I got on the scale this morning, as I do most mornings. Today, I weigh exactly 210 pounds.
I'm no math genius, but clearly that number is very wrong for someone who is only 5'3" (on a good day). At least it's not the heaviest I've been. My terrifyingly high weights were during my pregnancies - I was pushing 240 at both deliveries. At the gracious suggestion of one of the nurses, I started turning around to face away from the scale at those last few doctor appointments because the number was just too painful to see.
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| Whoa, belly! October 2008 |
Somehow, I had pregnancies free of complications (not even gestational diabetes, to the shock of my OB) and managed to lose basically all 30+ pounds of pregnancy weight within the first 6 weeks. This feat becomes even more miraculous when you consider that I was stuffing my face with chocolate the whole time and doing little more than sitting on a sofa or bed all day breastfeeding a newborn. But, our bodies work in mysterious ways and I was not about to question the magic of this effortless weight-loss plan. Silly me.
At 3 months postpartum both times, my body decided it'd had enough of the free ride and rather unceremoniously returned my menstrual cycle without warning (may I remind you I was still exclusively breastfeeding??) and the pounds began to creep back on.
At some point in 2010 I got fed up with being so fat and starting going to Weight Watchers meetings again, and lost a little bit of weight. Yay! And then my marriage fell apart and I got divorced. Boo! I've lost a little bit here and there (was down to 195 at some point last year) but have generally been eating so much and moving so little that my weight has basically been stuck hovering around 205/210.
I have made halfhearted promises to myself over the years (many, many times) to get back on the Weight Watchers wagon - I mean, I worked for the web site once! I still write for them sometimes! - but this time is different. No, really. I'm mentally there. I've got the tools and resources (thank you, conveniently timed launch of the new Weight Watchers 360 program), I've got the cheerleaders (hi, friends! especially you huge weight-loss inspirations - you know who you are) and I've got the motivation.
I can do this.
(And I promise tomorrow's post won't be nearly as sappy/hyperinspirational sounding.)
