I gained 8 pounds in the few months between getting married and getting pregnant. I gained 60 – yes, 60! – pounds while pregnant. Even after postpartum recovery, I didn’t look or feel like myself in my body. To this day, I still can only wear a subset of my wardrobe. No normal pants for me; I’m still in maternity clothes because I haven’t gone clothes shopping in many months.
I lost a bunch of weight during and in the few days following the birth, of course. On my quarter-of-the-year weigh-in on March 31, I showed 37 pounds lost, an average weight loss of 1 pound per week since January 1. Slow progress, but progress. My goal is a 68 pound loss, so 37 pounds gone, 31 pounds to go.
But then – the horror – I gained weight. I’m not sure why; I haven’t changed my diet or routine. Today, 19 days later, I’m back down to where I was on March 31. Even at my slow rate of 1 pound lost per week, I was hoping to be down 3 more pounds by now. Something has got to change.
My exercise routine is minimal. I’ve gone through periods when I’ve been a regular at fitness classes, but that doesn’t last long. I am not a gym rat at all. The equipment bores me and working out solo but surrounded by people watching me is awkward. I hate running, preferring a leisurely stroll.
My solutions: fun, unconventional fitness. I was really into yoga for a while, especially power yoga, until I moved and never found an instructor who I clicked with again. Back when it was easier for me to do so, I would walk on the beach fairly regularly. Swimming in the current, fighting the waves is a great work-out but I rarely have the chance. I got a pair of ice skates in January and have been free skating every Saturday early afternoon except for days when I have social commitments.
One of my favorite ways to exercise is with my vertical chrome pole, erected in my living room. It’s a misnomer, but most people know it as a stripper pole. It’s fantastic and challenging. A few years ago, I was inspired to take a class, and I continued taking classes for a year until my instructor moved. But with any fitness class, it’s a struggle to get somewhere on time every time, especially when the class is half an hour away.
At my peak, I was an intermediate pole student. I could climb to the top of the pole by four different ways, invert (hang upside down) in multiple poses, and do all kinds of fancy spins. I had so much fun with it! And as a plus, I was toned. My tummy has always been an issue, but I had arms and shoulders that strangers commented on. I felt great.
During wedding planning and in my newlywed months, I got too preoccupied to focus on regular pole practice at home. When I got pregnant, I stopped altogether for fear of harming my developing child, though I probably could have continued at a lower intensity. By the time I recovered in postpartum enough to think about exercising again, I was so out-of-practice that I was back to beginner status. It was embarrassing.
Slowly over weeks of practicing here and there, I’m getting stronger. But I’m nowhere near where I want to be. The only way to get better is to practice, practice, practice. And as I lose weight, it’ll become easier to lift myself. And all the exercise will help me to lose weight!
The problem: I have a baby who loves being held, rarely naps if she’s not on my lap, and doesn’t always entertain herself for long periods of time. Plus, I work at home. Where do I carve out the time in the day to practice pole?
I set a goal this week: practice pole for at least 5 minutes every day. Five minutes is almost nothing and ideally I’d love a 30 minute block, but that’s a dream. Five minutes daily is an attainable goal. Maybe.
Yesterday, I only achieved four minutes of pole practice before the baby started fussing loudly enough for me to give up and pick her up. Today, I’m aiming for five minutes. Will I succeed? I hope so! I want to lift and spin this baby weight off, five minutes at a time.
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| In 2013 at my peak pole abilities, pre-baby. I will get there again! |
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