Starting Over - La Vaca Style [Archive]

La_Vaca

12-04-2007, 04:33 PM

Hi again, all! I'm still mourning the fact that our former threads from the old boards didn't migrate over to this new board...I loved my thread!

ANYway - I'm officially 10 days post-partum, and while I'm not officially trying to lose weight yet, I'm slightly more careful about what I'm eating. I gained a TON while on bedrest, given the fact that I was instructed to gain as much as possible. Most of it was healthy calories, but I did treat myself to at least a few goodies...each day. ;)

SO - I'm back to eating reasonably again. I was intrigued by how quickly the pp weight came off w/ dd without trying, so I figured I'd start keeping track here, just to see if I follow a similar trend.

I was 178+ when I delivered ds on 11/23. I was the same weight when d/c'd from the hospital on 11/27. Yesterday, I was 170. Today: 167. I am not doing ANYthing other than pumping, running milk up to the hospital, and hanging out on the couch recovering from my c/s & desperately hoping not to get the cold everyone else in my family has at the moment. So far, it seems to be working! ;)

As with my last journal, my final goal is somewhere between 125-130 and I'll use weight watchers and daily aerobics/kickboxing (once given the 6-week pp all-clear) to get there again.

Good to be back; looking forward to checking out everyone else's progress and getting some encouragement along the way!

hollydawn

12-04-2007, 05:26 PM

Welcome back La Vaca!

I would love to see more pics of your little sweetie!

cjmotherof4

12-04-2007, 06:44 PM

So glad to see you back! Best wishes to you!

Myself

12-05-2007, 09:24 AM

Welcome back!

La_Vaca

12-05-2007, 12:52 PM

165 today. I wish it was always this effortless! I'd pump 'til I was 60!! ;)

Unicorn

12-05-2007, 01:36 PM

Welcome back La VAca! Good thoughts for you and the new babe.

Barbarella

12-05-2007, 02:35 PM

Welcome back, and congratulations again! :)

The_Babycakes

12-06-2007, 08:09 AM

I saw your sweet babe in your thread the other day, he sure is a cutie..Congrats and Welcome Back! I'm sure with the bedrest you are more than motivated to get back to things. Remember to take it slow in the beginning so you don't hurt yourself...(I'm sure you already know that). Good Luck!

La_Vaca

12-07-2007, 05:20 AM

Well - I logged back onto WW after...9-10 months of being away and was chastised accordingly, esp. when I put in my current weight and that sad-faced icon came on to tell me I'd gained. Duh! Too bad they can't upgrade the site enough to incorporate WHY one might have gained & add in pregnancy (but at least they now allow for nursing moms to add points, & still track stuff online etc.).

I must confess, I'm annoyed that their "NEW" points tracker is still in the beta mode and that it still takes forever to load the stupid page. Couldn't they have used the last 10 months to IMPROVE that? Grrr!

Oh well - good to be back and better still to be mindful of what I eat. Somehow, I don't think Little Debbie's oatmeal creme pies will continue to be a regular staple of my culinary adventures! As always, I desperately need a way to incorporate more fruits, veggies & dairy into my daily intake. I wish someone would invent a delicious bread-like carb product that could substitute or fruits/veggies/dairy!

thirtyeven

12-08-2007, 09:25 AM

I wish the old boards could have carried over here too--I lost my "healthy pregnancy" thread and never started it back up again. Sounds like you're losing really fast! Good luck as you try to balance your health with all the stress and up and downs of trips to the NICU, recovery from a CS, pumping, taking care of dd, etc., etc. You have a lot on your plate right now! All the best, and I'll probably be back on here in another month or two also!

Kimberly

12-12-2007, 01:18 PM

hi La Vaca!

I have an idea for more dairy and fruits all in one! (Although I wanted to ask, why dairy?)

Anyway, I make a smoothie often for bfast.

I usually put in the blender:
1 cup of low of non-fat organic yogurt
some frozen fruit (organic sberries, bberries, or raspberries)
a banana (SEE? already TWO fruit servings!)
a scoop of whey protein powder---15-20 grams of protein in there
maybe a splash of oj (another FRUIT!)
maybe a dash of agave necter or honey if it needs sweetening.

yum! Fillling, high-protein, low fat and healthy! And 3 or more fruits in one glass!

La_Vaca

12-14-2007, 02:41 AM

hi La Vaca!

