[AnneWonders]

This morning, I put on a pair of my pre-baby jeans. I almost talked myself out of it, since I don't need the mental flogging right now. But, they fit. Granted, they are tight, and they were my most loose pre-baby jeans, but they fit! My weight has stagnated at +15, but my body is still changing. I've been so frustrated with the long chain of illnesses, so it is good to have something go right for a change.

Now I'm bracing for the next upper resperitory infection, which reared its ugly head last night. I knew DD was susceptible to all this stuff since her immune system is new, but mine has been around the block a time or two. And I'm really working on eating healthy and getting as much rest as possible. You'd THINK I would get to skip at least one of these colds.

Anne

[lilybelle]

Anne, congrat's on wearing the pre-pregnancy jeans that is wonderful. Hope you feel better soon.
Now that I finally hit maintenance, can someone tell me how often I should weigh? I weighed usually once or twice a week before, if this often enough? I want to keep a very close eye on my weight.

[AnneWonders]

Thanks, Lilybelle!

I think the standard NWCR wisdom is that most successful maintainers weigh in daily. Weight fluctuates for most of us by up to a couple pounds a day, so if you are used to weighing weekly, you should get sort of mentally prepared for that and not go nuts if everything else is going right, eating, exercise. But as always, we all do it a little differently and you just have to find what works for you. If daily fluctuations are tough psychologically, then do it weekly. Or try on a standard, non-stretchy clothing item (I like jeans) once a week to check progress. The important thing is to monitor regularly and consistently. We all do that a little differently, but I believe we all do that.

Anne

[lilybelle]

Thanks for the help. I weighed today and am still exactly at my goal weight and it was a relief.

[Airegrrrl]

Anne, that's great news (about the jeans, of course, not the crud). We never doubted you could do it. And congrats Lilybelle on reaching your goal and maintaining it right off the bat. I predict awesome things to come.

Guess what ... I got a bike! I got a bike! I got a bike ... and she's a beauty. She's a Trek Pilot V road bike, and she's a gorgeous shade of deep saphire blue. I went test riding on Saturday, never anticipating that I'd actually buy anything. But when the bike shop told me she was being discounted because she has a paint chip the size of a dime, I snapped her up. We rode about five miles yesterday and I feel great today. So, next time we'll go longer. We're also joining the local bike club, which sponsors all kinds of rides. Some of them, are beyond me at this point -- on Saturday, they went 96 miles. But it gives me a goal.

Not much else to report. Work continues to be a bear ... am cutting my vacation short by a week but I'll work at home in that 2nd week, blessedly free of the phone. I have high hopes of plowing through mountains of work. We'll see. And I also hope to take a couple of extra classes at the Y ... so, tell me if I should have my head examined ... what would anyone say if I said I was thinking about a step class after at least a decade of not taking a step class? I used to love step because it only involves counting to four ... and NO choreography; do you think I can still do it?

And on that happy note, I'm off ....

[Glory87]

Originally Posted by lilybelle

Now that I finally hit maintenance, can someone tell me how often I should weigh? I weighed usually once or twice a week before, if this often enough? I want to keep a very close eye on my weight.

I weigh every Sunday morning but completely skip the Sunday before my period begins. If I weigh myself on Sunday and the number is higher than I like, I permit myself to weigh on Monday, usually whatever weird fluctuation caused the higher number is gone. I want to stay accountable, but daily weighing makes me crazy. I'm also very aware of how my clothes fit.

[WaterRat]

Oh Robin, how exciting!! Don't know if you read over at LWL, but my poor bike lost its lower gears, and it is now in the shop getting a new pod (I've since learned that that is the part on the handlebars where you change the gears). We are of course having perfect riding weather. Grrrrr. You'll work up to more miles in no time. There was a 400 mile(!) bike race here this past weekend, which included a number of mountain passes. The winner did it in 19+ hours! I wonder if he can walk.

Lilybelle - I only weigh "officially" at the gym, and then I aim for Mondays. I may get on our scale at home, but it's so unreliable that I've pretty much given it up. Clothes work well for me. I've working back down to my goal - sigh - and am currently in that awful "this size is too big, next one down is too tight" so am constantly hitching my pants up.

[Mel]

Robin-Congratulations on the bike! I took mine out this weekend for the first time in years. Is it nice and flat where you are? The fact that you loved step classes because you only had to count to four cracked me up. How are your hips and knees feeling? I think they should be your guide to whether you want to do a step class.

Ann-Congratulations to you on the jeans I think all the viral infections have mutated since any current crop of parents had them so they get them all again with their first children. If you space your children really far apart like mine, I think you get them all again. At least that's what happened to me.

Lilybelle- I weigh every once in a while, usually when my clothes are loose I know from looking at my body and how my clothes fit exactly what is going on, so beating myself up with numbers when I already know I'm headed the wrong way is too depressing. When I first started maintaining (and also when I was losing), I weighed daily.

You paddle a kyak, BTW.

Mel

[lilybelle]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I never could stand to see the daily fluctuations so I think I will try to weigh every other day and see how that goes. My eating hasn't changed at all and I'm off to hit the treadmill now.

[srmb60]

Good Morning! It would appear that I've figured out how to maintain 130 lbs or so. Unfortunately that's about 6 or 7 lbs more than I'd like.
The good news is that I've done that without eating well or exercising. Guess that's my first clue what to do about the 6 or 7 lbs, huh?

[Meg]

We always knew you were a smart cookie!!

[lilybelle]

WaterRat, I am in the same position with clothes. Large shirts are very baggy and don't look very good. Mediums are a little snug. It's strange, but just 7lbs. ago the larges fit perfectly. I have weighed every other day and holding steady at 143 for now, so I am very happy with this.

[srmb60]

Good morning! I put the pieces together a little nicer yesterday and am happy to have a good day under my belt.

Meg ... smart is a pretty generous term for me considering how many times I need to be bonked over the head about the basics

Lilybelle's post reminded me of the analogy about the papertowels on the roll. I can't remember how to explain it.
However ... Lilybelle, I'll bet you still shrink and you'll find a clothing line that suits you and fits well. There's buckets of them out there.

[Sweater Girl]

Good Afternoon Ladies!

I am now a mom! My baby girl's name is Geneviève Judy Anthea, she weighed 8lbs 14oz when she was born and was almost 22inches long!! She was born on July 12th via a c-section!

Anyway talk about a diet... I've lost 20lbs this past week, then again, I gained about 52lbs ... so I will still have to work hard, but for the next 5 weeks I will work on having my body heal!

I will attach a pic when I can get one small enough!

Have a good day!

Ali

[Meg]

Congratulations, Ali! What a beautiful name for a sweet little . We'd love to see photos when you feel up to it.

Twenty pounds lost already is awesome and it sounds like you did a great job keeping the weight gain under control - I'm sure you'll have no problems getting rid of the rest over weeks to come. Take it easy (you know how they say to nap when the baby naps? they're right!) and enjoy your daugher for now. They really do grow up much too fast.