Weight Loss Woes - Part II

I maintained that steady 175lbs for the next 3 years and became pregnant with my second son. Yes, I was paranoid about more weight gain, so I was diligently counting every morsel that went into my mouth. I delivered an 8 lb 2 oz boy with only a 15lb weight gain. I was thrilled - on both counts! But that still left me at 175-180lbs.

About that time I heard about the Atkins diet, no carbs, ketones, etc. I thought that since the low-fat, calorie counting way wasn't making any difference, I would try that. I met a lady who provided weekly check-ins - check the food diary, step on the scale, here have a B6/B12 shot, pee on the ketone stick please. I did that for almost a year and lost 40 lbs. Ecstatic, yes, miserable, definitely. I'm married to a meat and potatoes guy. I can't tell you how many times I had to hear that I was punishing him by not making carbs with dinner, and just because I needed to diet, he shouldn't have to do without. So, yes, then I started making the mashed potatoes, rice, noodles, and not eating it. It sucked. But I was thin! Oh, and guess what, I was pregnant again.

Ketone lady worked with me during that pregnancy to make sure I didn't gain tremendous amounts of weight. I was walking 3 miles a day at 5am because we lived in Phoenix, and in the summer (March to November) that's the coolest part of the day - at 95-103 degrees. So I delivered a healthy 6lb 4oz girl one month early, but dang! I was only 155lbs when I walked out of the hospital. I managed to stay at that weight for another 2 years.

Then we moved. Cross country. AZ to VA. And I kept my job, which meant I was working from home. No more gym, new area, and life was just managing fires. 3 kids, an ailing parent-in-law, job stress, looking for a new job... Started a new job one year later (in an office) at 175lbs again. 3 months into that job, oh yes you guessed it, I was pregnant again. I had stopped that whole Atkins thing when we moved, since I couldn't bring Ketone Lady with me. I did start walking with a neighbor - a couple of miles a couple of times a week. Obviously that wasn't doing the trick since I put on 20 lbs within a year of my arrival.

So, I walked into the hospital on December 20, 2002 weighing in at 225 lbs and delivered an 8lb 6oz boy 7 hours later. 3 months after the birth, I was a steady 195-205 lbs. Here's a picture of me in December 2005 at about 205 lbs.

That was also the year I quit my very good Human Resources Manager job to homeschool my oldest (6th grade). Many changes that year, some good, some bad. Loss of more than half the family income - bad. Homeschooling my child and connecting in a way I never thought possible - priceless. Weight gain - bad. Spending amazing time with my toddler - excellent. Redefining myself and becoming more than I even thought I was capable - nothing short of amazing. Did I say weight gain - bad?

Then I met my friend Jenny through a knitting class I was teaching for homeschoolers. She told me to read a book. And like anything else, when I tell someone I'm going to do something, I do. That book changed my life!

Stay tuned....