How To Lose The Baby Weight

(Please note: If you’re reading this blog, you agree to my disclaimer)

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My guide to losing weight while caring for an infant/toddler:

 

YESTERDAY, we talked about the issues that can arise when attempting to workout after giving birth.  I know how desperate you feel to get back to ‘normal’ after having a baby.  I was affected both mentally any physically and the struggle to get back on track was rough.  I can’t tell you how disappointed I was when I realized my ‘pre-baby’ wardrobe was not going to be an option after my son was born and that I’d have to settle in to my maternity jeans at least for another season.  If you’ve been there or if you’re going through it now, below you’ll find the things I did that actually got be back in regular clothes.

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Sore boobs, back and … ‘ahem’ …??  A light sleeper?  Bladder issues?  Here’s how to handle that:

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Forget the HIIT, Insanity, P90x, etc…at least for now.  For all of the issues listed above, I was able to combat the discomfort with things like Pilates and Yoga.  Great for a sleeping baby and great for body pain.  Try alternating between the suggestions below for a full weeks worth of workouts that can all be done at home:

Pilates –

(Grace and Gusto by Ellen Barret, Caroline Sandry…)

Yoga –

(Rondey Yee, Nancy Goodstein, etc)

Fitness Blender –

‘Quiet Cardio’

They offer a variety of ‘low impact’ workouts

Squats –

Squats <— they do more than you think!

Light weight training

(if you’re cleared by Doc )

Here is a very informative article on weights after birth

(Note:  If you have not been active for a while, always view the video prior to actually doing it and definitely consult your doctor.    Pick something you can complete time wise and physically – you’ll feel empowered and be more driven to do it again.  The ‘Don’t quit til you puke, pass out or die’ quotes are NOT for people who haven’t been exercising. (Those are kinda sick quotes anyway). If you were to pass out while baby is sleeping, that is super dangerous.  So, don’t push too hard if you’re a newbie!!  But don’t sit down or take lengthy breaks – keep moving just slow your pace. And remember, if all you can do is 20 minutes – great! 20 minutes a day is 2 hours and 20 minutes a week you spent burning calories!!)

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NO BABY-FREE’ TIME?  NO PROBLEM…

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2:  Break out the stroller!

Ok, so we’re going to get that cardio in ladies – with baby!!  Put that cutie in the stroller and go for a walk!  My kid was born in the middle of winter – but I didn’t give up my walks! There are all kinds of wonderful inventions out there to keep them warm while you’re out.  I used the stroller, the sling, and the front carrier to make sure I got my walks in. So, summer or winter, take that little one on a walk.  Pushing the stroller gives you added resistance that will help burn a few extra calories.  If it’s too cold/hot – head to the mall and do laps (great idea for early mornings since not many people are there at that time).  For me, I had to work up to a faster pace and longer distance.  So, start small but do a little extra every day.  Add one minute or even just 10 more steps before turning around and heading home.

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3:  Put on a show for baby –

That’s right, fit in a 10, 15 or even 20 minute workout while baby watches.  I LOVED doing this because it made my son laugh to see mommy moving all around.  I did the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred (which was super hard at the time and I did not make it 30 days – more on this later), but my son thought it was entertaining.  I would put him on one of those ‘Play/Gym’ mats so that he was beside me and could watch everything I was doing.  You may have to stop what you’re doing a few times to adjust your little one but don’t let that stop you!

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4:  Dance –

Oh this one is great!  Babies love it and it definitely works up a sweat!  I danced all around with my son and sang while I did it.  Just be careful not to do jerky movements.  It is a great bonding experience and you’re burning calories while teaching baby rhythm…what’s not to love?  My husband and I also entertained him a lot with dancing all aorund the house while he watched – which was an incredible workout.  Need dance inspiration?  Try belly dance with The Belly Twins ( I LOVED doing belly dancing with Veena!)

On a finishing note:

Obviously naptime is your friend.  Use that time wisely!  My naptime order of importance was as follows: catch up on sleep, workout, cook, clean.  Definitely get the sleep you need, but don’t feel guilty for fitting in a workout instead of washing dishes.  The dishes can wait.

