“Find your comfort zone – then leave it.” – Anonymous

 

I was 120 lbs, got pregnant and packed on 52 more.  Each month I racked up the calories to stave off my behemoth appetite till month 5 rolled around and my OB told me if I kept  up my Olympian pace I’d be a behemoth by the time I gave birth.  I thought he was the rudest man on earth. Later I thanked him.

“I thought I was eating for two?”  I slyly asked him.  He ignored my lame comment and then asked, ““What have you been eating, anyway?”   time to come clean, Peanut butter sandwiches and cheese pizza.”   Case closed.

I cut down on the nuts and pizza but still topped out at 172 even after my 6lb 8oz  daughter was born.  Feeling very uncomfortable, tight-skinned and swollen I decided right there in my hospital bed to get a grip.  I was not a sausage – I was a strong healthy woman (somewhere in there) whose vacation was over in more ways than one.

Pre-pregnancy had me running 2 miles a day and eating pretty healthy for the most part, but all my good sense went out the window once I found out there was a bun in the oven.  I stopped exercising and began eating even when I was not hungry, but really, I was always hungry.   My reckless and antiquated pregnancy plan actually did more than damage my health – it caused severe complications for my baby. We almost lost her.  Thank goodness for c-sections.

As I lay there in the recovery room, fresh off the anesthesia and itching like  crazy, I knew I had to make some serious changes.  There are no short cuts or magic bullet diets or pills or shakes or whatever.  I knew the bottom line was a simple equation:

effort = results.  Period.

How did I arrive at that? Let’s just say that feeling like garbage was a sophisticated motivator for me.

My new plan began the moment I got home by cutting my dairy and meat intake by 50%.  I cut out cow’s milk altogether and stubbornly begin swigging soy which turned out to be not so bad after all.  After a couple months I had integrated whole grains and legumes into my diet like lentils, kidney beans, quinoa, brown and wild rice and split peas along with lotsa raw vegetables and fruit.

Eventually I adopted an entirely new lifestyle – vegan to be exact.

My wholefood diet along with exercise had the pounds melting off.  Where I lacked in sleep (understandably so) I made up for in all other areas.  I made the effort to unwind the unhealthy habits and replaced them with healthy ones such as:

• Nursing my new baby was good for both of us in more ways than one
• Began walking about 2 miles a day outdoors (got my sunshine and fresh air too!)
• Began doing light interval training with 3 lb weights at home via dvd
• Cut back  (eventually completely) on all dairy and meat, fish and fowl
• Wholegrain rice and pasta
• Drank a tons of water (nursing or not – do it)
• Increased protein with nut cheeses (cashew) and white bean alfredo sauce
• Increased protein with vegetable protein patties (20 gms per patty)
• Juiced regularly
• Continued abstinence from all caffeine and alcohol
• Used carob, brown rice syrup, honey and 100% maple syrup as sweeteners in place of white sugar.

It may sound extreme because it was.  I was a brand new 26 yr old mum who was scrambling to get it together.  I am now 45 and I have since abandoned a few hard lines from back when I needed some fierce structure however; I stand by all the choices above , still integrate some of them now and will be forever open to new and exciting additions or tweeks.

The difference now (other than being 19 yrs older) is  now I sometimes enjoy a glass a wine with dinner and a piece of chocolate every now and then, love organic Greek yogurt and realize that good health is what works for my body and spirit.

Another difference is I have an 80/20 rule.  That means 80% of the time I eat ultra-healthy and the other 20% is reserved for things like a mini snickers or blue cupcakes.  (Which reminds me – I am excited to share more on my migration from a typical American meat and cheese diet to veganism and vegetarianism; my experiement with eating dairy and meat after the vegan experiment and where I am nowadays.)

Here’s the thing – once you begin cutting out processed crap food, the 80/20 rule cannot help but shift on its own.  I rarely eat that snickers bar or smurf dessert because my taste buds have changed and all because why?

Magic bullet?

Short cut?

Nope.

I truly wanted to be strong and feel better so that was the first step. Once the strength and vitality began surging, I naturally wanted more.  I enjoy clean, fresh food because for one – it tastes spectacular and two, I simply feel better.  No longer am I weighted down or bloated and that is truly a nice place.