A Mommy Story

I guess it’s been awhile since I gave Hot by BlogHer update. You might wonder how I’ve been spending the past month, and if I’ve been keeping to the (vague) goals I set for myself.

The verdict is: it’s working. Here’s the breakdown.

Weight: I’m now down ten pounds since I said enough is enough. Did you catch that? T-E-N pounds! Sure, ten pounds in two and a half months isn’t a lot of weight – it works out to roughly a pound a week.

But those ten pounds have even more significance than half a dress size lost. First, my weight now begins with a 1 and not a 2. That’s an impressive feat, considering at one point in my life I weighed 245 pounds. Also, I’m now at the same weight that was recorded as my “starting weight” back when I was 27 and sitting in my paper gown on the cold table for my very first OB appointment ever. I haven’t seen those numbers since that day my doctor confirmed that Cordy was on her way into our lives.

Food & Exercise: I’ve cut a lot of the junk out of my diet. Fast food still hasn’t been eliminated from my diet, but when we do eat out, I’m making healthier choices, eating more vegetables, and passing on giant desserts. Portion sizes are the key for me – I’m still eating some of the junk I love, but not as much of it. Just two days ago, Aaron and I went out for ice cream, and instead of getting my own giant scoop of Graeter’s cotton candy ice cream in a chocolate-dipped waffle cone, we split a hot fudge sundae, and I ate maybe 1/3 of it total. Maybe less.

Exercise is, well, always a stumbling point for me. Finding time is hard, and finding the energy is even harder. I’ve been inspired by Karen, though, and now that the weather is nice I’m taking the girls out for long walks, and then trying to do a little weights work at home following the method that Madonna’s trainer uses. (Hey, if it works, right?) My goal for the next month is to make exercise my #1 priority.

Self-image: Earlier this month, I attended Camp Baby in NJ, and at first I was a little nervous about seeing some of the gorgeous women bloggers I know. I fretted over what to wear and how to do my hair, and for one tiny moment worried that no one would talk to me because I wasn’t worth talking to. However, I caught myself and quickly dropped the negative self-talk, and resolved to have a great time. I wasn’t going to let my self-image ruin this trip. I did talk to lots of bloggers, big and small, I dressed for comfort, and only rarely did I feel insecure.

Overall, I’d give myself a solid ‘B’ for my efforts. There are still lots of things I could improve on, but the changes I’ve made so far are working, even if they’re not producing results as fast as I might prefer. I don’t feel deprived of anything, I’m losing weight, currently at my lowest weight in four years, and I’m feeling better about myself. July is coming up quickly – I’m going to be ready for it. Maybe I’ll even wear a cute summer dress to one of the cocktail parties at BlogHer this year?

How is everyone else doing?