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.

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.

Wednesday - Portion Control

That is going to be my new mantra.  Ever since finding out we're expecting I've been eating horribly!  I try to keep to my normal diet of fruit, yogurt, chicken, eggs, and toast but I've had fast food twice this week.  My normal diet just isn't appetizing at all.  It is so frustrating.  I look in the fridge and think I ought to have some eggs but all I want is french fries.  *sigh*  I'm just going to have to remember my portion control as I continue in my pregnancy.  WWers doesn't allow pregnant moms in their program anymore so I'll have to stop doing their official lifestyle for a while.  I'm just glad I got the basics down before becoming pregnant.  I need 2 more cups of leafy greens, 1 more cup of dairy, and 3 more servings of grains than I normally eat starting in my 4th month and I should be good for weight gain.  I'm hoping that by adding my pregnancy exercise videos into the mix I'll actually stay the same weight.  I'll be adding baby weight and losing extra fat at the same time.  That is the one good thing so far.  I've been more motivated to work out and get the house unpacked since finding out.  Wish me luck... I'm going to need it!

Sunday - The HCG Diet

I have decided, after much thought and discussion with my hubby of course, that I will be doing the HCG diet.

...and I only plan on gaining 15lbs while on it!  Confused?  We're having a baby!!!