Tuesday, September 23, 2008

118 Pounds to 178 and Back!

Wow, it is time again for Tuesday Toot Me. I hadn't realized it'd been a week since my last post until I sat down to begin writing this one. Sorry I fell off the blogging scene for a few days, but I've been out of town visiting family who live so far out in the country that they spell it "Kun-tree" and they only have dial up. So anyway, I've been thinking hard about what I should toot my own horn about today and like I said last week, it has been harder to do this week. Anyway...

Here's my toot.
I weighed 118 pounds when I got pregnant with Taylor. The day she was born I weighed in at a whopping 178 pounds (see my misery in the photo). I gained 60 pounds--that is about 25 or 30 more than what my doctor recommended. Yes, I weighed in at each doctor's visit and I knew how much I was gaining. I couldn't help it. Food just tastes so good when you're pregnant. I loved my three or four bowls of Snickers ice cream every night. Oh and fast food galore!! I swear my husband was on a first name basis with several McDonald's and Wendy's workers I sent him on so many fast food runs when I was pregnant. Forget weird cravings--I just loved food--any food--period. And so I put on the pounds and like a big dummy was grinning the whole time as I was thinking "Oh it'll come right off just like it did after I had Grayson." Ha HA HA! I wish. The baby came, months went by, but the weight wasn't going away as fast as I was so sure it would. And so-- the get skinny plan came to be. Eat well. Exercise often. Simple, eh? Yeah, yeah I know-but it really is. It just took me two years to follow through long enough to see the results I wanted.

But I'm there.

I am 3 pounds away from weighing what I weighed when I got pregnant with Taylor. It has taken me two years of trying to eat healthy and trying to get as much exercise as I can, and I am proud to say that I've done a pretty good job. It has been slow to lose the last ten pounds or so, but it is happening. My goal is to return to my pre-baby weight of 115. But I'm realistic. I know I will never have the same body shape or fit into some of my pre-baby clothes. I won't get rid of my saggy left breast that my children favored or the silvery stretch marks that run vertically around my belly button or my c-section pouch as I call it (that flab of skin that hangs over the incision scar), but I can live with all that. It's nothing a good padded, lift up bra, a one-piece swim suit and some of those girdle panties won't cure.

115 pounds---here I come!

104 comments:

PMKU said...

Your story is inspiring. You must be so proud of yourself. Way to go! Toot Toot!

Jacie said...

Thanks for the support.

cre8tivkj said...

That is so amazing! I am proud of you! I know what you mean about gaining a ton of weight. I gained 90 lbs with my second youngest. Mine was all water since I had preclampsia, but irregardless, it was miserable and some of that weight wanted to hang around forever! I haven't gotten back to my prebaby weight, six kiddos will keep you from doing that!

michelle said...

That is awesome! You should be so proud. You look fabulous!

Unknown said...

That is AWESOME! I am STILL trying to get down to pre-baby and my oldest will be 9 in 2 weeks!! What can I say...I have no excuses...food is my enemy yet I LOVE him!!! LOL If only my husband would stop telling me he loves me at all my different sizes over the past 15 years...

Farrah from...www.wifeandmomof3.net

The Hinesley House said...

Jacie, you look great! I gained a lot of weight with my little one as well and I am STILL trying to get rid of it all 15 months later.

Marie said...

What a fabulous accomplishment!! I feel the strain of those last 10 pounds as well, but how inspiring to know that it IS possible!!

Way to go!! toot toot!!

Natalia said...

oh...you are so good. I am so way off my target weight....but I am suddenly inspired to not have those cookies that are stairing at me.

AUDREY {LIL' BOOGER BLOG} said...

Wow! You are beautiful! I am so ready to start losing my baby weight. I gained a little over 40 pounds with my baby, but I want to lose about 50 pounds. (I started to gain a little weight before I got pregnant). I might be asking you for some advice on how to lose it!!!

Femina said...

That's fantastic - congratulations! (popping in via SITS)

Lilly said...

Visiting from SITS. You do look fabulous! Congratulations on your new online store too! Exciting times.

Hccm said...

Your story really gives my hope that I will be able to lose the weight. I am now preganant with twins and have 2 1/2 more months.
Each visit to the dr. I pray that I don't tip the scale at 200lbs. I know that I will have hard road ahead of me, but I can do it.

Anonymous said...

Woohoo! You're amazing! I'm so impressed with your commitment. Congratulations, SITSta!

mommytoalot said...

Whoo hooo...way to go!
You look great!
Sure wish I could lose my "baby fat"..umm except my baby is 14...lol

jewelstreet said...

Oooh, Congrats! I'm going to take some of that advice because after 9 yrs I'm finally going to get this baby weight off- if it can still be called that.

Mandy said...

