And I ran...

6 miles yesterday! 6 miles ya'll! I haven't run over 5 miles in close to 2 years. And I ran the whole time. Maybe jog is a better word, but I did it. I actually followed my whole training plan last week and I'm hoping to continue with it this week. I ran hills, and I did it way faster than I had anticipated. I didn't push too hard, it just felt right. Mind you, I'm still super slow, but I see a glimpse of my potential.

In other news, my goal for weight loss last week was 2 lbs. I'm hoping to lose 2 lbs a week for at least the next 12 weeks then I'll readjust my goals. But I lost 3 lbs! Actually 3.1! Not down to my pre-pregnancy weight just yet, but that's just a matter of 4 lbs. I'm so darned pleased with myself. I just have to stick to what I'm doing, which is actually pretty fun and I'll be marathon ready in no time.

Hunter is doing great these days. He's still up once most nights, but I'm fine with that. He's slept through the night a few times, like 9-5:30, but then he wants to stay up. I much prefer the 8-3 and back to sleep from 3:30 to 7. I guess I'm finally used to being up in the middle of the night.

And he's getting so strong. He doesn't really like tummy time so we have to split it up into a few 10 minute sessions throughout the day. And we were just using the play mat and he hated being on the floor. So now he spends a lot of time on the sofa with us. It's obvious from this picture that he doesn't like the sofa that much better.

He's napping pretty well too, 2 solid naps and 1 or 2 15-30 minute cat naps. We still don't have much of a schedule, but at least I'm getting a bit of rest. I feel totally human and like myself.

Those first 8 weeks were ROOOUUUGH. I'm just realizing now that I was in a fog and maybe had a bit of the baby blues. Nowhere near depression, but we're talking a HUGE change in life. It's nearly impossible to not feel a bit out of sorts. And the exercise has been a huge help.

Giving myself that hour a day to do something that makes me feel and look better has made me feel so much better. I almost want to say it makes me feel free. And I guess I am to have that little bit of time to myself. I do take Hunter with me in the jogger and he naps while I jog, but it still feels like my time. I hope he still enjoys it when he gets older.

xoxo,

Lauren

Most Important Meal of the Day

True Love

Missed a Day

But we got a better camera. It's supposed to have image stabilization, should help my photography skills, which are shoddy at best.

Such a Little Man!!!

He looks so grown up with his collared shirt!

Recovery

So fitness is fairly important to me and I was worried how I would fit the subject into my blog without taking a complete departure from the adventure of parenthood. But recovery after pregnancy is a very real subject for most women. There is that social push to lose the baby weight and lose it FAST. Which is totally unrealistic for most people, by the way. I am a firm believer in the fact that since it takes most women 6 months to put on the bulk of the weight, it could take that long to get it off. And there is no shame in that.

That extra weight is really important too. Breastfeeding alone requires extra fat intake and aggressive exercise can really slow milk production. That said, I'm hoping to lose the weight before 6 months. In fact, I hope to be WAAAAAYYYY below my pre-pregnancy weight come November. But I've had a really tough time with my milk supply and have decided since I can't fully breast feed my child I have to take extra measures to improve our health. And that's where my fitness endeavors fit in. I want to make my body healthier to better take care of my family.

Now I know I'm jumping the gun a bit, but I know I want to have another child, eventually. And because I had so many small problems with this pregnancy, I want to do what I can to make the next pregnancy go a bit smoother. I haven't yet discussed it with my doctor, but I believe the chances of being a candidate for a VBAC are much better if I am in much better shape. And if I do have to have a cesarean again, I know that being fit makes the recovery that much easier.

I exercised throughout my whole pregnancy. I did prenatal yoga for a good part of it and also walked 7 miles a day for the last 24 weeks of pregnancy. I was hoping this would help with the delivery, and it may have in the fact that my post cesarean recovery was so quick. I felt pretty healed after 7 days and after 10 I was ready to get back into the swing of things. I used very little medication in the hospital, although all the nurses tried to push me to take it. I have 2 full bottles of painkillers left over. I do tend to think I'm a pretty tough cookie, but I believe my body was just well prepped to recover quickly. But perhaps the pregnancy would have been easier had I not started out at close to 200 pounds!

That said, I will be tracking my fitness progress here. It keeps me accountable, which is one of my biggest downfalls in weight loss and fitness. I'll post my weekly stats every Monday so we can see how I've advanced. And I won't share my weight, because I'm that kind of girl, but I'll try to post weekly photos so you can watch me shrink (hopefully) and Hunter grow!

Hunter's eyes remind me of Laser Cats

xoxo,

Lauren