Let's back up to beginning shall well, and let me start by saying that I have never really been into health and fitness in the sense that I have "cared" or thought to much about it. In high school I was really active, I was a cheerleader for two different sports and that kept me pretty active during the school year. I spent my summers swimming and being outdoors. I've always eaten pretty healthy as well, and never been to concerned.
Then I went to college. I stopped being active, not like I was in high school anyway. I put on some weight during my first couple years of college. Then lost it all by the time I got married a few years after college. When Orion and I got married I was the thinnest I think I've ever been. I was happy with my weight and the over all healthy lifestyle I'd created.
Fast forward a couple years, had my first baby. It took me about 9 months to loose all the baby weight I gained with Ava and feel like I was in a good place. Then I started working full time again and time for working out and eating healthy took a back seat to working full time and trying to figure out how to be a wife, mother and homemaker in all of that. And really, I just didn't care. There were times when I was just staying a float.
When I got pregnant with baby #2 I was already a bit over weight. But in the weeks prior to finding out I was pregnant I had lost 10 pounds. I am a small person in height only 5'2'' I was over weight for my height for sure. I had such intense sugar cravings during my pregnancy with Zane that I just ate whatever I wanted. I gained those 10 pounds back so quick, and really gave myself license to eat what I wanted to because I was "pregnant."
Such a crappy attitude to have, ladies don't be like that during your pregnancy. Stay active, eat well for you and for baby.
Now, I'm gonna get real with you here and share some very personal things here, specifically numbers.
When I weighed in on delivery day with my second pregnancy I weighed 190. Before I got pregnant I weighed 158, I'd gained 32 pounds during this pregnancy. Which might not seem like a lot but with swollen feet during the last 3 months of my pregnancy I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world.
And of coarse you do not feel like yourself just after having a baby. I knew that I couldn't start working out again till I got the clear from the doctor so I tried to make better choices in what I was putting into my body. Which was hard because I was breast feeding and needed extra calories and I was still having crazy sugar cravings.
Zane was 3 months old when I decided something needed to change. I was already back to my pre pregnancy weight at 158 pounds. I'd lost 32 pounds by really watching what I ate, breast feeding and chasing around two kids mostly Ava up and down the flight of stairs all day.
158 pounds was still a bit over weight and I knew it. My body had changed and so I needed to change what I was going if I was ever going to loose the weight I wanted to and make a healthier lifestyle. So I decided that I was going to start working out at home.
I began doing Jillian Micheals' 30 Day Shred at home. The first couple days were so not easy, actually I dreaded them. My first couple work outs Zane woke up screaming from his afternoon nap time. It was crazy but I kept going, crying baby and all.
By Day 6, I was just now starting to get into it and thinking to myself "Ok, I can do this." I worked out in front of my Husband which I haven't done in years. It was an accomplishment alright. I also started to change my eating habits a lot started clean eating and cut out all dairy, sugar, extra salt, counted my calories and started drinking insane amounts of water daily. About a gallon of water to be exact, peeing all the time like I was pregnant again.
I kept going and going pushing myself. Doing workouts with screaming kids in the background is not always glamourous but I got it done! Sweating in 112 degree heat while trying to get a run in, is also not awesome but again I pushed myself and did it. But, buying new workout shorts in a small size is! A small but needed victory.
I'm now 3 months into my fitness journey and have seen great results as part of my transformation mind, body and soul. It really has been a workout from the inside out, cleaning up all areas of my life. I really believe that fitness is much more mental than physical. I needed to get over my mental road blocks first before I really could make this change.
I'm so glad I did. I feel better than I have in years. I'm sleeping better, and having more energy for my kids during the day. Loosing the weight is honestly such an added bonus to the way I feel.
I can't wait to share more of my journey in the next couple weeks. If you're needing some motivation today my advice is to just make a choice and start moving. Find someone to help hold you accountable, a work out buddy if you need to is always helpful. Start making small changes that add up to big changes.
