Ultimate Weight Loss Solution

Ok. This time I'm really going to do it! I AM GOING TO LOSE WEIGHT!!! Well, maybe I should say do better at it, because I have lost weight, 36 pounds in the last three years to be exact. But I can do better. I know I can!

First a little history. Three years ago I decided that I wanted to try doing Tae Bo. The commercials showed people much heavier than me doing it, and I figured if they could, so could I. So I used my birthday money and bought the tapes, even though I have tried exercise tapes before and never stuck with them. To my surprise, I found that I loved doing this work out. I started out at a couple of days a week, mostly because I was to sore to do it everyday, but eventually I worked my way up to 5 days a week. This was not an easy task because I was also undergoing infertility treatments at the time and could really only work out every other month (the month off after a failed cycle). When I finally got pregnant and weighed in at my first real OB appointment, I was thrilled to see I had managed to lose 20 pounds! Not bad for only being able to put in half a year's work.

I was just getting back into a regular exercise pattern (walking, not Tae Bo) after not being able to do any exercising during my first trimester when we found out that our baby has Spina Bifida. In a whirlwind 2 1/2 week period we went from diagnosis to fetal surgery. After that, even though I was told I could resume my normal activity, I spent the next 14 weeks taking it easy because I was more concerned about staying pregnant as long as possible than I was about keeping my weight in check. As it turned out, possibly due to the meds I was on to prevent pre-term labor, I only gained 16 pounds by the time my daughter Alison was born, 3 1/2 weeks early, and a week before our scheduled c-section. By my 6 week check-up I had lost all that weight plus an additional 5 pounds, thanks to breastfeeding. My new jeans were already starting to get too big. Yay me!

Fast forward 6 months. I was no longer breastfeeding, much to my dismay, but was still eating like I was, and I gained 10 pounds! It took me 8 months (it was hard getting my schedule and Alison's to match up so I could work out regularly) but I lost it and another 10. And that brings us to now.

I've hit a plateau. I know I can do better, but I'm not one to do diets. I know I couldn't do Atkins or South Beach. I love carbs too much to ever give them up. Plus, Alison eats what we eat, and at 17 months old, she does not need to be on the Atkins or South Beach diet. :) I might be able to do Weight Watchers, but I don't really want to join Weight Watchers. So, after seeing how the people on Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge have been doing (albeit with the help of personal trainers and nutritionists), I've decided to give Dr. Phil a chance. I bought his book, which Amazon had on sale, and the additional food guide. They came in the mail yesterday. Today I start working my way through the book. Wish me luck!

Winter

I'm probably one of those rare people you find out there who actually like winter. I like snow. I think it's pretty. I wouldn't mind if we had snow from Thanksgiving until March. That's what I consider winter. I don't even mind it being cold. Usually.

Last year, it was a pretty mild winter. I mean, it was cold, but temps were average or above average for the most part. (Average for this time of year is the upper 20's, I believe.) As a result, we didn't have a whole lot of snow. That didn't thrill me so much, nor did it thrill Kevin because, now that he has one, he likes to use the snowblower. But, it didn't bother me too much either because Alison was too little to be out playing in the snow.

This year is a different story. We've got snow! We didn't get it until last week, but there's over a foot out there now. But we haven't been out to play in it much. Once, to be exact. Why? Because it's been too darn cold!! And when it does warm up a little bit, it snows again! If only we could find a happy medium. If it could just be a little warmer in the afternoon so that we could be out for a walk, which I think we're all (Alison, me and the dog) missing. We could play around in the snow some, too, and Alison might like it a little better. I don't care how cold it gets at night, and it can snow all it wants. All I want is a little bit of time to be able to be outside. Is that too much to ask? At this time, apparently so.