My abs - a retrospective.

Here I am 6 months prior to becoming pregnant. Not my skinniest, but close. I'm 127 lbs, 36-24-35, probably 14-15 percent body fat. I know, right?
(Thanks to Paynie for the shot.)

And here I am in sunny, scenic Calexico. This photo is precisely 2 mo prior to conception, taken by the FatherBeast himself. I'm probably 132-ish, 36-25-37.

Before I got knocked up, I was in the middle of a strength training regimen in anticipation of a long triathlon season. It was springtime, and I was planning to do the Catalina Tri on Nov. 6 of last year. I was biking and running plenty, but I was also focused on building the muscle that would drive me through training. So I was a bit heavier (for me), and not super lean. Here I am probably 137, 37-26-38, 16% body fat. If not for the shades you could see the twinkle in my eye.

Here I am at 6 months. I think I weigh around 155 lbs.

And here I am today, with less than a month until my due date. I weigh 170 lbs. 39 inches around my hips, 43 inches in the bust; waist is kind of irrelevant as this kid is coming out sooner than later. When I started I was a size 2. Immediately postpartum I will probably be a size 8 (if I shop at The GAP). I have continued to use my calipers to approximate body fat measurements, but it's difficult to pinch around the abdomen (duh). However, I estimate that immediately postpartum I will be around 23%.

I am grateful that I spent so much time laying down all that muscle, figuring I would burn it off. I didn't quite - I just stopped working out. The period immediately following the discovery of my pregnancy was the most stressful and hectic time in my life - ever. I lost a job then started a new job, my beloved patriarch died, I traveled to a war zone, and then I moved. I think I went to the gym a total of three times - twice at FOB Fenty in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. So when I do get my act back together, I will only be starting from zero - not less than zero.