So, here's the thing.
I gained about 35 pounds when I was pregnant. Nobody seemed to think this was a big deal - I wasn't thin when I got pregnant, but I wasn't fat, either; additionally, I think my midwives were more laid back about the whole issue than some practicioners might have been.
You have a baby, and you immediately lose the weight of the baby, the amniotic fluid, the placenta, and the umbilical cord. Your blood volume drops gradually; but in a fairly few months the physiological changes have pretty much reversed themselves.
Except that I'm still about 20-25 pounds over where I was when I conceived. And 2 years and 3½ months after having Emily, I don't think I'm allowed to call it "baby fat" anymore. I lost about five pounds a month or so ago, just by cutting down on snacks and portion sizes, and I felt amazingly better - no more back pains, fewer foot pains, fewer problems with my knee. (God, I'm decrepit!) That alone should be an incentive.
Why I've always struggled with my weight I don't know. I've never been scary-overweight; and I haven't wanted to be unrealistically thin in more than 10 years. I know where I need to get to feel both healthy and sufficiently attractive. And it's not exactly rocket science: eat less and exercise more. At least eat less. As the Queen of Snacking for Boredom, I've zillions of habits to modify before I even have to boost my heart rate.
I used to dance. We built a room over our garage specifically designed so I would have room to dance. It's still unfinished (but it does, thanks to my wonderful husband, have a gorgeous hardwood floor). When Em was younger, I had tons of excuses; now I really don't. Yes, she still needs constant monitoring when she's awake; but constant monitoring sometimes means letting her run outside while her Daddy is working in the yard. Liz gets the run of the house. Time to finish that damn room, don't you think?
So exercise, right now, consists of lunchtime walks with Steve (he's nice and tall, so we walk at a decent clip), and treadmill time after my evening shift with Em. The treadmill isn't bad - I blast the iPod, close my eyes, and pretend I'm somewhere else - but really, I miss the dancing. Not that I'm any good at it; but it's the only kind of exercise I've ever done consistently over a long period of time.
I hate to sweat. Weird, isn't it? I love how I feel when I get into shape. I love how I feel when I've had a really good workout - even now, when I'm still pretty pathetic. But I HATE to sweat. I feel grubby and unfeminine. (And yes, if I still had a shrink, I'm sure there'd be tons to talk about in THAT comment!) When I dance, I sort of forget where I am, and I don't notice the sweating. It's also so much more fun than the treadmill. I'm grateful we've got the treadmill, of course; but I miss dancing.
Just not enough.
There's one other incentive: my workplace offers a physical activity rebate. If I exercise 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes for at least 10 of 12 consecutive weeks, I get $150 (which comes to about $100 after taxes). You have to start by September 10 or they won't have time to process the rebate before the end of the year. So of course, I started last week.
Sad, isn't it? Cash gets me off my behind. Now, if only they'd pay me to paint that room over the garage...