By Taryn Jackson-Stewart
There are some women who journey through pregnancy and childbirth with little to no weight gain whatsoever. A few weeks post partum and they are rocking their baby to sleep while wearing their pre-pregnancy jeans. Then there are women like me. I started gaining weight from each one of my three pregnancies minutes after the test read “positive.” Without fail, my thighs would get bigger, my hips would spread and my arms would start to swell when my baby was only the size of a grape. Needless to say, getting the weight off once my little blessing had arrived was never easy. I have ventured down the baby weight-loss road three times and here are a few things I have learned along the way:
Wait Your Turn.
Weight loss…just like every other thing you plan to do with your life while being a mother has to fit into a very complicated puzzle. Are your nursing?If so, you can’t drastically change your eating habits since you need a certain amount of calories to produce milk for the baby.Did you have a C-section?No matter how you delivered, your body needs time to recover.I would never tell a mom (or anyone for that matter) when to start working out but it is important to listen to your body.I gave birth to my oldest child when I was 20 years old and started Tae-Bo workouts only after about 4 weeks or so.I had my last two children at 29 and 32 years of age.I waited 2 months after delivery before I started my workout plan.What good are we to ourselves or our babies if we jump out the gate too early?The risk of injury is too severe and after all, we have little people counting on us.
You Are WHAT You Eat!
You have to be mindful of everything you eat …there is no way around it.You might as well start practicing restraint now.Consume lots of water, green leafy vegetables and protein.Who wants to do burpees and planks while feeling sluggish?The workouts and meals go hand in hand.
Patience is a VIRTUE.
You will lose the weight…no seriously you will – but it will take time.Your body has been through a lot and for the first few months after you have your baby your hormones are still trying to figure out what just happened.You may go weeks or sometimes even a month before you see any results, but KEEP GOING.Your body will catch up with you.If you find yourself having a hard time staying motivated I recommend taking pictures on a pretty regular basis.I am doing this right now to track my weight loss after baby #3 and it is extremely helpful when I find myself getting into a rut.
Get Some REST.
I was going to write, “get some sleep,” but that just seems rude.Sleep is the first thing that goes out the window as you prepare for motherhood.Many women stop sleeping months before the little one arrives.However, it is important to be as well rested as possible.Sneak in as many naps as you can.It gives your body a chance to re-charge and will hopefully give you a boost of energy to power through your workouts.
Be NICE to your body.
You do realize what just happened, right?Your body just gave you one of the biggest blessings you could ever hope to have.There are some people who will never get to experience what you did and be grateful for that.Don’t scowl at the body you see in the mirror.That body put in work – SERIOUS work.While you are waiting for the crunches, push-ups and leg lifts to take affect, use your biceps to pick up your bundle of joy and get all the kisses you want.Trust me, it works.Don’t get me wrong, when it is time to workout I believe in giving it your all and pushing yourself to the limit, but from my 8 years of experience as a personal trainer I have learned that if you come into this process without a spirit of gratefulness, grace and mercy for yourself and the faith to keep going when times get rough – it won’t matter how many reps of any exercise you do.Your heart and mind have to agree.Listen to your body, get moving and don’t stop!
When you are ready, here is a workout I recommend if you aren’t able to get out of the house just yet:
Videos:
Shaun T’s T25
Shaun T’s Insanity
Any Zumba workout
When you can get to the gym:
Swimming
Spin
Boot Camp
Favorite Post-Pregnancy Exercises:
Burpees
Planks
Push-Ups
Crunches
Lunges
