Blood test results - wake up call!

[tryingfortwo]

I have gained a significant amount of weight in the past year.  Well, I've been gaining and losing weight over the last 7 years or so - used to hover around 150lbs in college, then got down to 135lbs for my wedding in 2003, got up to around 180lbs over the next 2 years and went up and down around that for quite awhile, but had hit about 195lbs when I got PG in 2006.  Highest PG weight was about 235lbs, and then I went back down to around 185lbs over the next two years.  Managed to get down to 175lbs last year, but started regaining again during the holidays last year, and have been going up and up since.  I'm now about 215lbs - so that's a 40lb gain in 1 year :(  I was actually doing a good job of eating well in November, but it was hard to stay on track during the holidays.  Anyways, I had a blood test done last week, and my LDL and triglycerides are WAY high.  My blood pressure was also high during the appt.  I've never had blood pressure or cholesterol issues, so this was a major wake-up call for me :(

The difficult thing, and probably the reason I've gained so much in the last year, is because we have been trying to get PG for 2 years now.  Not only is the infertility really getting me down, I find it hard to stay focused or commit to a long-term plan (like joining a gym), because I keep hoping that I'll be PG soon.  So it's kind of like a double-whammy - I'm down about the infertility thing, which makes me just want to sit at home and wallow, and I also can't think long-term about losing weight.

So anyways, I obviously need to get past this mentality, because I need to lose weight - or at least eat well and increase my activity, regardless of whether I get PG or not.  I know how to eat well, and I just have to stick to it and not resort back to eating out or eating junk.  As I said, I was doing quite well in November and was feeling great because of it.  So I'm ready to get back on track with respect to food.  However, getting more activity in is a challenge.  I'm not sure if I should just join and gym and try to find some way to get there regularly (DS won't do the gym daycare, so I'd have to figure out a plan that will work), or just try to get more walks in (without DS - he really slows me down now that he's not riding in a stroller, and we don't go very far), or something else...

Anyways, it was such a wake-up call to get those results today, and I know I need to make changes.  Just need to put the infertility thing out of my mind, and know that even I get PG this month, it'll be a positive thing to be eating well and exercising more.

[coyotemist]

Hugs, it's really hard sometimes to be overweight and want to be a better weight!!!

Think of it this way...if you lose weight, you'll have less insulin resistance, and you might get pregnant easier!  I also would love to just lose 40 lbs. 

[spughy]

Joining a gym is one of the *best* things you can do, ESPECIALLY if you plan to get pregnant!  Exercising throughout pregnancy is a great idea, and often leads to less weight gain, a healthier baby, an easier labour and an easier recovery.  So don't let that put you off.  (Check out Cassandra Forsythe's website: www.cassandraforsythe.com - she has a great series about maintaining or improving fitness levels during pregnancy.)

Do you have any friends who would do reciprocal child care?  I switch with a friend of mine - we swap 2 mornings or afternoons a week, one I take her kid, the other she takes mine - it lets me have a good long workout and walk the dog without "help".  If you do that one weekday, have your DH spend some QT with the kiddo once on the weekend, and try for walks every evening and maybe one evening workout, you're good!  You don't need to spend hours sweating on a treadmill to get fit - strength training and short interval workouts will actually work better.  There are some good body-weight routines out there that you can do at home, with no equipment... I saw a pretty sensible one in Parenting magazine, of all places. 

Diet-wise, just cut out sugar and starch and you're laughing.  Seriously, it's that simple.  I've lost 30 lbs in the last 6 months just doing that, and getting to the gym 2-3 times a week, and walking as much as I can.  I'm also trying for #2 and looking forward to being as fit as possible going into a pregnancy!