I had Kyle almost six weeks ago, which hardly seems possible but a quick check of the calendar assures me it is. I'm still eating as if I'm nine-months pregnant, though, and can't you just imagine how that's working out for me? And working out for all those dusty clothes of mine that haven't seen the light of day since, oh, SOMETIME LAST YEAR?
I lost just about thirty pounds the first week I was home from the hospital. Every day I'd step on the scale and shout to Mike, "Six more fell off!" And, boy, that helped my case of the blues that first week. Sure, I was crying every 20 minutes but I was also losing weight without even trying and, come on, that's a pretty nice silver lining to the baby blues. Those pounds are still more or less gone -- more if I weigh myself right when I get up or right when I've gone 12 hours without eating because Kyle is being especially demanding and less if I weigh myself at any other time -- but I still have around 30 to 35 pounds to lose to reach my goal weight. Do you know what isn't conducive to reaching one's goal weight? EASTER* CANDY. Do you know what's currently littering our coffee table and kitchen counters? Yep. Uh-huh, you got it. Easter candy. (Tasty, tasty Easter candy.)
I go back to the office in roughly three weeks, and I keep telling myself that going back to the office will provide me with a more solid routine that will allow me to concentrate on adult things such as sending out professional emails and talking news stories with my officemate and, yes, counting calories since that's when my days won't revolve around only two things: 1) Kyle and 2) devouring everything within an arm's length.
(A solid routine is the silver lining I am creating to comfort myself about returning to work. Although I love my job and even miss my job and really, really miss the people I work with, the thought of leaving Kyle in anyone else's hands has me breathing into a paper bag and requiring a Costco-sized supply of Kleenex.)
I do have to be really, really honest with myself here, though: Although a routine is something I'm very much looking forward to, I don't think it will be the secret of fitting back into my size-six jeans. See, my office is much closer to Sprinkles than my house is and, also, my co-workers like Chipotle just as much as I do. The hard truth is that I'll lose the weight when I make the effort to lose the weight and it hardly matters if I'm at home all day taking care of my son or sitting at my desk all day taking care of my authors.
Here's my question for you: would you be interested in hearing about my weight-loss journey? I've written about my weight before -- at length -- but I think if I had some sort of community holding me accountable, it would at least motivate me to put down the chocolate marshmallow bunnies some of the time. But, be honest, does adding diet talk to what's quickly becoming Solely A Mom Blog make you instantly cringe and click over to another Web site? Does a weekly weight-loss update post sound like what insomnia cures are made of?
What if I entice you with before-and-after photos? (Who doesn't like before-and-after photos? It's half the reason I watch "The Biggest Loser.") I'll even offer the before photo ... before (as in this week)?
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*Speaking of Easter, I cannot stop browsing little boy Easter outfits. Mike and I are not religious in the organized sense and we have no religious-type plans this Easter but you can sure as hell bet that I will make grand plans if I can put this hat on my boy or this sweater vest or these overalls (seersucker for babies, OMG).