After my two daughters were born my weight climbed to an all time high of 191.5 lbs
As a teenager I had struggled with my weight and
body image quite a bit. Now that I look back on photos I never was really that overweight. But I felt horrible and was always
dieting, exercising or trying to cover my
body up with baggy clothes. The truth is I really had a nice figure but I let images in the media affect me in a really negative way.
By the time I was in my twenties my self confidence had improved and so did my
body image. I noticed my imperfections but instead of starving myself I tried to live a healthier lifestyle, make better lifestyle choices, and focus on the positive aspects of who I was beyond the physical. Throughout my twenties a maintained a fit and healthy range between 135 and 140. I exercised regularly, biked, rollerbladed and had even managed to work up to running a 5K 3 times a week. I felt great.
Everything changed when we decided to have kids. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and the restrictions that come with parenting young children really impacted my
fitness. I found it difficult to find the time,
energy and desire to exercise and eat as healthy as before. I focused on being a mom, and tried not to beat myself up over the
weight gain. But when I would see pictures of me, or catch myself in the mirror, I have to admit the
weight gain made me feel pretty rotten. I also felt tired and uncomfortable. I started to wear my clothes extra large so that I wouldn't feel so confined. It only made me feel bigger. I took tons of photos of my girls over those years... and did everything in my power to avoid being in the photos myself. It makes me sad now looking back because there are so few family shots of us all together.
Last year I decided I had to do something. On a whim I signed up with Weight Watchers online and started walking. I think any reasonable
diet plan would have worked well for me at the time because I had reached the point where I needed to make a change. The weight watcher online tracker definitely made it easier. It also kept me from going overboard and trying to do too much too soon. I followed the plan and gradually and consistently I saw the weight come off.
By September I had lost 30 lbs and I was happy with my progress. I definitely started to feel more like myself. I even started to question whether it was enough. I maintained my weight throughout the fall and even over the holidays. But now I feel certain that I want to try to continue on toward the wieght that I maintained throughout my 20s. I want to focus on
fitness and try to find a way to incorporate more activity, exercise and movement in my life. I want my girls to see me as a positive role model for a active healthy lifestyle, not as someone who diets.
I found this site and thought coming here would be a good support. So many of the members have made such incredible changed. It's truly an inspiration. There so much to be learned from each of you.
I'm looking forward to being in touch.
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