Name: Danielle Leigh Montgomery
Age: 41
Lives: Shelby Township, Michigan
Pounds lost: 77
Kept it off: Four years
Four months after my oldest was born, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I was very frustrated with the fact that I had to deal with the baby weight and a bum thyroid. But, the worst part was exercising daily and not always seeing the number drop on the scale! I really had to learn that exercising didn’t necessarily afford me extra food intake. I also had to learn that I didn’t need to have cookies in the house just because the kids wanted them. I really have a hard time with control. For instance, yesterday was my birthday and after having a piece of cake, I wanted 10 more!
My peak weight was 267, and I now weigh 190. Portion control has been the biggest help. I was astounded to learn what a “normal” size portion of pasta was compared to what I used to eat. So reading labels has become a huge part of my life. When I was really working through losing the bulk of the weight, I was exercising daily—walking, jogging, swimming and riding my bike. During the school year, I usually walk 4 times per week. In the summer I definitely amp it up and include swimming and biking.
This article was originally published as Losing the Baby Weight on SpryLiving.com.