Banishing the Baby Belly is on Hiatus.

Oh, that dang scale. Sometimes it's my worst enemy and sometimes it's my best friend. Right now, it's status could best be described as "frenemy." Its numbers aren't dropping, but they're not rising either. They're just...there. Taunting me.

But you know what? I really don't have the energy to care.

Life is kicking my butt right now.  I'm still sick. I have the usual mountain of ridiculous deadlines to meet. And my house? Well, let's just say I wish there was something called "get your shit together leave." So, you know, you could take a few weeks off to take care of business.

But since this is the real world, no such thing is forthcoming. So instead, I continue to drag my exhausted ass from Point A to Point B, hoping not to cause any more chaos than absolutely necessary as I go.

I'm sure eventually I'll remember what it feels like to be healthy. And rested. But until then? I don't feel like battling the scale.

Banishing the Baby Belly Round 2: Week 5

This week, the scale gave me a Valentine's Day present - it told me I'm down a pound. Which, considering the amount of food I consumed last weekend, I'm calling a major victory.

Generally speaking, I had a pretty good week (after the weekend, that is). I only ate one meal of junk food (sometimes, a craving for Penn Station can not be denied). And before indulging, I checked Calorie King  for a healthy (okay, healthier) option. So, I think I can pat myself on the back for that one.

As a side note, have I mentioned how much I love my iPod Touch? That little doodad has an app for everything - calorie counting, nutrition values, you name it. The only thing better would be an iPhone, but until Verizon has one, my iPod will have to do.

Anywho, now that I'm making progress with the food thing, it's time to get serious about exercise. So, as I mentioned on Wednesday, I signed up for a 5K. If that doesn't get me motivated, nothing will. Well that, and the knowledge that I've got a beach vacation scheduled. I'd like to be able to rock something like this:

 

Hey, a girl can dream, right?

BBB Round 2: Week 4

Remember how excited I was about my weight loss accomplishments last week? Yeah. That was nice.

Apparently, I jinxed myself because this week I didn't lose anything. Nothing. Nada. Not even .1 pound.  Of course, that might have something to do with the plethora of restaurant meals I ate. Wendy's. Penn Station. And let's not forget Cracker Barrel and its biscuit topped pot pie.


All wonderfully healthy options, wouldn't you agree?


What can I say? When the deadlines stack up and the stress piles on, it gets hard to eat well. Especially when you live in the backwaters of America, as I do, on the side of town where the populace seems to live on fast food and not much else (I am often horrified by the carts in Kroger. Who knew there was that much frozen fried food out there?).


What's that, you say? Enough with the excuses? Okay.


I'll just resolve to do better. Starting tomorrow. Right now, the in-laws are in town, which means another Search for More Food. I'm trying to make good choices, but those choices are still being made in bulk.


Wish me luck.


Now it's your turn. Who has good news...or a confession to make?

BBB Round 2: Week Three.

At long last, my sisters and brothers in weight loss, we've reached the last weigh-in of January. By now, according to all the weight loss "experts," we should all be finding it easier to stick to our healthy (okay, healthier) habits.

After all, three weeks is supposed to be the magic number. That's how long they say it takes to re-train your brain. So, in other words, we should be starting to find it easier to pass up the ice cream in favor of a yogurt by now, and less difficult to haul our butts to the gym instead of to the couch.

How 'bout it? Are you finding this to be true?

I've yet to have three weeks of good health this year, so I'm not really sure it applies in my case. However, I did feel guilty about the ice cream I ate last night (and only had a small bowl). And when picking up a rotisserie chicken for dinner the other night, I got some sweet potatoes and salad stuff to go with it instead of potato salad and cole slaw.

So I guess I'm learning (again).

The scale says I'm doing something right. I was down 3.6 pounds this week. I'm pretty sure that fleeting stomach bug I had was at least partly to blame, but still...it gives me hope. Maybe I really will be back in my skinny jeans by April.

Talk to me, people. How did you do this week?

BBB Round 2: Week 2 (Seven Ways To Stay Motivated).

January is winding down to a close. You know what that means, don't you? Most people who made New Year's Resolutions to lose weight and get fit are...losing their resolve.

Not me. I'm still going strong. And the scale rewarded me - I'm two pounds lighter today than I was this time last week (you can all clap now). Those descending numbers are, in and of themselves, motivating, but lord knows, they're not always enough to keep you going.

So I thought I'd take a few minutes to share some of the things that help me stay strong when I want to quit.

