It's that time again...

To get serious about losing baby weight. I say "baby weight" like my little babies (who averaged about 7.5 lbs each) caused me to gain 40-60lbs a pop. They totally didn't. My over-indulgent, "I'm pregnant, I eat what I want" attitude did it. My anxiety, that also added a pound or fifty. And, while all those cupcakes, milkshakes, french fries, candy bars, potpies, and cans of ravioli were the best thing ever while I was preggo, now I have to work it off. The truth is, I lost the weight that came with all my babies, now I just have to work on that extra donut and milkshake weight and some pre-baby junk food weight. I know you know what I'm talking about.

So, I know you want to know the damage. I have 50lbs (or so) to lose. Now, the thought of losing that much weight (with four kids) was a little overwhelming to me at first, too. I mean, our schedule here changes every day (which means I can't really have a workout schedule either). I also haven't left the baby yet, and I don't want to. SO, that means I can't go to the gym. It's has also been hot outside for the last couple months in addition to the fact that I'm not a huge fan of outside; so, it's not like I'm super motivated to go walking/running and I can't do that in my house. I spent the last few weeks stacking up all of these can't statements and they started turning ugly; they started turning into a big fat don't want to.

I devised an alternative plan (that should work for anyone should you be in the same situation) and I started it. Because others have told me it's been helpful in the past, I'm going to be blogging my journey to be fit, not fat. It will also give me some check-in accountability to keep going. I have worked off all my baby weight in the past, so I *think* I know what I'm doing. If you have tips though, tell me! I love new ideas.

1. I put my maternity clothes away. You know; If I can't reach for my clothes that expand at the waist, I have a little more motivation to lose weight. No one likes ill fitting clothes. No one.
2. I hooked up my HR Monitor/Calorie Counter. By tracking my calories burned, I can regulate the intensity of my workout based on how many calories I want to be burning. It makes for a  much more effective workout. Everyone has questions about this super awesome device. Here's a whole blog post about it to answer your questions. If you have more, just ask!
3. I dusted off some DVDs. Just because I can't go to the gym, that's not an excuse to skip working out. It's ALSO not an excuse to do workouts that I hate (like sit-ups and crunches, etc). I LOVE the Beach Body DVDs (Turbo Fire and Turbo Jam). They are just like the classes I'd do at the gym, if I were there. My best advice to you, find what you like. If you love kickboxing, yoga, pilates, zumba or anything else, there's likely a DVD for it. Or, if you like running the track, go run outside! The weather is great most places this time of year. Check your local library, too. I hear they usually have lots of great fitness DVDs.
4. Finding a workout buddy. Ok, I know what you're thinking. "If I can't find time, myself, to workout, how will I ever sync up with someone else's schedule, too?" You don't have to workout together, just exchange texts, emails, Facebook wall posts, tweets, or whatever to stay motivated and accountable. I know you can do that! I have a couple of these peeps to keep me in line and I'm SUPER thankful. 
5. Taking some before photos. I don't go through the trouble of measuring myself and stepping on the scale at every second because, quite frankly, I don't care about numbers. I want my clothes to fit and I want to move comfortably. I want to see the difference. So, I take before and after photos (one of my favorite Pinterest searches, too, btw). I'll post them here, on a new page within the blog, once I've made some progress.
6. Changing my diet...I was looking through the 2,800 photos on my phone earlier today. I would say a good 2,600 of those are of food. Cake, cookies, snacks, drinks, fries, candy, etc. I'm hoping that the upcoming food pics will be of things like: fresh fruit and veggies, peanut butter, small pieces of dark chocolate, bubbly seltzer water, chicken, salad, eggs, and other delicious good-for-you treats. Now, don't do anything extreme. Don't pickup a yo-yo diet. Figure out how many calories you need to safely lose weight, and eat that many each day (by way of healthy foods that you enjoy).
7. You know that ________ (treadmill, elliptical, bike, weight set, etc.) that you had to have? Go use it. It's not doing you any good just collecting dust. Make time to go use it. That's what I'm doing with the elliptical machine. Find about 30 minutes of your favorite music and make a playlist; once you listen to all of it one time through, your workout will be over. You're welcome.
8. Be as consistent as possible. Maybe, like me, you can't workout at exactly 7am everyday and you can't eat like a bunny everyday either (because sometimes, picking up a bucket of chicken is just what happens to busy families). Don't sweat the minor misses, focus on the big picture. Keep  your focus every day; make goals and try your best to keep them. Don't be hard on yourself, but don't let one day off your diet turn into weeks, either. 

That's all I have for right now! I promise this blog isn't turning into a a sob-fest about all the weight I have to lose, but I'm hoping that these weight-loss journey stories will be helpful to you. My posts about faith, family, and other stuff will all still be here. After-all, this blog isn't about me. It's about everything in this precious world and how it all works together, by grace. Fatness and fitness included. God has a reason for all of it. :)