Fit, firm and 40

Fit, firm and 40. This will be my mantra for the next 12 weeks.

Let me tell you a bit about myself. In a matter of three weeks I have delivered my second baby boy, became temporarily unemployed from my job as an advertising manager at the Free Press and "celebrated" my 40th birthday. I put celebrated in quotes as I am not entirely sure that is how I feel about it.

As I enter this new decade with babe in arm, I look in the mirror and say, "time for a change." That sounds like a Michael Jackson song. However I definitely do not have a Thriller moment when I look in that mirror.

With my first child, it took more than a year to lose the baby weight. I decided in this pregnancy I wouldn’t t going to put on more than 35 pounds. My body had other ideas! I gained 45 pounds and now have the challenge of working it off. My goal for this 12-week challenge is to lose 20 pounds.

How am I going to do it? Eating right and exercising. Sure, I have tried many of the fad diets. The low carb diet, the cabbage soup diet, the protein diet, pills, shakes, meal replacement alternatives and, of course, starving.

None of it worked for me. And when I look at friends who did get fad methods to work, I see they’ve put the weight back on. I believe it’s true that it takes a lifestyle change not a diet to permanently affect your weight. more...