You look great! I am so glad that you said it has taken you 2 years of eating healthy and exercising to get there....that sounds weird...let me explain. I have been trying the same thing and seeing results, yes, but it has been as slow as Christmas! So for you to say it took 2 years to get back to that point convinces me to continue on without beating myself up. Am I making ANY sense here?!?

Congrats again.

Louisa Claire said...

Well done and thanks for the encouragement! I am trying to lose my baby (and breastfeeding) weight at the moment. I got 6kg off before Christmas (just over 13 pounds) but have put a bit back on since being on holiday. The long term goal is to lose about 30 kg (60-65 pounds)...I've got a way to go yet!!

jo@blog-diggidy said...

so so jealous!! i'm on my way too, though!! good job!!

Preston said...

Congratulations! Isn't it horrible how easy the weight can pack on but how slow it can take to come off. I quit smoking in June and by Jan 1 I had gained 30 lbs. In less than three weeks, I've lost ten so I feel good but I need to lose 20 more. Eating well and exercise is the real answer to not only losing weight but keeping it off, too. Good for you, SITSta.

Creative Junkie said...

Whoo hooo! Huge congratulations to you! You look absolutely wonderful.

Carrie said...

Happy SITS Day!
Congrats on the loss. You look great. I hope I have the same success someday!

Thrifty and Chic Mom said...

I love your optimism, our bodies will never be the same but that is not such a bad thing look what we have to show for it! You look fabulous and congrats on all your hard work!

Crazy Momma said...

I feel your pain! I gained 80 with my first and 60 with my second...and never got all that good at taking it off. I've discovered that I LOVE FOOD. Period.

However, I am coming to you after starting a Tae Bo workout. I couldn't finish it (that crap is HARD) but I did 15 minutes and will do, at least, 15 minutes again tomorrow.

Kristen said...

Happy SITS day! You look fantastic. Congratulations! I bet it's nice to finally see the fruit of all your hard work. This definitely gives me something to aspire to when I have kids of my own someday.

Stacy Uncorked said...

WooHoo! Great job! You look beautiful!

Happy SITS Day! ;)

Mimi said...

Great job! Enjoy your SITS day!

Tiffany @ Lattes And Life said...

Good for you! I gained 60-70 pounds with each of my pregnancies. It took a few years to lose it the first time. But I never lost it all after #2, and now I'm pregnant with #3. UGH! I know I have my work cut out for me after this baby is born. Thanks for the inspiration!

Melissa ♥ Spoiled Mommy said...

Wow-I was 115 too and that is my goal to get back down to as well. My daughter is turning 3 in Feb. and I have 15 pounds to go. Im trying...I.really.am.
I loved reading about your success!
Congratulations!

Cammie said...

you look awesome!!

Lisa M said...

You look great! I still have 30 lbs to lose to get to what I weighed before I was pregnant with my 3rd. It's nice to know it's possible!
Congrats SITSta!

Emilee Grace Co. said...

Congratulations on your weight loss success! Doesn't it feel great?? I just recently lost 86 lbs (2 babies + marriage weight lol) and am almost to goal. :)

You look wonderful!! Thanks for sharing. I'm sure you inspired many.:)

Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting said...

Congrats! I will NEVER weigh that again myself, but thats ok, I will get to what I'm comfortable weighing, a healthy weight, and will do just fine. But I did just have a baby 3 months ago, so no rush for me to lose all the weight just yet ;)

Heather said...

Good for you!

What a great feeling it is, to set a goal, make a plan, and then achieve it!

You look amazing!

Congrats on your SITS day. I'm not going to use one more ! , 'cause I've already used enough. Have a great day...

Audrey (the Hepburn House) said...

Happy SITs day! And congrats on the amazing weight loss! What an inspiration!

Pamela said...

I know what you mean about losing the last little bit and it taking long time. My daughter is almost 19month and it has taken me this long to lost 20 out of the 24lbs I gained and I can't lose the last 4! I think it is amazing it only took you 2 years when it has taken me almost that long to a third of what you did!

Kathleen @ Measuring My Life said...

Awesome Awesome job! Happy SITS day!

Cara said...

What an encouragement! Congrats on your SITS day!

Anonymous said...

I'm here from SITS. Congrats on succeeding on what so many of us fail to accomplish!!

Kelly Deneen Raymond said...

Congratulations on your weight loss! That is awesome!! :)

Happy SITS day!

Ronnica said...

Congrats on the weight loss!

I totally understand the eat-eat-eat attitude...and I had no pregnancy to blame it on!

Unknown said...

Wow! You look great! My son is 15 months and I'm still working at it! Congratulations!

My First Kitchen said...

Stopping over from SITS! Enjoy all the comment goodies!

Barb said...

