postpartum weight loss update.

Hello loves!

So today I wanted to give a little post partum weight loss update,

and share my tips on avoiding holiday weight gain-

because we all know those Christmas cookies are calling our name!

And dang it we should be able to enjoy them right?!

RIGHT.

Well first things first-

Today I'm exactly nine months post partum!!

This nine months went by sooo much faster than my pregnancy did, holy moly.

These two pics were taken the night before my water broke-

I was ready to pop!

Awe I miss my bump!

But I'm much happier with my babe.

And PS happy 9 months Liam my love!

Okay!

So these photos were taken a week after giving birth.

I was super bloated from the hospital and still recovering big time.

Please ignore my messy bathroom, by the way.

I gained about 33 lb's during my pregnancy, but I've lost about 40 lb's so far!

And the only reason I really keep track of my weight is because during pregnancy I obviously had to get weighed to make sure Liam and I were healthy-

because we all know the scale sucks and a number is just a number and shouldn't dictate anything.

But I also want to be transparent and let you know my progress. 

I started working out one week after my delivery {just cardio for the first 6 weeks}, tried to eat healthy {never restricting myself} and was breastfeeding as well.

I wrote a HUGE post HERE on what I did to get back in shape and posted LOTS of tips and advice-

in case you're interested!

You can also pin these posts too- all you gotta do is hover over the picture and press the Pinterest button!

Yah might wanna pin it now and read it later when you're preggo!

Okay now here I am four in a half months post partum!

I had been doing the Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide {BBG} program, eating healthy {again not restricting myself} and still breastfeeding!

I would make it to the gym about five days a week- and would give myself grace if I couldn't make it or was having a busy week.

This is finally when I started feeling like myself again, not only physically but mentally as well.
Honestly once I started weight training with BBG I started noticing differences and started seeing results!
I remember starting the program and I literally could not do a sit up, my stomach muscles were gone!
And push ups were a thing in the past-
but now almost 5 months later those are easy peasy again.
I'm a huge advocate of that program for many reasons that I talk more about here.

For me, the hardest part about weight loss is the eating portion.

I used to have such a bad relationship with food, I would restrict all week then binge horribly on the weekends, feel guilty and repeat.

About two years ago I stopped that stupid cycle with food and started tracking macro nutrients instead-

which helped tremendously!

I wrote more about counting macros and working out here!

Right now I just track my food as habit, but I'm not restricting myself at all since I'm still nursing.

I'll do another post on eating if you all are interested- message me if so!

I have sooooo much to say about that topic! 

I was back to being comfortable in my skin and feeling so strong.

You have a whole new body after child birth, so I wanted to embrace those changes!

The entire time I made sure to stay positive and be patient, because it's so easy to get down on yourself!

 Skipping the gym, eating treats and maybe drinking more caffeine than water {what?!} is called LIFE.

I didn't want this process to ever make me feel guilty about playing with Liam for an extra hour instead of going to the gym, or make me feel bad about grabbing pizza with friends. 

Balance, balance balance. 

I just wanted to fuel my body with whole foods, reward it by staying active, stay positive and do my best!

Fast forward a few months to current day!

These photos were taken at 8 and a half months {two weeks ago} and I'm currently down 40 lbs after having Liam. 

Like I said above, I originally gained 33 lb's, but wanted to lose a little more and push myself to get in the best shape I've ever been in. 

From the first progress photo to now, there have been lots of ups and downs with my eating and exercise!

I wasn't perfect, over ate and skipped the gym for weeks {almost months} at a time-

but after any off track day I would just try and start fresh the next morning and do my best.

I'm seeing lots of results and muscle gain, that honestly I haven't seen before, and now that I'm at my goal "after baby weight" I want to focus more on my body composition. 

And sorry none of these are full body-

this is the best mirror we have lol!

#apartmentlife

It's crazy to think that in nine months my body grew a human..

And nine months later that human is crawling and my body's stronger than it's ever been!

