Tuesday, June 11, 2013

My 90-Day Weight Loss Challenge

I see a lot of "weight loss transformations" on Pinterest and other websites that show women "losing weight" after pregnacy.  Losing pregnancy weight is completely different from losing weight that is not a result of pregnancy.  A woman's body is designed to grow a child.  She gains weight to support that process.  Then, her body knows that the process is over, so she loses the weight.  Yes, it's possible for the weight to linger... but it's designed to be lost.

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I lost all of my baby weight from my pregnancy within 15 days of giving birth.  Woo-hoo.  Thanks breastfeeding!  Sort of.

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I was still really overweight.  I think most of it was in my arms, lol.   I had tried losing weight before I got pregnant, but I knew I would be breastfeeding so I thought I could wait and lose weight afterwards.  Then, because I had developed gestational diabetes during pregnancy, there was a pretty big chance that I would develop Type 2 Diabetes within the next few years... unless I lost weight.

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I joined the Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge in November -- but I didn't drink two shakes a day because I was still breastfeeding exclusively and I couldn't cut calories like that.  I loved the shakes and I felt so much better when I drank them.  Comparing my "reports" on My Fitness Pal, I eat a much more balanced diet when I drink a shake.

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I celebrated my 25th birthday in February.  That was probably the first time I saw myself (not pregnant) in pictures for years.  I was disgusted with myself.  I was leaning too hard on the excuse, "I just had a baby."  I had lost that weight... this was weight I had from the beginning.

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In March, Raegan was nursing 4-5 times per day and I was not losing any weight.  I also got a new phone... one with APPS :) finally....  I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app and started tracking my calories.  I also downloaded the Couch to 5k program on the RunDouble app, which I absolutely love.  I started drinking Body by Vi shakes twice a day.

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Initially, I lost most of the weight from my neck and face.  I also felt amazing.  I ate cleaner (and a lot more fruits and vegetables).  I exercised almost daily (something I had never done before).  I had a ton of energy.

I weighed 176.4 when I started in November.  I had lost nothing by March when I started "officially".  I stopped counting calories in May, because I ate almost the same thing every day, and I had to stop running for a few weeks because of shin splints.  Today, on day 90, I weighed in at 148.4!  That's a 28 pound weight loss!

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Look at the difference in my arms in these two pictures (above)!  I lost at least 3 inches from my arms (definitely more because I didn't measure them until halfway through the 90-day challenge).  I also lost at least one inch from around my neck, at least 3 inches from my legs (both measured one month into the challenge), six inches from my waist, and five inches from my hips.  That's 18 inches!!  My diastasis recti has improved dramatically.

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So here is what a typical day looked like for me during the challenge:

Breakfast 8am:
Coffee Shake -- 8oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 8 oz coffee, 1/4 banana, 2 scoops of Vi shake mix.

Morning Snack 10am:
1/2 red grapefruit

Lunch 12pm:
Coffee shake (double morning recipe and store in fridge until lunch!)

Afternoon snack #1 at 2pm:
Apple with 1 tbsp peanut butter

Afternoon snack #2 at 4pm:
1/4 cup raw almonds and 1 cup grapes.

Supper 6pm:
Chicken salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing (bleu cheese and walnuts).

or 6-inch veggie delite sub from Subway with provolone cheese and red wine vinegar

or grilled chicken breast with asparagus

or a single serving of whatever the family was eating and a heaping side of steamed veggies.

Exercise:
Run/walk with Couch to 5k plan for 35 minutes

or yoga class for 60 minutes

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I tried cutting calories on my own without drinking the shakes and all it did was leave me hungry and even more tired.  This "diet" did not leave me hungry, at all.  Sometimes I didn't even finish my shakes because I was full!  And, I could never have exercised without the energy that I got from the Body by Vi shakes.  I'm running a different 5k every month this summer and working towards a half marathon someday!

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What are your fitness and weight loss goals?  What gets in the way of you losing weight or exercising?

 

 

4 comments:

  1. Congrats Kristen. I know excatly what it feels like. I am now also on that weight loss journey. Happy to announce I am down 16 pounds and counting! I keep my "fat clothes" in a pile on the floor, everytime I walk by them i tell myself that i will never wear them again! Its hard work and so much dedication! Proud of you girly!

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  2. Oh the fat clothes!! I just bought a lot of skirts for this summer... skirts are so much more forgiving than jeans! By May, my jeans looked pretty sloppy, but I'm not ready to replace my whole wardrobe!! :) Keep up the good work!!!

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  3. I have about 6 pairs of "fat jeans" on my floor! This time for me losing weight is so much different and i think that is why it didnt work before. YOu have to be in the right frame of mind! You look great!

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  4. You look wonderful. And better yet, you feel wonderful. Yay, Kristen!!!

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