I want to start this post off by saying I’m proud of myself for maintaining my weight after having my daughter. I’ve veered off track a little bit with the holidays and cold weather, but the key is to not let it spiral. I’ve gained about five pounds which on my 5’2 frame can be a lot to handle. I stopped exercising daily because I started a new job and couldn’t find the motivation to workout early in the morning or late in the evening. This wouldn’t be that big of a problem had I kept my eating in check, however over the years I’ve come to realize eating right motivates me to exercise. When I eat junk, even in the form of a few extra cookies, I feel sluggish and I’d rather not exercise, so it’s easy to fall into an unhealthy trap.

I’m going to start my healthy eating February 1 so keep an eye out for more blog posts of this nature.

I thought about doing a cleanse to segway into eating better but I enjoy and rely on food so much I can’t do a juice fast. Also, I don’t believe in diets that completely alter your mood and make you grumpy all day. With trial and error I’ve found that partial Atkins works best for me. With partial Atkins I eat a small amount of carbs and stick to 1,300 calories a day. A typical day looks like this:

Coffee and three scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese for breakfast.

A chicken salad with two tablespoons of ranch or balsamic and a Diet Coke for lunch.

Fruit or veggies or a protein bar when I’m hungry.

Fish, steak or a tuna salad (no mayo, tuna, tomatoes, olives and lettuce) for dinner. I’ll allow myself to have a small piece of bread if I worked out that day.

Fruit or veggies if I’m hungry.

Since I’ve only gained 5 pounds I’ll only need to follow this for three weeks before I increase my calories and make room for more carbs.I typically lose 1 1/2 to 2 pounds per week on this eating plan. After I’ve lost the 5 pounds I’ve gained I will increase my calories up to 1,500 or 1,600 calories a day with the addition of carbs like rice or pasta when I crave it.

When I eat 1,500-1,600 calories a day I am also working out with power yoga, walking or the elliptical 5 times per week, allowing for a calorie deficit of about 250 calories.