Back to my first post baby bod (HERE) , I LOVE to follow inspiration moms, great wives, girls bosses. So scrolling through my feed gives me daily inspo! It encourages me to soak in motherhood, hit the gym, look and feel good. In real life too, I love to surround myself with those who inspire me to DO Better.
When I first started my blogging hobby. I say hobby because I didn’t know where it was going or would go. I was just looking for a way to be creative outside being just a mom. I longed to wear cute clothes and get dressed up and feel good. I had two young babies 12 months apart. I needed an outlet. Making people feel good is what I love to do! I want to inspire my mommy readers that they really can have it all. You can be a good mom and still have a fun/look good. In my previous post, (HERE). I’ve always said that this was my goal.
I always thought of this blogging to be a fun hobby but it’s really become more than that. It consumes a lot of my life and time. I absolutely love sharing it with you all. I get so many positive DMs and emails and they just inspire me to open up even more. So many of you have asked about diet and exercise. So here it is. This is what works for me. I open myself up to criticism daily so I am definitely able to handle it! Would love to know your thoughts and recommendations.
Sharing my pregnancy with you all was exciting as we didn’t know the gender of our baby. So many people would guess and it made it even more exciting for me. I love being pregnant so much. I feel really good and it’s just been an easy experience all 4 times. During pregnancy, I aim to gain 35 lbs. I just know that the number won’t be too difficult to shed. I eat just a little bit more than when I am not pregnant (plus some extra sweet treats). I definitely splurge but leave that for weekends. I don’t “eat for two”.
I am just a lucky person who doesn’t get sick or have weird cravings. So I want to be transparent about that. This is probably why it is easier for me to shed the weight postpartum. I gained the most with my first son CJ. I gained about 45 lbs. This pregnancy was the hardest to shed the weight and I experience some baby blues because I was so young and naive about becoming a mother. I kept waiting for my “motherly instincts” to kick in and then put so much pressure on myself about breastfeeding. Horrible mix!
Let me just admit my body is not the same. Its stretched.. it SKINny… and by that I mean I have the extra skin 😆.
If you have followed my stories… I have always said that for the first 6 weeks postpartum I do not focus on diet. I literally eat so much to try to establish my milk supply and most importantly, survive newborn stage aka no sleep. I truly think nursing has helped me bounce back quicker for all my babies. I exclusively breastfeed on demand and literally do nothing else for 6 weeks.
Come 6 weeks postpartum, when I am cleared to resume activities, its game time. I start with intense workouts. I love shred 415 or just plain running/sprints on the treadmill. I usually aim for 3-5 miles plus some weight lifting.
60 minute workout: (5 mile run)
6.5 on an even (0) incline
If your just starting out- turn on your favorite show and run for 5 minutes straight then walk for one minute. Repeat. It will fly by! Kinda 🙈
Quick 30 minute workout: (3 mile run)
8 at a 4-6 incline for one minute and then back down to 0 incline at 6.5 for 5 minutes. Repeat for 30 minutes
I usually follow this up with an additional 15- 30 minutes of weight lifting (BBG program). Including a sample of one of my favorite ones.
At this point, I start watching my calories and lower them to 1850-2000 (Keep in mind BFing burns up to 700 calories a day). I also go gluten and dairy free. This takes out a lot of my favorite foods so then I am not tempted.
Here are some of my go to snacks:
Today (15 weeks postpartum), I am currently back to my postpartum weight. I am so thankful to my body for allowing me to get to this point 4 babies later. I still have a bit to go in order to completely “get my body back” But I truthfully, I know that all comes in time.
Some things I have added to my lifestyle recently is TRX workouts, which I believe have made me more lean that just runs/weights. You use your own body weight! Soo tough! Also, I just started incorporating IF….Intermittent fasting, which is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. It does not say anything about which foods to eat, but rather when you should eat them. There are several different intermittent fasting methods, all of which split the day or week into eating periods and fasting periods. So I have my first meal at 12pm and end my eating period at 8pm.. its pretty tough but I’ve heard great things! I am a big shake person for breakfast so I am super hungry post workout. Noon is pretty hard to wait some days 🙈
Linked (HERE) is my daily morning shake recipe. I am trying IF a couple times a week and will let you know if I see any changes..
FULL DISCLOSURE: I am not at all a dietician or fitness trainer. I have zero training in both of those. I probably am doing everything wrong but this is what works for me. I feel healthy, full of energy and I need that being a busy mom of 4. Most importantly, my happiness doesn’t come from weight. I know my husband and family loves me when I’m a happy mom not a skinny tired mom 😆. Fitness is enjoyable to me but I treat it like my job. I aim to be a great wife and a mom and I know if I am happy with myself first those just come easier. I rarely miss a day. Also, no I don’t have a handful of nannies or a personal trainer. I am fully dedicated to getting back in shape and literally wake up at the crack of dawn to get it in if I need to. It’s all about dedication and determination. Here’s to hoping to inspire some of you. 🌟
Clothing sponsored by ALO
Photography by Andreya Villegas