Many nights, I go to bed thinking about things I want to blog about.  But then another day goes by, and I’m back in bed with “blog” on my to-do list still. 

I think you understand because you’re a mom!  I realize with a newborn and 3 and 5 year old, many days it’s just about getting everyone fed   But today, before I go to bed, I must write something!

Today marks six weeks after baby!  Wow, how time has flown.  I absolutely love having a baby.  Lucy is the sweetest thing.  I do miss being able to leave the house in under an hour (ha, ha, remember how long it takes to pack up little kids and a baby in a car?). 

So, now that I am done pampering myself after my c-section (not working out, eating whatever I feel like)…it’s time to start exercising again and think NUTRITION! 

The plan is:

1.  Exercise at least 4 times a week for 30 minutes.  I’ll start with easier exercise videos and then ramp up (I just bought Jillian’s 30 Day Shred – I’ll let you know how I like it).  I will go back to spin class in January. 

2.  Write down what I eat and keep my food journal an open book.  My husband is my accountable partner (he wants to lose those sympathy pregnancy pounds too!). 

3.  Say no to sugar.  I am allowing exceptions (Thanksgiving, upcoming birthday party) but will “eat clean” when at home. 

4.  Listen to my own audio course each day, Losing Weight After Baby: 31 Days to a New You beginning December 1. 

My goal is to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight/size in 6 months.  So that means I’ll be able to zip up my skinny jeans on May 10, 2010. 

What’s your goal?  Let’s help each other get there!

If you need some divine intervention when it comes to weight loss, this book is for you!

Written from a Christian perspective, author Sheri Rose Shepherd shares how God healed her from an eating disorder and how she lost 60 pounds for good.  She encourages the reader to win the diet war once and for all, not with a complicated plan for counting calories, but by changing your heart and mind.

Fit for My King: His Princess 30-Day Diet Plan and Devotional is more devotional than diet plan.  You’ll find 30 days worth of devotionals that address your mind and heart.  If you’re looking for specific tips for avoiding those late night cravings, you will be disappointed.  Instead, this book looks at transformation from the inside out.  If you can see yourself as the princess God created you to be, then you will have the strength to make the right health decisions.  After all, royalty deserves the best, healthiest, freshest foods.

If you are struggling with self esteem and emotional eating, these devotions will help you find assistance in Christ.  There are wonderful prayers and action steps at the end of each devotion.  I would suggest getting an accountability partner to read the book with you to make the most out of it.  Then you have someone to keep you accountable to the diet portion of the book.  The diet plan is simple but hard:  fast from sugar, white flour, artificial sweeteners, and artificial food for one month. 

The book also contains many “princess” recipes.  A few of the names are a bit cheesy (“Kingdom Kabobs”) but I’m sure they taste great!  If you want to feel like a princess while fasting from sugar, white flour and artificial foods, these devotionals will be a welcome companion for the Christian reader. 

Fit for My King is available November 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

This was the highlight of my day…I received a great email from a Losing Weight After Baby podcast listener who wrote about her miscarriage and unhappiness about her weight.  She was at the highest weight of her life.  Understanding her need for change and encouragement, she sought out tools to help her and found my Losing Weight After Baby podcast.  She began with mini-goals.  Her the big audacious goal was to lose 50 pounds.  She knew this would help her be healthier in the future especially because she wanted to get pregnant again. 

Guess what?  She did it!  On the day her baby would have been due if she had not miscarried, she had achieved her goal and lost not 50 pounds – but 60 pounds! 

And now she’s pregnant! 

She wrote, “You had practical advice and were a positive influence in my decision to get physically active.   Thank you Arlene!”

You are so welcome…your email made my day.

Let’s all be encouraged that we can set mini-goals with a long-term goal in mind, just like this podcast listener!

Confession time…for the last few days weeks months, I’ve been enjoying a little something sweet each day – usually something chocolate.  Dark chocolate being my favorite.  You know, when you’re pregnant, you’ve got cravings.  Then after baby is born, you need a little pick me up for those late night feedings. 

Well, I’m realizing that I cannot go on like this forever (my 6 week recovery period after c-section is almost over).  A few things woke me up yesterday.  Talking about one of his patients, my father who is a physician said, “If you need to have chocolate every day, you’re depressed.”  Hmmm….I didn’t like the sound of that much.

Then I started reading the book, Fit for My King: His Princess 30-Day Diet Plan and Devotional by Sheri Rose Shepherd.  Convicting.  Got to get back on the bandwagon.  Pregnancy cravings must die.   

So I decided to have a chocolate free, sugar free day today.  I made it all day long and before going to bed, I picked up a hoodie to hang in the closet.  There was something in the pocket.  I reached in…it was a Kit Kat from Halloween!  Can you believe it?  Chocolate found ME!  But I’m happy to say, I laughed about it and DID NOT eat the Kit Kat!

