The year we got married (1995, if you missed Part 1), was a big year. I graduated in May and started my first job with a small consulting firm, we married in Aug, husband graduated in December and started a job in Jan with pretty long hours, and we bought our first house in March (96). The last year of of college into our first year of marriage, my sister and I slowly rebuilt a faltered relationship (we had been VERY close growing up, but our parents' divorce had left us relatively on opposite sides). We did some of this by walking together. When she moved away in the spring of 1996, I felt a little lost on the exercise front. A guy I worked with and who lived around the corner from me suggested I talk to his wife about walking as she would probably be up for it.
His wife quickly became one of my closest and dearest friends of all time. She called it like she saw it, never letting me use excuses, but always showing me incredible love. She was in the early stages of starting a business (a franchise of Diet Center). By 1997, my weight had increased to about 160 and I was starting to be more than just "not skinny". So she agreed to take me on as a client without charge (although I helped her when I could and still look back and what a gift this was. She did weekly weigh ins, body fat composition measurements and counseling to see where I was struggling with diet and exercise (and she continued to walk with me in the early mornings quite a bit). I got down to 130 very briefly after about 5 months. I looked like I did in high school (a size 8) and felt awesome about it. I even took a kickboxing class and felt powerful!
But I got complacent and slowly the weigth crept back. I was a size 14 by the time I was matron of honor in my sis's wedding in June 1999. And then I studied for my professional engineering license and did nothing but eat, study, work and sleep for two straight months. I had to buy more fat clothes when I put on 20 lbs in that 2 months.
In Aug 2000, I became pregnant and I weighed about 175-180 lbs (at the beginning). The good news (if you can call it that) was that I had crazy awful morning sickness and didn't gain a ton of weight due to feeling sick to my stomach most of the time. I lived on bland noodles and rice and potatos for several months. It didn't go away after the first trimester. It really didn't go completely away at all (and it wasn't just in the mornings either)! And then at 27 weeks I was put on bedrest with preterm labor. Not a good time, but I managed to deliver my son at 39.5 weeks. At my last dr appt of the pg, I weighed 200 lbs and I cried. But for all we'd been through I was just happy to have a healthy boy the next Tuesday. Shortly thereafter I was back down into the 170's and was pretty stinking pleased with that (as he was a nightmare baby and there was no time for eating or sleeping or exercise not to mention dealing with returning to work at 3.5 weeks because my bosses insisted).
Then we decided to move back to Jefferson City. We decided to build a house and we broke ground just after our son's first bday. We moved into a duplex while we were building the house and I proceeded to gain 20 lbs with all the fast food we ate at the greasy spoon down the street from our job site. And I never seemed to find a healthy eating or exercise routine. Being a mom was often overwhelming to me. My career proceeded to go through more changes (changed jobs twice in 2000 and again in 2002) and I just wasn't coping with my life well. Food was my coping mechanism.
My weight went on up and in July of 2003, I was pg again. First dr appt weight? 190! I about crapped myself right in the doctor's office at that number and I told her I was scared of what this would mean for me during this pg (my dad was a Type 1 diabetic and I did worry about gestational diabetes) and long term. She told me not to diet, but to cut down on the snacks and soda and junk food and it was ok to walk. I did try to eat better, but that wasn't a really big deal as the morning sickness monster came back with a vengeance. I couldn't keep much down anyway. I lost 11 lbs before the next doctor's appt and all I did differently was walk a little (which strangely seemed to ease the sickness some). Dr scolded me and asked if I was cutting major calories and I assured her I was eating whatever I could keep down. So I continued on and had a pretty uneventful pregnancy. I didn't even wear maternity clothes until I was 6+ months along! Just my stretchy fat jeans! At my last dr appt, I weighed 200 lbs, but this time I didn't cry. Within 6 weeks after giving birth to my sweet baby girl, I was back to about 175 and was hopeful I could go down further.
So you see, unlike so many moms, I really can't blame my pregnancies for any of my weight issues. I actually lost weight with both kids on the whole. I yo-yo'd much more based on the stress levels in my life and how much time and mental effort I put (or didn't put) in to trying to eat healthier, drink more water and get out and do some amount of exercise.
--- End of Part 2 ---
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