When I was pregnant with our first son, I gained 55 pounds. I started out my journey being pregnant for the first time at 150 lbs in September 2008, and ended it at 205 lbs in June 2009. I struggled with losing the post-baby weight, like many Moms do. I never "felt like" doing what I needed to do, because it was easier to do, well, what was easy. It was easier to eat all the wrong things, and not care because I was already overweight. This attitude did not help me through the Holiday season, and the little weight I did lose, came right back. I topped out at 211 lbs the month that our son turned 7 months old.
That hit me hard. I was bigger than I was when I was 9 months pregnant, only this time, pregnancy wasn't the reason, my bad eating habits were. I had scheduled an appointment to see my doctor, and she put me on an antidepressant to help control my hunger, and to help me with my stress and depression. I was on it for almost 6 months, and it helped.
Once I began to feel like I had control, and was ready to take charge and lose weight, I came off the medication, and began working out and walking. I noticed a lot of change in my attitude, but very little change in my weight, and couldn't figure out why. Around this time, our son was turning 14 months old, and we found out that I was pregnant again. With that said, the exercising stopped.
With my second pregnancy, I started out at 180 lbs in August 2010. I vowed that I would not let my eating get out of control, and that I would eat healthier this time around, because I did not want to struggle anymore than I was already going to with the weight loss, once I delivered the baby. When I had our second son, I was 209lbs in May 2011, and I had only gained 29 lbs my entire pregnancy. Although I was once again over the 200 lb mark, I was proud that I had done things the way I said I would.
Throughout my entire second pregnancy, I kept seeing the Weight Watchers commercials, and I told my husband that once I had the baby, I was joining. 3 weeks after having him, I did just that. I was very skeptical. I did not want to pay money into something, if I wasn't going to see real results. But I thought to myself, "What do you have to lose?"
I'll tell you exactly what I had to lose, unwanted and unnecessary weight.
My starting weight was 182 lbs, on May 20th, 2011.
My first week on Weight Watchers, I lost 5 lbs. The morning of my weekly weigh in, when I saw that I had lost 5 lbs, I knew that I had made the right decision for myself.
Although I struggled with learning the program, and learning how to track everything, I struggled the most with learning how to change my eating habits. Over the course of the following month, it got easier to make healthier choices, and now it is even easier.
I no longer drink soda, I drink water. I no longer eat sweets, and IF I do, I make sure not to let it control me, and I keep myself from over indulging. The thing that I LOVE the most about the program, is that you are not restricted to being on a diet. You can eat WHATEVER you want, only in moderation. Portion control is key. Eating healthy, and making healthier decisions is key. Since being on the program, what I have learned, will stick with me for life.
Since joining the program, I have lost a total of 71lbs, 44lbs of that weight lost, was while on the program.
I am officially smaller than I was on the day I got married.
I am now back into my pre-pregnancy clothes, and single digit jeans.
I am now back to the confident, happy woman I was.
I am now the woman who has control over her weight.
It makes me so happy to finally LOVE myself for who I am, and how I look in the mirror. My reflection of myself is so important to me, because it's the same reflection that others see.
It's the same reflection that my husband and our children see, and they love me no matter what. With that said, if I find myself having an "off" day, or feeling a little less confident, I go to the mirror and ask myself, "What's not to love?"
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