Dieting & Getting back in shape

When you are pregnant it’s evident you will gain weight. They say the norm is about 12 kg. In my first pregnancy I gained about 17 kg and in this pregnancy almost 20. Towards the end I refused to even go on the scale knowing I would become depressed being faced with a pointless number.

Yesterday I went on the scale for the first time, and it pointed at 66 kg. Oh well it could be worse. I think my maximum weight being non pregnant is about 65 kg so I know it’s a weight I can work with. I started straight after the birth of Sebastian with my usual low carb diet which I have been on for years. It has helped maintain a weight of about 52 kg (sometimes dropping as low as 48 kg) and this is my aim again. Today I put myself on the scale again and to my surprise I was down to 63 kg. Apparently it is not uncommon with fast weight loss when you breastfeed.

So what is my schedule right now? My breakfasts, as boring as they may sound, always consist of the same; a small fruit salad, 2 eggs, coffee and fresh mint tea. Lunch is exactly the same. Later I will vary my lunch, eating chicken or steak with a green salad. In the afternoon I always have a fruit, preferably apple, which is full of fiber.

My dinners are mostly meat with vegetables. I love broccoli and often half of my plate is full of it. Later in the evening if I fancy something sweet I go for in ice lolly. They have these mini ones here with less than 20 kcal so I can even splash out with two.

Another saviour for my sweet tooth is diet coke. I try not to go overboard on the stuff but it helps when I have a sweet craving.

The great thing with this diet, which is in principle a GI/Atkins diet, is that you can eat a varied diet and don’t have to starve yourself. Takeaways are no problem, especially Thai food (if you avoid the rice), Japanese (sashimi) and Indian (curries where I substitute the rice with tomatoes).

Training
I can’t train full impact yet so this week I will start with walks followed by gentle strengthening yoga exercises. If I feel I can do it, I will start with a gentle gym program next week and build it up from there.

I’m afraid, I will write on a regular basis on my diet and training endeavours. It’s a part of my lifestyle and in fact writing it here keeps me in check, with an extra motivation. I’d also welcome any suggestions, tips and advice from you, so please feel free to share your own experiences, either here on the blog or by email.

Well now I’m going to get back to my onlinesalsa project. Today is my first day “back at work”.