Exercise goes way beyond just getting ‘thin’ again…you are actually doing so much more than JUST LOSING WEIGHT.   You are setting yourself and baby up for success down the road…and I mean from just a few weeks to years down the road.

A happy mama is a happy baby.  A healthy mama is a healthy baby too.

 

Exercising will boost your energy, confidence, ability to fight stress and it will inspire you to eat better.  Obviously, all of that will come in handy with baby/child care.  Exercising also helps you to get a better nights sleep and, lets face it, you need every minute of sleep to count right now.

In addition to all of the positive effects it will have on you, it also creates a healthy atmosphere for baby to grow up in.  SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Any suggestions that I didn’t mention?  Please comment below and let me know your experience!  What was the hardest part of losing weight after baby for you?

Tomorrow I’ll have a brief post on food suggestions for the new mom – so be sure to check back!

If you enjoyed this post, please share it on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, thank you!!

Taking A Break

Today is all about taking it easy!  I just wanted to remind all my beautiful Superwomen out there that your body needs that rest day!  I used to get antsy on my rest days and just wanted to be doing something.  I felt like if I took a day off, everything I had worked for would disappear (ridiculous, I know).  Of course that’s not true – we actually need rest to get better results!  I don’t have to force myself to take a day off anymore, I welcome them with open arms!

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*But only for 15minutes unless I am LOADED with SPF!!! Gotta protect that skin, ladies!

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But for those of you who have  a hard time getting your brains and bodies to ‘chill out’, here’s my advice:  find a distraction!  Go shopping, go to the pool (which is a sneaky way to stay active on your rest day), just go somewhere!  Reading a magazine or surfing the web on my chill day DID NOT help me.  Just sitting still made me want to move more so I found that staying slightly active helped tremendously.

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Sometimes just a walk around the mall or a lap in the pool is enough movement to get that ‘antsy’ feeling out of your system 🙂  Low cardio on your day off is fine, you just don’t want to do ANOTHER HIIT, or overwork your arms, legs or back at the gym.  So whatever you spend your rest day doing, just keep in mind that you are doing your body a huge favor, and it will repay you!

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Have a fabulous Thursday!

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The Workout: March – May

(Please note:  By reading this blog, you agree to my Disclaimer)

 

My Monday, Wednesday, Friday Routine

(*This is Part 2!  Please check out:  The Workout: Jan – March)

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Taken in late April – I was working out to lose weight and was totally surprised when I noticed my shoulder definition. One more reason to keep going.

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Scooby’s Beginner’s Dumbbell Workout

Bret Contreras’ 30 Day Glutes

Scooby’s 3 Min Abs that I alternated with 10 minute Xhit or Fitness Blender Ab workouts

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Beginning of April – roughly 2 weeks in to the new dumbbell workout.

 

Two things to note:  About a week or two in, I started substituting the 10 minutes of burpee’s in the dumbbell routine, for a 10 minute cardio video from Youtube.  The one I most commonly used was Fitness Blender’s 10 Minute Express Calorie Blaster because they made me really work for it, like the burpees do.  As for the Glutes, I did this a little over a month because I took more days off than he says to take.  Go at your own pace if you try it.  I definitely saw major improvement by the end!

 

 

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

 

Glute improvement!!! Thanks to Bret Contreras! He gave me a foundation and I’ve been adding to it since then. Check back later to see my current workout and updated pics. *Photo taken early May.

 

As always, these are typically optional for me.  I did not stick to one thing or another, just did what I felt like doing.  If my body needed it, I rested all four days.

 

Running Training (yes, still just the training because I have NOT followed this continuously)

Yoga

Walking

Bret Contreras 30 Day Glute Challenge

Fitness Blender HIIT workouts

Abs (Dave Sinclair, Xhit, Fitness Blender)

Stretching

And of course, REST!

 

Right after my evening walk. Get out there and boost that metabolism by walking in the evening, girls!! You’ll be glad you did.

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P.s.  Keep in mind that my arms look bigger in some photos than other because I’m flexing.  They do not look like this all day long!  That would be a bit much for me.  Women do not gain muscle like men do so it’s nice to go around with slim looking, feminine arms that look pretty impressive when flexed.  It’s like carrying around a concealed weapon.

