Most people who know anything about weight loss (and maintaining weight loss) will tell you that it can’t be just about what you put in your body, but also has to include what you do with your body.

Over the last 21 months I’ve been trying to lose the baby weight from back to back babies.  During that time I also moved states and now am finally getting settled into life with two toddlers.  We are an active family and I seldom keep the boys at home.  It is a fun, busy life.  One that I need energy for.  So, I’m learning how to change my eating habits and also work hard at changing my body tone every day.  (The photo above is from my lingerie shower about 6 weeks before I got married.  I can wear that dress again!)

Where I’ve been: when I delivered both my boys I was at 257.  Yikes.  That is an awfully high number for my 5’7″ frame and I know some of it was water retention.  But, I’ve now lost 86 lbs since my second was born in October of 2013.  I still have 15 to go to the weight I want to maintain.  I’m back below the weight I was when I wore my wedding dress back in October 2011.

As I’ve been doing this weight loss journey, I’ve had friends ask my how I do it.  Here are a few things:

1.  Eat less but also eat naturally healthy foods.  This is 80% of what I eat: whole, natural, foods including animal products.

2.  I have mainly cut out breads and potatoes and pastas.

3.  MOVE!  I will talk more about this further down in this post.

4.  Drink plenty of water.  I use the “half of your body weight in ounces” rule.  But, I also drink diet cokes (please, no rant in the comment section about this).

5.  Have people who are cheering you on.  We all need cheerleaders and I think that losing weight it so hard to do on your own.

6.  Self-discipline.  This, for me as a Holy Spirit filled believer, is a gift given to me by the Spirit.  I just need to put it into practice more often.

7.  Enjoy life.  You can do this by eating special meals every now and then or having dessert every now and then – but find other ways to enjoy life and celebrate.

Ok – since this post is mostly about working out and exercise, I want to just tell you what I’ve done.  First let me say that with two toddlers I would not have been able to lose this weight this quick without my parents who pay for my gym membership each month and that comes with childcare.  So I spend time at the gym 6-7 days a week.  It helps my body and my sanity.  And my boys love the kids klub!

I typically spend about 40 minutes doing cardio (either a spin bike or running – especially if I’m training for a race).  Then I spend the rest of the time doing body weight strengthening.  I’ve recently been enjoying the 30 Day Plank Challenge and the Little Black Dress Challenge.  It helps to have accountability so I’m in groups on facebook with friends of mine who are scattered throughout the country.  When I’m not in the gym sometimes my boys and I will walk a trail in Alpharetta in the shade for about an hour or we will play on playgrounds.  One night a week typically we will bring Daddy along and hike along the Chattahoochee which is fun but not very fast when you have toddlers who want to stop and look at everything.

Whatever you need to do – please take care of yourself.  Maybe you can take the money you spend on eating out or coffee trips and put some of that toward a gym membership.  Maybe buy some videos (I like Jillian’s 30 Day Shred and Bob’s Weight Loss Yoga).

Take care of yourself – for yourself and for others.