This is so wonderful to read! Congratulations! I've been slowly losing weight for two years now. The slow weight loss gets very frustrating, but I just have to keep remembering the sizes I've lost since I got serious about this. Today I got into a skirt I bought 4 years ago and never wore because it didn't fit! Whoo-hoo! Your weight loss story and the skirt I'm wearing right now really motivates me to not give up.

BloggessJ said...

Congratulations! You look PHENOMINAL by the way!

Vickie said...

That is awesome!! Good for you and you look great!

Melodie said...

Wow! That's a lot of weight gain! I've had enough of a hard time trying to lose baby weight, and I've never even come close to gaining what you did.

wenderful said...

That's a big achievement! Great reason to toot your own horn. Thanks for sharing and happy SITs Day!

wendy said...

Congratulations! You look amazing. :) Weight is such a struggle for so many of us - it is always great to read a true success story.

Happy SITS day!

Unknown said...

Good for you, you are an inspiration!

Unknown said...

I agree--totally inspirational! Way to go!

Coffee with Cathy said...

Congratulations for being a healthy role-model for your family -- and us!

jubilee said...

Your post is inspiring! I'm off to exercise . . .

Mindy said...

WOW! Awesome job! I thought the same thing when prego with my second... here I am 6 years later and STILL I haven't lost the weight. But I got serious about it at the end of last year and slowly it's melting away... It really is a simple process. As long as I don't CHEAT =)

Jaden Paige said...

Great job! You look fantastic!! Toot away, girl! Wait, that didn't sound quite right...

Amy said...

Hi! I'm visiting from SITS! You look great - good job! I'm sure you'll shed those last few pounds in a heartbeat!

Sarah said...

You look wonderful! (And I SOOO hear you on the little pouch that hangs over the c-section scar) Yuck!

said...

By now you've undoubtedly told those 3 pounds who's boss! Congratulations!

Holly said...

Congrats on your success! Those last few will come too--you've done a great job.

Charmaine said...

Wow! Congrats! I myself am on the "lose those baby pounds" diet and exercise program. It's hard work!

Rhea said...

You go, girl! That's an awesome thing to toot your own horn about. Seriously amazing.

I hated food during my pregnancy. I only lost weight...and was constantly nauseous. NO FUN.

Jolene said...

Wow, you've inspired me to finally start losing some of my own baby weight. Good Job!

Brandy said...

Way to go! I'm on a weight loss journey myself so I know it's not always easy to do what you need to.

Karol said...

That's awesome! Congrats! I still haven't lost any weight from my first or second pregnancies. Yeah, I have no motivation. How'd you do it?

Mammatalk said...

You look great! Good for you!

Mammatalk said...

You look great! Good for you!

Katie Stacey said...

That awesome. I can only imagine how much hard work was required.

Amy Fichtner said...

COngrats on losing your weight!! I am still trying to lose baby weight from 5 years ago!!! I am doing a weight loss blog you can check it out if you want;) I need all the support I can get!!

Ash said...

Congratulations on all the hard work paying off!!!

60 pounds with my first one as well. And I enjoyed every. single. pound.

Enjoy your day in the SiTS spotlight.

Sarah Suzy said...

Congratulations! Maybe now I'll be motivated to get in post-baby shape.

Ali said...

Congratulations! I've got about 7 more to lose and then I will be at my goal. It's so hard though!

Leslie said...

Congrats on the weight loss!! I am trying hard to get back down on my weight too. Exercise galore and trying to eat better. It is good to hear from someone that it actually works!! Thanks for the inspiration!

Mrsbear said...

I gained thereabout 50 lbs with my first pregnancy, I went from a tiny 97 lbs to almost 150. My husband and I used to go to Denny's in the wee hours for milkshakes and fried food. It was delightful, except for not fitting in to any of my pre-preggo clothes, ever again. lol. Right now I'd like to lose about 10, hopefully I can gear up to do it, but I do love food, pregnant or not.

Tori C. said...

First of all, congratulations! You look amazing and I love your dress in the "new you" picture. Secondly, you never looked bad! :-)

S. Belle said...

You look great, and you have a beautiful family. I totally feel you on the pouch around the c-section scar. I need to work on that. I had my baby four months ago, and I have not done any abdominal exercises, because it's still tender down there.

But, here's to slimming down in the abdomen area!!

Katie said...

This is great, I didn't gain as much weight but I have yet to get back to my prebirth weight and it's because I have not been as strict with myself as I should. You inspire me to get myself on the eliptical trainer tonight!

Alicia @ Oh2122 said...

Hot Mama!

I am so envious!

Great job!

Anonymous said...

that is AWESOME!!
i need to follow suit!
i got back down to a size 6, two years after my 3rd child was born. then...a year ago...i quit smoking...and gained 25 pounds and am a size 10-12. boohoo!
http://www.rockanddrool.com

CynthiaK said...

