At 38, my body didn’t quite bounce back after the baby like it did when I was 25,( In fact it’s so far from a bounce it’s more like a resounding thud). Having had an
At 38, my body didn’t quite bounce back after the baby like it did when I was 25,( In fact it’s so far from a bounce it’s more like a resounding thud). Having had an inkling that this would happen, I tried hard to stay fit during my pregnancy. I kept up with Zumba until about 7 months along. I stopped when GETTING ready to GO to Zumba pooped me out, and I was too short of breath to even attempt a squat. I also figured it was time to stop when the pressure from my growing bump would cause an inopportune fart to get squeezed out by accident.. Ah pregnancy is so beautiful!
All in all, I gained exactly 31 pounds during my 39 weeks pregnant. I was so happy and proud that I was able to stay healthy and not gain too much as I knew it would be a challenge to lose afterwards. What I didn’t account for, however, was the 6-8 ( nearly 8 in my case) weeks of recovery from the c-section that would leave me practically bedriden. Also, as I was both healing and breastfeeding, and waking up at all hours during the night, diet was the last thing from my mind.
If I’m to be completely honest, although I knew I would pack on the pounds, I ate potatoes and rice and bread to my hearts content! Afterall, I was taking care of a newborn, and healing, so I really spoiled myself with food I wouldn’t normally eat. The combination of dream eating and immobility, created a perfect storm for the caloric intake to be much much bigger than the caloric output.. So here I am, bigger than I want to be, but not at all regretful, because it felt reaaaaaaly good to just not CARE about what I ate for a few weeks.
Now the hard work starts. I’ve decided to document my journey in the hopes that it inspires others to do the same.. or at the very least, keeps me on track because I will now be accountable to get the results I want!
Log 1 : October 11th 2018 7.5 weeks post c-section ( no pictures taken) I still have a bit of a baby bump ( thankfully no ones dares ask me “when is your baby due” because I may not be able to control what I do with my hands) I finally feel up to starting my workouts.. I still wear my maternity yoga pants and active tops..sheesh. My ultimate goal is to no longer be wearing maternity clothes when Brie is 5 months old..and to be bikini ready by June 1st.
PS: I refuse to weigh myself. Nor will I take measurements. Seeing my body change in the mirror and feeling how my clothes feel will be proof enough of the hardwork I am doing. It’s quite freeing, not being tied to a scale!
GO TO MEALS
Breakfast is Vegan blueberry muffins with a TBPS of butter see recipe here.
Snack – banana with peanut butter, or apple and cheese, a few almonds
Lunch is a 2 egg omelet with mushrooms and spinach and cheddar cheese, or egg and cheddar cheese on an english muffin with an extra egg white.
Snack – cucumbers and a V8 or 6 cheese crackers and some cheese curds ( small handful)
Supper is a lean protein ( haddock, chicken breast, porc chop, porc tenderloin, ground turkey meatballs) two types of vegetable like asparagus and carrots, toasted butternut squash, zuchini with pesto, roasted peppers, baby tomatoes, mushrooms and brocoli. And a grain. I’m not a huge fan of legumes so I lean more towards long grain brown rice, or Gluten free pasta that is made with rice, corn and quinoa.
I found that if I skipped the grain or rice, then I was REALLY hungry an hour later.
Snack – greek yogurt or YOP, or my all time favourite snack..popcorn ( air blown with just a bit of butter drizzled on top)
Exercise: Start back at Zumba. (oufff it’s tough on the shins!) Also, weather permitting – walk the dog for 20 min minimum per day.
NOTES
I still have quite the baby bump. It looks like I am about 5 months preggos ( I’d like to know how some women lose the baby belly almost immediately.. what is their secret??) and although I have been walking around the neighborhood for about 2 weeks now, I still get winded going up the stairs..
Log 2. November 19th 2018
Meals have been consistent, plus added bonus of No booze challenge for 4 weeks.
Exercise – same but less walking as the weather is getting cold and rainy.
At this point my new baby is 4 months old and although I was going to Zumba at least once a week. ( I went back twice a week when Brie was 8 weeks old) my “baby bump” has only downgraded to a 4 month pregnancy look. Despite the fact that I’ve been eating better and moving more, and did a 4 week no booze challenge, I’m not seeing the results I want. So, I decided to invest in a personal trainer. I found Harminder by asking around on Facebook groups and he came highly recommended, so I decided to meet with him. He works from a homegym, which means he is flexible, and a great choice if you hate large gyms. If you want to learn more about him you can access his Facebook page here HarmsGym.
Before I got married in September of 2017, I did circuit training at a gym and saw results really fast, so this time I figured that by starting with a trainer I would get the ball rolling faster. It was the BEST investment I have ever made.
The picture on the left was taken November 19th and I had my first session with Harminder on the 20th.
Second picture taken December 20th – I continue to not weighed myself and that would be my best advice to others. I used to do that.. and I was so obsessed with the numbers, and with what was causing them to go up or down, that it was taking over my life. Don’t do that to yourself. Life is stressful enough. Oh and no haters please.. Only positive vibes on this site!!
