Reclaiming My Pre-pregnancy Weight (25 Years Later)

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When I became pregnant 27 years ago, I was three or four pounds overweight.  When I became post-menopausal two years ago, I was 24 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight.  My babies had grown up and moved on, but I was still dragging the past around.  I felt dumpy, lethargic, and uncomfortable in my own skin.  Six months after my youngest child graduated from college, I decided it was time to reclaim myself.  Here’s how I did it:

Motivation is Everything. I got really clear about why I wanted to get in shape.  Over the years I’d watched too many people fight for their lives against horrible diseases and understood–in a deep-tissue sort of way–that good health is our most valuable possession.  The desire to be as strong and healthy as possible for as long as possible became my motivation.  Far more powerful than the desperate need to fit into a party dress.

To Tell the Truth. I bought a scale, stared it down each morning, and acknowledged the truth about my weight.  I also stared down the truth about my eating habits, looking squarely at what I ate, how much, and how often.  The final truth I had to face was how lazy I’d become about exercise.  When I came clean with myself, I saw how adept I was at conjuring up excuses for bad choices.  I vowed to keep my eyes wide open and my feet planted firmly on the path to vibrant health.

Stick to the Facts. I headed to the library each week and left with stacks of info on natural health, fitness, nutrition, etc.  I flipped casually through some books, read others cover-to-cover in order to learn, really learn, about how to care for my body.  Along the way, I discovered that feeding my head with health-related truths made it harder for me to feed my body with unhealthy foods.  The knowledge I acquired grew into an invisible, yet extremely reliable support mechanism.

No More Empty Calories. After reading that nutritional deficiencies are surprisingly common in our society, I committed myself to eating a colorful array of “clean” foods” every single day.  There was no time off for good behavior, no free passes issued because my life was crazy or it was a national holiday or there was a party going on.  I reminded myself over and over that every calorie counts and zeroed in on:  Whole grains, as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible, fish/turkey/chicken, fat-free dairy, nuts and seeds (a handful daily), healthy oils, herbal teas, and plenty of water.  I shied away from:  Refined flour, refined sugar, red meat, fried foods, unhealthy oils, foods with additives, sweetened beverages, and caffeine.  A surprising result of this way of eating was that I stopped finding comfort in junk food.  It just made me feel sick.

Protein Is a Plus. I learned that insufficient protein consumption can cause a person to feel hungry all the time.  When I researched my protein requirements and the protein content of the foods I ate, I realized my diet was falling short.  Breakfast was the biggest problem, so I chowed down on yogurt, nut butters, eggs, lean meats, and protein-rich whole grains in the morning.  At each meal I made sure my proteins came from the healthiest possible sources (organic whenever possible).  These days I feel hungry when it’s time to eat and sometimes snack on fruit or nuts between meals, but rarely feel the need for anything more.

The Kitchen Is Closed. One new fact that came my way was that it’s best not to eat after 8 p.m. because our bodies tackle important immunity and cellular rebuilding chores overnight.  Digestion can interfere with these processes.  At dinnertime, I ate a full portion of protein, one or two kinds of vegetables, and sometimes a light helping of carbs.  If I needed something sweet, I’d have a piece of fruit for dessert.  And that was it for the day.  I learned to handle my late night cravings with a cup of herbal tea and happy thoughts about what I’d have for breakfast the next day.

All Day, Every Day.  I became aware of the different types of exercise needed by my body and that I wasn’t getting enough of any of them.  I worked on my flexibility by moving along with a yoga show on TV each morning.  I bought dumbbells and leg weights after discovering that 15 minutes of lifting, every other day, was all that was needed.  I built up stamina and cardio strength by taking brisk, 45-minute walks whenever I could fit them in.  Eventually I added steep hills to my circuit–because I craved more challenge.  During the rest of the day, I seized every opportunity to move, stretch, and lift things.  Cleaning the bathroom or organizing crap in the basement or finally vacuuming under the seats of my car burned calories, increased my flexibility, and freed my mind from guilt trips crowding out more constructive thoughts.

Dress the Part. In order to encourage a more active and flexible approach to life, I wore my yoga clothes or loose fitting outfits and comfortable shoes whenever possible.  No more excuses when I needed to bend down and pick something up or walk quickly down a hall, through an airport, across a parking lot.  You’d be amazed at how much exercise you can work into your daily grind if your clothes aren’t holding you back.

Don’t Let Them Get You Down.  The odds are that if you vow to eat clean and exercise like you mean it, some people in your life will feel compelled to question your methods, encourage you to cheat, or claim you’re a party pooper.  I’d run into this problem before, so this time around, rather than announcing to the world that I was turning over a new leaf, I only announced it to myself.  If people asked why I wasn’t eating something, I simply said I wasn’t in the mood or was already full.  After a while, folks noticed the change in me and were genuinely interested in how I did it.  Until then, my silent determination underscored the fact that I was doing this hard work because I cared about myself, not because I needed praise or attention.

Baby Steps.  Slow and Steady Wins.  Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day. When my kids were growing up, I worked part-time in a health food store.  One thing I learned is that people who throw out everything in their cabinets and then buy $500 of “health foods” they don’t like but think will change their lives are doomed to fail.  So I stuck to small, tolerable changes.  For example, I wanted to give up noodles made from refined flour but couldn’t get used to whole-wheat spaghetti.  Then I tried some of the new pastas made from a mix of white flour and other grains and liked those right away.  Eventually, I found a whole-wheat, angel hair pasta that I loved.  I’m still trying to move away from salty foods and toward dishes seasoned only with fresh herbs.  My diet is constantly evolving, getting cleaner and that feels right.  The same goes for my exercise habits; as my fitness level improves, I take on new challenges.

Set Up and Pay Off.  A year after making up my mind to drop the excuses and get healthy, I had my reward:  I was down to my pre-pregnancy weight and felt pretty damn good in my own skin.  But an even bigger payoff came last month when I flew out to California to help my daughters move.  The three of us carted the contents of a three-bedroom apartment down a flight of stairs, onto the back of a truck, and up a half flight of stairs into their new place.  At first, my kids worried about their 57-year-old mother lifting heavy furniture and bustling between a truck and two apartments non-stop for two days.  But when I kept up with them every step of the way, they were filled with admiration.  They also were grateful as hell for my help.  On the flight home, I suddenly realized that I’d just received the greatest possible reward for the firm commitment I’d made to wellness.  When provided with an opportunity to be of service to others, I’d been not just willing, but able.