My form of exercise means going on walks... as in like, slow, long-walks-on-the-beach type stuff, no power walking here. Aaand that's pretty much the extent of it.
So wait, you're likely asking what the heck DID I do to loose the baby weight?
Well let's set some ground work shall we? I like history, numbers and figures so I'll take us back to when weight mattered to me and what my habits where then...
Highschool (9 years ago):
When I was in high school I was dancing three+ times a week and running (walking quickly) at the gym, I weighed about 150lbs and wore about a size 10 (I've got hips people, mmmk?) My eating was terrible. I would skip meals all the time and come home and binge on popcorn or four to six pieces of white bread slathered in butter. I never drank enough water, ever, and always had headaches. In my teenage brain I thought skipping meals would help me maintain my weight while I ate whatever I wanted for dinner. Uh, let's just say I was dumb.
Germany round 1:
When I went to Germany for a five months as a nanny I gained a disgusting amount of weight because I was depressed and in the land of chocolate and honey, and bread, and deliciousness. I had no self control. I think I weighed my worst at that time, if I recall about 180 lbs. That's 30 lbs of nutella people, ON MY THIGHS! Sick!
Home:
I came home for a few months and never really lost all of it but settled at about 165. Meh, whatev's my thighs still rubbed but I had clothes I fit into, ok sweet, good enough for me.
Germany round 2:
I went back to Germany for 3 more years working at a pre-school and started leaning more about healthy foods. I learned that there were more types of lettuce than just iceberg and learned to cook a bunch of asian meals from one of my Philippine colleagues. I maintained my 160ish weight but felt a lot better physically.
Home for good:
When I came home from Germany the second time I started at UVU and was going through a lot of life changes and my weight dropped because of it. I bought a whole bunch of skinny-me clothes and felt great and probably got down to nearly what I was in high-school, but a healthier-eating version.
University/Life Changes/Dating:
Cue dating a bunch, then meeting Phil, getting married, and getting pregnant two months in. When we got married I pretty much leveled out at about 165, eating well, but still eating a bunch of processed foods and not eating much whole-grains and whole-foods.
Pregnancy:
During my pregnancy I began to really get serious about eating well and exercising. I've literally never eaten so well in my life! I swam at least a couple times a month and would go on walks often. In the first few months I even tried to take up running, yeah, still not happening. During my pregnancy I gained the usual 30-40+ lbs and I think at my last appointment before I had Emerson at 42 weeks I was 195lbs. Of course much of that was blood volume, placenta, 8.5lb Baby E, etc, etc. but still I was squishy, I needed to be. Mom's need to be squishy for their babies, it's just how it goes!
Postpartum:
So here I was, post-baby and about 175lbs, and a size 12-14 as long as the pants are stretchy. I got down to a solid size 12 within 2 months, eating right and breast-feeding. After 4-6 months I got in to about what I was before being pregnant size 32 waist size 10ish and plateaued for months at about 165 lbs.
9 months post-partum I first learned about the Young Living distributor group called the Lemon Droppers and went to and essential oil intro class. I'd been using a few oils during my pregnancy for stretch mark prevention, a couple of them passively when I got sick, and lavender for Emerson's sleep. But I didn't create much of a habit with the oils and I didn't know that there were oils for weight-loss and oils that could help flush fat toxins etc. As soon as I learned about Lemon for weight loss I jumped right on that and found myself a glass water-bottle to start adding a few drops to my water to drink.
1 year Post-baby:
I've been using Young Living's citrus oils (Citrus Fresh, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Orange, or Tangerine) in my water every day since and that is literally the only thing that has changed in my eating and exercise habits. In these past 3 and a half months I am now down to 143lbs, fitting in size 6-8, less than I was in high school! Went from 25 inches circumference on my thighs to 23 inches. Say what? I'm no longer squishy around my belly and back and my hips are smaller than they've been, I'm going to say, ever, cause ever sounds about right.
I'm literally in shock every time I get on the scale because the past four months my eating habits have been horrible. Like, pizza-twice-a-week type horrible. Plus Phil and I just spent a month in Germany and I actually ate more junk food than I have in the past 2 years combined. I literally ate from sun-up until sun-down, getting my fix of all the German goodies I could while we were there. We walked everyday but I was walking about the same before we had gone so I can't credit it to that.
Now I'm not saying that eating junk food is the way to go. I definitely encourage eating well and exercising in whatever form suits people best. Now that we are home I'm drinking a Pure Protein Complete shake every morning at getting back to eating more whole-foods, but for real. For real. I feel awesome and I'm never bloated anymore, except for a rare occasion, then I'll just add some peppermint to my water or rub Di-Gize oil on my belly! And, just an FYI all this hasn't affected milk supply, just in case you nursing mom's wanted to know.
I'm tempted to say this even motivates me to take up running...but... ehh.. who am I kidding! Maybe I'll just stick with swimming to strengthen my muscles.
P.S. Don't judge my photos. I'm not a model and loosing flubber doesn't mean I gained a six-pack. Ok? ;)
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