postpartum weight loss

One of my long held fears about getting pregnant was that I'd put on weight and never be able to get it off. I'm not much of a work out buff. I'm more of the damage-control type. I do enjoy working out, but my motivation is limited to when I'm tipping the scale too far to the right. During my pregnancy, I put on 60 pounds! {wow it's crazy just even thinking of it} I lost 40 pounds to birth and baby, leaving me 25 pounds heavier than my normal weight. {I had a 5 pound head start} I figured, I'd lose some by breastfeeding, and the rest I'd work off as soon as I healed from my c-section.
Well, as time went on, I realized and decided that weight loss wouldn't be a priority for a long time. I was more concerned with learning how to be the best mom to Maki that I can be. If that meant I'd be a little heavier than I'm used to for a little longer than I'd like, then so be it... the gym will be there when I'm ready. Now, that's not to say I didn't bemoan the body staring back at me in the mirror. Actually, to be honest, for a while I avoided full body mirrors. But anyways, my point is, I haven't actively been trying to lose any weight. However, the scale has tipped in my favor! Six months postpartum I'm down 20 pounds and back in my pre-pregnancy clothes. {bells ring and a choir sings somewhere on God's green Earth}
In a weird twist of fate, I have Maki's eczema to thank. It's his eczema which requires us to be on a gluten, egg and dairy free diet, which basically eliminates most of the usual suspects housing empty, hidden and excess calories, carbs and fat.
So, now that the hard part is done, it's time to add exercise to my daily routine. Even though I've lost most of the weight, my shape has changed and I'm a lot looser in places I'd rather not be. {namely, gut, butt and thighs}I haven't quite worked up the strength to be away from Maki yet, so I probably won't be making it to the gym anytime soon. But I've started this 24 day ab blaster as a way to get in the game. It's not much of a workout, but at least it's a start and I figure it'll help me to strengthen my abdominal muscles before beginning a hardcore workout.

I'd love to hear from you. What do you think? Do you enjoy working out? What are some ways you manage your weight?

menu musings

Maki has really bad eczema. His skin is super sensitive to many food and topical triggers. Because I breastfeed, I've had to eliminate the foods that trigger his eczema from my diet. So far that has amounted to a farewell to dairy, eggs and gluten. Nuts were on that list for a short while, but I willed him not to have a reaction because I couldn't bear the thought of no peanut butter on this already exhaustive list of no-gos.

Going gluten, egg and dairy free has been an interesting experience for us (my husband stands  eats in solidarity with me). I feel like it has given me more control over my diet and the things that I put into my body. I find myself reading labels and making smarter choices about food (nutritionally and financially).

So far, the most frustrating thing about eliminating gluten, egg and dairy from my diet is finding decent recipes. Don't get me wrong, they're out there, but boy you've got search. The problem that I come across most often is dairy free recipes rely heavily on wheat, gluten free recipes rely heavily on cheese and both tend to throw a little egg in the mix. Sigh.
Oh and another thing I've learned quickly about being g-e-d free is you need to get used to cooking....every meal. Basically, give up the notion of grabbing something quick on-the-go from anywhere other than your own cabinet/fridge. So always make enough for leftovers.

Speaking of cooking and recipes, I'm currently on the hunt for g-e-d free pancakes. I need to diversify my breakfast options, which currently consist of a lot of smoothies, hash-browns or toasted rice/nut breads. To be honest, I've come across a few recipes, but if it looks like too much to read at first glance I'm pretty sure it requires more work than I'm willing to put in on an empty stomach. Hopefully I'll find one that's simple enough soon because I really miss pancakes. And when I do find one, you can look forward to a post here. I'll be sure to keep it simple.


Are you vegan, dairy or gluten free? What are some challenges and wins that you've encountered?