I read way too many copies of US Weekly while pregnant. The photo spreads featuring actresses and Brazilian supermodels claiming the baby weight fell right off them after giving birth? I automatically assumed it would be the same for me. Instead, I may be the first woman in history to actually gain weight postpartum.
In the weeks following my son’s birth, I guzzled gallons of Paul Newman’s Own Lemonade (it’s made from lemons, so it’s virtually a health food), had weekday lunches with other new moms during which we shoveled burgers and fries down our throats while commiserating over sleepless nights, and was no stranger to sweets and desserts. But I was breastfeeding every two hours, so I was burning off all those “extra” calories, right?
Wrong. I remember exactly how much I weighed when I went in for my six-week postpartum check-up: 198 pounds. At the time, I thought to myself: “OK, I can handle this. I just have to lose my pregnancy weight and a few extra pounds on top of that.” But flash forward to over one year later, and those pounds hadn’t been lost–they’d been multiplied.
Granted, being a new mom is a roller-coaster ride of exhaustion, anxiety, exhilaration and extreme joy (and then there were my son’s sleep issues; I didn’t get a full night’s sleep until he was over 10-months-old). But I was using my new baby–by then almost a toddler–as an excuse to continue to treat my body like a dumping ground.
Of course, I tried to lose the weight. My sister got engaged while I was pregnant, so I was acutely aware of my self-imposed “wedding deadline” for getting back in shape and looking halfway normal in my vintage, violet bridesmaid gown. But, sadly, it wasn’t until three weeks before I needed to squeeze into my dress that I had a moment of clarity about my weight and decided to take action.
Desperate, I went to a Weight Watchers meeting. At my first visit, I learned the cold hard truth about how much I really weighed, but I was also was given a plan and some hope. What I like most about Weight Watchers is there is so much support: not only do you attend weekly meetings with a leader and other members to help guide you, but there are tools to draw on (online support groups, a magazine, etc.), and great products to try (recipes, a food scale, measured serving spoons, etc.). Exercise is a huge part of the program as well.
Since the beginning of April when I joined, I have lost 53.8 pounds and counting. I am close to 15 pounds lighter than I was pre-pregnancy and I feel amazing. I finally squeezed into my first pair of skinny jeans. I have also gotten back in touch with my inner athlete. I can run faster, harder, and longer than ever before.
And the best part? I think losing the weight has made me a better mom. Hopefully I am modeling what it looks like to take good care of oneself and make healthy food choices. By taking time for myself–at first by working out in the mornings before my husband left for work and later by using the gym daycare or getting a sitter–I am more energized and ready to spend the rest of the day taking care of my son.
It is not a miracle cure–it has taken a lot of hard work and sacrifice and I am still challenged daily to make healthy choices. But losing the weight has totally been worth it.
