130 by 5/30

Darn you, Chickfila Waffle Fry! Thanks to your salty goodness, I must take drastic measures to control myself while driving around town.

Calming down... 

Here's the deal. I want to see one hundred and thirty pounds pop up when I step on the scale. It's been a couple years, thanks to babies, and I miss my closet of pre-pregnancy pants. 18 lbs to go. (It's awkward to post your weight and weight loss goals. I'm embarrassed to tell anyone who weighs more or less. I need to get over it. It's just a number.)

My plan: 1/2 a plate fruits or veggies, 1/4 plate lean protein, 1/4 plate whole grains, 1 dessert a day. Yoga/walking my rear (and thighs) into the desired shape.

Oh yeah, and no more waffle fries. That I even need to include this step is weird. I never liked fries or potato chips even as a kid. Waffle fries are a leftover prego craving made into a bad habit. Must get back to being disgusted by fast food.

I want the weight gone by 5/30. Six months postpartum. I think that's reasonable. I've already reached one modest, post pregnancy goal: I wanted the big weight on the doctor's scale to stay at "100," not "150." Yippee!

To stay on track, and away from drive-thru cravings, I'm installing a logo on the fridge and in both cars:

My reward for losing weight: a pocket dress. When the scale reads 130, I'm leaving the girls home with Tim, going to the fabric store, taking over the table and making a pocket dress. I'm pretty excited about the whole venture. Let's lose some weight!

P.S. When I mentioned this to DH, he decided to join me and lose 20 lbs as well. So much easier to exercise self-control with a partner. Thanks Sweetie!

New Dress

This weekend, I'm attending a wedding. It's the kind of wedding I really look forward to: family I love, sweet bride, I'm not part of the bridal party/family. Best of all, they're a Godly couple, so the imagery of Christ and the church really stands out.

While I'm excited to go, I had one major hiccup. It's been over a year since any of my formal clothes fit. I have one "maternity" dress, and it looks like a sack, an awkward mauve tent. Not exactly the statement I want to make at this beautiful evening wedding.

After a vision of sixteen outfit changes only to give up and where jeans, I started looking for something new. I found this dress. It's beautiful, sexy, slimming - everything a maternity dress should be. Did you check the price? Yeah, a hundred dollars. I think Tim could take me to small claims court if I spent that on a dress right now. After all, we have a new baby to pay for.

So, I did what any crafty momma does when she can't buy the dress she wants. I headed to the store for fabric to make my version of the dress. To hide pregnant awkwardness and cope with summer heat, I picked a rayon/lycra blend. Unable to find a pattern, I drew out a ridiculous sketch, scrutinized a couple dresses in my closet and started cutting.

To be honest, I surprised myself. The dress is a faux wrap (I don't need G untying my dress) accented with cap sleeves and a ruffled neck line. The belt actually ties at the side. The hanger is lame, I know. I promise to take a picture when I wear it Saturday. Also, I will try to make a digital pattern available.

Trying this dress on, I felt prettier than I have in months. Now, I really can't wait for this wedding.