Blogging About Momma...

Normally most of my posts are about Rachel, but I decided to write one about myself. Yes it consists of "bragging,"but only because I am very happy about what I am personally accomplishing once I finally set my mind to it! This is probably the first time I have actually used the blog for what I think of as "blogging." Here it goes!...
Since the 6th grade I have struggled with my weight. I had a kid in my 6th grade class tell me that maybe I should call Jenny Craig. A while later at a lock-in I fell into/on a kid while playing dodge ball and he said "Get off me, you're fat!" Of course no one likes hearing this like this, but it did make me aware of what people thought as they saw me. 2 more years passed and the pounds packed on and on. I played sports, but was never "in shape". By my freshman year I was classified in the "obese" category. And decided not to play HS basketball because there would just be too much running involved. I played VB 1.) because I liked it more and 2.) it was easier. In the spring I went out for softball just because. (I wasn't fantastic, but had played in the Goddard Summer League since the 3rd grade) It was then I decided I was sick of being the fat kid...At practice one afternoon a fly ball was hit over my head clear out to the fence. Of course I began running after it and all I hear is another player say "Come on Kayla! You can do it! I'm fat too, and I did! You can do it!" Although this teammate was trying to be encouraging and yes she was in the same boat as me, it hurt my feelings. And I guess this is the point where I actually started caring what others thought about me. At the end of the school year I talked to my mom and dad and we talked to the doctor and got me on a "diet plan" to lose weight. It worked great the summer between my freshman and sophomore year. I lost 22 lbs that summer and of course awed tons when I went back to school in the fall. Oh I felt good. I met my goal, but after I met my goal for some reason I got off track, never had the time to exercise like I did in the summer. Wasn't making good eating choices anymore...of course the weight came back. I have done this diet, lose weight, gain the weight back routine about 5 times since my freshman year. Who knows why I can't just stick to it, but I am at it again.
Most recent weight gain...
I was about 50lbs overweight when I got pregnant with Rachel, and then gained 39lbs while being pregnant with her. I weighed 212lbs at the last doctor's appointment before going to the hospital 3 days later. So, to save you all the math yes I weighed about 173 when I got pregnant. For my 5'2 build that was in the obese category and that was before the 39lb weight gain with Rach! She was born, the 6 week check-up came and went, still wasn't exercising, still weighed way too much. I only nursed Rachel a little over 3 months, and the doctor told me nursing would help weight loss. While nursing, I noticed a lot of the weight I had gained while being pregnant was going away, ( a good 20lbs was the baby as well and a ton of water weight! I was a swollen toad!). By the time Rachel was 4 months old I was back to the actual weight of pre-pregnancy, but could still not wear any pre-pregnancy clothes. But it was still winter so I could always just wear my KU hoodie and some maternity shirts that didn't hang really low in the front. As summer approached I began to wonder what I was going to wear when I couldn't hide under layers of clothes anymore. My solution was to buy some new shirts, but just continue wearing my maternity jeans and pants because the ones I had would just squish me. This worked for a while until someone saw I was wearing maternity jeans and asked if I was pregnant again. Embarrassed, I said no I just still couldn't wear my regular clothes. It's just an excuse I used... " I just had a baby and am trying to get the weight off." But in reality, I didn't "just have a baby." In early June we joined the YMCA, I started going 5-6 days a week, finally said goodbye to my maternity clothes when my baby was 7 months old.
This is where my bragging begins...
I began my diet/exercise program on June 8th, 2009 weighing 171.8lbs. Almost 3 months later I weigh 150.4lbs (this morning). And yes, I am sure lots of you are thinking... "150lbs...wow...she is still huge!" Most of you haven't ever reached the 150lb that I am finally "down" to. But I am very proud of myself, because to be honest I just figured I had so much to lose, it was never going to happen. It is a slow process, and yes there are days I enjoy "bad food" but I have been trying to get back on track. I feel better, look better, and am overall happier with myself. My goal is 130lbs and I hope to be there by the end of the year. It is so much harder to lose then to gain. And it is harder to lose as my body get more and more used to the exercise. I weigh weekly...sometimes I lose, sometimes I maintain, but I have yet to gain! I hope this continues and I can meet my goal quickly.
Well, I will bring this bragging session to a close. I am very proud of myself and feel so much better! Go me! :)

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