I have an idea for more dairy and fruits all in one! (Although I wanted to ask, why dairy?)

thanks - I always forget about smoothies & I have tons of yogurt and frozen berries (& bananas) in the house.

More dairy b/c I'm horrible about getting calcium into me & hate those huge calcium supplement pills. I've always disliked milk & rarely take in the RDA of calcium per day.

La_Vaca

12-22-2007, 08:16 PM

Still not eating all that well - but I'm trying & doing at least a little better. Down a total of 14 lbs, since I gave birth (4 weeks ago). Somehow, I remember it coming off a whole lot faster & easier after dd was born. Not really all that worried, though. Two weeks from now is 6 weeks pp, so I'll see what the OB says about staring a very easy workout regimen again. I'm itching to just get outside walking again - but I feel really fatigued & tender after too much activity, so I know I won't be pushing it much.

Of course, as I type this, dh is taking brownies out of the oven & I'm deciding on a fudge recipe to cook tomorrow. I'm well aware of the irony here! ;)

The_Babycakes

12-26-2007, 06:41 PM

14 pounds is alot in 4 wks. I know it's hard and fustrating not being able to do everything you want to do being post-partum, but you will do this so don't fret. Do what you can do and take it easy hun, your body needs lots of time and rest to get back to normal. :)

La_Vaca

01-12-2008, 07:36 AM

Ok. I've had so much going on that I avoided this forum and ww. Too overwhelming while trying to get used to ds's constant needs, sleeplessness, and teaching him to nurse. I had a good day yesterday, though, and for the first time, actually thought about and felt like I wanted to work out. I didn't, but I think I might set a goal to try to do 10-15 minutes of light kickboxing early next week. I also would truly like to start walking around the neighborhood (weather and temperature permitting) on a regular basis. So at least that's something.

I'm looking forward to the spring, when better produce will be available. I can't stand winter fruit and hate to pay a premium for foods grown in other countries (I like to buy local).

SO - that's my commitment. We'll see if I manage to do anything toward that. I hope to take measurements (:shudder:) and do another weight check. Just for honesty's sake, I'm 164 - down 14 lbs. from delivery day and holding steady.

They're predicting snow for early next week...but that doesn't interfere with my indoor workout plans. We got a new cable system just as I was put on bedrest, so I haven't had a chance to even try out any of their on-demand exercise programming.

La_Vaca

01-14-2008, 09:13 AM

Ok - Monday. I have a plan for the day & writing it down here always kept me accountable in the past. Let's hope it works this time around! I *was* thinking I'd do a real indoor workout this morning, but forgot & showered/dressed. Now, the thought of changing into workout clothes, working up a good sweat, showering & changing again seems a bit ambitious for someone running on about 2-3 hours of sleep!

As an aside, I began working out & journaling here in earnest right around this time exactly 2 years ago & had great success. Between journaling here & joining ww, I lost almost 30 lbs. This time around I have 35-40 to lose and I'm hopeful it'll work like a charm this time around, too!

SO -- my plan for the day (I'm being very realistic about this) is as follows:

Start laundry & crockpot (chicken soft tacos)

Make phone call to insurance co: re: ds

Make quick lunch for myself

Take a 30 minute walk w/ ds

Eat lunch & feed ds

Nap

Pick up dd from school

Sort thru at least one pile of mail on DR table.

Phew. Now that it's there, it should help keep me honest! I'll have to keep checking back here throughout the day, though, b/c my mind is like a sieve these days!

Ok - off to the races!

La_Vaca

01-14-2008, 10:49 PM

Wow - I'm impressed with myself. I did everything on my list (skimped a bit on the sorting through mail piles, but I did go through one & pull out important stuff right before bed!). Clearly, this method of planning, writing what I have to do, and then DOING it works for me. Funny, writing these things on paper in my kitchen just doesn't work - but writing it here (where I suppose I feel like others can see it & hold me accountable) does. Must be my overinflated sense of self-importance; I know there are very few people holding their breath to see if I actually accomplish what I set out to do each day! ;)

So - here I am, awake after just an hour of sleep, attempting to nurse someone who decided instead to fall fast asleep. Too bad he won't sleep like this in his basinet!

My plan for tomorrow (ugh -later today, actually!) is to dress in workout wear when I wake up, eat breakfast, take dd to school, and then do a quick kick-boxing intro/beginner workout. We'll see how it is. I didn't have any pain or discomfort following my walk & I did 40 minutes at a good clip, pushing the stroller.

