I spent three years devoting my life to staying healthy to keep my son healthy. I ate as healthy as possible, took a multivitamin daily and NEVER drank until my son was asleep for the night. Even then, I never drank more than two drinks in a sitting, out of fear I would need to be on my game. I RAN from second-hand smoke like it would kill both of us, and questioned every plate of shellfish I came in contact with. I was in the mindset that I was a walking milk factory, and had to live by that.
Now, I am no longer a milk factory...
Now, I am a thirty-six year-old mother reconnecting with her body and love of naughty foods and behaviors! I'm like a kid in a candy shop ready to order everything...
After all those years of being so rigid, it's strange to have control back. It's strange to not have to think before I eat, drink or get invited to an early dinner. I keep finding myself in awe of being able to eat whatever I want, whenever I want. I keep forgetting I can go out to an early dinner with friends, since I am no longer needed at bedtime. I love that I can have a super caffeinated coffee or tea whenever I want, without fear of passing that energy on to the already wild wild-child. While it's very cool to have this free reign, it's very different at the same time.
Something else that is very cool and very different, is my recent weightloss. You see, I DID NOT lose weight while nursing. Quite the opposite. I packed on more pounds after my pregnancy. That's right, I continued to gain weight while nursing, not lose it. And now, I am not sure if it is because I am no longer nursing, or the fact that I am nowhere near as hungry, or that it's summer and I am more active, but the pounds are melting off. I have lost a full pant size since I stopped nursing last month!
WHOO HOO!
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| Pretend that's me doing the weightloss dance! |
Needless to say, this new weightloss is wonderful, and freeing. I can wear my old favorite jeans again. I am in a medium size shirt thanks to the full-cup I lost up top! I am absolutely loving it, and am excited to lose more. Like the extra 15 pounds I need to lose to get back to my pre baby weight! The questions is, what lengths am I willing to go to now that there are no limits? Do I want to go back to my old ways of crash dieting my way to skinny, even if that means headaches, crankiness and zapped energy? Tempting... but, nah. I'm the mother of a toddler, ain't nobody got time for that!
While it's nice to have the ability to eat, lose weight and party like a rockstar anyway and time I want, I learned over the last three years, it's not worth the brain damage. I've grown comfortable in my own skin. Sure, I certainly would like to look like that Saint's Cheerleeder on my 40th birthday, but no way am I going to starve my ass off to get there!
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| That chick, pictured with her two sons, is 40-years-old AND a cheerleader for the New Orleans' Saints! GET IT GIRL!!! BRAVO! |
Who knew after three years of bitching about the restrictions, I would happily still cling to that way of life over my old pre-baby ways of poor choices and crash dieting? I'm healthy, happy and mindful of what I eat. Today, my life is about my health and family, not about crash diets and happy hours. Yes, I know I always say becoming an adult was one of the dumbest things I ever did, however, in this case, it's actually a win. One point, healthy mom lifestyle. Zero points, pre-motherhood dumbassery.
A little note to nursing mothers... This will most likely be you too! <Insert Evil Laugh> XOXO
