Does this Blog Make My Butt Look Big?

 

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I've noticed a rather striking coincidence. I started writing this blog in February, and 6 months later none of my pants fit. I've gained 7 pounds. On a good day.

Last fall I felt all svelte when I replaced my size 12s with size 10s. Now my jeans are still tight after a day of wearing them.

I don't mind being a size 12 - I think I've pretty much been that size since high school. It's just frustrating to have put so much energy and time into losing my 47 pounds of baby weight - and a few more in addition! - and then start feeling it creep back on.

Fortunately, I'm cheap enough that I'd rather lose a few pounds that buy all new pants. Here's my "butt in gear" plan:

1. Change the motivation.

I'm so tired of trying to get skinny. I want to be strong.

2. Get serious about planning meals - all of them.

Last week I attempted to follow a dinner meal plan from Clean Eating magazine. Great in theory but executing 5 new recipes in one week was too much. We ended up ordering pizza one night (when mommy needed a nap at 4pm) and making easy quesadillas another.

Does anyone else find lunch equally stressful? The cafeteria is what I miss most about working. (Ok, the paycheck wasn't bad either.) I usually wait until I'm ravenous and scarf down a PB&J standing at the counter. There's about 5 bad habits in that one sentence.

3. Snack happy.

My downfall comes at 3pm when my sweet tooth kicks in. Last summer, I religiously ate a snack recipe from the Flat Belly Diet: 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup strawberries. Those 400 calories made me deliriously happy every afternoon.

4. Splurge if you need to.

Mark and I are splurging on a few sessions with a trainer to learn how to do weight training at home. I bought an elastic band for $7 at Target and that's all we need to do a few simple exercises twice a week.

5. Get your dance on.

I would rather poke myself in the eye than run on a treadmill. Thank goodness for Zumba. Our trainer recommends 2.5 hours of aerobic exercise a week. That's two Zumba class and an evening walk outside. Seems doable.

6. Purify.

I'm going to try a cleanse. Not a hard core water/cayenne/molasses kind of cleanse. But a Renew Life First Cleanse while eliminating caffeine, sugar, and gluten. I may try Gwyneth's meal plan.

What are your diet/exercise tips? What works for you?