Oh my, I can’t believe I’m posting these “before” the diet photos. Well, I am. Oof. That’s right, still wearing my maternity jeans almost four months post-partum, spit-up stains all over my shirt, unshowered, awkward growing-out-the-hair look. Classy… Nowhere to go but up, right?! And I fully understand just how terrible it will be if the “after” picture in 21 days looks too similar to this, but I’m doing it anyway…
Before weight: 137.5
Technically this isn’t a 100% “before” photo as it was taken at the end of my first day. And how did it go? Well, thanks for asking. It went really well, so far, so good. I know, I know, it was only one day. But even one day on track was a huge boost to my confidence and well-being. I got really hungry around 11ish so I started making my lunch. The lunch consisted of 1/2 sweet potato with 3/5 cup pinto beans, some low-fat cheese, a few spears of broccoli and a bit of sour cream. I don’t really love sour cream (Wren does, but once she threw a small side of sour cream at me in a restaurant so I have some bad associations…) so I substituted a bit of cottage cheese. I finished eating my lunch at around 2:30 (!) after reheating it three different times inbetween taking care of the birdies.
It’s no wonder I usually grab something I can easily eat with one hand that’s calorically dense: nuts, trail mix, a piece of cheese, some cookies, a container of yogurt, another cup of coffee with cream, maybe some chocolate or banana, the remains of Wren’s macaroni, you get the idea. So that was the first thing that occurred to me. Lovelies, I made it through the day without any junk, yessssss. And day two has been going well too, although it called for an open-faced BLT type meal, but I couldn’t get behind eating mustard at 6:30 a.m., so I ate the foods a bit differently. Still satisfied. Off to drink more water like it’s my job, as Melissa shared. Great tip, girl, great tip!
Thanks for all your encouragement, lovelies! A girl needs it.
Keep up the good work!!! You are my inspiration! I’m trying to cut back on the starch, more protein and vegies…. and stay out of my co-workers office’s that have a bowl of candy laying around!
Thanks, Kathy!
I recommend the sweet potato/beans, etc. lunch for more filling protein, veg lunch. Oh, man, the candy bowl, yikes! Good luck with that one!
Ashlea, it’s the slippers that’s adding that extra weight. Ditch ’em.
I think you’re beautiful, and I know I’m your mom. I know, I know. But you are.
OK – when you come down here, you’re going to have to try the health smoothie that I drink every morning – it keeps me satisfied all day, AND, it has made all those junk cravings disappear. How can you go wrong? It can be used as a supplement to the lifestyle you’re now living, and the ingredients can be bought at the local health food store. More when you get here.
Yeah, the slippers are cozy, but they’re not doing much to help the look are they, ha!!!!
I will try your smoothie! xo
You Ashlea! how’d ya get so dern cool?
I am not good with encouragement, but I will say this. INCREASE COFFEE INTAKE!
I don’t know if it’s possible to increase my coffee intake… and poor Phoebe would be buzzing all night long too… sigh.
Are you at least mixing in some yoga with your hamburger, cigs and coffee diet? Or some wine? Or wine and yoga? Now there’s a winning idea.
Bogus! The game is rigged! Well how about this, it is best to critically assesses the social and media situations that have created norms that we are trying to adhere to, and enjoy what we are as much as what we could become. Present tense hedonism!
I agree and it’s a struggle to enjoy who we are right now, not regret too much about past mistakes and wasted time and blah, blah, and at the same time, enjoy the idea of a “better” way in the nebulous future. Thankfully, I’ve never been one to read crappy magazines or watch TV and wish I could be “one of them” but I do know that I just feel crappy right now and I don’t like that. I know that I feel better when I take better care of myself, I feel better about everything and everybody in my life when I feel better about myself. Like Chris said this morning, “I thought I lost you there for a while.” Well, I’m feeling like I’m getting myself back. Bit by bit…
We all participate in media consumption, it’s true. There’s a constant fight for our minds, and it’s not like we are being presented with well reasoned arguments, but images and text merged to particularly tailor specific types of consumers. I like to think of it the same as watching a horror movie. If you let it get to you, you are letting them win. I bet you are an incredibly hard person to market to, and that is quite a victory in itself. The other cool part of living now and doing what you do is that you are participating in a new media format that isn’t just spoon feeding us nonsense, we’re creating our own nonsense, we get to strain out all the bits of crazy nonsense they have been impacting into our brains for years.
On the parenting kick, I think it’s pretty easy to lose yourself caring for a new baby. Being a mom is fricking really hard. It’s grueling, degrading, and a marathon of catnaps and vomit/poop control. But it does get better. They get older and poop in toilets and eat crackers.
Sorry to blow up your comments, just hate to see you down.
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I love the non-smiling picture! Before and after pictures always do that. Nice work. I know you can do this!
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