The Slow Carb Diet

FINALLY! After months of eating well and exercising, I've lost all the baby weight (and then some!) How did I do it? The slow carb diet.

[Disclaimer: I've done ZERO research on this diet. I simply tried it because a friend of mine was doing it and it was working well for him. At that point, I was desperate to try anything because it'd been months since I had Noah and I was actually gaining weight instead of losing it. So I don't claim to know the ins and outs of this diet, nor the science behind why it works. All I know is that it worked for me. For more detailed information on this diet, check here and here.]

Pre-pregnancy: 115 pounds

Highest weight during pregnancy: 150 pounds

Two weeks postpartum (no dieting, no exercise, just nursing): 125 pounds

Three months postpartum (no dieting, no exercise, no nursing): 130 pounds (yes, I actually gained weight)

Nine months postpartum: 116 pounds (almost my pre-pregnancy weight!)

13 months postpartum: 109 pounds (less than my pre-pregnancy weight!!!)

(In case you're wondering what that mark is near my belly button, it's actually a scar I got from ironing. A little bit of steam shot out of the iron and burned my skin. The scar has since faded quite a bit, and is pretty much unnoticeable in the last picture).

I didn't actually start the slow carb diet until June. I did start working out in January, about three months after Noah was born. However, I still wasn't eating well (I was pretty much eating as if I were still pregnant). As you can see in the photos above, from January through May, not much had changed. It wasn't until I started eating better that I began to notice a significant difference in my body.

Here are the basics of the slow carb diet: 6 days out of the week, eat three meals that consist only of lean proteins and veggies. Avoid any type of carb or sugar, even from fruit. On the 7th day, you get a cheat day, meaning you can eat whatever you want. Fill up on carbs and sugar on this day because, trust me, you'll need it for the rest of the week. Oftentimes, I felt weak because I was strictly eating meat and veggies - no sugar to help me feel energized. You are, however, allowed to drink diet sodas and diet teas, so I (very) occasionally drank those if I needed to taste something sweet. Here's what I typically ate during the week:

Egg Whites mixed with One Yolk and Spinach, and Two Slices of Turkey Bacon (for breakfast every morning)

Grilled Pork with Arugula Salad (recipe)

Chipotle Shrimp with Avocado Salsa (recipe)

Chicken Marsala with Asparagus (from Carrabbas)

Grilled Chicken with Asparagus

Barbecue Chicken with Oven Roasted Corn

Baked Lemon Chicken with Oven Roasted Corn and Black Beans

Grilled Steak with Broccoli and Black Beans

Baked Chicken with Guacamole and Black Beans

Grilled Chicken mixed with Pico De Gallo, Guacamole, and Black Beans

Baked Tilapia with Squash

Grilled Steak Salad (from Chipotle) 

Grilled Tilapia with Pico De Gallo and Asparagus

Grilled Steak with Mixed Veggies

Chicken Lettuce Wraps (from Mama Fu's)

As you can see, a lot of what I ate was grilled or baked, accompanied with a side of veggies. Oftentimes, I simply bought frozen veggies in the steamer bags that you can quickly and easily microwave. So yes, this diet is BORING. I will not sit here and pretend that this was easy. It wasn't. I craved bad food every day, but I just kept reminding myself of the end goal.

I only did the slow carb diet for a solid month, but being on this diet taught me a lot about eating healthier. And I actually got used to eating better. To this day, I still eat egg whites and two slices of turkey bacon every single morning. Then for lunch I either eat baked tilapia or chicken with a side of veggies (every Sunday I prepare all my lunches for the week so I'm not tempted to eat anything else). I eat good during the day so I can eat bad at night. So dinnertime (and the weekends) are pretty much my "cheat" days, meaning I don't watch what I eat...that much. I don't completely indulge, but I do treat myself to some cookies or ice cream every now and then. I still try to eat healthy whenever possible, so I'll opt for a side of veggies with my meals, whereas before I used to eat potatoes, pasta, or rice. I drink water at every meal, with the occasional sweet tea. So is it hard? Absolutely. Do I wish I could eat cookies all day? Pretty much every single second of every day. So do I ever indulge? Of course. I'm only human, but everything in moderation. 

In addition to eating better, I also worked out. A LOT. I was exercising about 4-5 days a week. Here's a breakdown of a typical workout week: Monday - cardio and pushing movements (bench press, military press, dips, push ups, etc), Tuesday - cardio and core (sit-ups, crunches, planks, etc), Wednesday - cardio and pulling movements (pull-ups, rows, curls, etc), Thursday - cardio and core, Friday - core and legs (squats, lunges, leg curls, leg extensions, etc), Saturday and Sunday - rest.

