Portion Control

I have a lifestyle pattern that is going to have to change, and soon.

Since September 2001, I have been either pregnant or nursing a baby, with the exception of two months in 2003.

This has meant that I have been a calorie burning machine. Well, kinda. Even the machine couldn’t keep up with the food intake while I was pregnant with Helen, and I gained fifty pounds.

Anyway. Alice is down to two, maybe three feedings a day. Within the past two weeks or so, I have seen a difference in how much I can eat without keeping the calories in storage… on my butt.

A challenge is in my future… I have to reteach myself how to eat reasonably. I’ve gotten all of my baby weight off, plus almost all of the weight I gained teaching, and I don’t want to gain ANY of it back. I suppose I should probably exercise, too, huh? Yeah, I know I should. Chasing around two little girls just isn’t enough and I know it. But it’s just hard to find the time when one doesn’t particularly enjoy the phenomenon known as “sweating.” Bleah.

I can’t just have a candy bar whenever I want it anymore. I can’t have a larger serving for dinner than Jerry does (which I have done for over 3 years now).

Rats. Eating’s fun, and now I have to be… restrained. Not my strong point.

12 thoughts on “Portion Control”

  1. Restraining you is one hobby that sounds like fun. 🙂 So how can I help?

    Exercise will help, both from the calorie-burning side and the energy side. I know, I’m one to talk: but I feel a difference just in taking karate twice a week. If we can get the stroller fixed maybe walks would be a good way to start.

    And I’ll watch your food portions with you.

  2. I always feel better when I exercise. Just wish I did it MORE!

    So back to that yoga idea? Sarah and Aardvark were both interested.

  3. OH… Tai Chi is awesome. Elaine, I’ll go with you if they’ll let wicked Presbyterians come!

  4. I know from experience that if I have to get in the car to go do it, I’m not going to do it. Especially THAT far away. I mean, I didn’t even get in the car to go HALF that distance to go to the gym.

    And I honestly don’t think Tai Chi would be aerobic enough.

  5. Oh, and Steph — that yoga class is at a HORRIBLE time for me, since it hits right at lunch and right when I have to pick up/feed/put girls down for naps. Can’t do it.

  6. Tai chi isn’t aerobic. You’re tired at the end of a session, no doubt. It’s a workout. But no, it’s not like a step class. Is that what you want?

  7. I *WANT* to tighten up my belly without effort. Realizing that this is not possible, I need something that gets my heart rate up. I think walking is likely the best thing for that.

    Stupid broken stroller.

  8. Oh walking is boring… but it is convenient, and you are likely to actually DO it.

    Aardvark is fond of saying that I switched to diet soda and dropped 5 pounds. But the truth is, I jog 8 flights of stairs every day. I walk at least a mile every day. Then I go to the gym or do something similar at home (like pushups and crunches and light weights) a couple of days a week.

    It doesn’t really matter what you do, as long as you do SOMETHING.

    And I still think that “Change One” diet is the world’s best. It makes you think about portion sizes and making healthy choices when you eat out (or cook in!)

    (And FTR — I hated giving up my extra calories when I weaned too!)

  9. I lost two dress sizes when I actually wrote down what I ate. It sounds ridiculous and scary, I know. I thought, “Man, that’s what crazy people do,” but it works (as in, they are not so crazy).

    http://WWW.atkins.com has a free “diet journal” which calculates carbs and calories of anything you put in. And you can look at a week in a glance and see patterns. It’s just a good thing to do for a while, IMHO.

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