The Weight Loss Challenge*

So. Two months ago I had a baby. (Surprise!)

When you are pregnant and glowy, there is also another side effect: you gain weight. There is no avoiding it, and a healthy weight gain is encouraged to ensure you are having a healthy pregnancy. When you’re pregnant it’s kind of awesome because you tend to allow yourself a few indulgences you might not otherwise eat as it’s all for the good of the baby, amiright?

But then you have the baby and the weight hangs around like a jerk. It’s like that annoying coworker, acquaintance or friend who always overstays their welcome but can’t quite take a hint.

I’ve gained a reasonable amount of weight with each pregnancy. After Hank was born I decided to make my health a priority and lost all the baby weight and then some. And then I went back to work and got pregnant again, and now here I am, two months post partum with a few extra baby pounds to lose. I know they will eventually come off–it took a year to gain the weight, it often takes the same to lose it–but I’ve been looking for something to help get me started.

To motivate me, if you will.

Two weeks ago a weight loss challenge was proposed in one of the Mom groups I follow on Facebook. I knew it was exactly what I needed to give me that swift kick in the rear that I’ve desperately been seeking. I reached out to a few friends that I thought might be interested, and the challenge began. The concept is simple: $25 buy in, 10 weeks of work and weekly weigh ins, and at the end of it, the person with the highest percentage of weight loss wins the pot. The response to this challenge was amazing. Right now I am fighting for a cheque for $450.

I very rarely splurge on myself… and I cannot begin to tell you how much I want that money. After three babies and yo-yoing weight for years, I really need some new clothes. I need new jeans, new tops and new shoes. And I don’t want to just go out and buy them…

…I want to earn them.

We had our first weigh in today. I lost 2.5lbs, which is right on track for what I was hoping. It’s not huge, but I’m hoping to lose at least 2lbs a week to meet my goal for the challenge. Almost everyone had a really great first week–I know the challenge now will be to maintain it and keep it going for another 9 weeks.

So here is where I need you.

I started running again last week. I’m out walking with the kids every day. I just tried an introduction to Yoga video and am beginning some easy post partum core strengthening exercises. I’m trying to eat a little better and stop snacking at night. Right now I feel excited and on fire with this challenge.

But I know myself and I know that when this gets hard my enthusiasm will start to wane. And as much as I want that money, I want the satisfaction of feeling good in my clothes even more.

So stay on me, okay? I always feel so much more accountable when I know people are watching. I know that I can do this, I just need to stay focused and make realistic, manageable goals. If you have any ideas or suggestions for me, please send them my way! If I go more than two days without posting a running photo, send me yell-y messages and tell me to get my butt moving.

Help me get healthy… and hopefully some new clothes!