So take a look at me now, I'm not even remotely close to an empty space...

It's plain and simple. I've got a lot of weight to lose.

Let's take a walk down memory lane. It all started June 28, 2008, AKA my wedding day. I was 130 pounds, healthy, and very happy with my body. Ok, very happy is not exactly accurate. At the time, I wanted to be thinner, but now I look back at my wedding photos and yearn to have that body back. At that time, I was doing yoga at the studio across the street from my apartment 5 times a week. And I didn't drink pop. That was it. (sigh)

Then, we went on our honeymoon. Yes, to an all-inclusive. I woke up every morning and walked over to the Excellence Club and brought back brie, fruit, and crackers to my balcony. I ate and sipped mimosas made from the mini bar while Bob snoozed. When he woke up, we went to breakfast (round 2 for me).We then commenced drinking top-shelf liquor and mixed drinks for 8+ hours. Let me just say, when I returned back to the office, my size 6 Banana Republic pants were a leeeeetle tight.
No big deal, right? I'll just get right back into my 5x's per week yoga regimen at the studio across the street, and the weight will fall right off.
Well, one month after we returned from the honeymoon... my apartment burns down. Awesome. So, not only do I not have a yoga studio nearby to return to, Bob and I spend the next 5 months of our life practically LIVING in shopping malls and stores, and yes, therefore, food courts and restaurants. I've never checked the nutrition info on an IKEA swedish meatball plate, but I'm pretty sure that Dr. Oz wouldn't approve.
By the time our life is somewhat back in order, it's christmas, and we all know that's no time for weight loss. Then, in February, it was time for our big vacation- a cruise to the Western Caribbean out of New Orleans followed by four days back in NOLA for Mardi Gras. It was a much needed vacation after 7 or so months of craziness. We did a lot of this on the cruise:
only to return to NOLA to do some more of this:


As you may have heard, the average cruise passenger gains at least 5 pounds. Add to that a half-week's stay in a town with INCREDIBLE food and drink, culminating in a holiday that literally has "FAT" in the title.. and,well, let's just say I flew back to Philly adding a bit more of a burden to the plane as compared to my trip down.

Less than two weeks later, I find out that I'm pregnant. Holla! I weigh in at my first appointment at 148 pounds. Yep, 18 pounds higher than on my wedding day. I went on to gain what I assume is around 40 pounds during my pregnancy. ( I stopped looking @ 36 weeks when I was up to 180. I was swelling like crazy and there wasn't much I could do at that point). Here I am on Halloween, 5 days before Kaia's birthday:

I didn't weigh myself until one month post-partum. Partially because I didn't want to know what I was left to deal with after that whirlwhind year, but mostly because Bob and I never re-bought a scale. When I got around to purchasing one, the number I saw was pretty horrifying. 175. I'm 5'2, people. Not good.

It's been a month since that first PP weigh-in, and I'm down to 164. So, 11 pounds lost. Not tooo shabby, but I still have 16 pounds to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight and 12 more to get to my goal weight of 136. As much as I'd love to get back to the 128-130 range again, I know that will be a major challenge. 134 was my body's happy weight pre-pregnancy- what I stay at if I'm eating reasonably well and staying moderately active. Add a pound to that due to the fact that my boobs are currently acting as a baby vending machine, and another pound due to the fact that, for the love of god, I carried around a CHILD for 9 months.

So, 23 pounds to go. With the help of babyfit.com, breastfeeding, and lean cuisines I hope to be back in shape, feel good about myself, and in a bikini in no time! (ok, everything except that last part.)