On February 28th, I had my second son. He came out a nine pound, twelve ounce bundle of joy. It wasn’t an easy pregnancy by any stretch of the imagination and my health suffered for it. To make matters worse, I suffered with preeclampsia, a form of toxemia of pregnancy, characterized by hypertension or high blood pressure and fluid retention.

I also suffered with and am recovering from Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, an extremely painful pelvic condition that made it difficult for me to workout the way I wanted to while pregnant. In short, I had to chill out on the fitness. It also didn’t help that I had a busy schedule, so I indulged in all my cravings to the fullest. I ate whatever I wanted and threw out all of the discipline, healthy living and good eating habits I learned the last few years. Whatever I wanted to eat, believe me, I ate it. When I did cook, I cooked healthy, but being as tired and hurt as I was most of the time, fast food was usually the first option when I didn’t feel like cooking. Do I even need to get into the fact that I was pregnant throughout the holidays?

So here I am, two weeks after having my son, and I’m starting all over again. While I find starting this journey to be easier than the first time I embarked on a quest to lose the over 60 pounds of baby weight I accumulated from my 2002 pregnancy, it will still require every bit as much discipline and perseverance as the first time.

This isn’t about looking like Heidi Klum or Gabrielle Beauvais-Nilon, who looked great after having their two children in what seemed like a short amount of time, although it would be nice. It’s mainly about my health and my ability to keep up with the rigors and challenges of being a mom to a newborn and a five year old who are both demanding in their own way. It’s also about setting a good example for my children and making sure that I practice what I preach. How can I tell them to eat their veggies if I am too busy sneaking candy bars and ice cream?

It’s also about beating odds. As a Black woman, the odds are stacked against me because I am part of a group that is more susceptible to high blood pressure, diabetes, and other obesity related illnesses. I’ve lost two family members to cancers that have been linked to poor diet and a lack of exercise; this is serious because it’s hit close to home.

I hope you’ll join me in this journey to lose 20 pounds, and maybe even more, in the next few months through a lifestyle change. I won’t say diet because a diet is temporary. This is about making healthy foods and exercise part of my daily life again. I am not going to eat crackers and a carrot for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If I want to have some ice cream, I will. I just won’t eat the whole carton.

I will also cover my workouts in the gym and what I do at home on the nights that I can’t make it to the gym. Sometimes dinner needs to be cooked and family obligations can’t wait, but you can still get a workout in. Trust me!

I hope that my weight loss diary will help motivate you to start your own weight loss journey or to continue on the one you may have started. Feel free to share your own experiences in the comments as well! I’ll be reading!

Let’s get it!