Take your measurements - The scale doesn't always give me the positive feedback I need. But that doesn't necessarily mean I'm not slimming down. That's why, at the start of any diet, I take all my measurements: bust, waist, hips, arms and thighs. Sure, the numbers make me want to cringe, but when I slide that tape measurement around my waist and see a smaller number peeking back at me, I can't help but smile.

Track your food - I know, this might seem counter-intuitive. After all, there's nothing more discouraging than realizing that you've blown your calorie budget five days in a row. But, if you keep it up, you'll notice that your habits are getting healthier. That you're learning how to eat better. So, even if you have to admit to eating three pieces of cheesecake, you'll have all that written proof that your dessert overload is an aberration, and not the beginning of a pattern. Sometimes, that's all it takes to stay strong.

Schedule workouts - and tell someone about it  - Penciling a workout in isn't enough for me. Because when I'm tired? I don't really care that my calendar says I'm supposed to get to the gym. My husband is my secret weapon. I tell him I'm going to go, and then I tell him to make me do it. Sometimes, this forces him to call me some fairly nasty names, but in the end, I go.

Every once in a while, slide on those skinny jeans - At first, you may not be able to get them over your thighs, let alone button them up. But over time, they'll get closer and closer to fitting. And that? Is sure to make you feel good.

Set mini-goals, and reward yourself when you reach them - Right now, I'm shooting for a 5 percent loss. When I get there? I'm going to treat myself to a salon color job (instead of reaching for a box). That gives me something to look forward to...and motivation to get there before my roots start showing (Tori's turned me gray!!! But that's a gripe for another post).

Put a picture of your skinny self on the fridge - I have this photo of me in a bikini. An honest to god string bikini. And I look good (which is hard to imagine right now). But proof that I can look that hot will (sometimes) keep me from reaching for the ice cream.

Give yourself a deadline - For me, that's Tori's first birthday. I'm hoping to fit into my pre-preggo jeans by then, but really, my goal is to just not look pregnant anymore. Because on her first birthday? There will be pictures. Lots of pictures. And I don't want to cringe every time I look at them.

Those are my tricks. But I'm sure you guys have your own. So spill it. What keeps you motivated to lose weight?

Banishing the Baby Belly Round Two (BBBR2): Week One.

Well, we're one full week into the new year. How did you guys do? I'm down three pounds. Which is pretty awesome. However, I can't take all the credit. I've been having some health issues that sent me to the ER last night...and have made it impossible to eat.

But, hey, I'll take what I can get.

However, that's a story for another post, and right now, I'm too drugged up to do it justice.

At any rate, I was having a good week before all that went down. I stuck to the healthy eating regime, and even hustled my butt into the gym twice. I think I'm off to a good start. Think I can lose ten pounds by the end of January? That's the goal. I think I can do it (especially if I continue to not be able to eat).

But, as I said before, I'm not exactly clear-headed right now, so I think I'll cut this short. Discuss among yourselves, and tell me what you've been up to this week.

Or just tell me a joke. I could use some cheering up.

Who's Ready for Round Two? Banishing the Baby Belly Returns.

The holidays are over. It's time to put down the eggnog, throw out the cookies and start focusing on the big picture again. For me, that means getting my ass in gear and getting small enough to toss these damn fat jeans out the window.

For reals.

And this isn't some stupid New Year's Resolution. I don't do those. Everybody knows the only reason to make a resolution is to have an excuse to quit three weeks later. For instance, I guarantee you when I go to the gym tomorrow, it will be packed. But come February? It'll be a ghost town once again.

That's the way it goes with New Year's Resolutions.

So this is not that. This is...just getting down to business. As Jillian Michaels says, if you want a good body, you've got to fight for it. So in the Page household? It's on.

For me, Plan A was to spend the next 30 days Shredding. Like 584492070549670543 other people before me, I went out and bought the 30 Day Shred DVD. I popped it in and got ready to sweat like there was no tomorrow. But the Shred? Does not work for people with blown knees.

I got oh, maybe five minutes into it and my knee started clicking and clacking and threatening to pop. And since, as I may have mentioned a time or 500, The Great Knee Blowout wins for worst pain ever in my book (and people? I was practically cut in half about nine months ago), any protest from my knee brings all activity to a halt.

So instead, I popped in my new Leslie Sansone DVD, of Walk Away the Pounds fame. This one is some sort of five mile walk, and let me tell you, it kicked my ass. I know she's not nearly as cool as Jillian, but I've used her DVDs for years. When you do them consistently, you really do see results.

So Leslie continues to be my girl.

I also signed up over at Spark People. Have you heard about this site? If you haven't checked it out, you should. It's huge. I haven't had a ton of time to explore it, but there's a food tracker, a weight tracker, an exercise tracker and a whole bunch of community type stuff. Plus it's free. Free is good, right?