I'll keep posting my updates on here, I like to keep ya'll in the loop!

And it makes me more accountable.

So thank you for reading my little ole blog, I appreciate it!

And now for a couple tips that I use to keep myself on track through the holiday season!

Because first and foremost, the holidays are a time to make memories, not stress about calories!

1. Love your body. If you're going to a cookie exchange party, odds are you're going to eat cookies. So if you have a couple, don't beat yourself up and feel guilty! Food is not only fuel, but it's meant to be shared and celebrated with others. Don't avoid holiday parties, dinner with friends or eating out because it's not the healthiest food. Instead, make good choices while out and about and give yourself grace. If you over indulge, might as well enjoy it lol, but start fresh again in the morning. Forgive yourself and move on! 

2. Substitutes. I'm alllll about this one! I have a major sweet tooth, like after every meal I feel like I need a little chocolate to top me off. I can't help it! And if I had a piece of cake after every meal I don't think I'd be doing too hot right now, so instead I fake it! There are so many awesome low fat/low cal/low carb dessert options out there that are the bomb dot com. Skinny Cows and Halo Top are two of my go to treat brands! I'm a quantity eater, so if I can eat a PINT of ice cream for 280 you bet your bottom I'm going to! I've even brought my guilt free treats to parties and get togethers so I can join in on the fun, but not go over board with lots of dessert. And I use substitutes on every day meals to, especially when eating out. For example, if I'm having a burger I add extra lettuce, ditch the bun and make myself a wrap! Or if I want fries, I get sweet potatoes fries instead of regular. It's all one big balancing act, but I promise making small healthy changes like that make alll the difference! Take off the mayo and ask for mustard instead, skip the tortilla when grabbing a salad at chipotle, get froyo instead of ice cream... I could go on forever and ever! You don't have to cut yummy foods out of your life to lose weight! Amen? AMEN!

3. Water. I'm a classic snacker and would nibble on food all day long if I could! But now, if I'm feeling like a snack I make myself drink a bottle of water beforehand not only because, well yah need water duh, but because it helps curb those late night cravings too! So when you're at your next holiday party and they have all kinds of carbolicious snacks chug some water first, then see how you're feeling. The more water the better! So simple, yet so effective.  

4. Stay active. The gym for me is therapeutic. I remember breaking down a couple weeks after having Liam {I was still very hormonal lol} because I was putting the gym off for when he'd go to bed and once that time finally rolled around I was so exhausted and just couldn't do it. I needed to find an easy program that kicked my butt, but didn't leave me at the gym for hours of the day. So Zak and I did a little research, re-worked our schedules and I started doing BBG. Game. Changer. I didn't have a gym membership, so I needed something that worked at our tiny apartment gym, or even at home and I needed instructions, a planner and sessions that were short and sweet. That for me was BBG. For others it's spin classes, Crossfit, walking your dog or Orange Theory classes. You gotta find what works for you.. and then stick to it!! That leads me perfectly into my next tip.....

5. Consistency. Whatever you do activity wise- keep it going! Make goals to get to the gym X amount of days a week, make goals to meal prep so your eating is on point. Whatever you do, make sure you keep at it because it takes time to see results. Eating bad one night won't cause you to gain ten pounds, but on the flip side going to the gym 3 times a month won't help you lose anything either. And with that said- don't make your workouts the same each time, when I say consistent I'm talking schedule, not actual exercise. You have to make changes to see changes! That's what I tell myself when I'm dying doing squat jumps and want to stop lol. I hate those things. Anywho, make goals and stick to them!

So in short, don't skip holiday parties because there's going to be pie and ice cream, instead have a little cheat night or BYOLFIC {bring your own low fat ice cream}, avoid the eggnog and drink water instead, do a little turkey trot before indulging on Thanksgiving, give yourself grace, set realistic goals and kill them! 

Now go RSVP to all those holiday shindigs and have the best {guilt free} time ever!

Love you all!

xoxo