Weekly Weigh-in #58: Sympathetic Weight is Just Pathetic

Well, this week was a wake-up call for me and a reminder that Susan's pregnancy is no excuse for me to eat whatever I want. Just how loud was this week's wake-up call? Well, here are the stats from our weigh-in:

Jay
Starting weight: 301 pounds
Current weight: 265 pounds
Pounds lost this week: (3) pounds
Total pounds lost: 36 pounds

Susan
Starting weight: 238 pounds
Current weight: 181.5 pounds
Pounds lost this week: (1) pound
Total pounds lost: 56.5 pounds

Susan has nothing to worry about. She's still doing great and we know the baby is getting bigger because it started kicking this week. That said, I don't get to take a pass this week. Whether it's sympathetic weight gain or just plain overeating, I can't let Susan's pregnancy be an excuse for me to gain weight. Part of the gain is because we both used to motivate each other to work out and eat healthy, part is due to outside stress, but honestly I can't use her pregnancy as an excuse not to stay on top of my exercise and eating.

I have to take responsibility ... and not just brush off the weight gain as some weak version of Couvade syndrome (sympathetic pregnancy). Susan's dietary and exercise requirements are going to become increasingly dissimilar from mine over the next six months. If I don't make an effort to constantly eat healthy and exercise then by the time our new baby arrives I'll be dangerously close to my weight before we started getting fit.

This morning I woke up early and did 30 minutes of cardio on the bike. Hopefully that's just the start of a renewed commitment to losing weight.

Do You Get Enough Veggies?

As part of my employer's ongoing corporate health and wellness initiative, I attended a lunch-n-learn seminar earlier this week about getting enough vegetables. Actually, I requested the topic because it's an issue I struggle with, and I wondered if our nutritionist lady could help me out.

Indeed, she did! Well, first, she kind of freaked me out with the suggestion that people should consume 5-7 servings of vegetables a day. What?! I'm lucky if I get three. 5-7 seems a bit insane. But that's nutritionists for you, telling you the truth whether you like it or not.

She explained a lot about why veggies are good for us (vitamins, fiber, health benefits, etc.) But she also provided some handy tips about how to boost your veggie intake. Here are some of my favorites:

• Toss chopped peppers, onions or broccoli into an omelet. This is good, because breakfast and veggies just don't "go" together for me. But I could eat 'em in eggs!


• Enjoy a grilled tomato and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread.


• Pair hummus with grape tomatoes, cucumber slices or baby carrots.


• Add cooked peas to mac 'n' cheese, tuna casserole or other dish (we do this all the time).


• Mix and match greens, veggies, fruits, protein, nuts/seeds, cheese and dressing for salad variety and lots of vegetables in one meal.
  

Do you have any clever or tasty tricks for getting more veggies? I'd love to hear 'em. I have a long way to go ...

Weekly Weigh-in #57: Part I, Mrs.

Our little girl has been sick for the past couple of days, and she was all kinds of fever this morning. So I forgot to remind us to weigh in. Since I stayed home with her, I remembered and weighed in by myself. Might as well get it over with. Mr. will have to catch up tonight or tomorrow a.m.

Jay
Starting weight: 301 pounds
Current weight: ? pounds
Pounds lost this week: ? pound
Total pounds lost: ? pounds

Susan
Starting weight: 238 pounds
Current weight: 180.5 pounds
Pounds lost this week: (1.5) pound
Total pounds lost: 57.5 pounds

I can't say I'm surprised. My pregnant hibernation continued this past week, despite my best intentions to get moving more. I swear, every day by the time I get home and get my kiddo taken care of for the evening, I am wiped out. It seems like a distant memory that I used to have all the energy to head to the Y for a kick-butt workout at 8:30 p.m. and come home to watch my shows at 10. Now I just feel like crawling onto the couch and sleeping for 12 hours.

