butt, backs, ankles, faces, boobs, armpits ....

The first time, with Reed I gained a solid 40 lbs, above the recommended total gain (30-35 lbs) and I stressed everyday.  It took me a good 8 months to shed it all completely.  Most of it came off within 3-4 months, but those pesky 5 extra pounds were very tough.  An aside comment - your body is never the same, even if the scale says you're back, things are different.  For me it was my tummy, the muscles were so stretched out that they always sat further out than before, and then there is the skin of the tummy, not so smooth and tight as before...

And I was doing a lot of exercise!  Swim, bike, run everyday, I averaged 1-1.5 hours a day of exercise and it still took 8mos!  Mind, I wasn't watching what I ate...

This time I am making a shorter deadline for weight loss.  I have gained pretty much the same with this pregnancy as with the first.  So I intend on watching what I eat this time! Not a diet!

As like the first time, I will start with a dvd workout program.  I heard a athlete-mom (Olympic athlete) talk about the right way to get back into shape, and she said the most important is to regain the strength first, then the fitness.  This made a lot of sense to me.  I need to get an overall strength back into my core, my legs, my arms etc, it is amazing how much muscle you lose over the nine months.

So with that end, I got suckered into trying the next program put out after Insanity (which I never fully completed... only ever to complete the first month on two attempts...).  It's called T25, and you only have to do 25mintues per sessions, five days a week!  This I thought is totally manageable, being wary of how I will handle a brand new baby and a toddler, this seems like something I can commit to. 

So Part 1 of Operation Weight Loss =  May and June will consist of dvd workouts and getting back into easy running.

Part 2 - and Part 3 coming soon...

After the baby comes...

A friend once said: "You know, after you have the baby, you will actually have the baby..."

At first this got me mad!  It was, in my mind, a nay-sayer sort of comment.  I was so pumped about all the races I was planning and how fit I was going to be again (pregnancy does this to me, makes me feel like I am revving my engines and running on the spot going no where!).  And he drops this negative bomb on me...

But of course now I see the wisdom, after doing it once, getting back out to the races post-baby, I did see the many many issues that present themselves while trying to juggle it all.  I did see how many moms give up, and give in to the endless excuses of why they can't get anything done for themselves.

For me, the tipping point of dropping into the abyss of not being able to do anything for myself (read - exercise  - which is the only "thing for myself" I put any real value into), was full-time work (as a kindergarten teacher!) while being pregnant. 

I think everyone has that point where they can no longer manage trying to do it all. 

But now, I have a full year ahead of me.  I plan on making the most of it (read, getting in a lot of exercise!) because who knows what the future will bring, so you gotta go when you feel good.  This time around I am placing more stress on losing the weight quickly, but less stress on getting in race shape.  I am not going to set any big target races this summer, but will wait a full year to get back into competing. 

Back to basics or swimming first-timer

My last day of work was Friday, so I am now officially off, on maternity leave.  Our baby girl arrives sometime first week of April, and I have a big long list of things to get done and about 6weeks to go...

I have a wonderful week ahead of me filled with Susanne-time, Reed is either at daycare or with his loving grandparents.  There was once a time when I would feel guilty if I had a day to myself, and farmed Reed out... not so any more.  I just feel lucky!

First swim in a very long time, over a year to be kinda exact (not including the two swims I did over the holidays), and I am allowing myself to say that there has been zero exercise in eight months, and as my friend put it, I have been in a state of "cognitive dissonance" - where I am living a life I do not recognize to be me.

It was super fantastic.  Yes I am almost 40 pounds heavier and have a gigantic sail of a belly slowing me down, but I felt fantastic to be swimming again.

I was a sight. Having not been in the pool for a very long time, I was back to basics and looking very "first-timer"...

 I had no swim cap, so short hair was tied up with elastic and bobbypin, but it still was all over my face.  I had no suitable swimsuit (my maternity suit from last pregnancy was thrown out due to becoming see-through), so I wore bikini bottoms from a suit I have had since 2year university (aka very stretched out to fit over larger bottom!) and two sports bras given to me by my sister.  I did wear goggles, found at the lost 'n found, and I did keep them (they are cheap ones, but fit so nicely!)  People were looking...  I forgot a water bottle, so before and after I sipped water from my hands at bathroom sink.  (I also washed myself with the "luxury" hand soap provided by the facility!)  I have always prided myself on being a minimalist triathlete, as in, the bigger the bag/the more toys/the more crap, does not necessarily equate to being fast, but this was a bit much for even me.  Next swim I will take a water bottle (getting dehydrated while pregnant, leads to killer headaches and lots of Braxton hicks contractions later in the day) and I have now found a swim cap in our basement, I may even bring my own soap and shampoo!

I did swim 2k, and the lady I shared a lane with commented that I was faster even with a baby.  That did wonders to my ego.  Thank you lady, these are the small victories that I cherish!

Afterwards when I was getting changed, there were a couple moms with tots getting ready for swim lessons.  I almost felt guilty for being there for my own selfish reasons, but quickly got over that and felt lucky to be able to have the chance to swim on my own!  (Reed is starting his second set of lessons next month, so that helped ease the guilt...)

The rest of the day consisted of going for a wonderful long walk with Race and cleaning up/out the basement to make a nice workout area for Colin and I.