I think a huge part of my success didn't come from just eating well or exercising - it was the support I got. My husband was with me every step of the way and the absolute BEST support system. Honestly, I don't think I've ever done anything harder. Not that it was physically hard - it was  just emotionally hard because it took SO much willpower, and oftentimes I felt discouraged because I never thought I would get my body back. But John was always there supporting me. Even when I felt like I didn't look my best, he ALWAYS told me I was beautiful. And that love and support really encouraged me and helped me stay motivated every step of the way. 

Keep in mind that this is what worked for me. Tailor this diet and these exercises to fit your needs and your body type. And get a great support system! Close friends and family are the best. For whatever reason (jealousy, spite?) people will try to drag you down along the way. Acquaintances, coworkers, and strangers will scoff and roll their eyes at your efforts and what you're eating, but just ignore them! Do what's best for you and what makes you feel GREAT! Good luck!

Year In Review

First smile - November 14 (4-weeks-old)

First noises - December 5 (7-weeks-old)

Started "talking" - December 28 (11-weeks-old)

First time sleeping through the night - January 5 (2 1/2-months-old. Yay!)

First laugh - January 28 (3 1/2-months-old)

Started eating solids - February 18 (4-months-old)

Rolled over for the first time - February 20 (4-months-old)

First time sitting on his own - April 2 (5 1/2-months-old)

First time he held his bottle - April 24 (6-months-old)

First time he crawled - May 31 (7 1/2-months-old)

First time he stood up - June 28 (8 1/2-months-old)

First time he started "cruising" - July 11 (9-months-old)

First tooth - August 9 (10-months-old)

First time he said "no" to us - September 7 (11-months-old. Uh oh.)

First time he pointed - September 13 (11-months-old)

First time he clapped - September 16 (11-months-old)

First steps - October 10 (12-months-old)

First birthday - October 14 (1-year-old!)

9 Months

Noah turned 9 months old on July 14 (I know, I'm a little late on this post). He's at that stage now where he won't sit still for too long, and he wants to get into everything. He LOVES crawling, and if you open a door (and I mean any door - bathroom door, refrigerator door, dishwasher door) he gets super excited and makes a beeline for it to discover what's inside. 

With that said, this was the ONLY good picture we managed to get out of him for his 9-month photo. He just would not sit still!

For his 9-month appointment, he had to get another shot (unfortunately, he inherited his Mommy's thighs). 

He was none-too-happy about it, but he was still a brave boy. He only cried for literally a second and then he was over it. Mama was proud!

Also celebrating a birthday this month is Daddy! Happy 31st!

And now that Noah's 9 months old, we've officially had him as long as I was pregnant with him. They say it takes 9 months to grow a baby, so you have at least 9 months to lose the baby weight. I finally got really serious about losing the weight and began working out 4-5 days a week, incorporating weight training and LOTS of cardio. I've also started the slow carb diet (more on that in another post) and it's done wonders for my health and energy levels. I am now proud to report that I'm weighing in at about 117 pounds - just two pounds shy of my pre-pregnancy weight! I'm almost there!

Those weekly weigh-ins at Publix don't feel so bad anymore!

Fake It 'Til You Make It

8 1/2 Months Postpartum

Oftentimes, people tell me that it looks like I've lost all the baby weight and then they ask, "What's your secret?!" Well, I can assure you that I'm sucking it in, wearing Spanx, or wearing clothing that cleverly disguises the small baby pooch that I still have (see picture above: the diagonal stripes are creating the illusion that I have a tiny waist. Oh, and I'm wearing Spanx underneath). 

Noah is about 8 1/2 months old now, and I've come to terms with the fact that it's going to take me a little longer than what I'd anticipated to lose the weight (I initially thought all the baby weight would be gone by Christmas - ha!) Even though I've been exercising regularly and eating well, I still have a bit of weight to lose and then some toning up to do afterwards. This used to really bother me, but I've come to realize that there are ways to at least look skinny while you're trying to lose the weight.

1. Wear Spanx.

Spanx helps smooth out the bumps and bulges and keeps everything sucked it. In the photo above I'm wearing the Simplicity Mid-Thigh Shaper and the Simplicity V-Neck Camisole. Don't buy these from the website or some expensive department store. Look for them at discount stores such as T.J. Maxx or Steinmart, or wait for flash sales from websites such as Guilt.com or RueLaLa.com.

Without Spanx (left), With Spanx (right)

As you can see, even with the Spanx my tummy is not completely flat, but it helps significantly reduce the appearance of my baby pooch.

2. Buy the bigger size, even if you don't like it.

I know, this one sucks. I hate that I'm no longer the size I used to be. For awhile, I was still buying my pre-pregnancy size, but I realized that it actually made me look bigger when I tried to squeeze myself into this size. I quickly learned that a bigger size actually helped me look smaller, and so I gave in. Whenever you're trying on clothes, tell yourself it's about the fit, not the number. This is a hard one to swallow, but you look so much better when clothes fit you properly.

