Keeping Up with the Regular Stuff

Last week, I had an appointment with my General Practitioner to update some of my non-diabetes prescriptions (yes, I have some of those!) and to talk about my post-pregnancy body.  Some things came up towards the end of my pregnancy that I wanted to talk to someone about, so I made an appointment a month after I had my baby girl.  

First, I have a mole on my stomach that I've had my whole life, and at the height of my pregnancy it started to change colors on one side.  I think it had something to do with all the hormones going through my body, but I knew something changing color was not a normal thing.  My GP didn't take any chances and scheduled a surgery appointment to have it removed in 2 weeks.  She doesn't think it is anything to worry about, but she'll send it off to be tested after it's removed.  And now I can say that I've talked about the grossest thing on my body.  

But wait.  There's more! 

During the last month of my pregnancy, when my feet were so swollen that all I could wear were flip flops, I developed a wart on the bottom of my foot.  Pretty sure I exposed my foot to some yuckiness during the warm, spring months.  And flip flops are still my footwear of choice as a stay at home mom.  I tried freezing it off with that OTC wart remover stuff, twice, but it's still there.  So I brought it up to my GP, and instead of attempting to removing it herself, she referred me to a podiatrist.  I know it's one of those doctors that I should see as a type 1 diabetic, so might as well kill two birds with one stone.  

So from one appointment, I leave with one prescription and two more appointments.  I thought I was done with the plethora of doctors' appointments when my pregnancy was over, but such is not the case with this body of mine.  Hopefully the mole is just an appendage I can be glad to part with, and the podiatrist is nice to me and my ugly feet.  And now you know there's more to recover from in the wide world of pregnancy than stretch marks and sore abs. 

Losing It

Two weeks ago, I had my 6-week pp appointment with my OB. I have been cleared to resume my normal physical activities, including working out. When I was pregnant and watching the scale continue to increase, I said to myself I wouldn't worry about the number as long as me and baby were healthy. Well, now we're on the other side of pregnancy, and I'm staring at a closet full of clothes that I still can't wear. 

Officially, I gained 40-45 lbs (depending upon the scale) by the time my daughter was born. By my 6-week appointment, where I officially count my "need to lose weight", I was +15 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. And considering I wanted to be 15 lbs lighter than that to reach the "healthy" range, I have about 30 lbs to lose all together. 

Losing that much weight seems like a lofty goal, but I'm not planning on any crash diets or exercise regimen to get me there. I figured it took me 9 months to put it on and it will take at least that long to take it off. So I'm tracking my progress using the MyFitnessPal tracker up there at the top of my blog. This is basically my way (weigh?) of keeping myself accountable. I like MFP because they have a huge database of food to track, plus they add in calories based on exercise. So I won't go hungry because I'm starving and just ran 2 miles; I can eat those burned calories if I want. 

I started working out again last week using the Total Gym. I've said multiple times on here that I loathe going to the gym and much prefer working out at home. Plus, with a little one with me, I feel better about working out while she is in earshot. So I'll be utilizing the Total Gym, some Wii software, and some workout videos on Netflix as my arsenal for toning this flabby body. And once the weather cools down outside, I'll try to start a running routine with the jogging stroller (because neither one of us enjoy being outside while it's 90+ degrees Fahrenheit). 

As far as dieting, I'll mainly be trying to limit my carb intake as much as I can handle and upping the protein. I'll have my splurges now and then, but that keeps me sane rather than trying to go cold turkey (hey protein!). I enjoy food, and I see no reason to completely cut out a food group. Everything in moderation, right? 

I hope to find some routine that works and can be enjoyable at the same time. Because regardless of the number on the scale, I need to enjoy what I'm doing while I work out. Maybe I can enjoy my gym time as much as my daughter does: