While pregnant with Edith I developed a sweet tooth and an addiction to bagels with tofutti. Now 4 months postpartum and although I have kicked the two…err sometimes four bagels a week and I am only having coconut ice cream every 4-6 weeks rather than once per week. That being said I’m still far off from where I used to be and after thinking things through I came to an important conclusion.
I need to become my own client.
For the last four months I have been completely focused on E and a little less focused on myself (diet and exercise included). Now that we have a little bit more of a routine (although still ever changing) I am ready to create goals to help improve my diet, fitness and energy levels. A few things I need to consider are making sure I am eating enough calories for nursing and increasing the foods that help my milk production (that’s a whole other blog post).
Okay so first things first I decided to fill out my very own health history just like I would ask prospective clients to do. So lets take a look at the first part.
As you can see my weight is quite a bit higher than I would like and that I put on a good amount of weight while I was pregnant and although I have lost a bit I am far from my pre-pregnancy weight. Goal #1: Lose Weight. I’d like to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight by October 2013.
Another notable thing to point out is that my energy levels are lower than desired. I know you’re probably saying umm yeah you have four month old of course you are lacking energy and while that is true I know that I could improve upon this. Goal #2: Increase my Energy.
As I noted above I am a bread and sweets addict. The funny thing is although I have always been a lover of all things bread related I was never a huge sweets fan until my pregnancy. I too often gave into this craving during pregnancy and it has stuck with me. Goal #3: Break my sugar craving.
May 2011
Okay so lets evaluate the section above, as you can see starting at the top I need to get more sleep. E who was a good sleeper is suddenly sleeping from about 7pm-10pm, 11pm-1 or 2am, 2:30a-4a and then she wants to be up. Honestly I don’t know where I am going to get more sleep because I usually have dinner around 7/7:30pm and then I don’t want to go to bed immediately after so I usually stay up until 9:15-10pm. Napping during the day is difficult to do as well so really until we can get E back on a better schedule this is going to be a challenging goal but alas it’s still my Goal #4.
Next lets talk about the gluten sensitivity….yes I am addicted to bread and have a minor gluten sensitivity. I say minor because a small amount doesn’t bother me but there is a fine line between feeling fine and feeling bloated. So Goal #5 eat less gluten.
Goal #6 is to increase the intensity of my workouts. I have actually already started working on this my participating in the Best Body Boot Camp. I have been making an effort to increase the intensity, duration and get back to running. I’ll discuss this goal more as well as my others in follow up posts.
39 Weeks 3 Days (the day I went into labor)
Okay so here we are the last section and my final goal to improve my diet. During my pregnancy I ate really well with the exception of the first trimester when all I wanted were bagels and citrus. Then the baby arrived and if you’re a new mom you know how challenging it can be to make a good meal when you are home alone with a baby. I also hate that we end up eating dinner about 2 hours later than we used to because of Neil’s busy work schedule and E’s desire to go to bed at 6:30. That being said Goal #7 eat more fresh fruits, vegetables and raw meals and make an effort to eat dinner earlier.
3.5 Months Postpartum
Even though I’m a health coach and I know all the things I am “doing wrong” sometimes you just have to sit down and really practice what you preach. I plan to follow this post up with a more in-depth look at my goals and the action steps I need to take to accomplish these goals.
What are your health goals? How do you plan to accomplish them?
I love that you shared this – it’s not as easy to practice what you preach sometimes. That’s why it’s fairly common for coaches to have their own coach (although I don’t have one right now), so that you get that accountability & objectivity from an outsider.
Good luck with your goals!
I think sharing things like this are really helpful to reaching your goals. I’m nowhere near my pre-pregnancy weight (I’ve lost a little over a third of the pregnancy weight at 9 months postpartum). Breastfeeding has not done me any favors – in fact, I think I’m one of those women who won’t see significant weight loss until I’m done breastfeeding, and can reduce my calorie intake. It seems like I need those extra calories to make breastmilk, but my body isn’t burning them efficiently. I don’t know, but I’m in the same boat as you, and I wish you luck as you work towards your goals!