Saturday - A Lot Can Happen

Wow! A lot can happen in a year!  Guess what happened not 3 months after the miscarriage?

 And of course I expanded a bit in the process...

 Here she is! 9lbs of cuteness!

Mmmm taste the rainbow...

 She even won a beauty pageant recently.  She's now 6 months old.

         Unfortunately, my pregnancy with our little princess was not an easy one.  I was doing so great this go around except for the horrible nausea and heartburn.  But then around 30 weeks my blood pressure all of a sudden shot up.  I also had issues fainting and feeling weak.  My Dr ordered some tests and determined I needed to be in the hospital until delivery.  I spent 3 weeks in the hospital before I was able to deliver.  I didn't go into labor fast enough so we decided surgery was the best option.  We also decided, unfortunately, that we shouldn't have anymore children.  We are done with pregnancies and hormonal birth control now.  As sad as that is to us, as we had wanted a large family, it's good for my health.  So now, I can get healthy with no obstructions.  It's time to get down to business.  My highest weight now is 290lbs after having my daughter.  My goal weight is 145lbs.  I am literally losing half of me.
       I've signed up at a gym and am going daily.  I've been so sore, but it feels good to work out everyday. I am doing weight lifting, abs daily, and a little cardio each week.  I'm looking forward to the changes I'll start seeing soon.

Sunday - Starting All Over

My hormones are equaling out and the miscarriage is completely over.  It was a scary ordeal this time.  I ended up going to the ER on a whim and the Dr informed me had I stayed home I would have bled out and died.  DH was 8 hours away at training and no one would have come to the house to check on me until he came home three days later.  By the time anyone heard my son crying in his crib I would have been long gone.  I really feel like God forced me to dial 911.  I felt fine and kinda felt silly for calling, but it turns out my body would have just kept slowly bleeding had the Dr not intervened.  So, needless to say, I am grateful to still be here and grateful for the still small voice that said "call anyways...just to be safe."  That is the good news...

The bad news is that I now weigh more than I did when I started Weight Watchers before.  I'm a bit bummed about that, but I was pregnant and it was a very stressful month and half waiting on my body to complete the miscarriage.  Life happens and all I can do is keep trucking on.  Weight Watchers' way of weight loss is not a fad, it's a lifestyle change.  I will be measuring my food and watching my portion control for the rest of my life.  I'm obese right now because I didn't do that as I grew into adulthood.  It's simple.  Eat healthy foods; use correct portions; and exercise.  Even my stick thin husband gains weight if he pigs out.  Some people feel like they are being punished for being fat and that they have to measure all the time now... it's just not true.  Eventually everyone will gain weight if they eat too much food.  I just gain easier than my husband because my activity level and metabolism is lower.  I don't move around nearly as much as he does so I can't afford to eat as much as him.

Anywhoodle... I rejoined Weight Watchers with a brand new account so I don't have to see my old data.  I have come to accept that I gained back that weight (and more) and I know I can do it again because I did it before!  This first week was hard.  I gained again and I was hungry... but this second week is going better.  I may gain again this week but it won't be as much and I'm not as hungry.  I can do this, again and again if I have to, but I can do it!

Oh and I am rewarding myself for the 50lbs I have lost already with something extra special this coming Saturday because it was hard work and I should celebrate!  I'll share that with you soon!

Saturday - Undone

I am 1.7lbs away from undoing everything I have done with Weight Watchers.  I began at 222.8 (wearing jeans and tank top) and am now 224.4lb.  Today, without any clothing, I weighed in at 220lbs.  *sigh*  I have gained 10.6lbs since finding out I was pregnant three months ago.  I haven't been eating the best I could be, but I haven't been completely overeating either.  I suppose about 11lbs in three months would only be a little less than a pound a week.  It's still a bit discouraging though.  On the one hand I'm not looking forward to going through the physical and emotional pain of a miscarriage, but on the other I'm ready to be done with all this so I can move on and start getting back to a healthy weight again. I need to start tracking more carefully again, but I still find myself needing comfort, and of course I turn to food.

Sunday - Sad News & New Beginnings

My HCG is dropping which means I will likely miscarry this pregnancy in a couple of weeks. Although that is indeed sad news, it's not at all unexpected.  I have had 5 pregnancies and only one child so far.  I wrote more about my feelings (on a different blog that is now gone so I've posted it below), but in short, after you've been through so many losses you can't let it devastate you.  I am simply going to move forward and concentrate on my weight loss and getting my body back to a healthy place. We've decided not to try again until I've gotten within 20lbs of my goal weight which is 140lbs.

I'll be taking it easy for the next couple of weeks and then after it's all done with and I've recovered I'll be looking for ways to incorporate exercise into my daily routine.  In the meantime I need to start at the beginning with weight watchers.  I've gotten away from the power foods, certain fruits, veggies, and lean proteins the give you energy and keep you fuller longer, which has resulted in my being tired and hungry all day long.  I need to take a look at my meals and decide what needs to stay and what I need to add or subtract to make my days more worthwhile and productive.

From my other blog about the miscarriage in case you are interested:

      I had an ultrasound last month that showed me measuring about 6 weeks, a week shy than I ought to be, so they scheduled me to come back two weeks later.  At that ultrasound I was still measuring 6 weeks and the Dr who saw me that day was unable to see an embryo.  He figured I had a blighted ovum and had me do a couple of HCG quants to try and get a better picture.  A blighted ovum, or anembryotic pregnancy, is where the egg is fertilized and implants.  The outer two layers become the gestational sac and placenta, but the inner most layer fails to divide into an embryo, usually do to chromosomal problems. Essentially, I am pregnant without a baby.  The placenta is what causes HCG levels to rise and pregnancy symptoms to occur until the second trimester where the fetus takes over. I have done three quants so far.  The first was 70K; two days later it was 50K; one week after that it was 25K.  If it continues to drop at this same rate I can expect a miscarriage in a couple weeks.  We've decided to wait until I am at my goal weight to try again which probably means in a year.  Although that kinda makes me uneasy since I miscarried this time last year as well.  I think I'll be worried that it'll happen again, but we really want to give birth in the Spring/Summer and the chances of losing a 5th pregnancy are the same if we wait 3 months of 12. 

