The Pledge

My baby was born near the end of February. The pregnancy was tough on my little body, and because of complications, my activity level was severely limited. Though I gained the most precious, sacred thing I could ever live to know, I also lost a lot of myself.

Being a new mother comes with a catalog of new experiences, frustrations, demands... My daughter consumes my life, and though I love her with every breath of my soul, I know that with my new parental responsibilities, I've forgotten who I really am. This lack of identity causes so much anxiety that I know it hinders the intimacy between my husband and me. He suffers because I hate my body and I don't know the person that I'm supposed to be. I quit my job to be at home with our infant; I've started going back to college; and I'm the heaviest I've ever been. In addition, we have the added challenge of raising our child in a multi-racial and multi-faith home. Everything is new and the adjustments I've needed to make--and still need to make--are difficult to say the least. There are times when I want to just break down.

Before, I was adventurous. I loved being outdoors and experiencing the world. I had so much energy, spunk, vivacity, and I want that back. I want to rediscover myself. I want to love my life and want to share that confidence with my little girl.

I'm writing this because I think that somehow it will make this more real. I will be held more accountable for my actions if I just write it down. Also, I want to say I am confident in myself, and I want everyone to know that losing weight is entirely possible. Anyone can do it.

This is my pledge:

• I want to lose 30lbs.
• I want to be able to run a 5K by September.
• I want to be able to run our household without feeling bogged down or tired.
• I want to eat healthier.
• I want to raise my child in an active home.
• I want my self-confidence back.

How am I going to do this?

I joined a gym. This is something anyone can do, and prices are fairly reasonable for the average person. There are daycare services available, which is great for moms. I also am utilizing a personal trainer. I want to work out 5-6 days a week, working on my cardio and strength training.

I am going to try to make more meals at home, and I'm utilizing online cookbooks for healthier meal options that can be made fairly quickly.

For my 5K goal, I am actually going to test-drive the app called "Couch to 5K" (C25K) available on both I-Tunes and the Android Market. This is a 9 week program, which is just enough time for the 5K I want to run in September: The Warrior Dash.

I actually pledged my weight loss goal to the Pound for Pound Challenge.

I've also joined a few local mom's groups on Meetup to help get my child started in an active, social environment.

I am going to consistently track my progress on here. I'm hoping that my posts will not only help me feel more accountable, but will also motivate others to pursue a healthy, balanced lifestyle.