Today I am thankful for the return of my pre-pregnancy body.
I was hovering at 52 kg for the last few months and felt like another 4 kg off would be nice (I wanted to feel like I can perform my tashahud seating comfortably, feel more energised and lean, lose the baby flab, lose the sluggish feeling, have glowing hair and skin, a whole lot of other reasons).
Obviously, something had to be done and I made the pact with a group of awesome ladies to eat healthily.
Sugar was the first to be sent off the list. No more Milo and Horlicks for now. Coffee and tea for me are much better off sans sugar anyways. 2L of water is now 4L of water daily. Does wonders for milk supply too.
Since sugar is off the list, baking cookies and loaves with The Little Girl had to be adopted as well to something less sugary.
Since rice has high carbohydrate content, we sent our brown rice off the list for a few days of the week. We were not eating much brown rice all that often anyways but now it is almost zero. Cous cous and quinoa are our new best friends.
Pasta? Bye bye. One of the easiest and fastest meals to whip up in my kitchen is now served to only The Little Girl when she specifically requests for her favourites (mac 'n cheese, carbonara, pasta bake, Bolognese, pesto).
Potatoes? Airfried.
Sweet potatoes? Airfried.
Salads made a huge comeback to our diet. We eat all colours of the rainbow again. Very satisfying to regain clean taste buds. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds tossed with some extra virgin olive oil or lemon juice and Manuka honey. No store bought dressing.
By now, you would have realised that we have become the accidental organic vegans. Protein sources from quinoa, lentils, beans, tofu, milk, nuts and cheese are so plentiful that we hardly miss meat, chicken, seafood. Watch Food, Inc. and you will see what I see too.
That was just food and drinks.
Exercise. Gosh! Try handling 2 kids under 5 without a helper. Lifting weights, 8+ kg and 15+kg every time, at Gymboree. No kidding. They do bestow the most appropriate name for that happy place.
Housework. Some naysayers claim that housework does not count. Come to my humble abode and witness yourself if it counts. Especially when one of the kids vomits. At midnight. Onto the bed, floor and wallpaper covered walls.
There, it took me 39 weeks and 3 days to my big, pregnant body growing another life within me, and 230 days to return to my old clothes with a healthy baby in my arms. I feel like myself again. This weight loss has done my soul so much good.
I repeat: I feel like myself again, alhamdulillah!
Occasionally, we do dine out, or indulge with extended family members. This balances life out, and we do not feel the slightest deprivation. Consistency is key, so commitment to health is important.
How has your journey been? Do share!
