It’s the day every pregnant woman dreams about (besides the day that she gets to hold her sweet baby for the first time): the day that she finally has her body back. And by that I mean the day that she feels normal in her skin again, where her clothes fit like normal, where she feels strong and fit and sexy again.
- If I had to pick a “happy” look, this would be it!
The thing is that day comes at different time for every woman; for me it’s turning out to be a work in progress. Since I didn’t gain that much weight with my pregnancy it was easy for me to get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight and, coincidentally, my pre-pregnancy size. That being said, after a couple months of emotional eating due to our miscarriage my pre-pregnancy weight and size were not really my happy place with my body. I had just started to get back into shape when I found out we were pregnant again and the horrors of first trimester sickness wrecked any chance of eating well and working out. And while I would not give up a second of my pregnancy I have found that it’s time for me to get to that happy place in my body.
(P.S. I don’t know why but my fingers keep wanting to spell the word body like “boday.” Just had to share.)
I can’t promise that I’ll have any before and after shots on the blog in regards to my progress because I don’t really know yet what the “after” part holds. I know that I need to continue to eat better and really reign in on my heavy-handed simple carb intake (I love bread. OMG DO I LOVE BREAD!). I have enjoyed working out every day lately, although I’m hoping that soon those workouts will become more intense and results-oriented as I recover from my C-section. But my “after” doesn’t include a certain weight or numerical size; it’s more of a feeling of strength, a feeling of confidence, and a feeling of comfort in my skin.
So here it is: my body after baby plan. I’m hoping to have a weekly update (maybe on the weekends…?) about progress and how I’m feeling, mainly to have the accountability of writing it down and having to share. I am by no means a dietitian, although I do have dietary schooling under my belt. I’m no longer a personal trainer, although I have been one and understand how the body works and responds to exercise. So while I am happy to share what I’m doing please know that I’m not recommending my workouts or eating habits to anyone – it’s purely me sharing my experiences as I go!
New shoes are always inspiring!
As far as food goes, I’m going to continue what I’ve been doing and eat lots of lean protein, as many fruits and veggies as possible, whole grains and complex carbs, and still indulge a little bit to keep me sane. It’s all about balance and I’ve found that if I monitor what I eat too closely it becomes unhealthily obsessive, so having unspecific and open-ended goals is the best thing for me.
As for workouts, I’m trying to switch it up and am in hopes of being able to run sometime this summer. I have had a history with knee pain the past couple of years and I blame a lot of that on not doing enough to strengthen the surrounding muscles, not doing enough flexibility training, and putting on too much weight to comfortably run. I don’t have any aspirations of running races, but miss running and would love to be able to just go out for a run for cardio from time to time.
In the meantime I’ll be going on a lot of walks and hikes with my family as well as doing workouts from WillPower & Grace (LOVE), Amanda Russell, Best Body Fitness, Beat Your Best Fitness, and pull from my own history in personal training. As for flexibility I love yoga and will be taking a day to just do that, but have also committed to warming up and cooling down properly and stretching after every single workout.
I’m excited to see what changes my body will continue to make over the coming months and more than anything am excited to set an example of a strong woman for my little boy. Now if only I could get that sleep thing down! 🙂
I know you will reach your goals–keep up the good work. Having you as my fitness buddy is really helping me think before eating! I never realized how much sugar I was taking in before I started this with you. Love, Mom
I still don’t feel sexy again. But I am going to do a detox when I get back from vacation to help clear out my system & get my rear in gear. She’s 5 months old I need to make myself feel better! I want to feel thin even if I don’t look it. No more crap in!
Good for you – i started working out week 4 but haven’t started running yet – and not that i don’t want to but haven’t figured out how to run with a stroller and a dog yet 🙂 So for now it’s long walks, and then working out on my own. I need to train my dog to run with the stroller. . .let me know if you have any tips.
Good luck Heather, it will all come together for you!
I think you are gorgeous and you and Nate are totally hot in that photo! I understand what you are saying though…everyone has a weight that they feel their best at. In an effort to be healthier, I have totally cut sugar and simple carbs from my diet. It’s really hard, because I love bread, too! 🙂 Good luck on your journey to feeling your best and being the healthiest Mom you can be. Thanks for inspiring me to do the same, Heather!
If I said you had a beautiful boday would you hold it against me? 🙂
You are lovely just the way you are today, my friend.
Good luck, Heather! I like saying “boday” instead of body… 😉
Good for you lady! I need to get some new shoes to putme back in the groove!
I love that you’re not focusing on a specific scale number or measurements- strong is sexy!
After I had Riley (also a c-section) I did a lot of different things, mixing it up to get all of my muscles working and active again.
Not to self-promote or anything, but I am doing an ‘All About Circuits’ challenge for May on my blog, using circuits posted on Pinterest. Could be something you could do- join me? 😉
oooh, intriguing! i may just have to join you with that 🙂
I hear ya, sister! I just posted about this on my blog too– how it’s not about a number on the scale, but rather a feeling of comfort with the body. I’ll definitely know when I’m there.