Below, I'm trying to squeeze myself into my pre-pregnancy size 25. These jeans are just too tight around the waist and create the dreaded muffin top.

In this photo, I've sized up to a 27. As much as I hate being a bigger size, I just have to suck it up (and in) and admit to myself that I'm no longer a size 0. And honestly, the bigger size just looks better. There's no squeezing or pulling, it doesn't take me 5 minutes to squeeze and wiggle my way into them, AND they're more comfortable.

Also, wear mid-rise or high-rise jeans. Say buy-bye to those low-riders. I loathe low-rise jeans now because of the horrible muffin top they create. High-waisted pants keep your tummy concealed and tucked in.

3. Create an illusion.

One of the easiest ways to look slimmer without having to suck it in or wear Spanx (which, let's face it, can be a little uncomfy and restricting at times) is to wear clothing with some ruching or other details that flatter your midsection.

This is a top I wear when I work out. Obviously, I can't wear Spanx to the gym so this top with ruching details around the waist helps conceal my tummy while I work on slimming my midsection.

Also, flowy tops or blouses with a more A-line shape sit away from your body and help conceal any baby pooch you may still have.

I was inspired to write this post when someone came up to me at the gym last week and complimented me on how I looked and even went so far as to say she wished she looked more like me. At this point, I felt like a bit of a fraud. There were so many things I wanted to tell this complete stranger, like how I'm not really as fit as I look or hard I'd been working but still not where I want to be. I empathized with her because I'm always comparing myself to other women and just feeling discouraged and even depressed at times when I saw how skinny they were and how quickly they bounced back. 

I'd beat myself up wondering why I couldn't look like Kristin Cavallari who, a few mere months after giving birth, was already bikini-ready.  

But some women are just lucky (or rich and have the means to afford a personal trainer and chef), while the rest of us have to work out (a lot) and eat healthy, all while working full time and taking care of our babies. What I'm trying to say is, losing the baby weight is hard. But I don't want other women to beat themselves up over losing the weight like I did for many months. I was resentful, discouraged, and downright depressed, and those are some of the worst feelings to have when you have an incredible new baby at home. There are really more important things in life. 

The weight will eventually come off, or you'll at least be happy and come to love your new body and the great things that came out of having to change it.

Ultimately, I want to encourage other women to take their time when losing the baby weight and to not feel discouraged when they see other women bounce back quickly after giving birth. They're either wearing Spanx (like me) or they're simply freaks of nature. Relax and know that with regular exercise and a good diet your body will become stronger and healthier. And lastly, know what's important. Your body changed for the most amazing thing you'll ever experience in your life.

THE Swimsuit for New Moms

Happy Memorial Day everyone! Hope you're having a good three-day weekend.

With the weather warming up here in Florida, John and I have had the chance to finally take Noah swimming. We figured he'd be a natural because he's always kicking around on our living room floor, his favorite thing to do. 

The first time we took him swimming, he seemed a bit bored. Maybe he just wasn't used to the water yet. 

The second time around, however, he seemed to enjoy it a bit more. He was kicking around and splashing in the water. What Would Ryan Lochte Do? How 'bout What Would Noah Jordi Do?

Taking Noah swimming actually gave me a lot of anxiety. Not because I was worried about him in the water, but because I wasn't exactly swimsuit-ready yet. It's been a little over 7 months since I had Noah, but I just can't seem to shed these last gosh darn stubborn ten pounds. Well, one day while shopping for a one-piece swimsuit (I am officially old), I came across this Catalina Suddenly Slim Shirred Halter Swimsuit from Walmart. Yes, Walmart. Of all places! I'd always wanted a retro swimsuit, but the one I wanted from Modcloth was going to set me back about $90. This Walmart version is a fantastic look-alike, and for only $33!

Catalina Suddenly Slim Shirred Halter Swimsuit

$32.96

www.walmart.com

This swimsuit made me feel so comfortable and covered up. The ruching helped disguise the small post-baby pooch that I have yet to get rid of and the back provides full coverage. And the retro styling is so cute! I actually felt confident in this swimsuit, something I hadn't felt in a long time since having Noah. I highly recommend this bathing suit for any woman who wants to cover up a bit while swimming, but still wants to be fashionable and cute in a one-piece without looking matronly. And for only $33, I think it's a good quality - the material is thick and substantial and seems like it will hold up well over time. My only issue is that the cups are lightly padded and my small bust doesn't quite fill it out, so I had to sew in some swimsuit inserts that I bought from JoAnn (they cost about $10). Even with this tiny investment, it's still a great deal and much more affordable than most retro bathing suits sold online and at specialty boutiques.