operation skinny

Before I got pregnant with Jackson I was all about the gym. I mean, seriously, I taught 2 aerobics classes a day, worked out in addition to that and was really weird about what I ate. I've always 'struggled' with my weight. If I'm being honest, I had issues with food. For some reason, I just used it as my comfort. Being pregnant with Jackson was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I was finally able to view my body as one of the reasons God created it. I wasn't just some shell that was constantly compared to magazine covers and hollywood starlets...my body was a house for life - everything I ate impacted someone else. THAT was truly remarkable to me. Since being pregnant with Jackson I have not struggled with food - at all. God blessed me with a little boy and the freedom I needed over my addiction, my struggle. It has been life changing.

Before I found out I was pregnant, I was on a target weight journey. I was 18 lbs away from it when we got our fabulous news... I didnt really care. I wanted to be pregnant much more than I wanted to be skinny. Regardless of what I weighed, I was really healthy when I got pregnant with Jackson. I was able to run 5 miles, take any aerobics class I wanted, my heart rate and blood pressure were in the perfect range and I could climb 3 flights of stairs without ever losing my breath. I continued to work out while I was pregnant (partly because I found out I was pregnant in January and had already signed up to teach 2 aerobics classes through May). I even ran a 5K when I was 4 months along. It was amazing. I love that Jackson and I did that together. I exercised up until the day before I had Jackson and my pregnancy was a breeze. I never felt 'huge' and I never was uncomfortable. What a blessing that was.

All that being said - since I've had Jackson, I have hardly exercised at all. I went from full throttle to couch potato. What the heck happened to me? I lost all but 5 pounds of my pregnancy weight by the time Jackson was 6 weeks old. Now that he is almost 10 month's old I have lost all of it plus an additional 8 pounds (thank you nursing and chasing after a wild man)...which puts me 10 pounds from where I originally was aiming for in January 2007. Mostly, I just want to be back into the shape I was before we have another child... I want my next pregnancy to be just as healthy as the one with Jackson.

I started working out again last week and let me tell you...I am so out of shape. I try to do things I used to do and it just isn't happening, lol. Yesterday I did tae bo and today I am so sore...so, so sore. So, I've given myself 6 weeks to really get moving. I'm working out every day and my goal is to be 10 pounds lighter by September 1st. Maybe now that I've written this blog I'll hold myself accountable...we'll see.