Weighing In: Part 3

Somehow it's already July and we are in the heart of summer! It's also been nearly 8 months since I had my baby girl, which means it's due time to check in on my post-baby weight loss journey. I'd say it's going OK. Of course the weight isn't just flying off like I'd hoped and wished but I'm making progress to get back to where I was (and hopefully am getting closer to not scaring people in a swimsuit...yikes!)

a girl (and my husband) can dream....right?

I have changed my diet to include mostly protein, fruits and vegetables with some light carbs and dairy mixed in. I'm calling it the sorta-yeast-free-gluten-free-dairy free-esque diet that still allows me to eat my favorite foods. I've heard some people refer to it as the 80/20 diet...eat great 80% of the time and enjoy the not-so-good-for-you foods that you love {within reason of course} 20% of the time.When I do this, I feel great! I feel lighter, have more energy and find that I am full and satisfied AND am losing weight. I am still counting calories on MyFitnessPal {<---add me if you use it!} to ensure I'm not going way over and try to aim for around 1,200-1,500 calories a day. The hard part is just sticking to this and not letting a "cheat" day completely derail me. Instead of feeling guilty I just need to get over it, move on and get back on track.

I've been using Meal Planning methods each week to help keep me organized and expedite the grocery shopping experience. I spend a little time each week setting up my meals using a super simple excel spreadsheet. I look at our calendar to see what we have going on for the week and plan my meals accordingly, usually leaving the weekends open for either leftovers or dinners out. For example, here's my plan for this week:

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
BREAKFAST	Grande Nonfat Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk
LUNCH	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad
DINNER	Teriyaki Chicken & Pineapple Skewers w/ Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice	Dinner w/ Kari & Ryan!	Chipotle Twice Baked Sweet Potato	Whole Wheat Pasta, Broccoli & Light Alfredo Sauce	Spinach & Feta Turkey Burger w/ Greek Salad	Alex & Lina’s Party!
SNACK	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce	Pistachios	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce	Pistachios	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce

 I get all of the ingredients I will need to make myself breakfast, lunch and two snacks each day. Then I will get all the ingredients for 4-5 dinners and Jason and I can chose what we're going to have from those options each day, the other couple days we will either eat left overs, go out for dinner or make up meals using random ingredients we have. I also do all of my food prep on the weekends so that everything is ready, organized and easy to grab during the chaotic workday mornings.

Sometimes it feels like so much work but I found that when I've planned ahead and have my meals set I don't cheat. It's when I don't have food in the house or a lunch prepared that I tend to go off the deep end.

I am now less that 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight, so I'm more motivated than ever to stick to eating healthy! My next goal is to up my workouts. I've been doing great at going for daily walks but I need to increase the strength training with some yoga or a Jillian DVD at home. 

After almost 8 months post-baby, here's my weight loss stats:

Total weight gained: 34 pounds

Weight loss goal: 42 pounds

Total weight loss: 30 pounds

Pounds to go: 12 pounds

{HOLLER!!!!!}


See my other Weigh In posts here:
Weighing In
Weighing In: Part 2


Tell me....what are your secrets to losing the last few pounds and keeping them off?