That's my plan. And this time there is no room for failure. Anyone with me?

Oh, and just to be politically correct, I guess I ought to tell you I was not compensated in any form for mentioning any of the above products. Just in case you hadn't guessed that already.

Banishing the Baby Belly: The Don't Ask Don't Tell Edition.

This week, I have consumed brownies, Christmas cookies, fudge, hamburgers, pizza and junk food galore. Not to mention copious amounts of wine and beer.

Yep, it's the holidays.

You know what that means, right? I didn't get on the scale this weekend.

But you know what? My husband weighed himself, and he's all like, "Gee whiz, I seem to have lost two pounds. I wonder how that happened?"

Bastard.

Don't worry, he knows I'm kidding (mostly).

Oh, and I probably won't be getting on the scale next weekend either. See, I'll be seven hours away from my scale, and I don't know about you but I don't trust other people's scales. I just don't (also, it's a good excuse).

So that's my total cop out. Anybody out there share my pain?

Banishing the Baby Belly: The Holiday Edition (Week 1)

I know, I said I wasn't going to think about my weight this month. I lied.

I just got on the scale, and it told me I'm up two pounds. I'd be more worried about that if I hadn't eaten enough for three people yesterday.

First we had our holiday potluck at work. Sure, I tried to stick to veggies and fruit, but the dessert table? Would not be denied. Then my husband and I went out for dinner, and I filled my belly with yummilicious steak (and a to-die-for piece of flourless chocolate cake).

So those two pounds probably aren't completely real. And if they are? Oh well.

Yeah, I'm feeling pretty mellow this morning.

Later today, we've got to head up to the Real City to go car seat shopping for Tori. Which means fast food somewhere along the way. So there's challenge #1 for this week.

And given the fact that it's officially less than two weeks before Christmas, the office is likely to be a minefield of goodies this week. I'm going to limit myself to noshing on one munchie a day (or that's the plan, anyway).

Capping it all off will be the office Christmas party, which is traditionally followed by a pub crawl that lasts until no one can stand up anymore. So next Saturday? Is probably not going to be a good one.

But I'm just going to do the best I can knowing that come January 1, I'm going to pay for any sins I commit now.

So that's me. Anybody else want to confess their sins?

Banishing the Baby Belly: Holiday Break.

You know what, kids? It's the holiday season. I'm busy, you're busy...the whole world's busy.

I did get on the scale today, and it reported no loss. But no gain, either. But given the season (and the fact that I've had house guests two weekends in a row), I'm going to call that a victory.

I'm also going to call that the last official weigh in (at least that I'm going to admit to) until after the holidays. That's right. Banishing the Baby Belly is going on break until January.

When January comes? I'm going to hit it hard. This weight is going to come off.

But for now, I'm happy with maintaining a holding pattern. I simply don't have enough energy to keep up with it right now.

Yeah, that's a cop out. But it's my blog and my challenge, so I'm allowed, right? Don't answer that.

So how about you? What are your holiday goals?

Banishing the Baby Belly: Week 11

Remember that post I wrote yesterday? The one describing all the delicious foods still residing in my refrigerator? If not, just scroll on down. It's right there.

That would be why I'm not getting on the scale today.

That's right, I'm taking another pass. It wasn't a bad week, but after the last couple of days, I just don't think I need to do that to myself. That would take some of the joy out of stuffing your face with...stuffing, don't you think?

Instead, I'm going to go to the holiday market downtown (one of the benefits of living in a quaint little town), let Tori pet some live reindeer, and maybe, just maybe get myself a big old mug of hot chocolate.

Mmmm, hot chocolate...

Anybody out there braver than me? Who's got some news from the scale?

Banishing the Baby Belly: Week 9

You know what? I'm taking a pass this week. That's right, I'm not getting on the scale.

You're allowed to do that every once in a while in Weight Watchers, if I'm remembering correctly. I had a bad week this week for a number of reasons. Plus, I ate heavily yesterday, so I know the scale's going to lie to me, so I'm just not. Going to do it, that is.

Instead, I'm going to finish eating my 100 calorie yogurt and take advantage of the fact that Tori's supposed to be napping to go for a run. Outside. Then I'm going to come back and put my gardens to bed for the winter.

And I'm not going to think about that dreaded scale at all. Do you believe me? Nah, me neither.

But I'm still not getting on. Not this week. I don't think I could take it if it's a bad number.

So that's me and my cop out. Anybody have anything to report this week?

Banishing the Baby Belly: Week Eight.

