When I was pregnant, I ate more food than I’ve ever eaten in my entire life! I definitely took “eating for two” to another level. The idea of “eating for two” is a bunch of BS to be quite frank. The truth is when you’re pregnant you need to eat healthier than before. It is important that you snack between your big meals on healthy foods that help you keep your metabolism running. That way when you have the baby and it’s time to lose the weight, your body doesn’t go into shock mode.
There really is no perfect, right way to lose the baby weight because everybody’s bodies are different. So you have to payattention to your body and do whatever works for you and your body type. Therefore, I’m gonna share how I lost my baby weight; this is what worked for me, but your routine may need to be structured differently for you.
Working Out after Baby
I am someone who’s always enjoyed working out and being athletic. Not everyone enjoys the same type of physical activities. The important thing to remember is simply to make sure you are being physically active in whatever way makes you feel good and makes you sweat and breathe. Not even, I, Miss Workoutaholic, wanted to step foot in a gym, after giving birth. I felt lazy, exhausted, depressed, fat, totally unsexy, and all together a mess. So know that you are normal if that’s what you’re feeling. You just grew a human inside of you that you carried around for almost 10 months. Then you deliver the child and feel like you lost a piece of yourself. It’s a very alien experience when you really think about it. Giving birth is amazing and one of the most incredibly awkward, out of body moments a woman can ever go through. It’s also really f-ing hard too. So with all of that said, I want you to try and change your perspective on getting back in shape and working out. Instead of doing it for your body, I want you do to it for your mind. I made up a saying that I want you all to remember and I hope it will change the way you view working out like it did for me.
My Motto
The saying or motto that I came up with to try and help motivate me while loosing the 42 pounds I gained during pregnancy is: I workout for my sanity NOT my vanity. Think about it for a second and let those words resonate. Exercising and sweating out all those toxins is the best way to conquer all the issues you go through after giving birth and will continue to keep you healthy, happy, and strong throughout motherhood. Exercise gives you energy, stamina, focus, and time to breathe. Taking even 20 minutes for yourself a day will give you the time to yourself that you need to help keep you going strong. As moms we have so much on our plates that it can sometimes take it’s toll and wear us down, which doesn’t help when trying to put on a happy face for our kids and other loved ones. So we need to remember that we are allowed to take the time for ourselves in order to take care of ourselves. It’s like what they tell you on a plane when giving you instructions before taking off. They say, “In case of emergency or loss of cabin pressure, please make sure to put the oxygen mask over yourself before placing a mask over your child.” Plain and simply put: if you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your child. It’s a fact. So don’t ever feel guilty for giving yourself time to breathe. You’re allowed and entitled and after all you do to take care of your family each and every day, you deserve it.
When you workout with the idea that it’s for your sanity and not vanity, it changes your outlook. Don’t go to the gym or walk around the block because you have to lose weight to look good. Do it because it makes you feel good ladies! When a bad mom thought pops up in that crazy, hormonal head of yours, immediately say to yourself, “Everything is gonna be alright, I’m a great mother, I deserve to be happy, I deserve to be loved, and I am capable of anything and everything . . . ” or say whatever you need to say that’s gonna make you chance your thought process from a sad place to a happy place. Just remind yourself that you can and you will do it and be present and in the moment, always. Be aware that your hormones are just wacked out right now and they will go back to normal. When you sweat and get rid of all those toxins, your brain and body will be less anxious and emotional, and more receptive to positive energy and light. When we are feeling better mentally and emotionally, we are better all the way around. With that, comes a better body, which is only part of the goal if we are truly focused on the inside (sanity) and not the outside (vanity). Also never ever look to a significant other to make you feel sexy or beautiful. Just FYI, I have to remind myself of these things everyday too. So I know none of what I’m saying is easy BUT it is definitely doable and every bit of it is possible!
My Fitness Plan
One of the things I did to help lose a lot of the water weight at first was the Cabbage Soup Diet (get the day by day plan here). The workouts were based around a lot of resistance training, which is simply using your own body weight. For instance, push ups, sit ups, and the dreadful, yoga ball. Wasn’t my favorite, but it worked! Keep reminding yourself that nothing worth it is ever easy. It takes time and effort to make anything great, no matter what it is you’re doing. Remember that it took 10 months to grow the baby and gain all that weight. So, it usually takes the same amount of time to lose it and get back to where your body was before you were pregnant. You have to give yourself the time to heal and remind yourself that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Having a baby changes your life completely and definitely takes some time to get used to. Balance or actually finding balance is one of the most difficult parts of all the change that happens when you become a mom. Just know that you’re still allowed to take time for yourself, you are only human, you can do it (whatever IT is) and your fears are just Fake Evidence Appearing Real. So whether it’s getting back in the gym, doing yoga, or simply locking yourself in your room and dancing to loud music all by yourself, JUST DO IT! Get out there and sweat, ladies! I promise, if you focus more how on you feel inside, your body will react quicker on the outside.
*Consult with your doctor before starting any new fitness routine.
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