Some of you may well remember my posts on my weight loss journey. I may not have lost the 22 pounds I wanted to, but I am pretty happy about the weight I’ve lost. Ok, I know you are all dying to know how close I came to meeting my goal. Well, just read a little longer for that.

I could have done much better but for various reasons I sometimes fell off the weight loss wagon. There were days when work made me so tired I just couldn’t face anything else, even 10 minutes of exercising. Sometimes I just felt too down to bother – but life is like that.

To lose the weight I avoid sugar, don’t get me wrong I did eat the occasional piece of chocolate or some ice cream. For Christmas I ate more than my fair share of cake. This simply means that I will have to put more effort into my exercise routine and meal planning for another few months. Other things I did or changed to help me lose the weight included:

• Drinking lots of water
• Eating no carbs after 7, granted there are days when I did give in to temptation. As I said before I’m only human.
• Most of my carbs are had during breakfast, and my snack is usually a cup of tea with some nuts. Lunch for the last few months has been Kellogs Special K cereal with a mid-afternoon snack of tea or nuts or a piece of fruit. For dinner I have a piece of chicken and lots of vegetables.
• Exercise still remains my weak spot, but I’ve gotten better. In addition to exercising I try to walk as much as I can, even at work.

I need to say special thanks to my husband, Owen for his help. He ensured I ate right and exercised. He was a big support as was my son, Jalen. At four he’s quite the expert on exercising and is forever showing what to do.

I eventually lost 19 pounds, took me longer than I hoped, but my doctor was quite pleased. Not only do I now feel better physically, I feel more attractive and can wear clothes I haven’t worn in years. I’ve started wearing makeup again and I cut my hair short, something I was afraid to do for many years because my face was too fat. The struggles are not over yet as I still need to lose an additional 10 pounds and become more toned. I know I will never look like Halle Berry, but I can sure try to look the best I can.

One thing is certain though, I don’t plan to stop working on me. I am developing a healthy lifestyle habit that I aim to make a way of life.

Over the last few years since the birth of my son I have been half-heartedly trying to lose some weight. However, I’ve gotten to the point where I really must, not only for my own self image, but also to stay healthy for myself, and my family as well. My son, Jalen, at three and half often refers to me as his “fat mommy”. But what takes the cake, is when he finishes by saying “I love you still my fat mommy.” Now, wouldn’t you say that even at that tender age he’s telling me to get with it. Don’t get me wrong, I do not want to return to the rail-thin 100 pounds of my twenties, but some of these excess rolls and folds have to go.

I plan on sharing with you my journey to lose weight. My goal is to shed at least 30 pounds. However, I am not into fad diets and quick fix methods – it means that I will be doing this the healthy way. Starting today, February 1 – wow, a new month with me on the path to a new me and I didn’t even plan it this way. I will be cutting calories and upping my exercise routine. OK, there really wasn?t much of a routine to begin with, but this time I have to be a good girl and stick to it.

My aim is to lose two pounds per week for the next 10 to 12 weeks. Now, I have to do this, but I sure could do with a cheering corner as I try to curb my sweet tooth. Chocolate is my weakness and Valentine’s Day is upon us, but I will be strong – no more than a small piece for me. Now, don’t start shouting at me – I still plan on living my life and enjoying it, just in a healthier way. No more large chocolate bar on a regular basis or late night eating. it’s a piece of chocolate every now and then as a treat as I work towards a healthier me.

So, if you want to go on this journey with me, by all means do so – let’s share our triumphs and failures, yes, there’ll be those too. I will not be posting everyday, but will keep you updated on my progress once or twice a week. Bring it on, or in this case, take it off, the journey has begun.

One of the things I was most concerned with during my pregnancies was losing the weight I’d gained. When I was pregnant with my son I gained 36 pounds, despite my obstetrician’s scolding remarks. I walked during my pregnancy to keep in decent shape, but I still ended up near the high end of the recommended 25-35 lb weight gain for a healthy woman.

After my 7lb 4oz son was born I didn’t know what to expect since this was my first child. I am an athletic person and have played sports all my life so I felt like a prisoner for those 6 weeks of recovery when you are told not to do any exercising. I was convinced that the longer I waited, the harder it was going to be to lose the weight. It also didn’t help that at 8 weeks postpartum I had someone (a man, no less) tell me that if you don’t lose the weight in the first 6 weeks then it’s really hard to lose it at all. I know I looked at him as if he had two heads – you can’t even work out in those first 6 weeks! I thought, that’s just what I need to hear when I’m still trapped inside this unfamiliar, larger body, overwhelmed with a new baby, and deprived of sleep!

After the 6 weeks of recovery my husband and I started working out together. Being an athlete, I had always lifted weights for sports and knew that working out with weights would build muscle, tone my body, and increase my metabolism. I didn’t concentrate on scale numbers, but rather on getting my body back into shape and back to pre-pregnancy size. My workout consisted of lifting weights to strengthen, but mostly tone, my body, which meant using lower weight and doing high repetitions. I did this 3 times a week and also jogged 2-3 times a week for a cardio workout.

I found that this workout really helped me get back to my healthy pre-pregnancy weight quickly, but safely. I will mention that I was in my early 20s, so obviously that helped since my metabolism was still up there.

I took the same approach after my daughter’s birth. During that pregnancy I gained only 25 lbs so I had less to lose, but I still followed the same type of workout. This time I used a Pilates workout DVD instead of running and found that I loved it. It was great for toning and strengthening in combination with weight lifting. The DVD I found even had a section called Pilates Burn that got your heart rate up and burned extra calories.

No matter what type of workout you decide upon to help shed those pregnancy pounds, make sure it’s safe and suits your ability. In my experience, making time to exercise will make you feel better, so do it, despite being sleep deprived! Remember to stick with the workout and slowly but surely you’ll start to see your old self. And yes, the baby will eventually sleep through the night!

Any tips on losing pregnancy pounds are welcome in the comments section! Share with your fellow moms!