Too big for my britches

I had to go shopping for pants yesterday. I was down to two pairs for work and one ragged pair of jeans, and not having any pants that fit was making me unbearably cranky. I'm not thrilled about buying in the larger size, but it's better than the other two unacceptable alternatives of pants that don't fit and maternity pants five weeks beyond being unpregnant.

Much to my dismay, when I lost the pregnancy last month, I didn't lose a single pound of accumulated pregnancy weight. Thankfully, I hadn't gained much in four months, but with the extra two pounds I've added by self-medicating with Doritos and shortbread cookies in the month-long recovery phase, I'm a solid 10 lbs heavier than I was this summer - which was already a solid 10 lbs heavier than I really wanted to be.

So while losing 10 lbs seemed achievable enough in an "oh, it will come off eventually" sort of way, losing 20 lbs seems rather daunting. I bought some new pants because being naked in an Ottawa winter will be pleasant for neither me nor any onlookers, but I'm hoping that I don't have to rely on them for too long.

I know myself well enough not to bother dieting, nor to make sweeping declarations that I will never eat a potato chip or drink a coke again. And the weight watchers thing did nothing for me. Rather, I'm trying a 'moderation in all things' approach where I pick and choose my indulgences, rather than giving over to every whim and craving, and to try to be conscious about what I'm eating and why. That's the plan, anyhow.

Mostly, I'm planning on increasing my physical activity. I'm hoping to add two days a week to my existing once-a-week gym habit. I currently do 25 minutes on a cardio machine and a weight circuit every Saturday morning, and my gym membership covers access to both a club in my neighbourhood and one downtown where I work. I'm hoping to add a morning workout one day a week before work, and there's a class called 'on the ball' that I'm thinking of taking one day a week at lunchtime.

So why am I iterating all of this in what may be the most boring blog post ever? Well, pretty much because I tend to blog what's in my head, and this is definitely taking up a lot of space in my head right now. Mostly, though, I want to hold myself accountable, and being open about all this will be help me with that - knowing it's not only me but all of you who want me to lose 20 lbs in the next couple of months.