Getting In Shape For Summer

So we all know how hard it is losing weight after having a baby...but hard doesn’t quite cut it, right? In my case, it was as if I was going against all the laws of nature simultaneously. It was destiny to carry the baby weight for the rest of my life…I was sure of it.

Until, Father Time finally revealed he was in fact on my side and at last the weight came off…eighteen months later. But I took it, and I was grateful.

Now in the middle of raising my almost three year-old, the memory of my journey through weight loss has not faded. It scarred me and scared me — enough to never want to inch my way back to those sizes again  (unless, of course, I was pregnant!). Though I’ve managed to stay in my long-acquired shape for over a year, Winter did take a little toll. With Summer coming up I know I’ll want to fine-tune my food and exercise habits without feeling starved or sacrificing what I like. I think I’ve finally figured out what works for me, and in the spirit of Better Way Moms I wanted to share it will all of you…so here it goes:

*Eat What You Love…And Nothing Else
This is perhaps the biggest thing to me. I ONLY eat things I adore and will give me absolute pleasure — no fillers. You want to try for a well-balanced diet of course, but you always have choices within those groups. For example, I don’t love rice. It’s just OK, I could take it or leave it – so it hardly ever goes in my mouth as I'd rather just eat the chicken that goes on top. Only eat what you will be thrilled with, and forget anything else that doesn’t come close.

*Cherish What You Eat
When only eating what I truly love, I find I cherish every morsel and every bite. So much so that I usually end up feeling full faster and eating less.

*Water, Water & More Water
Drink as much water as you can possibly stand. I usually get in at least 100 ounces per day. How so, you may ask? Like this: as soon as I wake up, and I mean five seconds after my alarm goes off (or my daughter cries, either way!), I drink the large cup (twenty ounces) I had on my nightstand. Have you ever noticed how a plant will perk up about ten minutes after being watered? I find I’m the same way. I then make sure I drink another large cup (twenty ounces) with dinner, leaving only three twenty-ounce bottles during the day…totally doable. Half of the time if I feel like I’m hungry, I’ll have about ten ounces of water first and figure out I was actually thirsty instead.

*Java Central
Again, this is only what works for me, but I LOVE coffee. I drink it with whole milk and real sugar. I find it very satisfying and filling, and I tend not to think about food for a few hours afterwards.

*V-8
I find it fills me up and has tons of vitamins and nutrients. And it reminds me of Bloody Marys from once upon a time. I tend to have one a day, if I can find it.

*Air-Popped Popcorn
Of course, there are times I just want to sit in front of the TV and mindlessly stuff my face. This is where air-popped popcorn comes into play. Once you’ve purchased the popper (ranging from about $16-$30 dollars), you only need to buy the kernels costing about $.99 per pound. That’s right, 99 cents for a pound of kernels (which is TONS of popcorn). You’ll make up the money you spent buying the popper in no time by never having to purchase microwave popcorn bags again. And, it’s much healthier than the microwaved stuff. I melt real butter and add salt and parmesan cheese, and then proceed straight to heaven. I don’t do this every night, but it’s a great (relatively) guilt-free way to indulge when I really want to.

 *Get Outside…And Stay There
Because I live in New York City, walking is my major means of transportation...but don’t let being a suburbanite stop you for exploring your options. See where you can walk or bike instead of drive and take stairs instead of elevators. I find the more I’m outside enjoying the weather, the more active I end up being for the day.

And try to squeeze in some lunges or squats whenever you can. I’ve been caught a couple of times doing a quick set of five or ten in the restroom. I figure I’m in there so much anyway due to all that water and coffee, so why not?

Who says we can’t bust out that really cute cotton strapless dress and feel fabulous in it? Summer’s around the corner, but at this point we still have Father Time on our side!


Author: Amy