Body after baby - No sugar update

Well, I did it.

I won't say it was easy, because it wasn't, but I don't think it was quite as hard as I was expecting.

In a way, it was liberating. There was no stressing over whether or not to have dessert or feeling rotten about taking that second slice of cake. There was no counting calories or worrying about fat content. I just focused on one thing: No sugar.

The first two days were the hardest. My body was craving sugar in the worst way. Wednesday morning I got on the scale and was down three whole pounds from my weigh-in on Monday morning. That was just the motivation I needed to keep going.

Friday I woke up with a nasty headache and what felt like the flu. My whole body hurt, from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. I called my Mom for a pep talk and she encouraged me to drink plenty of water and just power through the detox. I felt slightly like a drug-addict calling for support to avoid a relapse.

We had a birthday party to attend on Sunday and that was pretty tough. I had a hamburger and hotdog with no condiments and no bread (they both have sugar in them!) and had to watch everyone eat yummy cake and my favorite kind of ice cream.

Here comes the good part.

This morning I stepped on the scale to see that I am a whole six pounds down from last week. In case you missed that, I lost six pounds last week. Barring the week of Peanut's birth, I don't think I've ever lost that much weight in a single week.

And here's the thing, I didn't exercise. Peanut and I took a couple leisurely walks, but positively no cardio.

So, needless to say, I'll be continuing my no sugar diet next week. Additionally, I'm going to dust off an old exercise DVD that I used to enjoy and try to do that 3 times this week.

I haven't felt this good about a diet...like, ever. Everyone says that it takes two weeks to really start feeling a difference and so I'm really excited to start seeing my energy level increase over the next week or so. My friends and family keep asking me if this is just a lose-weight-fast-plan or a lifestyle change. To be honest, I'm not sure. A week without sugar has me looking at it in a whole new light. I can't imagine consuming the amount of sugar that I was eating even just a couple weeks ago. So realistically, I'd like to think that I'll eventually add sugar back into my diet, but it actually will be in moderation - meaning treats on special occasions.

I should probably add that I did have honey this week. I only used it as a substitue for sugar when baking, but drastically reduced the amount. For instance, I used about a 1/4 cup of honey for two loaves of bread. For those of you that have done it, I'd love to hear your tips for totally eliminating sugar.

For more motivation and some great tips on this week's challenge, head over to Mama Notes!

Body after baby - No sugar week

Week one of my body after baby challenge didn't go so well. In fact, it went the opposite of well. I did really, really bad.

As we head into week two, I think I've reached a turning point mentally. I'm drastically changing my short term goals this week and making them much harder.

I had an epiphany this week. I don't know how to do sweets and treats in moderation. I can't just have one cookie or two bites of ice cream. So this week I'm eliminating sugar entirely. Yup, I'm going hard core.

Here's the thing, I'm a pretty healthy eater through the day -I usually juice some vegetables for breakfast and eat something healthy with Peanut for lunch. Around 3:00 I get the munchies and I start raiding my husbands snack stash. I'm not like a normal person, I can't stop at a handful of potato chips - I'm seriously lacking in self-control.

Mindy brought my attention to this great article through one of her posts last week and it was just the kick in the pants I needed. The things that stood out to me the most is the fact that sugar is addictive and has no nutritional value.

So here are my goals for the week:

1. No sugar. That means not even a teaspoon in my coffee.
2. Raw, raw, raw. At least one salad a day with lots of snacky fruits.
3. No "junk". To me, this means potato chips, processed foods and fast food.
4. Walk with Peanut at least 3x this week and work on toning my trouble areas.

I'm going to need a lot of support this week, so feel free (in fact, please DO!) stop by and ask me how it's going. "No sugar week" started this morning, so I already have one meal under my belt. Here we go!

Body after baby

Now that Peanut is 14 months old, I somehow feel I have lost the right to claim my extra weight as “baby weight”. But since it technically IS weight that I gained while pregnant with her, I guess that’s exactly what it is.

As summer quickly approaches, I find myself dreading sleeveless tops, shorts and (cue drum roll)... swimsuits. Just the very phrase “swimsuit season” is enough to have me running for the nearest sarong.

It’s not about looking like I’m 18 again, it’s about not wanting the flab on my arms to flap around like it’s independent from my body. I have no excuses. If I wanted to lose weight badly enough I would have done it already, simple as that.

Thanks to Mama Notes, I’m turning over a new leaf as of tomorrow. I really want to lose about 15 lbs. Instead of focusing on weight loss, I’m going to focus on healthy eating habits and exercise. I’m betting that weight loss will be a nice side effect.

Short Term Goals: This week I'm starting small. I want to focus on getting in 15 minutes of exercise each day in addition to a 1-2 mile daily walk. I'm also going to eat a leafy green salad with at least one meal every day.

Long Term Goals: Increase my overall health and feel more confident in my body. (Translation: lose 15 lbs.)

Plan of Action:

Cut out fast food. I’m still eating out 1-2 times a week on the days I have to work.

Try new healthy recipes. I have a stack of recipes I've been wanting to try, now's my chance!

Cut down on snacking. I know it sounds simple, but that whole “only eat when you’re hungry” thing is harder than it sounds!

Take daily walks. Since Peanut loves the “ahside” so much, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Work on toning my trouble spots. When people tell you having a baby will change you, they ain’t kiddin’.

If you want to join in the self-imposed torture fun, head on over to Mama Notes and get started! I'll be updating this post weekly and linking back to it, so stay tuned.