Diary of a working mother: how I reached my ideal weight!
Alarm goes off at 5 am. My hand reaches out to the snooze button - but I know better….. I remind myself that all I need to do is get out of my warm bed and from then onwards, it will get easier…. 1, 2,3 and up I go.
My clothes are ready beside the bathroom sink, I slip into them quietly, tie my shoes, tip toe out of the house, jump in the car and by 5:30, I am starting to warm up for my exercise session – drastic measures? Let me share with you the story leading to this extreme routine.
If your family is like mine, then there must be a day in the week when everybody gets together for a nice gathering. It has been proven that the bigger the gathering, the higher the chances of things getting out of control, and what is usually intended to be a nice gathering, may end up blowing up into something completely different.
Our ritual takes place on Saturday nights at my in-laws’, and it is more of a food festival where we indulge and satisfy our sweet cravings, and the ladies show off their culinary skills.
One of these nights, and around 9 months after my first delivery, we decided to order in. I’m not sure about your families’ decision making skill set, but reaching a consensus that night was close to impossible. On one end some wanted light grilled stuff whilst the others were raving over burgers and fries.
I made a very confident comment about my ability to “eat whatever I want” because I was still nursing and the process was helping me burn the extra calories. I was also very sure that I lost the majority of my pregnancy weight. Not only that, I was also vocal about this last “fact”.
My husband (and you know from my previous article what a great husband and dad he is, so definitely no bad intentions there) couldn’t help but correct me that night by saying that I still have some way to go.
Of course, women are always right – right? So I couldn’t but challenge him openly and bet with him that he was wrong.
I took steady steps towards the scale in the corridor and stepped on top of it. My eyes froze on the number staring back at me. I suddenly felt a heat rush. My mouth went dry and I believe I lost my voice somewhere in the “obviously” deep dungeons of my belly.
I haven’t lost a pound, I haven’t lost anything. As a matter of fact, I gained one Kg on top of my last pregnancy weight.
That night, the gathering felt longer and heavier. My tears were ready to fall at the corners of my eyes, waiting for a trigger to set them loose.
It was not only about the way I looked, it was also about the way I felt.
The food arrived, but I obviously lost the appetite for the Pizza I was craving half an hour ago. I recall my mother in law telling me, with the lowest voice possible: “don’t worry, it will all go away. You are nursing, your child needs your energy and you need to be well nourished”. But I was not there, I was lost in thoughts, wondering how the hell did that happen? How did I lose track of myself? How did I believe that I was anywhere close to my original weight?
I couldn’t get myself to sleep that night. Many thoughts were racing in my mind and losing 13 KGs felt like the toughest mission on earth, especially with the busy schedule I have.
Like any working mom of a child under 1 year, my day was crazy. I didn’t know when it started and when it ended. I remember many nights when I would fall asleep beside my baby only to wake up the next morning not realizing what happened and how I ended up crouching myself in this small bed.
Eventually, my thoughts wore me out and I collapsed into sleep.
If you are still struggling with weight, you’re not alone. Many moms have gone through the same and many moms have succeeded. It is only a matter of time before which you will join the victorious group.
The next day went by as usual. Fast forward to bedtime - I put my boy to sleep around 8 pm, and then I put on my gym gear, only to jump out of it almost instantly as I looked like a squeezed penguin – how the hell did I fit in these pants before! Only God knows. I replaced the cool outfit with comfy pants and a T-shirt and zoomed out of the door (I had a housemaid at home whom I trusted with my child when he was sleeping).
It was 9ish when I pulled out of the parking lot while my husband’s car was coming in, he asked: “where are you going!?” I said: “ I’m going to the gym. If I have to compromise a part of my day to be fit again then it will be your time because that’s the only time I can spare right now!” and I simply drove off without giving him the chance to speak any further.
I stayed mad at him for a long time. Or was I simply mad at myself?
Of course, working out at 9 PM at night was not sustainable, I went through cycles of motivation on one end, to complete lack of interest and sense of defeat on the other. My mood swung up and down, and my weight swung with it.
Despite all of this, my mind was clear on the end goal; I had to get my old body back. It was not only about the way I looked, it was also about the way I felt.
This routine makes me feel happy, it boosts my confidence, and it allows me to have some time for myself away from home and the office. It makes me a stronger mom and a better role model.
It was my husband who suggested an early workout routine. His rationale was that this way I can get it over with first thing in the morning, I will not feel the guilt of spending extra hours away from home and away from my child, and it will help me burn more calories, the same way as it would if I were fasting.
I had no other option but to try it out. I was doubtful and almost sure that this will – also – fail. He proved me wrong, again! Not only did I start shedding the weight, but I started feeling much more energetic during the day because of the metabolism boost I was getting in the morning.
It’s been 8 years now, and I pride myself with the fact that working out is part of my daily ritual. It makes me feel happy, it boosts my confidence, and it allows me to have some time for myself away from home and the office. It makes me a stronger mom and a better role model.
If you are still struggling with weight, you’re not alone. Many moms have gone through the same and many moms have succeeded. It is only a matter of time before which you will join the victorious group.
There is a solution that suites each one of us. We have different circumstances and our circumstances keep on changing as well. The most important thing is to find one hour a day, four or five times a week to dedicate to yourself and to your well-being. You deserve it.
