Weight a Minute...

I'm on a mission to start losing this baby weight. Ava is almost 2 months old so I figure it's time to begin to try.

I gained 50 (0k, closer to 60) lbs. while pregnant. I had always been thin, even skinny at times. I never weighed myself. I never had to worry about my weight or what I ate so I totally embraced the pregnant woman stereotype and indulged in nightly bowls (or cartons) of ice cream. Now I wish I gained a more manageable amount of weight.

I've already lost about half of the weight since giving birth and would like to lose the other 30 or so lbs. by the time Ava is 6 months old. I know it took me 9 months to gain the weight, I should allow myself 9 months to lose it, but honestly, I don't want to wait that long. I don't like what I see when I look in the mirror right now. I don't like the way I feel when I struggle to find clothes in my closet that fit and look halfway decent. I also can't replace all of the clothes in my closet with larger sizes. I have a pretty sizable wardrobe and the majority of it is too small right now. I need to fit into it again.

I realize I may never be a size 2 again and that the smallest jeans in my dresser may not fit. My body has changed. I have hips now that I didn't before. I just need to try to get back into some kind of shape. Actually, it would be nice to be in better shape than I was before I got pregnant. That might not be so hard as I was not in very good shape to begin with.

So last week I started eating better. I also started keeping a food journal. I figured that if I'm writing down everything I eat, I will be less likely to binge on junk food because I won't want to write down that I ate an entire bag of cookies in one sitting. I've been making an effort to cut out bread, except the occasional sandwich on whole wheat, and to eat more fruits and vegetables. I'm eating about 5 times a day since I am breastfeeding and need to keep my calorie intake up. I'm just trying to eat healthier.

I also want to make more of an effort to exercise. Since it's getting colder out, going for walks everyday just may not be possible. I got 2 exercising with baby DVDs last week and this morning I took advantage of one of the exercise videos that cable has on demand. I have a tendency to start exercising and then quit soon after. Maybe I should write down what I do for exercise too to keep myself from quitting.

I'm also setting goals for myself that I think I will post updates on periodically. My goals are:
1) Lose 10 lbs. by New Year's (15 would be even better but I'm trying to be realistic here).
2) Exercise at least 3 days a week.
3) Lose an additional 20 lbs. by March 26 (I've heard the last 10-15 lbs. are the hardest to lose so I will give myself some wiggle room on this one)
4) Wear a bikini next summer

I am not letting this "diet" effect my Thanksgiving though. I still plan on stuffing my face Thursday. I will just skip the apple pie for breakfast on Friday.