 

Got questions?  Feel free to comment below or shoot me an e-mail!

 

The Workout (January – March)

(*Please note:  By reading this blog you agree to my disclaimer)

My Monday, Wednesday, Friday Routine

I started this routine in January and continued doing it until mid March when I was ready to bump it up a step.

*Taken in March

 

Scooby’s Beginner Resistance Band Workout

XHIT Glute Workout

^For this I would search ‘XHIT Butt Workout’ and thumb through the videos.  Below I will list the three that received the most views from me 😉

Scooby’s 3 Minute Abs

Fitness Blenders Cool Down Stretch

*This is the workout that I did from January into March of this year.  Some days I only did Scooby’s Resistance Band workout but I tried to stick to these as much as I could.  The total time ends up being around an hour, and so some days I would save the abs and butt workout for the evening, (always followed by a few essential stretches), and just do the resistance bands and stretches in the a.m.  Find what ever works for you and stick to it.  You will see results in no time!

And as promised, here are three of my favorite XHIT Glute Workouts:

Victoria’s Secret Angel Butt Workout (how I got started with Xhit)

The Kim Kardashian Butt Workout

Miranda Kerr Butt Workout: VS Series

WHAT I DID ON MY ‘OFF’ DAYS

 

A typical Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday for me would include one or more from the following:

 

Yoga

Brisk Walk

Running Training

Stretching

Added extras:  3 minute abs, 10 minute glutes, etc

Rest!

 

It really depended on how I felt and what I knew my body needed.  Some weeks were more rest than anything else, while other weeks were more focused on Yoga.  There is rarely a day that I skip my walking so you will always see that listed but I usually don’t go over 30 minutes.  This is not a plan for YOU to follow.  This is a sample of some of the things I would choose to do.  I had a very hard time finding a good Yoga video when I first started exercising that it had turned me off of Yoga completely.  Luckily I found a few that move slow enough to follow, explain everything as they go but also have you moving along at a steady pace.  The following videos are ones that received the most views from me over the past 6 months:

 

Sportskool’s ‘Finding Strength and Balance’ with Nancy Goodstein

Sportskool’s ‘Releasing Strength’ with Nancy Goodstein

‘Shape Up’ with Caroline Sandry which you can find on Amazon

John Vitarelli’s ‘Full Body’ and ‘Yoga For All’

 

Always listen to your body!  Make sure you take time to rest during the week and don’t push yourself too hard.  You will have better results if you designate ‘rest’ days.

 

*Have you already been working out?  Do you already have a favorite video, routine or type of exercise?  Please tell me about what YOU’VE been doing to get in shape and stay fit!

Another New Week!

(Please note:  By reading this blog, you agree to my disclaimer)

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY IS HERE AGAIN!!

Memorial Day, (the unofficial start to summer), is exactly 6 WEEKS AWAY!  Don’t wait another day, get up and get started on your beach body!  You have SIX WEEKS!!

 

TheHunt.com

Take a few minutes to look for a new bathing suit today…you wont believe how motivating it is…

Athleta.com

And then picture yourself in it when you workout…

Athleta.com

No excuses ladies!  Make it happen.  Even if you can only do 20 minutes, just DO SOMETHING today.

Here are some quick workouts to get you started:

From Fitness Blenders (I totally LOVE them):

If you need to take it a little more slowly:

And of course, the workout that changed everything for me:

Scoobys Beginner’s Resistance Band Workout:

Ok, you’re all set up!  Ready…set…GO WORK OUT!!!!

Motivational Monday!

(*Please note:  By reading this blog, you agree to my disclaimer)

(Image from:  God Is Heart)

I absolutely LOVE this because it’s so true.  I never regret a workout.  But there have been plenty of ‘sitting on my butt’ days that I do regret.  Start this week off right and find 20 minutes to workout today.  YOU WONT REGRET IT.  Need a suggestion?  Walking, Yoga, or a short HIIT workout are just a few of my favorites that are great when I don’t feel motivated or when I’m short on time.  Challenge yourselves this week and get moving!