Ready, Set, Go!

I have so much I want to catch up on with blogging so I figured today I would start with me...LOL!

Such a selfish act...

I can honestly say the past five years have had it's ups and downs. All I wanted was to complete my family with our children we knew were waiting while staying healthy...it hasn't been a walk in the park although I have done plenty of walking in the park. LOL! (figuritively and literally).

After heart surgery in 2007, I knew it was important to keep my weight in check to stay healthy. I was borderline my weight limit at the time of surgery. 174 lbs. The biggest I had been ever in my life. Not that that is large to some in fact to some they consider that extremely skinny. But I knew if I was going to birth two more babies I needed to get it down. So after about 2 months of recovery. I stepped on an elliptical trainer for the first time. I think I made it 2 minutes before I had to stop for air. I continued to try when after some time I had dropped 10 lbs and was able to sustain 20 minutes on the elliptical. It was difficult to say the least but I did it! I finally dropped 25 lbs total putting me at 155 lbs. I was thrilled! I remember looking at the scale when I first dropped two lbs and the overwhelming feeling of I CAN DO THIS! washed through me.  Finally after 18 months post op...I was cleared (hesitantly by my Dr.'s) to have another baby.

Miraculously after Sophia the lbs just dropped off. I actually was less that I started with her pregnancy when I got pregnant with August at 147 lbs. I secretly hoped it would stay that way. Half way into his pregnancy I had only gained 8 lbs. I thought for sure I would be lucky this time too. But after my blood clot and taking it easy on the exercising not to upset the said clot...I rapidly gained more weight with the pregnancy. I still hoped that maybe it would drop off easily like it did with Sophia.

Maybe because of the combination of medications and not being able to breastfeed August it decided to hang on. So here I am on my weight loss journey once again. With wonderful support from friends and family that honestly need to lose more than me. In ways this makes me feel REALLY guilty. I am supporting them too but I often feel like I make them feel worse because I am doing it too when in their eyes they probably think I am just being "vain".  Which isn't the truth but I do have the same goals as they do. Want to be healthy, and more active to play with my children and be a good mother and wife.

I must admit this time has been a little harder than after I had surgery.  For the first three weeks I lost nothing. It was discouraging but eventually I came off my medications and changed things up a little and I started seeing the lbs drop off slowly but they were/are dropping. It is encouraging when you even see a .3 loss to keep you going.

I am using myfitnesspal.com and it has been so helpful keeping me in check. I have my days like everyone that I eat over my calorie goal or I don't do my exercise for the day. But I can happily say I have lost 9.5 lbs since starting on my birthday. (end of June). I almost half way to my goal.

I am feeling good and loving the new secrets to my eating and exercise! Which I will share at a later time.

hard

It is hard to be positive with so much negativity lately...but...I am thankful for medical intervention...yes, indeedy I AM!

Family

I am very thankful for family right now especially for my Sister in law and Brother in law they surprised us last night but bringing us 10 Freezer meals to help us out when we need it...it makes life so much easier to know we have back up food in the freezer on days we can't get it together. And for my Mother in law who is willing to help out whenever and where ever...

The journey

Honestly after all that has happened I am most grateful that I am alive and so is August (baby) after talking to my friend Amber and hearing her experience with a stroke with her 5th pregnancy I have a lot to be thankful for. Not that she had harder issues per se but that her warning signs were far and few compared to mine...I have had so many "signs" that I am surprised that I haven't been given an MRI before landing in the hospital. Nonetheless I am extremely thankful the fact that it isn't worse and that we are both still alive and that I have great supportive Dr's that are doing everything to keep us both safe. Most importantly I have to give it up to my husband Nathan who is AMAZING! All that he does and all that he puts up with being married to me...I am one really really lucky girl!