So, what have I been doing????

Well, I have had a secret for the past two months..... okay, it hasn't been a closely guarded secret by any means, but I still hadn't been advertising it either. However, on Saturday I hit my two month mark of trying to lose some weight after having Kendall and I have lost 17.8 pounds. YAY!!

Losing weight for me is always challenging and I have had to do it after each baby, but I have learned some things that have helped me and I thought I would share. This is just what has worked for me and may not work for everyone.

What Has Worked for Me:

I have been keeping my calories to 1000-1300 per day and have been drinking around 70-80 ounces of water a day. (I don't really enjoy water as much, but I add a little Propel water flavoring to it and that helps.)

I have also been keeping a journal or log of my calories, water intake and workouts each day. This helps me stay accountable to myself as well as making me actually see how much I have eaten at each meal and so forth. (All I include is the date, water tally, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snack Calories)

I try to workout 3-4 times a week for at least 30 minutes.

I keep gum on hand and chew it at different times during the day- especially when I have finished a meal and feel full, but still want the sensation of chewing something or if I am craving something sweet.

Several snacks / meals through the day have been key for me as it speeds up my metabolism and keeps me from getting "too hungry" and eating everything in sight.

Accountability partner(s) has also been essential as they keep me on track and can encourage me on the hard days. Charity Munn and both of my mothers have been that for me this time.

I have a "Blow Day" one day a week. On this day, I allow myself to eat whatever I want.... I try to keep my portions reasonable, but I also do not keep track of my calories on this day. Typically, this is Sundays for me as we often eat out on this day.

When we go out to eat, I often try to decide what I am going to order before getting to the restaurant. I will look up online what is a better option for me and try to stick with it. It is easier for me to eat healthy if I have decided in advance what I am going to eat.

I try to weigh twice a week so that I can see how things are going, but without becoming too obsessive about it.

Finally, I have an end "goal" in mind as well as a reward. I even keep a sheet that I color off a section when I have lost a certain number of pounds. ( This may sound silly, but I get excited when I get to color another section!) Plus, when I reach my goal, Reagan has promised to take me on a shopping weekend for new clothes!!!

Now, all of you can help keep me accountable as well- I still have several pounds to go in order to reach my goal. I hope my journey helps encourage you as well.