My Post-Baby Body

I follow a mom/fitness blogger who did actual updates on a monthly basis after having her babies.  Like...complete with measurements, photos, etc! You will not be getting too much of that from me.  I just wanted to talk about what changed, what stayed the same, and what I am doing fitness-wise, since I did appreciate having some sort of accountability during my pregnancy.  Even if it was a fail half the time, I had to come on here and admit it to everybody.  Sometimes that in itself got me moving on a Sunday night when I realized I had to post the next day that I didn't exercise all week!

As I've stated about 100 times, I started the pregnancy about 10 pounds heavier than I should be.  I blame this on going off of BCP but mostly it's because of all the beer I drank.  

Pregnancy Weight Gain/Loss:

I did not have the classic "morning sickness", but I definitely had food aversions/didn't really want to eat anything and obviously wasn't drinking anymore, so I lost weight at the beginning of my pregnancy.  

As you also may recall, I gained the majority of my pregnancy weight in the 3rd trimester.  I actually had to stop checking the scale for the weekly survey because I kept worrying that something was wrong. But I did eventually gain a little over 20 pounds.  So, if you are keeping score, that's 30 to lose.

When the baby is born, they say you lose an average of 14 pounds (weight of the baby, placenta, and other fun stuff).  Guess how much I lost? 14 pounds.  I have always been pretty average.  I don't mind.

Breast feeding also makes your body burn a ton of calories, and when I got mastitis (for the first time) I had to go to the doctor to get a prescription and when I got on the scale there, it read the same thing it did when I walked in at 7 weeks pregnant. Yay!

Currently, I'm about -5 pounds from where I started but I'd like to be a round number so let's just say I have about 10 pounds to lose.

So...

What changed?

Your entire body changes when you have a baby.  I weigh 5 pounds less than I did when I started but my clothes do not fit me the same way. 

What stayed the same?

My stomach and waist. This is more an effect of genetics although I religiously slathered myself with various types of oil starting immediately and through about a month postpartum. 

What am I doing now, fitness-wise?

As soon as I felt ready (2-3 weeks I think) I started walking Abby around the neighborhood in the stroller. Even though I had a quick delivery, it's amazing how it really takes a toll on your body.  I mean, a 7 pound baby went through my pelvis. 

I would say from weeks 4-10 I did about 1-2 walks per week.  It really was depending on the weather and what kind of a day we were having.  A few weeks ago, I decided to see how running felt. I have done a few runs and while my legs and lungs hurt, it's really just my body that is slowing me down.

My fitness goals:

My short term goal is that we are doing a 5k this weekend!  I don't have a time goal at all, and my goal for it is to cross the finish line.

Longer term, I registered for the Shamrock Half Marathon (it'll be my 3rd time!) and I'm very excited to get back into the long-er distance running.  

What am I doing eating-wise?

Not much.  It was so much easier to eat healthy when I had a little baby in my tummy.  

My eating goals:

Eat more fresh food.  If it needs to be refrigerated, it's probably better to eat than something out of the cabinet.  I'm also trying Shakeology.

And now, the part you've all been waiting for.

I took some "before" photos at 4 weeks pregnant. (If you are wondering "Can you even find out that early?" Yes.  You can.)

I'm going to share some comparison pictures because this is a safe place/judgement-free zone.... RIGHT?  I even put on the same exact outfit.  I wasn't in great shape before I got pregnant- which, in my opinion, makes it much easier to get back to my pre-pregnancy state. Hahaaaa...  I think the after pics were taken around 10 weeks pp. 

Before on the Left. After on the Right. 

Before on the Left. After on the Right.

Well?  There you have it.  I will check back in a couple more months and let you know how it's going. 

~SG