       When I tell people they look at me really sad and genuinely ask how I am doing.  When I tell them I'm fine and it's just part of nature they look at me like I'm a freak.  I've been through three miscarriages so far.  The first and last ones hurt like hell and I was alone for both which made me cry.  I was horribly scared and sad during the first one because I had no idea what was happening to me.  I knew blood and cramping was bad and it meant losing the baby but I didn't understand what was happening to my body and the ER tech made me feel like an idiot for not bringing in the "products of conception".  I was appalled that he wanted me to bring my dead baby in like it was just tissue. Last time it happened too quickly I didn't think about collecting it and this time I haven't decided if I want to go to the ER or do it at home again.  I have some narcotics in case I decide to stay home.  Last time I cried as it happened because it hurt and I was again all alone and scared from the pain, but afterwards I didn't grieve the way I did my first.  This time I don't really have any feelings toward it besides being afraid I might be alone again.  DH is scheduled to be traveling some time this month but we don't know when yet. 

        I guess it just feels like infertility to me.  I have no problem getting pregnant; I just can't seem to stay that way. I imagine it sucks for women who are trying to conceive and go through the pain of those shots only to have their periods show up, but they aren't devastated every single month.  The first few probably hurt and again when it's been a year or more with no success, but each and every period doesn't send them into a deep depression.  I feel the same about my miscarriages.  It sucks and sure I wish it didn't happen, but I can't be completely devastated about it every time.  I'd be wallowing in depression my whole childbearing life.  I guess now I just try to take it easy and wait.  I hope whatever happens does so sooner rather than later.

Wednesday - Feeling Hormonal and Fat

They say you start showing sooner with each pregnancy and I guess it's true.  This is my fourth time to be this far along, and my 2nd since having our son.  I can feel the bump when I lay on my belly and my pants are fitting tighter.  Today was a bit depressing thanks to my hormones though.  I was just starting to feel good and like how I looked in my clothes and now I have a freakin' muffin top!  It'd be one thing if I LOOKED pregnant like my friend who is as far along as I am... but I just look fat.  No bump... just a spare tire out of no where.  It's frustrating and makes it hard for me to watch which foods I eat.  I keep wanting to reach for sweets since I'm gaining weight even while eating fruits, veggies, and lean meats.  *sigh*  Hopefully it's just hormones and I calm down about my body soon.  I really need to start working out each day but I am so exhausted and/or nauseous all day that I just want to lay down or sit on the couch and sip ginger ale and nibble saltines to keep from feeling sick.

Saturday - 11 lbs in 6 Weeks

I figure I have 6 weeks before my Dr decides I should stop doing WWers (or at least before he has me add a snack in each day which will put me over my points). This means I have 6 weeks to stay on plan and lose a bit more weight.  I am a mere 11lbs away from being under 200lbs.  I've already lost 5% of my total body weight which lowers my risks for weight related disease significantly.  Each lb I lose now is just that much more healthy baby and I will be.

If I can lose 2lbs a week by adding more veggies and lean meats to my diet and cutting out the fried fish and chicken then I can be under 200lbs for this pregnancy!   {I tend to buy already cooked frozen foods since they're fast... but they're not very healthy.}  Wouldn't it be awesome to weigh less at the beginning of this one than I started at with my son's?  Think how much healthier I'll be carrying around baby.  I can do this!  I see my nutritionist on Tuesday and I can't wait to ask her some worrisome questions I have about the "pregnancy diet" I'll have to start after 12 weeks... like do I really need 6 servings of grains a day or can an obese mom-to-be eat less than that?  Breads are my downfall.  I can nibble a sweet and be satisfied but I can't eat just one bite of bread.  If I have more than my two slices of toast and maybe 1 pasta WW meal a day I tend to go overboard and eat 10 points worth of bread.  I'll let you know what she advises!

Saturday - Keeping the Gain in Check

I gained this week.  I didn't eat as well as I could, but I did stay in my points so I should have lost.  I am blaming it on the extra blood my body is making...  Not sure if it is yet... but it makes me feel better. lol  The OB nurse said she doesn't want me gaining anymore than 5lbs in the first trimester.  She also said, at my weight, it is okay for me not to gain or even lose weight.  This week's gain sucked but it just means I need to watch my fatty and salty food choices more carefully and exercise everyday!  I'm taking this weight gain as negative motivation to get my butt in gear and be more healthy for this baby and, more importantly, for myself.

My new weight gain goals:
End of December (10 weeks) - Lose 10lbs to get under 200lbs
End of January (14 weeks) - Maintain weight at 199lbs or less
February-April (second trimester) - Gain 5-10lbs for a max of 210lbs
May-July (third trimester) - Gain another 5-10lbs for a max of 220lbs

*This is just a guide to keep my weight gain in check and not a strict "diet".  Obese moms are instructed to gain 0-15lbs during their entire pregnancy, most in the last trimester.  It is even fine for them to maintain or lose weight during the pregnancy as they lose fat and gain baby weight.  Lots of obese mom-to-bes find they lose weight as they begin to eat healthily and exercise daily.  That's what I hope happens with me during this pregnancy.