It's been a year since my last post. That's right; 365 days. In that time so much has happened, so much has changed.
About six weeks after my last post I found out I was pregnant. So much for losing some weight before packing on some baby pounds. Nevertheless, I only gained 17lbs during my pregnancy. I was 237 lbs when I went into labour.
Niven Paulino Ruberto was born on October 10, 2011 and weighed in at 8 lbs 5 oz. He was much smaller than I imagined since everyone thought I was going to have a 10 lbs turkey.
It didn't take long to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight of 220 lbs, but I am stuck there, fluctuating up and down 3 to 5 lbs and feeling like a total blimp. As much as it kills me to say it, today I am tipping the scales at 224.8 lbs.
Shit.
I have tried everything. The trouble is I am addicted to food. I almost wrote that I love food, but I don't think that I do. I just can't stop eating. Sometimes I eat things that I don't even like the taste of. It is, without a doubt, an addiction.
I recently went to the doctor to inquire about a lap band. For those of you who don't know, the lap band is a device used to restrict the amount of food your stomach can hold at one time. Given that I have Benign Intracranial Hypertension (Pseudo-tumor Cerebri), a neurological ailment likely affected by excess weight, I thought the lap band surgery may be covered by OHIP. It is not.
My options are: gastric bypass or diet and exercise. I have a number of friends who have done remarkably well with gastric bypass but, for me, it is not an option. So, back to the drawing board we go.
Luckily I have a wonderful support system and my mum came up with a brilliant idea to help me (us) stay on track. We are starting a diet group! Each member chooses a diet or plan that works best for them and once a week we will meet up, weigh in, share recipes, swap clothes as our waste lines shrink, share recipes and enjoy a cup of coffee and a light snack... not to mention good company.
As of now, we have four members. The three women that have joined me are not only my family, but my best friends also.
So, determined not to let myself or my support system down, I woke up this morning with a plan. I am back to the low carb diet and exercise.
For breakfast I had about 1/2 cup of vanilla cottage cheese and a cup of coffee with cream and sweetener. I then packed up both kids and walked Miss V to school. Round trip, this walk took about 25 minutes. I have to walk back to the school this afternoon, so that will be a whopping 50 minutes of exercise for me today! This is great considering I have done absolutely no exercise for a very very long time.
It seems as though I have a good start on this new plan. My short term goal is to get out walking for 50 minutes at least three times a week. My next goal: to lose 25lbs before my sister's wedding on September 1, 2012. And, my long term goal: to reach my ideal weight of 150 lbs by June of 2013.
I am not sure if anyone will read this blog, given that I've started and stopped it so many times, but I intend to write on here daily to ensure I stay on track and remain focused.
To all of you out there in the same boat as me; stay strong, stay focused and be healthy!