This week, I declare victory over Halloween. Despite having 150 pieces of leftover candy at my house, and being surrounded by chocolate goodness at work, I actually managed to lose a pound.

This does not mean that I did not indulge. On the contrary, I had a piece or two every day. But this week, I decided not to eat anything  after dinner. No junk food, no candy, not even a healthy snack. And that seems to have made a difference. So I guess I'll have to keep it up?

I'm still slacking hugely on the exercise front, though. I know I need to just man up and make myself go straight to the gym from work, but it's hard to do it. I don't get off work till about six most days. So if I go work out, I don't get home until it's just about time to put Tori to bed.

That kind of sucks.

I did buy a jogging stroller last weekend. It was the steal of the century—only $45 for a stroller that was easily $400 new. But it's dark by the time I get home. Who wants to jog in the dark?

People who want to get thin, that's who. Right? Right.

You know what's really motivating, though? Taking a stroll through the center of a college town on a warm, sunny day. All those skinny sorority bitches...they're enough to make a person want to perform some emergency liposuction on themselves.

Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.

Anyway, that's it for me. How did you guys do this week?

Banish the Baby Belly: Week Seven

You know, by the time I'd been doing this for six weeks, I thought for sure I'd have something momentous to report. Like, maybe a total loss of ten pounds or something?

Yeah. Apparently, in order to make that happen, you have to, I don't know, actually try? Hard? Instead of engaging in the half-assedness I have been guilty of lately?

You've probably guessed this already, but I have nothing to report. No loss, no gain. So it could be worse. Could be better, though. I've lost a whopping four pounds in six weeks. Whoooooo. That's not exactly fantastic.

I might be just be a tiny bit disappointed in myself, can you tell? At this rate, I will, in fact, end up seeing all my relatives at Christmas looking like I'm baking a baby. Which was cute last year. Not so much anymore (because I'm not preggers, you see. And, if I have anything to say about it, I will still not be preggers at Christmas).

In other news, a ladybug just fell into my coffee. That is so not cool.

Anywho, there's nothing I can do but keep on keepin' on.  So, exercise. I should do some of that this week. Definitely, for sure, I should do some of that. And brownies. I should stop eating those this week. That would probably be a good idea. Also, candy. I should actually give away all the Reese's Peanut Butter cups tonight instead of hoarding them, as I usually do.

FYI: that last thing I said? Probably not going to happen. I luuuuuurve peanut butter cups. Love them. Those trick or treaters couldn't possibly appreciate them the way I do. What? Yes, I know keeping the PBCs falls under the category of half-assed dieting. Sigh. Okay, fine, have it your way, maybe I'll just keep a couple...

Happy Halloween, everyone! How did you do this week?

Banishing the Baby Belly: Week 6

I'm happy to report that I finally seem to be making some progress. I'm down two pounds this week. A legitimate two pounds. Hurray for me!

Now there's only...23 pounds left? Until, that is, I reach my pre-baby weight? Then we're looking at at least another ten? Oh, brother. That doesn't sound so good.

Okay, let's not look at the big picture. I think I'll just go back to thinking about those two wonderful lost pounds.

And, I didn't even work out. That whole bending-down-to-plug-in-the-vacuum back injury had me down and out most of the week. It's finally starting to feel better, though, so I'm hoping to get to the gym tomorrow.

So we'll make this week's challenge the same as last week's. That is, to make it to the gym at least three times. I might have to put off weights for a little bit though. Who knew back pain could be so persistent?

That's me. How did you guys do?

Banishing the Baby Belly: Week 5

First, the good news. Yesterday, my scale told me that I had indeed lost the 1.2 pounds that I gained last week  - coming out even again.

But this morning? It told me I had magically gained 1.8 pounds...overnight. And just to clarify, I didn't eat anything extraordinarily heavy last night. Didn't even have a late night snack. There is absolutely no reason for this ridiculous jump.

Excuse my french, but what. the. fuck???

Apparently, my scale hates Saturday. Which means I'm not going anywhere near it on Saturdays anymore. Instead, I'll weigh in on Friday—I'm sure as hell not plugging today's number into my weight tracker.

So. We'll pretend that the scale did indeed tell me I lost that 1.2 pounds. As it should have, since I tracked my points this week, drank my water, exercised—I even dragged my saggy ass to the gym. Finally.

So, yay for me. I lost this week (play along with me, people). Next week's challenge? To make it to the gym on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, and work out here at home at least once. Oh...and to not participate in this weekend's Quest for More Food (the in-laws are here).

Wish me luck.

Now it's your turn. 'Fess up, people.

