Losing weight after a baby is hard--you can't take a magic pill or get on a miracle diet like NutriSystem if you are breastfeeding. Time to exercise is scarce. Also, you just spent 9 months getting your body this way!
I gained A LOT of weight while pregnant! I'm not going to discuss the numbers (too soon, too soon!) but let's just say it was more than is recommended and much more than I expected! I am a runner and have always had that on my side. Before pregnancy, if I felt a few extra pounds, it wasn't anything a few days of running couldn't fix. I had NO idea that pregnancy would limit my physical activity so much! During the first trimester, I was extremely exhausted. Extremely. I jogged a little bit, but not much since I was both tired and concerned about the possibility of losing my child. I started to put on weight right away. The nurse at my OB/GYN's office even put me on the scale and said "Wow, I hope you don't do that every time" (referencing my recent weight gain). The nerve!! During the second trimester, I exercised a good amount. By the third trimester, I was again exhausted! I can't even really explain it. Not one person ever told me that I would be tired! Looking back now, I don't even remember it that well.
Well, here we are 4 1/2 months after my daughter's arrival. I have 10-15 more pounds to lose to be at my "perfect" weight. I'm pretty proud of the progress I've made so far, and if you knew the numbers, you would be too! :) Some of the weight loss is probably because of breastfeeding. I am still breastfeeding and plan on continuing to do so for at least a few more months. It has been said that breastfeeding burns approximately 500 calories per day (which is really not much at all in the whole scheme of things). I have also implemented a diet and exercise program. I found my diet here. This diet works well for me because it has tasty choices and variety. And it's easy! I don't feel like I'm dieting or missing out. Sometimes I can't stick to it 100% because of eating out or family gatherings, but it works well enough. A few days ago, I installed a calorie counter application on my phone. It's AMAZING! I can input (and even scan the barcode of) my foods, select my amounts of exercise, and it tells my my net calories for the day! It also tracks my weight. I'm obsessed with it! For exercise, I have been doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. This DVD is out of control! It's great though because it only cost me $10 at Target, and all I needed to have to do it was a mat and hand weights. It only takes about 25 minutes to do and it is a WORK OUT. I have also been jogging, although not as frequently as I would like (me+cold weather=staying inside).
The great thing is that I am making significant progress. I feel good and I think I can see my pre-pregnancy body under there! I recommend finding something simple that fits into your life and schedule. Going to the gym doesn't make sense for me because I have the baby at all times. But I can put her in the jogger, or take 25 minutes during her nap to complete my DVD workout. Eating right is a given: She needs it and that's the only reasoning I need!
My main motivation? I don't want to be that woman who says "Oh, I wish I had the body I had before I got pregnant" or "I just won't ever be able to lose that last 15 pounds." I want to be healthy. I want my husband and daughter to be proud of my appearance. And I want to be a hot mommy!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment