These bitches are serious.

Before I begin, let me digress.  I hate classes.  Classes are great for people that have coordination.  But I tend to be turning left while everyone turns right, if you know what I mean.  I cannot move my arms and legs at the same time without falling down.  I have fallen off an elliptical. Twice.  I read Cosmopolitan in my 8th grade gym class. I have not a single bit of coordination.

So I tend to roll my eyes whenever anyone tells me about the fabulous workout they are getting by taking a class.  These are not my people.

So when I found out that I won a package of three months of unlimited classes at The Dailey Method, my immediate reaction was complete ingratitude.  There was no way that I was going to make use of this package.  When I went to the website, I found out that I could get childcare for as low as $5 a class and they had free parking.

Wasn’t I just complaining about how I needed to amp up my weight loss?  I was a little over four months away from my daughter’s second birthday.   I could no longer actually call these extra pounds baby weight.

So I decided to throw myself into The Dailey Method.  I scheduled myself up for three classes a week on top of my twice-weekly training sessions. Five times a week.  I hadn’t regularly worked out five times a week since 2009.  But if I wanted my old body, then I was going to have to go back to my old ways.

I am in the middle of my 11th week and can say that I love it.  You don’t need coordination to master The Dailey Method.  You do need the ability to give 100% focus during the 60 minute class so that you can practice your form and breathing.  I am in such great shape and my stamina is amazing.  I am so glad that I gave The Dailey Method a shot. 

PS. If you don’t live near Bucktown, don’t despair.  They are opening a second location in Lincoln Park this fall.

So after starting with Body After Baby, I lost 7 pounds.  And then, the weight loss stopped.  I talked to my trainer, Jessica, and she asked me about my diet.  Jessica advocates a no sugar diet.  Jessica, who is an amazing trainer, is on crack.  

I eat cake for a living.

Which, I supposed that I could give up cake but isn’t it my job to know about the latest bakeries and truffle shops and by the way, I live less than a block away from the best pie in the city.

She was right though.  I was going to have to change my diet from sustaining my weight to a diet aimed at weight loss.

The first big change was my cup of tea.  I drank a cup of English Breakfast with a splash of skim milk and a teaspoon of raw sugar.  It was my little treat every morning and every afternoon.

Jessica thought otherwise.  She suggested an artificial sweetner.  As a foodie, I balked at the suggestion. Then, she suggested Truvia, which is made from stevia.  Stevia is a natural plant that is uber sweet.  In fact, I went from using a teaspoon of sugar to one sixth of a packet of Truvia.  It’s amazing how much sweetness can come from so few grains.  

Eventually, I am consuming a lot less sugar and treat fruit as a dessert.  I’m still partaking in wedding cake but try to limit myself to having only half a slice.  Well, only if it is mediocre wedding cake!

When I had my daughter, I was given the advice not to talk about her to my clients.  “Brides don’t want to hear about babies.”

I’ve kept my life as a Mom pretty much under wraps.  But there are gray areas that I haven’t discussed but really wanted to talk about because there is some overlap.  Weight loss is one of them.

Most brides are perfectly happy with the way they look.  I do, on occasion, have a bride that doesn’t feel like she looks her best and wants to change her appearance before the wedding day.  Often, the bride will say that she wants to look like she did before X (before law school, before I began working 60 hour weeks, before an accident, etc.).  There is always a before.

Boy can I relate.

After having Francesca in October 2010, I followed the popular thought that I’d breast feed and the weight would fall off.  It did for about six weeks.  But then it stopped around Thanksgiving and I still had 22 pounds to go.  At 4’11”, I was still four sizes larger than before I had my daughter and not happy with my appearance.  

By March, I was desperate.  It didn’t help that I have hypothyroidism, which can make weight loss a challenge. I really needed to lose weight so that I could get back my pre-pregnancy body.  I knew that the best way to lose weight was to start working out again.  

I heard of a personal training company that would come to your house. After a free trial session, I was hooked. Body After Baby is amazing.  Jessica, the owner, comes to my house twice a week for an hour long work out session.  She focuses on strength training and really works your muscles.  

Even if I can’t make it to my gym, I know that I have two work outs scheduled.  And if it is on my schedule, then it is going to happen!  I also love that I don’t have to worry about my daughter’s schedule. If she is awake, then Francesca watches us work out.  If she is napping, then it’s just me and Jessica.  

I just bought another package because what I once considered a luxury is now a necessity.  I love working out from home.  I’m busy in the summer with weddings and I’m lazy in the winter because of the weather.

I’ve been inspired by one of my favorite bloggers wrote about her Humilation Diet.  Not nearly as bold as her (in home decor or in sharing specific weight loss numbers) but I do feel empowered to sharing my weight loss story.  I’m going to keep writing a series of posts as I continue to try to lose weight.