I recently shared that I’d gained some of my weight back while taking Seroquel. In total, it ended up being 12 pounds in about six weeks. I was willing to put up with the weight gain (to some degree) in exchange for the benefits it was providing in my sleep and mania. Unfortunately, other side effects surfaced. I have now stopped taking the medication, and I’m determined to lose my 12 pounds again, plus the remaining 20 to my ultimate goal.
141pounds down, 32 to go. (That’s hard to hear after being able to say I’d lost over 150 pounds for so long!)
I’ve been back to the basics of weight loss- tracking my nutrition and getting active. After 20+ years of failed dieting, I discovered I have the most success when tracking calories, sugar, protein and water intake.
Prior to starting Seroquel, I had maintained my weight of 150 pounds for six months. During that time I was in a routine of eating about the same every day, so I stopped tracking. Now that I am in “lose” mode again, it’s important to know what’s going in to my body.
I have a target calorie range set by my nutritionist. I don’t share my target because this number was calculated by my current weight, goal weight, height, age, and medical history; so everyone’s target is slightly different. Going over the range will obviously be too many calories to lose weight, but being under can put your body into starvation mode and halt your progress too.
I also have to be careful about protein. It’s important to get enough to keep my muscles strong and my body functioning during weight loss, but too much protein can make you gain weight. This is my new downfall. As part of my new healthy lifestyle, I always think of protein first, then sugar, then calories. If I’m not tracking I choose protein dense food all day and get frustrated when the weight doesn’t come off. Tracking reminds me to keep my protein in check, and to obtain some of my calories from high fiber food. It’s all about moderation.
I added a punching bag to my home gym this week, thanks to some birthday cash. Where I cancelled my membership at the YMCA, having new equipment keeps things exciting at home. When I get bored, I tend to skip workouts. Let’s avoid that. 
My Apple Watch tracks my activity for me. My daily fitness goal is just to close all three rings. (Workout of 30 minutes or more, burn 570 calories, stand for 12 hours.)
Keeping my fitness goal simple has been the key to my success postpartum. Before getting pregnant with Anna I had all kinds of crazy schedules and lists of routines. It’s just not realistic with a 16 month old at home. Simple goals make it easy to be flexible and take advantage of spur of the moment activities. For example, on Fridays my mom watches the baby so I can attend my appointments in peace. If I have time between appointments, I like to walk the industrial park. I’ve also power walked the mall with Anna in the stroller and gotten cardio in on empty staircases. It doesn’t matter how you get active, just that you do. I take my workouts when and where I can get them, so it’s nice that the watch can track anything.
I’ve fallen for a lot of fad diets, supplements, and shortcuts. They all fail. There’s no way around it- long term success is based on calculating food in and activity out. If you’re struggling, try getting back to the basics with me! I’d love to add some Apple Watch friends, and to hear about your progress!
Wishing you luck and simplicity.
With healthy hearts,
Kate and the kids.
Kate and the Kids 