7 Quick Takes-The Shape of Me

1. Yes, I shamelessly borrowed part of a title from a Dr. Seuss book. This should serve to a) give you an idea of how much Dr. Seuss I read to Tony on a regular basis, and b) pave the way for the other six quick takes.

2. Now that I'm completely healed from that simple little task of delivering an almost 9lb baby (gigglesnort) and I'm free to exercise again, I've decided to completely re-vamp my body. What exactly does this mean, you ask? Well, I'm about to do something I've never done and lay out my weight struggles for the whole world to see. I'm overweight. I have been for a very long time; honestly, I can't remember a time (maybe 5th grade?) that I wasn't on the "heavy" end of a reasonable weight for my body frame and height. I'm usually able to hide it pretty well, I dress for my body type, and I really do try to avoid clothes that highlight my problem areas. That being said, there's no denying it. For years, I would describe myself as "curvy" (and to be fair, I am), I have a larger frame, I don't exactly come from a family of tiny, thin people, etc. I'm familiar with pretty much every excuse in the book.

3. What is a healthy weight for me? I'm 5'7", so according to WebMd, a healthy weight for my height would be anywhere from 118lbs (which I definitely think is too thin for me) to 159lbs. I'm aiming for a compromise of 140lbs, and once I get there-not IF I get there-then I will re-assess and determine how I feel, how I look, etc.

4. I am currently 198lbs. Yes, I actually posted my weight online. Why am I doing this? So I can be held accountable for working out, eating right, and losing the weight. I'm going to do a "check in" every two weeks to see where I'm at. One thing I should note is that I'm exclusively breastfeeding Alessandra, and I don't know how (or if) that's going to impact my weight loss. I have to find that line between eating enough calories so she and I both get sustenance, but I drop the pounds at the same time.

5. I do NOT subscribe to any "fad" diets. Not Paleo (yes I consider Paleo a fad diet), not carb free, gluten free, anything like that. To be fair, I don't stuff my face with junk day in and day out. We rarely eat out, due to both health and budget reasons. I cook almost every single meal at home, and I'm very good about balancing each meal with lean meats, veggies, whole grains, etc. My biggest problem is snacking, and sweets. Also indulgences like my beloved margaritas (sorry, guys. You have to go. Far too many calories!). What I'm going to try to do food-wise is count calories, probably using Sparkpeople, and keep healthy snacks in the house so I'm not tempted. I will continue to cook my healthy meals, and have an "indulge" day once a week.

6. Last year I joined the YMCA, and it was one of the best decisions I could have made. Not only do they have free classes, but they have free childcare with WONDERFUL ladies who work in the nursery. It's a win-win situation for both Tony and I. I'm going back to the gym, starting today. I've always wanted to run a marathon...but the problem is I suck at running. Seriously, in high school I was that girl who was panting and gasping for breath after "running" approximately 30 seconds on the track while the athletes flew by me and ran a few extra laps, just for fun. I'm going to try the famous Couch to 5K program, combined with lifting on the weight machines to help build muscle. For me, I have to start out slowly. Not only because I haven't been terribly active these past few months, but also because I have a problem with heat migraines. Anytime I do anything too high-impact, or get overheated, I get an absolutely wretched migraine that stays with me for the rest of the day. It's horrible, and it renders me completely useless. In other words, no Bikram yoga, no Zumba, no Crossfit, probably no spinning class. The elliptical has worked pretty well for me in the past, and I may give that a try again.

7. Why am I posting about this, and more importantly, why did I use an entire 7 Quick Takes entry for it? Because I need to be held accountable. It's very easy for me to say "okay, today is the day I'm going to make a change for good!" You know how many times I've done that? Too many to count. I'm really a very lazy person, and if I don't have someone on my back constantly, I tend to slack off. So that's what I need from you, readers-to force me to stick with it. Don't let up. If you don't see a weight loss post in a while, ask me how it's going. Ask me how I'm doing counting calories, how the running is going, etc. I really need this. I also really appreciate it.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!