amberjazz’s BodyBlog

Evan is quickly approaching 7 months old now, and I’ve rededicated myself to my workout efforts.  I slacked off majorly.  Trying to take care of a new baby, and then trying to move with a baby…it was too much to handle all at once.  But, we’re moved, and we’re settled, and I’m slowly figuring out how to be a mom and get other things accomplished at the same time.  It’s not easy, but I’m doing it…and I’m loving the way I feel since I’ve started working out again!  I feel so much better physically, and I’m sleeping better too.  I’m just having a hard time with the fact that Evan hasn’t been feeling well this week, so that’s kept me out of the gym for the past 2 days but hopefully I’ll be back in there tomorrow!

Three and a half weeks ago I gave birth to my first child, a little boy named Evan, and I did it all completely naturally (meaning no pain meds whatsoever).  My mother gave birth this way five times, and I never thought I would follow in her footsteps, especially since I worked as a Labor & Delivery nurse before my days as a SAHM.  I didn’t think I had it in me to deliver a baby that way, heck…I am a whiney mess when I have a migraine!  I did it though, and my little guy wasn’t such a little guy…he weighed in at a whopping 9lb 12oz!  Holy Cow!

Anyway, childbirth was the greatest accomplishment of my life, and it has left me with the knowledge that if I could do that, I can do anything.  So…here I am…ready to get my body back…and not only that…but I want the body that I never had to start with.  I’ve always been overweight to some degree.  I think over the past eight years, my "best" was right before I met Mike (michaeljazz).  I was going to the gym 3-4 times a week, and watching what I ate…and I weighed 190-200lb then.  My motivation however was wrong.  I was doing that because I wanted a man…and I thought that I would never find one as I was because I was convinced that men only wanted to date "skinny chicks" and I was not one of those.  I never had been, I never would be.

Then I met Mike.  He proved to me that my thinking was all wrong.  I was so surprised by the way he thought that I convinced myself that he was too good to be true, and that he had a serious flaw somewhere.  Well…we’re going on our second year of marriage now and I still haven’t found that serious flaw I thought he had.  Granted, he does have a few minor ones, LOL…but who doesn’t!  He’s totally helped me changed the way I think about myself and the way I see myself.  I no longer have the goal of being skinny…I just want to be healthy.  Yes, I want to look good in my clothes, but I know that I can look good…dang good in a 14-16!  I’ve got solid childbearing hips, LOL…and a lot of other curves, and I don’t want to lose those anymore.  Mike has changed all that!

In my pregnancy, I gained 30 pounds (thank God I didn’t follow in my mother’s steps and gain 80!).  At my 2 week postpartum check I was already down 20 pounds (just one of many positive aspects of childbirth!) so I’ve only got 10 more to go until I get to my pre-preggo weight.  My first goal though is to get down to 200lb, and we’ll re-evaluate from there.

So that’s it…we’re getting started this coming week.  I guess Mike is going to "train" me while he wears Evan in a baby sling, LOL.  Wish me luck!