FMILF Update

When did you realize that you needed to lose weight?


For me, it was in March of 2006. It had been six months since I’d had Bella. My weight had stabilized at 180 – and there is sat. Wasn’t all this fat supposed to just melt off? I was halfway through my “year” – the time they say it takes for your body to get back to ‘normal’ – and I still felt like my body was a swollen version of what I’d remembered.





Prior to my pregnancy, I weighed about 145. This wasn’t a great weight to be at for me – I had put on about ten pounds from being lazy, being attached and sitting at a desk all day.

Thanks to Cold Stone Creamery, Burger King shakes (the one down the street used SYRUP!) and boneless wings from BW3’s, I gained A LOT of weight during the ordeal. My 37-week OB appointment surely would have told me I’d gone over 200 pounds. However, as most of you know, I never made that appointment. From the last day I weighed myself that week until March of last year, I had no idea how much I weighed. All I knew is that I was unhappy. I was unhappy with my life, my looks, my feelings. I was sick of grunting every time I bent over – sick of my coat not zipping. But I kept my good buddy Fattening Junk Food by my side to console me.

Something changed for me, though. I’d like to credit WalkAmerica for getting me off my keister. It was a goal – all set up and ready for me. All I had to do was show up.

Then I started eating healthier. I started figuring out conversions – creating worksheets – meticulously tracking my calories.

I bought a yoga DVD – and actually woke up some mornings to DO it.

I started walking during my lunch break. I brought a whole set of clothes to change into, grabbed my iPod and a bottle of water and set off. The time outside in the fresh air was invigorating. I hated doing this, though. I was embarrassed. I felt like people were talking about me. Everyone in the office knew about my lunch plans and commented about them regularly. But I stuck with it, because I saw the pounds dropping off. I was surprised that I was actually making changes – I was making real progress.

I had the support of The Man – the kids – the rest of my family. We started doing healthy things like after dinner walks with the kids, hiking in Taylor’s Falls, and walking downtown to eat on the weekends.

By June I was down to 150 pounds. Thirty pounds lost. I knew in my heart that I could say “No” to treats and I’d be just fine. I regularly made choices that I would have considered sacrifices before – but then I looked at it as doing what was good for me.

I don’t know what happened to all that wonderful motivation I had before.

Mid-June, my co-worker went on a two-week vacation. I lost my breaks trying to keep up with all the extra work. By the time she came back, I’d taken my walking clothes home. Aside from a couple walks taken on especially nice days, I haven’t made an active move to lose weight since.

I have maintained my (mostly) healthy eating habits. Aside from my normal Holiday Season Gluttony, I’ve kept most of my meals lean. I haven’t gone back to my fast-food grubbin’ days (Thanks, Poor House!). But eating healthy doesn’t burn fat.

I feel like I’m waiting for something. Like something is just going to click on inside me and I’ll go back to being the Ms. Fit (Haha, I’m always a Misfit!) I was last year.

I don’t know what it is, but I’m getting awfully sick of waiting.

So tell me Future MILF’s, what motivates you? What drives you to get out of bed in the morning? What’s different THIS time?