La_Vaca

01-15-2008, 11:52 AM

So far, no kickboxing. Of course, when I wrote that fabulous plan last night, I had no idea i'd be running on just 2 hours of sleep for 2 days. I'm not in a good place at the moment. I did manage a 30 minute walk - but the thought of kickboxing while my boobs are so sore is not appealing. Apparently, ds is still regulating how much he wants to eat each day. I'm going to try to take a quick nap (i.e 20-30 minutes) and then it'll be time to feed ds. I can always walk & kickbox tomorrow, right? Maybe. We'll see. I actually have 2 appointments for ds tomorrow and anticipate that I'll feel plenty overwhelmed with just those. I'm not feeling as upbeat and energetic today as yesterday - in fact, I'm a bit bummed out.

La_Vaca

01-16-2008, 09:33 AM

Off to a rough start after a long, long night last night (in addition to general fussiness, there was the added benefit of my dropping ds on his head). I'm going to try to clean my pump parts, nap, feed ds again & then maybe, just maybe take a quick walk. Only if I can find my gloves, though. Otherwise, tomorrow's a new day.

La_Vaca

01-17-2008, 08:39 AM

Having a really, really rough time of it w/ ds (who has suddenly forgotten completely how to nurse, despite almost 4 straight days of no bottles). Very frustrating, and very depressing for me. I truly am ready to throw in the towel; I know myself well enough to know I've given it my all - and then some - and don't have much more in me at all.

Despite this, I'm doing my best to do a 10-15 minute kickboxing workout - IF I could only figure out my stupid cable system of videos on-demand. I'll need to ask DH to show me the menus, b/c I've spent too much time trying to much through it myself. Given the fact that I've not yet showered and that I have pee, poop, puke, and snot on me already, I figured I'd add sweat to the mix before showering - it's too cold to walk outside today (and I lost my favorite gloves). Wish me luck.

ETA -- THERE. I did it. I took out my beginner 10 minute kickboxing segments dvd, found the jewelcase to be empty (thanks, dh, for being so thorough when putting away my stuff!) and DID it. I did the 10minute basic kickbox segment & then the 10 minute lower body/hamstrings one. YAY me. I'm back. I have to be. I can't stand the flab anymore. (must note that doing these segments w/ this much extra weight is just GROSS - I can feel belly flab when I kick & squat, and all-over flab when punching. GROSS. Yuck. I hope it melts away quickly!).

Ok - definitely, definitely time for the shower now!

thirtyeven

01-17-2008, 12:34 PM

I'm so sorry about the breastfeeding struggles--I hope he is able to nurse soon. Congratulations on doing the kickboxing--I'm very impressed!

ETA: I just went back and read your earlier posts and had to edit this to say I'm doubly impressed with your accomplishments given your lack of sleep and all you have going on. Like you I'm looking forward to spring, since the cold feels like a real barrier to exercise for me. I'll probably be back on here pretty soon trying to get rid of the pregnancy pounds.

La_Vaca

01-18-2008, 10:42 AM

We had a pretty decent night (which makes all the difference in the world during the daylight hours!). It's gorgeous outside today. I think I'm going to take a quick nap and then bundle us up for a walk. It's supposed to get bitterly cold this weekend, so I'll be confined indoors & will do more kickboxing. I'm pleasantly sore in spots, indicating that my workout actually DID something for me. I can feel tenderness in my thighs and butt, but it's not so overwhelming that I'm crippled by it. Unfortunately, my knees hurt, too - probably from bouncing around with all this extra weight. :( I'll wear my sneakers next time (I kickboxed barefoot yesterday) and hopefully that will reduce some of the impact on my knees.

Off to nap & then walk. Then laundry (which is a workout in & of itself these days!), pick up dd, & then figure out something for dinner.

La_Vaca

01-24-2008, 08:18 AM

thirtyeven

01-28-2008, 04:48 PM

I am not sure what I'm doing in terms of using bf.com in the future - but I can't give up yet another journal of my weight loss goals - I won't get anywhere if I do.

I'm about 1-2 lbs. lighter than the last time I checked (about a week ago, IIRC). Pretty pleased w/ that & it's inspired me to keep doing a bit of kickboxing on alternate days & walking when the weather permits. On that note - off to consider kickboxing.

I'm sort of half time here and half time at ihmmb, but i'm planning on starting a post partum get-back-into-shape journal here in a couple of weeks.

congratulations on the weight loss and on the kickboxing and walking!