At least I'm eating healthy. Unlike my last pregnancy, when I ate virtually whatever I wanted in mass quantities, this time I'm sticking to our guidelines for everyday healthy nutrition. I still pile the fruit on my cereal (or at least eat the fiber-enhanced Pop Tarts!). I still eat my healthy snacks of yogurt or trail mix or fiber snack bars. And most nights, we're having a balanced dinner with veggies, whole grains and low-fat protein. Sweets like donuts or ice cream are occasional treats, not daily habits.

Still, I know damn well that exercise is good for me and the baby, and I need to figure out a way to make it happen. Maybe I can walk at lunchtime? Or -- gasp -- wake up early and do some cardio on the bike? I seriously need to do something, because this hibernation thing isn't going to help me stick to my 15-pound weight gain goal during this pregnancy.

Weekly Weigh-in #56: Blame It on Baby

I hope this isn't a trend: We both gained this week. One pound each. Not a huge amount, but still. It's a pound. As Mr. said this morning, at least I can blame it on the baby. (Though I only "get" to gain 15 for all of my pregnancy, according to my OB. And I have 26 weeks to go!)

What about him? He can blame it on being a hibernating bear. It's been snowing a lot and lousy weather -- not exactly inspiring either of us to be active lately.

Jay
Starting weight: 301 pounds
Current weight: 262 pounds
Pounds lost this week: (1) pound
Total pounds lost: 39 pounds

Susan
Starting weight: 238 pounds
Current weight: 179 pounds
Pounds lost this week: (1) pound
Total pounds lost: 59 pounds

There went our 100 pounds lost. Back to 98 again. Someone needs to get us bears out of our caves to exercise more!

Mr. and Mrs. Got Knocked Up!

Perhaps you've been wondering why Mrs. hasn't been terribly upset at herself for not losing more weight in recent months. Well, I had a really good excuse: I'm pregnant!

Mr. and I made the decision earlier this fall that we would try for a second child, even if I had not yet achieved my goal weight. Why? Well, I'm not getting any younger (32 and counting). Our kiddo is finally getting more independent, so it seemed like the perfect time to add to our brood. And frankly, I know I'm going to have to lose weight after the baby arrives, so why not just use that opportunity to do the whole shebang?

The baby is due in early August, so I have about six more months to be Mrs. Get Fit While Pregnant. I'm proud of the fact that I haven't gained weight in the first trimester (though my belly already feels bigger).

But I'm more than a little nervous about sticking to our fit lifestyle for the remainder of my pregnancy. It was during my first pregnancy that Mr. and I both gained way too much weight and let our eating and exercise habits become absolutely horrible. We used my pregnancy as an excuse to indulge in any and every craving and to avoid physical activity altogether. I ended up gaining about 40 pounds, and after the baby was born, I gained back whatever I lost with the birth.

To make sure we don't backslide into old, bad habits, Mr. and I have continued eating pretty much as we did before I got pregnant. I say "pretty much" because, well, I have given in to a craving or two. And when I do, Mr. often joins in. I'm trying hard to keep those indulgences to a minimum -- for both of our sakes.

I continue to exercise, though not with the intensity or regularity of my pre-pregnant life. Every time I get on that treadmill or elliptical, I just think, "Hey, at least I'm being active," even if it's not hard-core like before. Mr. no longer goes to a personal trainer due to some issues with his hip and leg. But he is trying to stay active by working out at home.

Now, instead of watching the scale for lower numbers, I'll be weighing in weekly to monitor my gains. My OB said I should shoot for about 15 extra pounds during this pregnancy, given my current weight and goals. At that rate, I can gain a pound or two every couple of weeks (it changes as the baby grows) and be perfectly fit and healthy. Any more than that, and I'll know it's time to cut back on the indulging and ramp up the cardio.

I also hope Mr. will continue to work toward his goals. It would be nice to have a fit husband, full of energy and enthusiasm, to help out when Baby #2 arrives! Lord knows, we'll need it.