The Last Few Pounds

Women and weight, usually a bad combination. Except, of course, when you're pregnant. Then you check in to make sure you're gaining weight, that the little human life growing inside your body is getting enough of everything he needs to thrive. In fact, you might even find yourself thinking "I should eat that extra slice of pizza for my hungry little baby." No? Am I really the only one?

The temptation to justify my overeating was strongest during pregnancy. People encourage you to eat, comment on how hungry you must be, reinforcing the misconception that growing a baby includes growing a second adult-sized stomach. Not true. So what kept me from stuffing my face during those nine months? The cold hard facts, people. Those first three months - no additional calories needed. The next six months, only 300 extra calories a day.

I can eat 300 calories in two minutes. They look like this:

Despite a head full of knowledge about the slight increase in caloric needs during pregnancy, and exercising most mornings, I managed to gain 45 lbs. That's 10 lbs over the heavier recommended gain for women of average weight (25-35 lbs), and I could have easily packed on an additional 30 lbs if I hadn't tried to reign myself in.

I gave myself nine months to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Logical, I know. Except, I forgot to factor in that it's ten times harder to lose weight than gain weight. After the initial and exhilarating loss of thirty pounds (breastfeeding-induced melting), which happened by about month two, fifteen pounds remained. I didn't actively try to lose weight because I was still nursing. The next five pounds took about four more months to lose.

So what's left? Those darn 10 lbs I should have never gained in the first place! No amount of breastfeeding is going to make those inches decrease, just math. Fewer calories going in than those getting burned.

So where am I at today? I have two more pounds to go to greet my pre-pregnancy weight. It's been fourteen months. Did you catch that? Fourteen months.

Where am I mentally? Resolved. The finish line is in sight.

Now let's just see if I can make it there before the holidays ;)