Welcome to Part 4 of my post-pregnancy weight loss journey! If you haven’t read Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3 yet, I encourage you to do so before continuing on with this post.
All caught up? Great! Let’s keep going.
The photos and measurements I’m going to be showing in this week’s post were taken 2 months post-delivery.
Here’s a reminder of where I was 1-week post-partum:
Starting weight 152.4 lbs.
Here’s where I am at 2 months post-partum. These photos and measurements were taken on May 21, 2019.
- Weight: 143 lbs. (I had lost an additional 3.1 lbs. since last month.)
- Body fat percentage: 33.1%
- Chest measurement (biggest part): 37.5 inches
- Waist measurement (smallest part): 32 inches
- Hip measurement (biggest part): 40 ¾ inches
- Right thigh measurement (biggest part): 24 ¼ inches
Total weight loss since starting – 9.4 lbs. Still moving in the right direction!
So what habit did I change this month to continue my weight loss? I focused on staying hydrated and paying attention to fullness/hunger cues.
Staying well hydrated is so critical to so many things!
Not staying hydrated has so many consequences: bad breath, increased cavity formation, increased blood pressure and heart stress (even with daily activities like climbing a flight of stairs), your body can overheat, poor kidney function which can lead to increased urinary tract infections and kidney stones, headache, dizziness, mental fog, etc.
On the flip side, staying well hydrated can prevent all those above symptoms, as well as promote cardiovascular health, keep your body temperature regulated, help your muscles and joints work better, keep your skin supple, cleanse your body inside and out, prevent illness, promote weight loss, increase energy, promote increased brain function, and even put you in a better mood. How many more reasons could you need to down another glass of water?
And when it comes to weight loss specifically, many people eat when they actually are thirsty. They mistake their thirst cues and end up eating instead – taking in way more calories than they need. I know I’ve been guilty of this in the past, and I didn’t want to make this mistake again. So I’ve been focused on making sure that I get enough fluids in each day so that my body can run as efficiently as possible, and so that I don’t eat by accident when I really just needed more water!
I’m also starting to become more conscious about what I drink. I kicked the soda and juice habit back when I was in high school on one of my earlier weight loss attempts. Not taking in those sugary, empty calories has had a huge impact on both improving my overall health and losing weight. I now normally just drink water, tea, wine and coffee. But I knew there were still things I could improve – specifically my morning coffee. (More on this coming in a future post!)
Even so, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed in my progress this month. It was my slowest weight loss month since starting my journey. And I was starting to get worried and doubt myself.
Why?
Because in all my recent weight loss attempts over the years, I would always hit a plateau right around this weight. I would easily get myself to the low 140s and not be able to break below that.
And for me 140 lbs. is a “passable” weight.
This is a weight that allows me to run, play, and keep up with my kids. I fit into most of my clothes fairly well at this weight. It’s a weight I can live with. And maybe that thought process is why I was never able to break through this plateau in the past!
However, I’m no longer willing to accept that this is as good as it can get.
Even though 140 lbs. is “passable” for me, I still don’t feel my best there. I still get winded earlier than I’d like. I still feel “flabby” and “soft”. I still feel like I could do better, and I know that on my small frame, it’s still technically too much. I know that my best health is not at this number, so I’m determined to break through it this time.
And… (spoiler alert!) …. I did!
Stay tuned for Part 5 in this series, which will be coming in the next few weeks. This is when the magic happens!
All the best,
Lesley
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P.P.S. You can read my health disclaimer if you have questions.
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