That being said, I also feel the need to say this - if you don't want to hear me talk about going to the gym, working out, eating clean, and living a healthy lifestyle... don't read my blog. Simple as that. No hard feelings. Whatever the reason, apparently some people don't like to hear me talk about going to the gym?? Sorry. I've made it no secret that health and fitness are a huge part of my life. It's something that both the hubs and I love. That's why I talk about it. I/we love it. It's our lifestyle - our thing. I am just another person, trying to live a healthy lifestyle. Now, onto this post...
Hi. I gained about 35 pounds during my pregnancy - not too terrible. Pre-prego, I was in the gym 6 days a week lifting weights, running about 3-4 miles 4-5 nights a week and up to 10 miles on my Saturday morning run, and eating clean 90% of the time. When we were trying to get pregnant, my Doc told me that I would have to dial back the fitness and gain some body fat. Ugh, that went against everything I am, but having a baby was way more important - obviously.
So, why am I writing this post? I'm writing this because everyone struggles with losing baby weight. Even self-proclaimed fitness freaks. Has it and is it easy? Um, no. I struggle with it, just like everyone else. I get frustrated, upset, impatient, and I'm not confident about my body right now. Human. This is my journey from pregnancy to postpartum.
During my pregnancy, I walked during the first 14 weeks. I ate healthy, but some days I just got down what I could. Once we knew everything was safe for baby, I went back to working out in the gym. I had lost a lot of my strength since I didn't work out from early July to mid-November. My 2nd trimester was all about gaining back some muscle and strength. It was hard at first. I was nervous about having a miscarriage, but I was reassured by my doctors. My 3rd trimester, I felt great. I was lifting heavier than I was before I got pregnant, I was still running, and I didn't have to modify too much of my workout routines. I didn't have back pain, I had a good amount of energy, and I didn't swell. I really felt good and enjoyed my pregnancy. I would encourage any and everyone to continue to stay active during their pregnancy. I really believe this helped me enjoy every minute of being pregnant.
I knew from the very beginning that losing the baby weight was going to be a mental struggle for me. I knew I would want to lose it and lose it fast...but I couldn't because that would end my milk supply. Breastfeeding is a decision we made together. Not breastfeeding wasn't an option in our minds (unless it didn't work or something went wrong). I was and still am determined to breastfeed exclusively for a minimum of 10 months. Hopefully, we can get to a year. We shall see!
Since I had a c-section, I wasn't aloud to do anything or lift any weight for 4-6 weeks. Eeek. I'm an active person so I just about went nuts with that news. I started taking walks when Dayton was 5 days old. I had to get out of the house and move! So that's what I did for the first 3-4 weeks.Then I added in running (slowly). By week 5 I was back in the gym. I took it easy the first 2 weeks while I was lifting weights to see how it would affect my supply and my incision. I was eating clean, but made sure to keep my calories up with healthy and nutritional foods. So far, so good.
By week 8, I was working out at my normal pace. Lifting heavier weights for 30-45 minutes and finishing with 30 minutes of cardio (running, elliptical, stair stepper, etc.). So far, everything is going really well. My milk supply has not been affected at all. In fact, I'm still having to pump out excess milk (whew!!). I have gained more of my strength back and can lift heavier than before, I am able to run 3-4 miles at a good pace, and I have about 10 more pounds that I would like to lose. So, I still have work to do.
Honestly, through it all...it's been hard for me. I'm not used to having to really work to lose weight. It's a mental struggle. I've always been athletic and have been able to maintain an athletic looking body. So, not looking toned and strong has been hard for me. I struggle with body image every day. I know, I know... I shouldn't, but I do. That's my reality right now. I want my body back, but breastfeeding is more important. Like I said, I'm just another person trying to be healthy who struggles with losing that baby weight. Dear fat, Get off my body. Please and thank you.
I do feel good about the progress that I have made and I have a really supportive and loving husband. I also know that I'm way too hard on myself and this is a journey that will take time. A slower journey than I would like it to be, but that's okay. Every day I get to snuggle my sweet little baby boy. He makes all that extra fat worth it.
So here's a break down of what I've done so far:
- Week 5 postpartum, I stuck with the LiveFit trainer program-phase 2 (here)
- This is the workout program that I did throughout the 2nd and 3rd trimester.
- Jamie Eason is my hero.
- Week 7 postpartum, I started the program "Short Cut to Shred" (here)
- This is a 6 week program that utilizes HiiT training. So far, I love it!
- For the interval training I run, use the elliptical, stair stepper, kettle bell, etc.
- Clean Eating: I eat clean 80% of the time and allow 20% of my meals to be cheat meals. A trypical day looks like this:
- breakfast - 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 3/4 cup of oatmeal with organic milk
- snack - 1 cup fresh fruit, greek yogurt or a protein shake
- lunch - 6 oz. lean meat (ground turkey or chicken breast), 1/2 whole grain, 2 cups green veggies (usually a salad)
- snack - protein shake or fresh fruit, organic granola bar
- dinner - 6 oz. lean meat, 1/2 cup whole grain, and 2 cups green veggies
- snack
- Weekends are our cheat meals. I make healthy-ish decisions with my cheat meals, but enjoy the "naughty" foods that I want or crave without guilt. Cheat meals are actually good for your metabolism as long as you don't go way overboard.
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