How To Get Back In Shape After Giving Birth | Real Life Experience with Real Photos
- Jul 22, 2021
- 5 min read
Pregnancy alone is such a rollercoaster of emotions and changes. Yes, it is truly a magical experience feeling life grow inside of you. Yes, it is only 9 months and then you get to bring the most precious baby into your life.
BUT
The changes our body goes under can be very difficult. Everyone’s experience is different, and mine might be what you felt. I went through so many mood changes. I feel like I was asleep for 3 months straight. I was extremely exhausted those first months I couldn’t stay awake. I went through feelings of loneliness, unworthiness, and many insecurities. I had the worst acne of my life that covered my face, neck, chest and back. On top of that, you really can’t use any products to help because they can hurt baby.
So, for the most part, I felt out of control and not like myself. I struggled to feel beautiful with a quickly growing waist line. I went from a size 24 to a 37 inch waist. Although I was beyond excited that I was growing my first baby, I couldn’t wait to not be pregnant anymore! Lol
I wanted to use my acne medications, drink lots of coffee, and lift some weights!!!
I made it a priority to work on my figure after pregnancy not only for me but for my child. If I didn’t love the temple I was in, how could I teach my child to do the same?
I told myself no excuses. No matter what it takes I would get in shape. This didn’t mean getting skinny. This meant becoming healthy. Throughout pregnancy, I had french toast every. Single. Morning. So, I had to bounce back from alot!!
DISCLAIMER | I do not have abs, a perfectly flat belly, and I am no trainer. But I am in a place where I fit into most of my old jeans, and feel strong and beautiful! And I want that for everyone! I am still a work in progress and would LOVE abs one day! So I am still going hard in the gym for it!
So, what did I do?!?!
Video: @womantimedaily instagram
Well, when I first gave birth, gyms were still not open due to quarantine. I began by taking daily morning jogs or walks. I’d add on about 20 minutes of very light weights since I had literally just given birth. I also cut out french toast from my diet, and only had protein shakes in the A.M.
A month later, gyms reopened!! I had purchased the Post Pregnancy Fitness Plan by Hope Isabel Howard. While it was a great plan, there was no accountability, and her videos were just youtube links to other people exercising. I didn’t find much value or excitement in her plan.
I saw an Ad from Move With Us that they were having a Bikini Body challenge for 8 weeks and there would be a $10,000 winner. Now, that money prize made me very very motivated. I signed up and began the challenge.
I was BEYOND impressed with the app access. Every day you had to write 3 things you were grateful for, 3 things you wanted to accomplish in your day, and one thing you loved about yourself. It really motivated me.
It also gave you so many recipes and meals. The workouts on there were SO SO good and made me sweat tons! You checked it off after each one and something about checking workouts off made me satisfied. They also have detailed workout instructions on how to do it.
So, every morning before my fiancé went off to work, I got up at 7 AM and head to the gym for an hour. My workouts always consisted of 30 minutes on the treadmill at 15 incline, 3.5 speed. Then, I would do 30 minutes of weights. After I lost alot of inches on my waist, I switched up my routine.
By the end of the challenge, I was down 30 pounds from what I was after birth. I still struggle to get that extra belly pouch off. I read online that lifting weights can help that.
Now, my current routine is 45 minutes of weights every morning at 7 AM. Sometimes, I add in a 10 minute jog, but mainly I do weight training.
This is how I’ve gotten to where I am now. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not perfectly skinny nor care to be. I feel very confident where I am now, and am so proud that I did not give up or make excuses. It is difficult to be where you want to be, and it can seem beyond far or maybe even impossible. But, there is always a way. If you don’t have help with the kiddos, grab jump rope and move when baby is sleeping. Move With Us also has a home option for their plans too.
So here are my steps to get back in shape, and I highly recommend investing in Move With Us. If you can’t make the investment, I would watch Chloe Ting’s free workout videos on youtube!
DON’T Make Excuses.
Find the time that works best for you to spend time working on yourself, whether it’s super early, really late or during the day.
Make a plan, and make some goals. Whether you buy a program, use youtube videos, or make up your own routine. Your goals should sound like: 2 inches off waist, fit in size 4 jeans, be able to run 4 minutes straight without stopping. Try not to focus on how much you weigh. The number doesn’t always matter especially when building muscle.
Choose how often a week you can commit to and try your best to AVOID missing a day.
Celebrate yourself, take before and after photos, and watch yourself evolve!
No giving up!
After 6 months of doing this, I now go to the gym no problem and actually look forward to this time. This is my ME time away from baby. It is my quiet time. It is my recharging time. It starts my days off AMAZING! I also truly believe it helped me avoid Post Partum Depression. I listen to podcasts, the bible, books, sermons, and more while I am there so I get an extra boost of motivation for my day.
Trust me. If I can do it, you can too. No excuses. God gives you strength trust me.
Begin your journey TODAY, start planning! Send us photos to our Instagram of your before photo to keep yourself accountable! Then, send your after photo and we will celebrate you!!!
Instagram: @womantimedaily
Workout App Insta: @movewithus
Xo,
E
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