Breastfeeding. what an experience to say the least! Very rewarding but also soo hard on soo many levels, made even harder by the fact that my ‘tiny being’ (my baby) is completely dependent on me mastering this new lifestyle choice! I hope I can make it…
My post baby weight. there were days when I would look at myself in the mirror and cry, this wasn’t me anymore! The cellulite, saggy skin and stretched stomach……it seemed to make who I had become, but NO I told myself, I want my toned and fit body back! Will I make it?
During and post pregnancy a woman’s body does AMAZING things, not to mention transforming itself to accommodate and grow a baby. But it also retains water and fat causing cellulite, and the hormone levels are exorbitantly high. This is what causes mood swings, stress, skin problems and stretch marks. I learned to relax, take in the fact that the body I was rejecting when I looked in the mirror, had actually been through A LOT.
It worked hard both during pregnancy, child birth and now breastfeeding, I had to allow myself time to recover.
Let me tell you a little bit about my journey through this incredible but also hard time in my life. I gained about 18kg (39.6 pounds) during my pregnancy, I didn’t particularly eat large amounts of food but I did indulge in carbohydrates a little too often, I just couldn’t resist!!
6 months after I had my baby, I decided that it was time, time to finally get rid of those extra kgs I had put on and reach a new post pregnancy weight goal.
Trying to turn back the clock and obtain the body you once had is not the key to your success, rather working towards a fitter, firmer and healthier version for your new self and body.
RELAX
Dionisis Fexis and Nick Vardavas are the personal trainers who changed the way I felt and what I thought about weight lifting. I used to think that weight lifting was just for those whom strived to achieve a body builder’s look, but I was so wrong! Both of them taught me that yes weight loss is great, but what about the muscle tone? How was I going to get rid of the saggy legs?
For the next month I trained and followed their advice religiously. I trained 3 times per week (using weights to build muscle tone and strong core), started eating healthier. This included more vegetables, lean protein (fish, because I do not eat meat), calorie counting and I even started to season my food appropriately (no ready-made salad dressings, instead one spoon of olive oil etc)
The result…..THE NUMBERS ON THE SCALES REMAINED THE SAME! I was so disappointed and discouraged at first, but then I looked at pictures of myself and actually noticed the difference! The numbers on the scales hadn’t changed due to building muscle mass, I HAD been buring the fat away!
This is me. From left to the right. Real pictures, no photoshop.
First one is when I started
Second after 3 months of training
Third when I reached my goal and I keep going.
My advice for getting into shape post pregnancy:
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Take your time with the recovery, a pregnancy lasts just over 9 months so it will take at least that amount of time to ease into a routine which helps you get into shape.
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Start resistance training, it will build your core muscles making you stronger, and define your muscles making you more toned. This is what makes the difference!
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Be kind to your body with what you chose to eat, yes it’s hard when you have a baby or a toddler but this is the key factor to weight loss and a healthier you. It WILL be hard to kill bad habits but once you adjust to a new diet and persevere, you will be thankful for the change.
My biggest tips is to be true to yourself, look at yourself in the mirror and promise the person you are looking at, that you will give it your all and put in the best effort you can. At the end of the day you are doing this for you, you deserve it!
Athena
