[Trish13]

Hi, I'm Trish. I'm a 26-year-old married mom of two and step-mom of one (still nursing the baby, born June 2009). I have become determined to fit into the same size jeans I wore when I graduated high school, which would be a healthy weight for my height and frame. Stress, work, kids, too much to do have lead me to eating junk food or grabbing food on the run (fast food, vending machine food, etc.) too many times. I also never "have" time to excercise. Just one excuse after another. I know I have to MAKE time to excercise, eat right, and treat myself the way I should.

I have 20 pounds of baby weight plus 20 pounds of life weight to lose, for a total of 40 pounds. Totally do-able. I plan to do Jillian's 30-day shred on days when I'm not at work (I work 12.5 hour rotating shifts) and do cardio on days I work. (I can do my cardio by climbing stairs at work. One building has 14 flights in it that are continuous with landings on each floor [kinda like the stairs in big apartment buildings] and can be climbed all at once, or several at a time.)

I can't do a really "drastic" diet. I can't cut my carbs or fat or protein or calories really sharp because I'm still nursing. I have to have all that to make milk for baby. My doctor told me I should be able to keep my diet and begin excercising without losing my milk supply. She said my weight loss may not go as fast as it would if I were able to count calories and all that, but that it will still go. And after I wean the baby, I can start a sensible diet, with fewer calories than I require now. For now my diet will have to be sensible eating, no extra calories from junk, and getting all my recommended servings of each food group. I am proud of my accomplishment yesterday. I managed to get 3 servings of fruit. Real fruit. Not juice. I ate a small orange, an apple, and a banana. (This is BIG. Some days I don't eat any fruit AT ALL.)

I struggle with finding time to do everything I need in each day. It's hard for me to cook healthy foods like I should, because of the others in my house. (Hubby will try anything just about. His son "gets sick on whole wheat foods" like pasta, bread, etc. He doesn't have Celiac or anything, he really just doesn't want to eat whole wheat, but he eats it at his grandma's house because he has to, she has diabetes. My brother-in-law (who lives with us) is so picky, it's sometimes a challenge to cook something he will eat. The baby isn't eating our food yet, except things like mashed potatoes, so he isn't a problem.) I have decided to adopt a "If I have to cook it, I'm cooking what I want, if you eat it, fine, if you chose not to, fine" kind of approach to cooking.

I am doing this for myself. I want more energy. I want to feel like I look good. I want to feel good inside, not just for my looks or weight, but because being healthy should lead to feeling better in general. I want the energy to get everything on my to-do list done. I want the energy to run around after my son, who will be walking in a few months or so. I want the energy to play in the yard with my stepson without stopping every minute or two to catch my breath. I don't want to feel fat. I don't want to wind up with diabetes, heart disease, or something else. I don't want to be embarassed for my husband to see how chubby I am (which I already was before I got pregnant). He says he doesn't care, he still loves me, and thinks I'm hot, and I believe he truly does. But that belief doesn't help. I don't want to gain any more weight. I don't want to die early just because I didn't stop this when I had the chance.

Wow, I got heavy there quick, didn't I? Those are my reasons, though. I will do this. I want to feel good again (the more energy thing and all that), and I want to look as good as I feel. And I want to make this as fun as possible. I want to enjoy working out, so I'll stick with it.

I can do it. I WILL do it.