Hey ladies! I’ve been asked what I’ve done to lose my baby weight. One thing
that I did was work out while I was pregnant. You might be thinking I’m crazy:
why would I want to work out while being pregnant? I wanted to stay fit which not only would benefit my baby but
would help prevent me from putting on unnecessary weight.
At the
beginning of my pregnancy, it was still easy for me to do all the workouts to
which I was accustomed. I would attend classes at my local fitness center. I
loved going to the aerobic classes. Being in a group setting with other
attendees and having the classes directed by an instructor motivated me to work
harder. It helped me at times to successfully push through the wall when I felt
that I would rather quit.
However,
as my pregnancy progressed, it was hard to keep up with the aerobics routine I
was following. As a result, I started looking into workouts that would be more
suitable for me.
One type
of class that I found that was not only suitable for me while I was pregnant
but was even more suitable afterwards was a class called “Ball’ates.” It’s a
mix of ballet and Pilates that really worked out my arms and legs. Since I
couldn’t work out my abs, I just focused on strengthening my legs and arms.
In
addition to taking classes at the fitness center, I walked on the treadmill
with it being in the inclined position, worked out at home following routines I
found on Pinterest designed for
pregnant women, and remained as active as I could be the rest of the time.
At the
beginning of my pregnancy, I weighed about 105 pounds, and just before going
into labor I was 140 pounds.
While
it’s important to remain active, it’s equally important to maintain a good
diet. While pregnant, many women make the mistake of eating more often and more
than they need to. Many women think eating for two is an excuse to just eat
whatever they want. Women using that rationale gain more weight than they need
to during their pregnancy, and those unnecessary extra baby pounds are more
difficult to lose as a result.
I’m not
saying I was a saint while pregnant. There were days when I would just want to
eat and eat and eat, taking an extra cookie or grabbing an additional slice of
pizza! Like many other women, I would justify such runaway eating with the
excuse that I deserved those extra helpings because I was pregnant.
Go to the gym with friends!
I did my
best, however, to eat healthy while pregnant. It was hard, so whenever I craved
any sweets, fatty foods, or snacks with empty calories, I would hurry and
divert myself in order to follow a more healthy route. I’m not telling other
pregnant women to never eat what they are craving! After all, sometimes it’s the
body telling women what it needs.
In that situation, it’s best to make an individual decision. I’m just mentioning
what worked for me!
Logan Canyon nature Walk
Easy walk during pregnancy and after
safe to take baby with also!
Now a
word of caution about unreasonable expectations for working out after the
pregnancy. After giving birth to my son Liam, it took time for my body to heal,
and when I did resume working out, I couldn’t follow my routines with the same
intensity as I had before. Initially, I worked out as if I were still pregnant,
but this time around as a plus, I was able to work my abs.
It took a
few months for me to start performing those exercises at the same level as I
had before I had been pregnant, and as I said earlier, I had to be patient and
just keep working toward my goal.
Oh, and it
didn’t hurt that breastfeeding burned some extra calories, too.
Now, to
be honest with you, I’m not eating as healthily as I should be, particularly
during the holidays with all the tempting foods and treats available to me. I
do, though, use portion control. I still eat what I want, but I control how
much of it I consume.
As we all
know, the Holidays are the hardest time of the year to stay on track with
eating and on getting to the gym. I do my best to workout everyday though. If I
don’t make it to the gym, I put on an Insanity
Workout disk while Liam is sleeping, or I follow other workouts I found on Pinterest.
You can
find so many different workouts on Pinterest,
many of them make working out fun! And when you are enjoying a workout,
it’s easier to get through it.
Either at
home or at the fitness center, I love routines that are upbeat motivating. Zumba is a great class that is fun that burns
a lot of calories and that doesn’t feel like a workout. Additionally, some of
my favorite classes at the fitness center are power body sculpting, switch,
hard core, and ball’ates.
After 6
months of working out and following portion control, I now weigh around 103
pounds. My goal now is just to tone my body and follow a healthy lifestyle.
Now, no
one has to follow exactly what I did, so just do what feels right! It’s
possible for anyone to attain goals or proper weight and fitness. Don’t give
up! Keep on working for what you want!
And above all, be active!
http://www.pinterest.com/deidrechambers/
Pinterest has some great work outs and motivational quotes!