Banishing the Baby Belly: Week 4

Sigh.

I really don't want to write this post today. I don't. But dag nam it, I made a commitment to y'all, so I guess I have to.

I got on the scale this morning. It says I'm up 1.2 pounds. I think that number is a bit misleading, as I ate spectacularly heavily yesterday and meals like that tend to hang around for a day or two, but still. I'm up. That's the number I'll have to plug into my WW Weight Tracker.

That sucks.

I know. I have only myself to blame. I didn't need to sample both the birthday pie and birthday cake that were presented to me yesterday.  And I probably could have exercised when I got home. Tying on the gym shoes certainly would have been a better option than drinking that beer...

But c'est la vie.

All I can do is pick myself up, dust myself off and do a better job of tracking next week. Right? Right.

How did you ladies do? Inspire me with your progress, please.

Banishing the Baby Belly: Week 3

This week...was not a stellar week. Not only did I eat out several times, I also neglected to exercise. At all. Why? No good reason. Lots of excuses, but no good reasons.

I was in a bad mood.

Had lots of work to do.

Was just plain tired.

And now I'm sick.

Like I said, no good excuses. As a result, I lost a disappointing .2 pounds. Which is better than a gain, but not much better. This week, though, will be a better week. It has to be. At least this cold of mine is taking my appetite away...no temptation to overeat this weekend (we'll call that the silver lining).


So. My challenge for this week. I think, given my current energy level, I'll keep it simple. I challenge myself to exercise at least three times, even if that only means walking along with Leslie Sansone. I'm also going to continue to scour the Internet for a treadmill—somewhere, someone has to have a decent one to sell, right? Because full-price, fresh-from-the-store treadmills are not in the budget.


Maybe my second challenge should be to play the lottery at least once.  Someone has to win, right?


Anyway, that's all for me. How did you guys do?

Banishing the Baby Belly: Week 2

Well, here we are. One full week into the Banishing the Baby Belly challenge. How did you guys do?

I did...surprisingly well. Somehow, I managed to lose 1.6 pounds. Which, granted, isn't a huge loss, but given the fact that I've been PMSing up a storm, ate more than my share of brownies and belatedly learned that a ham salad sandwich from Honey Baked Ham was good for almost 20 (!!!) points, I'll take it.

I'm pretty sure it was the exercise that made the difference. I managed to move my bones four times this week (which is four times more than they've moved in the last two months). And that, I've always found, melts the pounds away faster than anything else.

This week's challenge? To make good on my promise to actually go. to. the. gym. It's not that hard, I know. But somehow? It is.

That's it for me. Your turn!

Banishing the Baby Belly: Week One.

For the last five and a half months, I've been doing nothing but making excuses for my slightly less than sexy post-pregnancy bod. Excuses like,  I just had a baby. My body's still trying to recover. Plus, I'm tired. And stressed. I don't have time to brush my hair, let alone exercise. And my perennial favorite: I'm focusing on my baby right now. Who cares what I look like?

I care, that's who. Although he'd never admit it, I'm pretty sure my husband does to. After all, he's the one who has to look at me (I know, honey, you think I'm hot no matter how heavy I am, blah, blah, blah).

But you know what? That's not even the point. The point is that I don't feel good at this weight. I don't have as much energy, or as much stamina, as I should. I'm certainly not doing my heart any favors.

And that little girl? The one I've been focusing on 100 percent? Needs a mommy who's a good role model. One who's healthy, and fit, and able to keep up with her. One who's proud of her body, and can teach her to feel good about herself - by providing a good example.

So, I'm done, Internet. Done making excuses. Starting today, I'm getting down to business. I'm going to start taking my Weight Watchers Online membership seriously. Exercising at least three days a week. And  re-developing the healthy habits that help make me feel comfortable in my own skin.

I owe it to myself. And to the baby girl who gave me this belly in the first place.

And, because I can't seem to do anything privately anymore (is blogging an addiction?), I'm going to share the journey with all of you.


I'm not telling you how much I weigh - I'm not feeling that brave. Suffice it to say that I weigh more than my husband does (cringe). And my measurements? Okay, I'm not feeling that brave either. Maybe I'll share those in a couple months - when they're slightly less scary.

Instead, I'm starting another blog, called Banishing the Baby Belly. That's where I'll write about my successes, challenges, and share inspiration (when I find it). And each Saturday, I'll  let you know how much I've lost (both here and there).

If anybody out there wants to join in, I'd be happy to have you. I'm a firm believer that misery shared is slightly less painful than misery borne alone.

So...here we go. Wish me luck.