Losing the Pregnancy Weight Part III

Burning calories is some what intangible. I really have no idea how many calories I am burning each day by breast feeding my daughter. I would like to give credit to a healthier diet and a commitment to long term exercise for my seemingly quicker come back from having my daughter. Having these habits in the beginning really do make a difference. At almost five weeks post-partum I have not actively worked at loosing the excess weight for very long. My efforts have just begun and I am determined to get closer to my pre-pre pregnancy weight (what I weighted … Continue reading

Losing the Pregnancy Weight Part II

I won the competition which was both exciting and sad. I was ecstatic that I won, I put in lots of hard work, but there were lots of other teachers who had more weight to lose and they could have easily beat me and should have. Either way the “biggest loser” competition was the motivation I needed to jump start my weight loss and get me in the habit of regular exercise. I did not stop exercising after the competition … I still had about ten more pounds to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Instead, I continued … Continue reading

Losing the Pregnancy Weight Part I

Losing the baby weight can be and often is a rather difficult challenge. With my first pregnancy, I did not have the long established habit of regular exercise; I was well within the normal and healthy body mass index but I had very little muscle tone; I was not in shape. I began exercising with my first pregnancy (talk about a real motivating reason to exercise). Even though I exercised regularly throughout my first pregnancy, my workouts were really tame. The biggest challenge came after my son was born. I had gained about twenty pounds more than I had wanted … Continue reading

Autumn and Pregnancy

Autumn is a glorious season, one that I have not had the pleasure of experiencing for the last five years. I always felt a considerable loss as I went off to work during the autumn months year after year. With much anticipation my husband, son, and I returned to the Midwest with high hopes for cooler temperatures and the changing leaves of red, orange, and yellow. Having endured late pregnancy during the hot summer months in the desert with my first pregnancy, I was particularly looking forward to the cooler temperatures that the Midwest would afford me during this pregnancy. … Continue reading

The Pregnancy Food Journal

The first time I ever kept a food journal was when I was trying to lose the weight I had gained with my first baby. As I competed in a nine week “Biggest Loser” challenge at the school were I taught, I found the food journal to be an essential tool in my weekly success (I ended up winning the competition too). I started keeping a food journal again just before I became pregnant the second time. My husband and I were trying to get pregnant again and I wanted to make sure I was eating as healthy as possible … Continue reading

Why Exercise During Pregnancy

Our bodies were designed to be exercised. Our muscles are meant to be toned and our hormones depend on aerobic movement to stay in balance. Without exercise our metabolisms slow and our immune systems become weakened. Exercise is important and should play a significant role in our daily lives. The need for exercise does not go away with pregnancy, rather the need is increased. Countless studies have shown the health benefits of exercise for both mother and baby. Exercise relieves and prevents aches and pains that are common during pregnancy, which giving the mother a surge in endorphins giving her … Continue reading

Morning Sickness During Pregnancy Linked to Genetics

Did your mother have severe morning sickness when she was pregnant with you, or with your siblings? Do you have sisters who were plagued by bouts of morning sickness during their pregnancies? If so, it turns out that you are likely to experience symptoms of nausea during your pregnancy as well. Studies show that morning sickness is linked to genetics. This means it can run in families. If I remember correctly, one of my cousins suffered through severe morning sickness with all of her pregnancies. She has a daughter who may very well grow up and experience the same severe … Continue reading

Breastfeeding and Weight Loss

Is breastfeeding the magic cure for weight gain after pregnancy? Many think so. In fact, according to research, many women stated that weight reduction was a benefit to breastfeeding. Why wouldn’t it be? On average women again 25-30 pounds during pregnancy. One of the most asked questions concerning weight loss is how to shed post pregnancy pounds. After having a baby your metabolism slows down a bit and your focus is not on yourself but your baby, so losing weight can be a challenge. So where does breastfeeding fit into all of this? Many women who choose to breastfeed have … Continue reading

When Weight Loss Affects Milk Supply

As wonderful as pregnancy is, most mothers will admit to feeling huge in months directly before and after giving birth. In my ninth month of pregnancy, I could not believe how big my belly had gotten or how swollen my ankles (or lack thereof) were. After I gave birth, I decided that there was no way I’d ever fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes; I was just too big. Sure, I’d lose most of the weight, but I’d never be as small as I once had been. Most of the time, it didn’t matter that much to me. I had a … Continue reading

My Forced Weight Loss Journey – How It Started

I used the word “forced” in the title when I guess no one can be truly “forced” to lose weight. But, let me tell you a bit about my history and why I felt this was forced. When I was younger, I was very active, but like many of us, I became more and more sedentary as the years went on. I married for the first (and only!) time at 36 and right before I turned 40, I realized if we were going to have any children, we had better get started! I was very lucky in that we got … Continue reading