Modeling Good Habits

I worry about setting a good example for my son, especially now that he’s eating solid foods.

My food intake is pretty good, I think, but I need to be more mindful of my eating. I want to work on that a LOT over the next few months, because I want Alvie to have a good example. I need to do three things:

  1. Slooooooooooow Down. It is not a race.
  2. Assess hunger & satiety levels frequently
  3. Stop when full.

I am actually pretty good at #2. I usually recognize when I have eaten enough food. My problems are really #1 & #3. I know I’m full, but I just keep going. I like food. Weird.

I think I will be done breast feeding soon. Not necessarily because I want to be done, but there are times when you have no choice. There are a lot of thing that affect supply, and I am hitting the motherlode when it comes to finding all of those things.

I have lost all but 12 of the pounds that I gained during pregnancy, and I’m currently at a plateau for loss. I think if I can start modeling those good habits, plus make sure that my diet is mostly fruit and veggies (I should just start eating the same things my son eats, only a wee bit more).

I recently had my body mass and BMR tested. My base metabolic rate is 1555. Just to live, my body burns 1555 calories. That does not account for breastfeeding, which burns about 300 additional calories (although probably not at the small levels that I’m doing now). So, if I make it my goal to have between 1500-1800 calories per day once I’m done breast feeding, I think that I can start to lose the remaining weight. In addition to losing the rest of the pregnancy weight, I would like to lose an additional 20ish lbs. I want to be my lean, mean running machine self again.

When I think about what really turned the corner for me 10 years ago in mood uplift + weight loss, I know it was exercise. I started a consistent workout program for the first time in, well, ever. I also met the architect. He made me happy. Happy made me want to be a better person. That led to exercise and weight loss.

Right now, I am not happy (although I am working on that, aggressively), but I know I can be again. That I will be again. And being happy is the #1 thing I want to model to my son is happiness. And for me, part of happiness is feeling strong and fit and healthy. And part of being healthy is good eating habits, so it comes full circle.

 

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