So one victory down…a chocolate free day!  If you can meet a small goal, someday you’ll meet a big one.  I’m taking it one chocolate free day at a time.

My big girl Noelle loves to help with baby Lucy.  She say excitedly, “Oh no!  Our baby is crying!”  Then she’ll say things like, “It’s okay baby Lucy.  We are here.  It’s going to be all right.”

Someday there will be sibling rivalry between my girls, but so far, there’s just lots of love and support.

Which reminds me that we all need lots of love and support when it comes to losing weight after baby.  (But sometimes we may get caught up in comparisons instead – kind of like sibling rivalry).  Encouragement makes a big difference.  You need to surround yourself with encouraging friends.  People who lift you up and believe that you can reach your goals.  Without support or encouragement from your spouse, family member, or friends, it is all too easy to give up and say “This is just too hard!”  But when you have someone cheering for you, you have a reason to push through the quitting points. 

Having an exercise partner is a great way to stay motivated.  Put your exercise times in your calendar as non-negotiable appointments.  And/or subscribe to my 31 Days to a New You course for daily encouragement and motivation.  Why  not start on December 1 for added protection against Christmas pounds and to start the New Year right?  Because we all need somebody to lean on!

Need a new twist for your salad?  Try this for Monday’s Meal, courtesy allrecipes.com.  Of course, you can skip the sugar and don’t caramelize the pecans.  They will taste fine plain.  You can caramelize when you’re at your goal weight

Ingredients:

Directions:

This is one of my favorite pictures of baby Lucy.  Check out the hair!  She got that look without the help of a stylist or gel or any product – very impressive! 

I can’t believe it’s already been one month since baby Lucy was born.  I am thankful for her sweet demeanor and for the way her siblings have welcomed her into the family. 

Since she’s one month old, that means I have 2 more weeks of recovery post-c-section to “enjoy” and then I’ll be dusting off the exercise videos and cutting up celery sticks!

P.S.  You’ll see baby Lucy in action plus I share how losing weight after baby can be E-A-S-Y…it’s all on my free podcast/vidcast. 

Thank you to my wonderful alma mater, Biola University, for sending these super cute baby clothes for Lucy!  (Thanks Irene!)  Now she is ready to face the world with her booties, bib and Biola shirts. 

It’s been more than 20 years since I first attended Biola University in La Mirada, CA.  I look back at that time as one of the happiest of my life.  What a tremendous education I received and how fun to find my old friends on FB these days. 

Let’s enjoy these days with our young kids.  We’ll blink and be sending them off to college someday (sniff, sniff).

Here’s my pink poodle!  How cute is that?  Too bad she says the costume is too small.  A friend gave it to us awhile ago, and I was really hoping it would fit this year.  But my little poodle says it’s “TOO TIGHT!”  Oh well, at least I can post a cute picture of her. 

“Too Tight!” – have you ever felt that way about your clothes?  (Yeah, me too).  Let’s use that little phrase “Too Tight!” to our advantage as we enter the calorie laden holiday season.  Keep thinking “too tight” as you pass on the second piece of pumpkin pie and throw the extra Halloween candy in the trash.  Better the trash than your hips!  For more tips on what to do with that Halloween candy, check out my article, “Halloween Survival Guide.” 

P.S.  Thought you would enjoy seeing my son’s costume.  He made it himself with great excitement.  Can you guess what animal he’s supposed to be?

Answer:  A Lion

No…this is not a picture of my post-baby body!  Not yet at least (you must think positive moms!)…

But it is a picture of a garment that I really love.  It’s made by Design Veronique and I heard about it from my ObGyn’s office.  This cesarean support garment is an FDA approved medical device, ideal for recovery after c-sections.  What does it do?  It provides support, stabilization and comfort. 

When I opened it up from the box, I thought, “Will I really wear this tight, corset-looking thing?  And how hard is it going to be to take this on and off to go to the bathroom?” 

The first time I tried to put it on, it was comical.  You want to order it a little tight so it will do its job.  But the very first day, I couldn’t quite zip it up.  I waited about 2 days for the swelling from the c-section to decrease and then tried again.  With my husband’s help, I could zip it up.  The next day, I could zip it by myself.

I have been wearing it all day for 3 days now.  I am amazed at how comfortable it is.  I actually prefer wearing it because it gives me back support and protects my incision site.  Plus it gives the appearance of being slimmer, so when I look in the mirror, I have hope. 

I highly recommend Design Veronique’s cesarean support garment.  I’ll keep you posted about how long I use it and its benefits.  Corsets…no.  Comfortable Design Veronique…yes!