That is absolutely amazing! Good for you for sticking with it and getting yourself back to feeling good and looking great.

I'm still fighting those last ten pounds but after child number three, it seems to linger and linger...

Hope you've enjoyed your feature day at SITS!

Sherrie said...

Your story gives me hope. You look fabulous! Hopefully I can join in on the "toot" sometime in the future! Happy SITS day to you...enjoy it girlie!

Anji said...

Toot Toot Baby!!! That is great. It reminds me of when a reporter asked Catherine Zeta-Jones how she felt about gaining 60 pounds with her 2nd pregnancy and she said GREAT because I gained 65 with my first. Happy SITS day.

Unknown said...

You do look great! I need to follow your example and lose the extra pounds, I am working on it!

angie said...

Congrats! Exercise and eating right are such simple ideas, but it's so HARD! I've got 10 pounds I want gone. And, btw, I don't even have any kids I can blame it on.

Diva Scrapper said...

Congrats to you! I'm soo inspired by your story. I have a 20 month old..I gained 68 lbs during my pregnancy. I've lost 18 of those 68. I still have a way to go..but I'm hopeful. Thanks for sharing your story.

Michelle said...

It's funny, but the simplest things are usually the hardest. Congratulations to you -- isn't it great to see the way your dedication pays off?

Ryan Ashley Scott said...

Good for you! Two years is nothing compared to what you would feel like if you hadn't stuck with it. (I'm working on year 3 of babyweight, personally, but it's coming off slowly - stupid cupcakes!)

Finding Normal said...

Good for you! You look amazing! I'm trying to get myself motivated these days. I lost weight post second baby (NICU does that to you!) but have since gained some back.

Anonymous said...

Good for you!

MaricrisG said...

Kudos to you! I should hang out with you. WE all need to be comfortable with our new {un}perfect body after post baby.

Leslie said...

Girlfriend, you look GREAT!

When I got pregnant, I too weighed 115 pounds. Then I LOST 8 pounds. The day I delivered, just six hours before my son was born, I weighed 129 pounds. I had a VERY DIFFICULT time gaining weight. After giving birth to my 7 pound son and all that other 'stuff' that came along with him, I was pretty much back to my pre-pregnancy weight...which totally doesn't explain why I'm WAY overweight today. : )

- a SITSta

Melissa said...

Great job! You look fantastic!

Erika said...

Congrats on your weight loss and congrats on your SITS feature!!

Ani said...

Good for you!!
I've never had kids but I've been battling my weight forever... Its certainly a battle. Good for you for sticking with it when it didn't fly off!!! :-)

Alison said...

Congratulations! That is not easy at all! And I like your attitude about your changed body--nothing a little "help" can't fix!

Kelly said...

Very impressive! I am very, very impressed as I am presently going through the lose that baby weight struggle 2 years after the fact!!

I can just feel your misery in that first picture!

Congrats on your SITS day; bask in the comment love!

Pamela said...

You Rock!
First of all--you're smart to do it now while you're young. Once you're of a certain age (40), even 1/2 a pound takes forever to lose.

I'm impressed and happy for you.
Enjoy your SITS day

Tiffany said...

You look great!

Willo said...

Great work! You are a true inspiration! I too thought the weight would be easy after the 2nd as it was with the first...why isn't it? I am struggling and scraping, but still trying and you have just given me hope.

Willo said...

Great work! You are a true inspiration! I too thought the weight would be easy after the 2nd as it was with the first...why isn't it? I am struggling and scraping, but still trying and you have just given me hope.

BlueCastle said...

That's a great accomplishment. :) Good work!

Mary Anna said...

Happy day-after SITS day! (Yesterday was too chaotic to visit!)

Congrats on your great strides. I remember when I was skinny (pre-kids) and I still have Size 2s in my closet, hoping to squeeze these thighs into them once again. I'll need to read this over and over to convince me it can be done!

Elizabeth M Thompson said...

Congratulations! It is wonderful to look and feel great when you are a mommy. It is so easy to get lazy about appearance and health. Great job!

Anonymous said...

I was also in a delusional state that with my second (Sofie) I would breastfeed and cook delicious gourmet dinners, sit around and watch my two babies grow quietly - ummm...no - little girl just turned 2 in Oct. and I'm still 2 pant sizes too large for my tastes! This is my year though and I joined the Discovery Health Body Challenge. Great recipes on there. Thanks for the inspiration and hopefully I will be my "AFTER" picture soon enough!
My best, Lynn (love the bows - adorable)

Michelle said...

Good job!

Still working on mine a year later.

Judy Schwartz Haley | CoffeeJitters.Net said...

way too go! I was already overweight and seriously trying to lose it when I first got pregnant. I'm a little nervous about how I'm going to lose this weight once the baby is born. You're a great inspiration.