body after baby – how i lost the baby weight

Hey y’all!

We’re busy procrastinating the whole packing thing over here.  It’s bad.  I just cannot make myself do it.  I’ll be haphazardly throwing things into bags come Saturday morning – I just know myself.  Luckily I’m fine with the fact that I am the way I am.   Whatever I forget to pack, I’ll just buy out there.  (Travis just winced)

Porter turned a year old on April 14th which means I’m one year postpartum.  During those first few months after delivery, I was pretty good about updating you all with my progress but it soon became something that seemed so trivial that I stopped sharing.  Now that it’s been a full year since giving birth, I figured an update might be fun.  I didn’t take any belly shots or anything like that but I just wanted to share a few things that have helped me along my postpartum health & fitness journey for which I also started taking the new Budpop supplements.

40 weeks pregnant

1 year postpartum

Body After Baby – How I Lost The Baby Weight

Consistency is KEY!

If I could scream one tip for new mamas it’s that consistency is key to getting your body back in fighting shape after having a baby.  Not yo-yo dieting or any of the quick fixes that are pushed upon us at the grocery store checkout line.  I’m talking real, consistent work of making fitness and (somewhat) healthy eating a priority.  It’s easy to become discouraged when we don’t see the scale move but if you make healthy living something you do regularly, your body WILL change.  It just might take some time.  For me, consistently going to Trackstars four days a week has helped change my body tremendously.  I simply make it a priority (it also helps that it’s my job ).

Do what you can.

On days I have little time for a formal workout, I try to incorporate more walking or movement into my day.  We’ve all read the “park farther away at the grocery store”-tips but I actually do that.  I play tag with my kids.  You might catch me doing leg lifts while stirring mac n’ cheese.  Every bit counts for something (and even if it didn’t, I still just love movement).  On days when I know that I don’t have anything planned for supper, instead of getting a pizza or fast food, we’ll have our SMOOOOVIE night.  That way, at least I know that I’ve put something nutritious in my body regardless of the fact that it screams “LAZY!!”  Do what you can, when you can (my friend Carla just put out a book with this very premise).

EAT EAT EAT!!

I think a lot of women are so confused about food that they either a) binge eat or b) live in a constant starvation mode.  Believe me – I’ve been in BOTH places.  When your body is recovering from something like childbirth, you need fuel.  And I’m not talking about brownies here (as much as I love them) – I mean whole, nutritious foods.   Particularly since I’m a nursing mama, I’ve found that I have to eat quality food and a lot more than I think I need.  When you live in starvation mode (1,200 calories or less per day), your metabolism comes to a screeching halt.

I’m not a nutritionist so I won’t begin to give you advice on how many calories to consume but FOR ME, 2,000+ is the minimum.  I don’t count calories but I am a total snacker so while my meals might not seem like much, I eat ALL day long.  It’s what works for me – find what works for you.

HIIT IT!

Incorporating a couple of HIIT (high intensity interval training) sessions every week has done wonders for my figure.  I’m seriously seeing changes in my body like never before.  Two times a week, I have my Trackstars and MoveMore groups perform either Tabatas, AMRAP’s or EMOM’s as a means of training.  For more about the benefits of HIIT, go here.

Give yourself some GRACE.

Lastly, I have to include this little tidbit.  As thrilled as I am to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight, the number on the scale doesn’t really mean that much.  5 pounds heavier, 10 pounds heavier.  Travis doesn’t care (in fact, he’d say I’m half the woman he married – I used to have a much bigger tushy that he adored).  As I’ve gotten older, I just don’t care as much.  I have THREE kids and zero time to worry about my body.  Some days I eat like crap.  Some days I get like 2,000 steps in.  Sure, I like being able to fit into the clothes I have in my closet but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have a little extra weight.  I think all of us need to allow ourselves a bit more wiggle room, especially when it comes to repairing our bodies after birth.  Less stress, more GRACE.  Less focus on the outside.

These guys = my reason to stay fit & healthy.

QUESTION:  If you’ve had kids, what has helped you return to “fighting shape”?  What roadblocks have you encountered along the way?

splendid…lindsay