Thinking Straight about Weight loss

I'm a little over 3 months postpartum and about 10 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. I honestly don't have anything to complain about at this point. Most of the pregnancy weight melts off easily thanks to those extra calories breastfeeding knocks out. However the last 5 -10 pounds often require a little mental focusing. I've found that weight loss doesn't have to be all that difficult if you're thinking straight. We all know that we're supposed to be eating as clean as we can and exercising, but I think getting your head in the game is the most important factor in long term weight loss.

The single biggest mental exercise that has helped me lose weight has been the ability to distinguish between true hunger and cravings. What is hunger? Hunger, according to the Oxford dictionary, is, " a  feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by a lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat." Hunger is not a sensation most of us experience regularly here in America. The very American tendency to snack all day prevents us from ever truly feeling hungry.  Do NOT fear hunger. You will not starve, you will not die, you've got a pantry full of food. A craving on the other hand is just a strong desire for food. A craving is a want but hunger is a need. If I can respond to my needs more than I respond to my wants then the battle to lose weight is won.

 So how can you tell the difference? Skip a meal (don't do this if pregnant or nursing, your baby needs to eat).  Again, you will not die and it will help you to know what mild hunger feels like. If that's too extreme, limit yourself to three meals a day and no snacks for one day.  Try distracting yourself, if I'm craving something my mouth may be watering and I'm getting all the signals that I need to eat; but if I give it 5 minutes and get involved with something else the craving often goes away. Sometimes my cravings are super strong so I just take a bite of whatever it is that I think I can't live without. I chew slowly and assess whether or not its really worth eating. If I think its worth it, I eat it. If its not worth it and nobody is around I spit it out. If I'm in public, I just don't take another bite. I find that the thought of indulging in a certain treat is often more pleasurable than the reality itself. This is how I discovered that I don't like most chocolate. Don't get me wrong; I LOVE chocolate but chocolate with a bunch of added fillers is not worth it in my opinion. I can pass on Hershey's and Reese's. My mantra is, buy higher quality chocolate and eat less of it.

Eat well, but don't be a food Nazi. Do some exercise that you can look forward to and enjoy. Walking consistently is better than running 5 miles once a month. Say no to cravings more than you say yes. That's the way I enjoy losing weight. Wanting to lose weight is not selfish or frivolous. Beauty matters, being a good steward of what you've been given matters. Enjoy the process!

Postpartum Recovery: Diastasis Recti (ab separation)

Oh how I love my boys! But oh how they have destroyed their mama's body! Before I got pregnant with my first child my stomach was one of the best things about my body. I'm pretty curvy, but I always managed to have an effortlessly flat tummy. Then I got pregnant and I stopped holding my stomach in because for some reason I figured the baby needed the room. And I thought not worrying about your waistline was one of the perks of pregnancy. WRONG! I should have kept holding my tummy in because I think it's one reason why I've had diastasis recti with each of my pregnancies.

Whether you just had a baby or you had one over 20 years ago, diastasis recti may be an issue your body is dealing with. So, what is it? It happens when the two sides of your abs separate to make room for your baby. Its pretty common. After your baby comes out the connective tissue between your abs is weakened and your internal organs rest on that connective tissue instead of on your muscles. This produces a bulge that will not go away no matter how much you diet or exercise. Exercises like crunches can even aggravate the problem. This is also why women seem to show earlier with every subsequent pregnancy.

After my second pregnancy, I noticed that my tummy was pretty jacked up so naturally I was doing crunches and all the other ab exercises you're not supposed to do if you have this particular problem. I had never heard about diastasis recti but I  ended up coming across a video on youtube that explained the problem and how to check to see if I had a separation. I started doing several exercises to help bring my abs back together but before I was completely healed I got pregnant again with our third little boy.

I gave birth to our third son in June of 2013. When I went in for my six week postpartum appointment my midwife didn't even have to check me for a diastasis. When I laid back on the table she said she could see it and that it was pretty severe. She gave me a six-week program to bring it back together. Its called the Tupler Technique, a four step program involving exercises, splinting, using your transverse during everyday activities, and getting up and down correctly.

I started this program about 3 weeks ago without the splint and I've lost an inch around my waist. After seeing such an improvement I was skeptical about using the splint. But I got my splint on Monday and after wearing it the first night I saw a huge difference in the top of my abs (above is a picture of my splinted abs). Before I started doing the exercises I was experiencing uncomfortable back pain and even some abdominal discomfort. I haven't had any of this pain for about a week now. I have also had a decreased appetite. We'll see how this goes... If you've got a mummy tummy check to see if you have diastasis! I'll post an update in 6 weeks and let you know my results.