A few weeks ago my husband walked into the room where I was sitting with our 2 month-old baby, took a look at my outfit, and said, “Babe! Back in the skinny jeans? Niiiice!” To which I replied, “If by ‘back in the skinny jeans’ you mean, ‘Babe! You went to Target today and bought really huge skinny jeans!’ Then yes. Yes I am.”
Many of you will remember that about a year ago I shared my experiences losing weight and getting fit.
I accomplished that a few years ago and successfully kept the weigh off until recently. I know there are lot of people in this world who can carry a child for 9 months and then pop back into their skinny jeans a few weeks later.
I am not one of those people.
I knew that going into my pregnancy and I was actually okay with it. I knew I would probably gain quite a bit of weight, and I did. The difference between this post-pregnancy and my 3 previous ones is that now I’m not afraid and depressed of the “after.” Right now I look a lot like I did in that “before” photo up there, but it’s not scary for me anymore because I transformed my body once and I know I can do it again. I know exactly how to do it and I have the confidence I can. Even more importantly, I honestly and truly don’t care how many pounds I have to deal with when I have this to show for it:
Not to get all cheesy, but I can’t hate my belly rolls when I look into those little blue eyes. Carrying a child inside you for almost a year is an amazing, and also rigorous thing to put your body through, so I had a tendancy to reward that body with things like ice cream and onion rings-which is now very apparent.
SO. Why am I talking about all of this again? Because when I was working to shed those pounds a few years ago, I did it very privately. And when I finally shared my story last year, the response blew me away. Hundreds of you commented, and just as many have sent me emails, Facebook messages, and Instagram comments about how that post inspired YOU. I cannot even explain how awesome it has been to read your stories and cheer you on from the other side of the computer screen. So many of you had questions and needed help, guidance, and support, and now I’m in a unique position where I’m doing it all over again- so I figured a lot of us out there could do it together!
(Let’s be clear- I’m back at the “then” in that photo!)
Kate and I would like to do a regular series here focused on health and fitness, but we want to cater it to your interests according to your feedback. Obviously our main focus here at Our Best Bites is food, so we won’t take away from that. For all of you out there who don’t give a flip about all of this health and fitness stuff, no worries. Yummy recipes are still coming, and will always be the focus around here. But we thought it would be cool to use this great community for an OBB Fit Club for the next few months. Some random ideas I had were a weekly series, group challenges, workout plans, maybe a Facebook page to chat- some cool giveaways and prizes?? We’re up for anything. I just know from experience that it helps to have a support network.
So speak up. If this is something that interests you, you MUST leave a comment on this blog post! If you’re reading this via email, click here to hop over and leave a comment. If there isn’t much interest we’ll bag it and do it on our own! We don’t know unless you leave comments and tell us. If you guys speak up and want this to happen, let us know, and tell what you’d like to see/learn/do and we’ll make it happen! Together we can crush those New Year’s Resolutions!
I’m ready!
I love this idea, and would very much like to join you. I guess for me, healthy eating plans with recipes that would work to feed a whole family while losing weight myself would be great. Fixing separate meals for myself and my family just doesn’t work for me, nor does nibbling on celery while my family eats a wonderful meal in front of me. So, ideas for bringing the whole family together to enjoy tasty and nutritious food together would be great. I would also like to know what, specifically, you are doing for workout routines to shed weight in a healthy and sustainable way. Thanks!
I think a fit club is a wonderful idea! I’m excited!
It would be awesome if you did a before and after picture challenge. Have people take a before picture with your website in the background with the challenge kickoff so we know we’re all starting at the same time and then do like a 3 or six month challenge and give away awesome prizes for like a top 5 or something. I would totally add weight lifting to my weight loss plan if you did that! :0 )
Thank you for the idea and the invitation. I have been praying for something to inspire me. My family and I enjoy everything you do and are looking forward to this opportunity to become a fit and healthy family. 🙂
I have a 10 year-old with sensory processing disorder who only wants taquitos for dinner and his 6 year-old little brother who wants to be just like him and thinks all vegetables are bad. My husband says no thanks to anything with mushrooms, olives, peppers, and onion. If I put out a salad with Dinner, my teenager and I are the only ones who touch it. I find it difficult to get motivated to cook for this crew because nobody eats what I make. They’re afraid of vegetables!!! How do we get away from quesadillas and chicken nuggets? I don’t want settle anymore. I want real, colorful, healthy meals. I want not to blow my whole grocery budget on crackers and cheese and I need to know how to get a pantry stocked with the right staples and seasonings to make life taste good. HELP!
I’d love to see workouts, but include the details. I want to know exactly what to do each day to build muscle. Your post also inspired me to join a gym and work with a trainer, but I still felt like I wanted to know how many reps of each exercise you did, how many pounds did you lift to start and end with? Which exercises did you do that you felt were the most beneficial? Things like that I think will help a lot of people. I really want to know your strength building routine. That would be most helpful to me and I think to others to have a clear plan. Thank you for sharing and inspiring many. Your before and after pictures really DO look like you… a lot of those, you wonder if its really the same person! Good for you and keep it up!
That would be amazing!! I use your recipes all the time! After baby #4 I’m back to pre-pregnancy weight, but would love to lose another 20 pounds or so. I’m trying to eat better so more recipes that are kid friendly, or adaptable for kids as well as super healthy for the parents would be awesome.
I’m in! Love this idea, sounds like great motivation!!
I’m in…. sorta…. I only say sorta because I’m 8 weeks pregnant. But I’m starting this pregnancy ahead of the curve as far as weight and would love some help to maintain my current weight as much as possible. And I’d love to lurk so that just maybe I can have a good game plan to stick to after this next one is born.
Definitely in!!!
This is an amazing idea! You gave me inspiration when I read your post a while back. I have lost quite a bit but could loose more. I am now a size 12 which I haven’t been in at least 10 years! I can’t wait to see what you come up with. Lets start this year and journey off with a bang! 🙂
I read your before/after story. I want to loose a few pounds but reallllly my problem is maintaining. I feel like I am afraid of doing weights?!?! I know dumb-crazy. I don’t have the money for a personal trainer. I can’t remember how to do hand weights or the machines. Hoping I’m not the only one w/a mind block that will take me to the next level.
Yes! I love challenges! Exercising isn’t a problem for me, but I need more healthy meals that my kids will eat. Anything will help though!
I’m in!
I’m in
So happy to see this, I’m in!
I’m in! Would particularly like ideas on strength training at home.
I started to control my nutrition about two months ago (with big problems at Christmas time 😛 ) and I recently started to exercise with my boyfriend, so I’m totally in!
I love it!! I recently lost 110 lbs, then gained back 30 over the holidays, not good!! I’m going to be starting the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating. I would love to see some recipes that are THM approved!! I think it’s awesome you are doing this!!
I’m in! I wanna get skinny!
Yes! I could use all the help I can get!
Yep, totally interested! I just had a baby too (my third in three years) and I am clueless as to how to get rid of this (lots of) extra weight.
I’m in!
I’d love to involved in the email version since I don’t have Facebook. Thank you so much for your inspiring posts! I;m excited to start this with OBB!
Sounds like a good thing. Go for it.
Yes! Yes! Yeeeeeeessssssss!
I’m totally in!
Yes, yes, yes please! I started losing weight this last fall, lost 10 pounds, then the holidays hit! I’ve got 40-50 to go but kind of at a loss at where to start with my new schedule this year.
This would be awesome! Go for it!
I’m definitely in! I really could use some help, I’ve been trying to loose weight for many years and fail every time. I could use some support and guidance!