Project: Shed the Baby Poundage

I am the restless Starfish (aka Restless Mama) - I left home (Seattle) after college and haven't been back to live since but I am working towards gettin' back...ASAP! But before I can get home I need to do something very important:

LOSE THE BABY WEIGHT!

A few examples why: Can you see the belly bulge? Ick. There it is again, belly bulge, bloated arms, very round face. But hey my cousins and Aunty are lookin' good. ;o)
Bah-bam! Double chin! Lookin' good...lookin' REAL good.

To see more photos of me pre-baby/post-squeezing my son out of my hoo-ha and whining of what used to be please click here.

My Goal:

So my hope for this blog and project is that I will actually stop making excuses, stop stuffing my face, and get off my duff to shed the poundage. Why? Well I hate to get all boring but a) for myself - I need to be happier and healthier and b) for my son - I need to provide a healthy example of living that he will sustain throughout his life.

What's the plan? Since I don't really believe in dieting my plan is to incorporate exercise into my daily routine and eating less...though I already do eat less....except for when there's some kind of new food that I haven't tried before in the house. That's where I get into trouble. Anyway, the plan is to do at least 30 minutes worth of workout for 30 days straight to start off. Whether it's walking with my son after work or running and pushing him in the stroller or doing work outside, like gardening.

My ultimate goal is to sustain a healthy activity level; walking, running, jogging, swimming, mommy & baby exercises, hiking, etc. Go green and stay green (this also applies to my workouts - I will not join a gym so that I am not only saving money but I'm one less body using up unncessary energy; i.e. excessive use of electricity) by purchasing foods from my local famer's market and if I'm able - join a CSA. I'll still eat a few processed foods like chips and Top Ramen but my goal is to minimize the consuming of the processed. In the end I'm hoping these good habits will get me to my goal weight of 150 lbs. That's about 70 lbs from where I am now. I don't plan on losing it overnight, I'm very realistic about how long it will all take me but that is my goal. From 220 lbs to 150 lbs.

My short-term goal is to lose at least 10 lbs by my son's first birthday, September 20th.

My Challenges:

• I am poor. I'm a single mom and I am poor. I made the silly decision of moving from Boston to Hawai'i (where I was born). Left a great (paying) job and came to a place where people get paid junk for what they do. Add that to the cost of living in Hawai'i and I'm pretty much screwed. It's hard to get by with what I get paid and be able to pay for everything that I need for myself and my son. So I'm only able to afford to pay for his childcare, diapers and other baby necessities, and pay for my gas and phone bill.

• My uncle, who is the nicest person in the world, does the grocery shopping and as well-intentioned as he is...I miss being able to do the shopping on my own. I would buy produce galore! And always stocked up on the rice and pasta (awesome staples) and anything healthy (plus Top Ramen...I'm Hawaiian...we love that stuff)

• When I moved to Hawai'i I was very excited to get caught up in the local fare; lau lau, kalua pig, chicken long rice, EVERYTHING! I went a little overboard. But I'm still having that problem. My uncle dj's a lot of parties so he'll usually bring back some leftover party food. That means some foods that I haven't tasted before. Which also means....MORE CELLULITE! I also have the "clean plate" syndrome. I seriously won't stop until all of the food is off of my plate - even if I'm too full.

• By the time I get home from work all I want to do is hang out with my son and relax. This is stupid. This needs to change.

• I have a desk job. That means I sit on my already fat ass and I flatten it. LAME! So I think walking during my lunches is in order and doing mini workouts during my breaks.

• My mind - my main challenge. This is what I say to myself, "You've had a long day - rest and enjoy your time with the Bambino." or "I'm hungry, I need to eat now, which means I can't exercsie tonight." How ridiculous of thought processes are those?

That's my dealio.

For tonight - I shall bake some chicken with the rosemary in my garden, put it in a salad with some romaine lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and celery. Before that the Bambino and I shall go for a nice yet athletic stroll around the neighborhood.

Think I will do it or come up with an excuse?

P.S. I will be sharing some recipes, ideas on how to eat healthy on a budget, and many many more. See ya tomorrow!

P.P.S Megan....BRING IT!