Body after Baby

(Taken before a run)

Three weeks post-partum I sat on the floor in a dressing room in tears. All I wanted was to be in non-maternity jeans but nothing fit! I left the store flustered and hating my body. This happened after both pregnancies. I didn't even recognize myself in the mirror. Over the next several weeks I lost the weight but my body still looked different.

With little man's pregnancy I gained 38 lbs. and with Cohen's I gained 32 lbs. I was back down to pre-pregnancy weight with both at about 7-8 weeks  post-partum. Although I was back down to pre-pregnancy weight my body did not look like it did before children. And I definitely needed to be in better shape.

 Before I share how I lost the weight. Please know that it is different for every woman. And no matter where you are in your "getting back in shape post baby" journey, you are beautiful! The goal is not to be "skinny", the goal is to be healthy.

So what's my story? How did I lose the baby weight? There are several components.... healthy and fit before pregnancy, exercising during pregnancy, nursing, eating right, age and genetics.

Exercising-
I didn't exercise very much with little man's pregnancy. But with Cohen I did and I gained less weight during my pregnancy with him. I worked out to a Summer Sanders prenatal video that used a resistance band. I can not say enough great things about this workout video. It has a different workout for each trimester. It was great for keeping the body toned! I would always be sore a few days afterwards. For my post pregnancy workout, I am training for a 5k which has really helped with keeping the weight off and stay in shape. I am also doing P90x ab ripper to tighten my belly.

Eating-
We try to have very little processed food in our home. We eat a lot of vegetables during meals. I rarely buy "snacks" (swiss cake rolls, oreos, etc) or any junk food. If we had junk food in our home, I promise you I would eat it. Instead we have fruit or yogurt. For dinner most of the time we eat chicken with a vegetable. And the times that we don't eat very healthy meal I try to be very conscious of portion control.  (portion control is always a good thing no matter what your eating) Sweets are also scarce in our home. Trust me that gets tough around a "certain time of the month."

One thing I have recently been doing is using an app called My fitness pal.  They have an app for android and Iphone users. And the best part is it's free! If you don't have a smartphone you can use it online. My fitness pal helps you count calories and reach your weight goal. I love it!

Drinking-
Unless we are having company over we don't have sodas in our home. So the only thing to drink is water. Dr. Pepper is my weakness but it's just empty calories. There are occasions that I treat myself to a Sonic Dr. Pepper if it's been a hard day.

Mindless eating-
We don't make a habit of eating while watching TV or on the computer. If your mind is pre-occupied with The Bachelor or any other show you tend to eat more than if you were sitting at the table eating.

We are far from perfect when it comes to eating right. I don't want you to see this and think that we never go through a drive-thru or eat sweets. It's ok to treat yourself every once in a while. It's ok to have your favorite starbucks drink every now and then.  What is important is that the majority of what you eat is healthy and that you are active. With two little ones it's hard not to be. I'd love to hear about your body after baby journey. Ok give it to me straight .... do you ever get the abs back (or at least a flat stomach)? :)