upstairs Room

Well little Safi is almost 18 months and it looks like this week she decided that she was going to start her terrible two’s tantrums.  My goodness..  I am pretty sure I got all the white hair that I have because of Yumna’s tantrums and then potty training.  Now I think my hair will go completely white with this girl.  I can’t stand the crying…. it drives me crazy.  I have to leave the room or put her in another room because I just get so stressed out.

I never really thought I was an emotional eater, but since starting this diet, I realized that definately I was.. I am.  I used to love to eat at night with my husband.. we’d just snack on the most horrible things as a way of relaxing and unwinding.  And now, as I get stressed out, it makes me want some sugar.  Just drown my stress in a glass of juice. Maybe some roasted red pepper chips.

Being a parent puts so many demands on a woman’s body.  First you have the pregnancy.  It’s not enough that you are putting on weight and have to deliver a baby, but the numerous other things that it requires.  Okay, lets start with the morning sickness.. man for most that means maybe throwing up once or twice in the morning for the first three months.  With Safi.. I was so sick that I was throwing up 20-25 times a day, couldn’t eat or drink, was on IV, couldn’t work and lost 40 pounds. I know this is a blog about weight loss, but losing 40 lbs in 8 weeks is not good, not for anyone.  And with out a doubt, it came back on.. especially because while pregnant I couldn’t for the life of me handle raw meat.  Now I question why we didn’t eat more vegetarian options at home… but instead we ended up eating out a lot.

Then the cuties come along, and the nursing starts.. oh my goodness, if your boobs don’t fall off from the pain involved in getting that going, then you’re hungry like a horse and could eat anything that comes before you.  And its not like you have time to make nice nutritious home cooked meals.. I was drinking juice, eating chewy granola bars and frozen pasta dinners.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids.. enormously.. I try hard to be a good parent to them.. they are my day and night. But, the amount of times I have read about women gaining weight because they have kids and then have no time for themselves is insane.  And now sitting here, two kids later, in that situation.. well I think it is only fair to warn the ones of you out there who haven’t had kids.  Not so you don’t have them. But more to inform you that you HAVE to make smart decisions that keep your health in mind when you do.

So firstly, being pregnant is not a license to eat whatever you want. It’s harder to lose the weight that you put on during pregnancy after you have a baby, then just making healthy choices during the pregnancy that don’t require you to do that.  And it can be done.  I’ve seen some of my friends do it.

Secondly, you will be tired when you are pregnant. Very tired.. but don’t resort to eating out all the time.  Try and cook large amounts and freeze it, or get your husband to make easy dishes.. or get some help.. even pay a friend to cook healthy food for you instead of enlisting the help of Ronald and the Hamburgler.

If you choose to nurse your baby, drink WATER.  Don’t drown yourself in 1000 calories of juice a day.  Pick healthy snacks to eat and maybe get the Lean Cuisines if you’re going to eat frozen food.

And lastly, get active with your baby.  For two reasons.. It’s good for you, and it’s good for the baby.  If you train your baby from an early age about going out, they will get used to it.

Filed under: Day to Day