10%

So last year I did this weight loss contest per say. I was really trying to get in shape and was well on my way when my friend started this contest and I thought I might as well do it while I am already trying I could make some money while doing it. I did lose the 10 % I needed to and was very happy about it. Then at the beginning of this year she decided to do it again. Unfortunately I still needed to lose a lot more after the 10% so I jumped on board again. With only .6 more to go, I am fairly confident I will do well this time too and plan on using my "earnings" to buy some new not baggy clothes. Which is always nice. Even my workout clothes are messy looking on me.

This time around I kicked it in gear. I have made it to the gym at least 5 days a week. My weight loss workout of choice is the treadmill. If I do it right I can really drop the lbs by doing cardio. I usually do about 3.5 miles everyday altering back and forth from 1 percent incline, for my break, but at a fast speed for every half mile then I go to a 10% incline for half a mile. I like to change it up to keep it fun. I really actually like being on the treadmill. It is relaxing to me. Then besides that I have a series of arm weight workouts I do every other day and then Zumba which has become my personal favorite. I usually get that in about 3 times a week on the evenings. This along with eating right and not eating after 7 and lots and lots of water has really done the trick. I still feel like I have a long way to go, but I can see progress and that is always nice.

The one thing that has been really frustrating is my stomach. I was doing crunches along with Andy everyday. I felt like the stronger my stomach was getting the more and more pregnant I looked. I had more people asking me if I was pregnant after losing weight than they did before. That was weird. After some researching about a rectus diastasis and a good friend who I refer to as a "recti guru" I have realized sit ups are my worst enemy. I was actually told bythis guru and a surgeon that doing sit ups are the worst possible things I could be doing for myself. That is a relief. I saw a surgeon last week and she confirmed my diastasis and warned me about several hernias she found in my abdomen. This is actually good news for me. I could not understand for the life of me what was going on. I cannot get anything done surgically until I am done having children, but in the meantime my guru feels that she can help me and I am really excited about that. BTW her name is Bonnie, not really guru and she has a really cool blog about belly's after babies. Click on her name to check it out.

I am really excited about this weight loss adventure, although I adore my children the 10 extra pounds I have put on with each one of them I do not adore. I hope to stay strong on this journey and the next pregnancy have more energy and not put on an extra 10! That would be ideal.