Weigh-in - Monday January 6th 2014

Weight:  13 st 0 lbs (down 2 lbs since 1st Jan)
BMI:  27.6 - Overweight (down from 27.9)

Bust:  39.5" (down 2")
Bra size:  36DD  (down from 36F, boo!)

Waist (below ribs):  33" (down 2")

Belly (above hips):  41.5" (down 1")
Bum (widest part):  45.5"  (down 0.5")

Dress size (per this calculator):  UK 16 (down from UK 16-18)

The 2 lb loss returns me to my pre-Christmas weight...which is great, but 13 stone feels like a bit of a sticking point now. Hoping to be well into the 12s next week.  At least the inches look like they're coming off.  I've been watching lots of programmes about weight loss while expressing my milk, good way to stay motivated!

Onwards and downwards.

Progress 1st - 5th of January - not much...

In the five days since starting this blog I have done a single workout.  Not great, but I have my excuses all ready - my hubby goes back to work tomorrow, so we've been spending some time as a little family, and recovering the house from Christmas.  Next week will be better, it has to be.

The one workout I've done was 30 minutes from the following DVD:

I chose the two 10 minute belly sections, and one 10 minute lower body workout.  It was about 20 minutes aerobic and 10 minutes of crunches etc.

Beginning with the crunches, I was alarmed how hard I found them, and there were some moves I simply couldn't do.  I don't think I realised quite how much being pregnant (and with a LARGE baby) would affect my abs, and not even being able to sit straight up from lying flat made me feel like a total jelly belly.

That said, I think the DVD is actually great for postnatal workouts.  You can just do it in 10 minute sections when you're really pushed for time, or link them together into up to 50 minutes, focussing on different body areas (of which the belly area makes up 20 minutes).  The instructor is positive and full of energy but not annoyingly peppy or condescending.  It comes with a sculpting loop to increase the intensity of your workout, which definitely works - taking it off after a tough aerobic section my legs had that weird wobbly feeling like coming off a running machine!  And the fact that there are a few bits I can't do is ok, as I figure it gives me something to work towards - I figure I'll know I'm back when I can do it all...

So all in all, I recommend it so far.  I've got three other 10-Minute Solution DVDs as I got them in a set for Christmas, so I'll be trying to work in at least 10 minutes on most days.

Happy to hear others' experiences of these DVDs, so feel free to leave a comment.

Fitbit One for Christmas!

Knowing I needed to address my baby weight, I asked my triathlete husband to find me an activity tracker for Christmas, so that I would know how active (or not) I was each day, and to estimate how many calories I burnt during workouts.

He chose the Fitbit One, a little black gadget the size of a USB stick that you wear on your belt, pocket or bra strap. Each day, it tracks steps walked, floors climbed, miles walked, and calories burnt. It also has a graphical flower that grows or shrinks depending how active you have been that day, and has a sleep tracker facility, which I thought would be both interesting and frightening with a newborn in the house!

First impressions are good. It's motivating to know I'm wearing something that's monitoring my active and sedentary periods, and good to know I'm getting some recognition for the number of times I'm traipsing up and down the stairs to change nappies and check on the baby! Using the free online dashboard you can also track calorie intake, though unfortunately there's no UK food database yet. Following the advice of some reviews, I've signed up for a My Fitness Pal account (also free) which has a wide UK food database and will synch with your Fitbit account. On a roll, I've also signed up with Endomondo, which is a GPS activity tracker, which uses your phone to track walks, runs, cycle rides and other activities.

Once I've got to grips with these apps I'll post reviews of them all and how well they work for postnatal weight loss. For now, I'm off to track my breakfast and walk about...

Starting weigh-in, January 1st 2014

So here it is. Judgment Day...

 

Weight:  13 st 2 lbs

BMI:  27.9 - Overweight

Bust:  41.5"

Bra:  36F

Waist (below ribs):  35"

Belly (above hips):  42.5" (eugh)

Bum (widest part):  46"

Dress size (per this calculator):  16-18

Wow. I'm shocked at the belly measurement and the dress size - though it explains why I'm struggling to fit into my pre-pregnancy size 10s and 12s.

Oh well - from here, the only way is down!

 

New Year, Old Me

On 3rd November 2013, I gave birth to my gorgeous son Finley, weighing a hefty 9lb and 12oz.  In the eight weeks since then, my husband and I have been muddling through being new parents, complete with sleep deprivation, feeding problems, and much cooing over the new addition.  But the time has come, post-Christmas and with 2014 looming, for me to address my post-pregnancy body.

During pregnancy, I put on more than four stone.  My midwife was adamant that it was mostly water as I was extremely swollen, and I did lose over two stone fairly easily in the first month or so post-partum.  But the weight loss now seems to have gotten stuck, with another two stone to go to get to my pre-pregnancy weight - and another stone after that to get to my 'ideal' weight, where I was on my wedding day two years ago.  This is the 'Old Me' I'd like to return to, with the odd stretch mark or two to evidence carrying my wonderful son.

There is such a variety of ways for new mummies to get yummy, and I intend to try a wide range of classes, workouts, DVDs and apps to see what works for me.  To put it nicely, I am whimsical - to be more honest, I am rubbish at sticking to workout regimes.  So I will need variety, and will need to find at least one way of working out that I genuinely enjoy, or this is simply not going to happen for me.  Childcare is not easy for me to come by on a regular basis, so these will be things I can do with Finley in tow, or while he sleeps...or possibly while Dad takes him for an hour or so.  I am pumping my breast milk for him, so long periods out of the house will not work for me until he is around six months old.

On this blog, I will chronicle my journey, with reviews of weight loss classes, DVDs, apps, and everything else I try.  I'd love to hear from mums (or even dads!) out there undertaking a similar journey, and anyone who has suggestions of other approaches I could try out.  I'm up for most things!

So.  Hello New Year - see you soon Old Me!