Body changes during pregnancy very quickly become something mamas think about. In a very short period of time you go from a body you once knew to an imposter. I mean you literally have a HUMAN growing inside you. Naturally, that human is gonna need some space, which means you are about to become acquainted with your new self.
I could talk for days and days about how to stay healthy and fit during pregnancy; the ins and outs of fueling your body with what it needs to grow life, while also keeping yourself as active and healthy as safely possible. That will all be for another blog post. In this post here I am going to share my top three tips for getting your body back post pregnancy. Grab your cup of coffee or whatever your mama juice is and read on!
TIP 1: Establishing an attainable relationship with food
Right after baby is born, there is little mamas can do physically to start getting their body back into a version of pre-pregnancy shape. You have either just had a c-section and thus are recovering from major abdominal surgery OR you had a vaginal birth and are moving through that recovery process. This is not the time to start obsessing over when you will be able to workout. Your body just created life and it now needs proper time to move through the healing process before working out becomes a concern. This is where establishing an attainable relationship with food comes in.
What you fuel your body with IS something you can control after baby is born. After Axel was born I remember feeling the need to significantly cut calories because I couldn't workout yet and I HATED my postpartum body...the "jelly belly" situation was not for me. I literally remember having so many self-loathing thoughts because I felt so stuck in this body that was not mine. That's when I started googling for answers.
"how to get your pre-pregnancy body back when you can't workout yet"
"how many calories should you consume daily when breastfeeding?"
"food hacks post pregnancy"
These were just some of the things I googled...trust me there were more. Despite wanting to revert to unhealthy habits and restrict caloric intake, I knew that because I was nursing, that would not be a viable or healthy option. That's when I started to be more intentional with my food. I am going to repeat that...being more intentional with my food. This may be the biggest factor in the success I have had with getting my body back after TWO pregnancies.
So what do I mean when I say intentional with food? Making choices that are nutrient dense, will fuel my body with all the power it needs and satiate me. Would it feel good to lather a bagel with cream cheese every morning for breakfast? Sure...that would be delicious, but the reason that wouldn't be the best choice is because you would likely be hungry shortly after due to the lacking nutritional density in a bagel and cream cheese. This is not to say that there is something wrong with eating a bagel...there is a time and a place for allll the bagels. However, when you have a clear cut goal of getting back into shape after pregnancy, your food choices will impact whether or not that goal becomes reality.
What worked for me this time around was filling my body with lean proteins, healthy fats and lots of veggies. Some examples include:
Breakfast: One whole avocado mashed and topped with Trader Joes "chili lime" seasoning + 2 eggs cooked however you like it + a few slices of smoked salmon
Snack: Whole Foods 365 brand "French Style Protein Blend"...this comes in the freezer aisle and it's amazing. Made up of lots of lentils, kale, cannellini beans, string beans and olive oil. I steam one of these and eat half the bag [or sometimes the whole bag] for a snack
Lunch: This time around I have been majorly craving smoothie bowls...in my bowl: peanut butter, açaí, almond milk, banana, collagen protein, blueberries topped with a sprinkle of super seeds [i.e. pumpkin seeds and goji berries] and a little extra PB :)
Snack: quick and easy homemade protein balls [PB + oats + honey + vegan protein powder of your choice] ... I make these in a large batch and then eat 2 of them in the afternoon for a snack if I get hungry before dinner.
Dinner: this meal always varies, but my current favorite dinner dish is a cauliflower rice stir fry hubby makes [cauli rice base...loaded up with peas, onions, garlic, spinach and topped with ground turkey OR grilled salmon and garnished with scallions]
Water: Drink TONS of water throughout the day. Dehydration is a HUGE problem among new moms and moms in general. We spend so much time doing things for tiny creatures that we forget to hydrate ourselves! Get yourself a fun water bottle and keep on filling it up. Don't know how much you should drink? The standard recommendation is to determine your body weight, divide that number in half and then add 10. Whatever that number comes out too is how much water you should drink in a day.
The point here is that being mindful in regards to what goes into your body will go a long way. This DOES NOT mean eat less...I eat large portions...it means be intentional about the quality and purpose of the food you fuel your body with.
Pictured below: hubby's stir fry discussed above
TIP 2: Exercise consistency
Once you have been medically cleared by your OB for exercise, it's time to start establishing a new routine. You won't be breaking any records initially...you're going to have to take it slow and work your way back up to whatever your pre-pregnancy abilities were. Before I dive into this more, the MOST IMPORTANT thing here is that you LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Do not listen to your head telling you to push harder...listen to your body. Every single mama will experience delving back into exercise at different rates and at different levels. A lot of this is dependent on the kind of shape you were in pre-pregnancy, how you maintained your stamina during pregnancy and mostly, how your birth went. No one birth story is the same as another. Every single birth and recovery is different. I had an emergency c-section for Axel...so I was not able to start working out until 6 weeks pp. For Beckham, I had a vaginal delivery with no need for stitches...so I was able to safely resume very light exercise 3 weeks pp [with permission from my doctor].
The main point for this tip is consistency. Whether you start with 2 days a week of exercise or 5, you have to stick to your routine. Determine what time of day works best for you and which days of the week you want to dedicate to...then stick to that plan! Show up every single time and work as hard as you can for wherever you're at in your recovery.
This time around for Beckham I used an at home workout program. Workouts are 25-37 minutes depending on the day and the ONLY equipment I need are 3 sets of dumbbells [light, medium, heavy]. I have done these workouts every morning from the comfort of my home on my time...usually with at least one of my kids in the room with me. The emphasis here being that you don't have to dedicate hours and hours and leave your home to get it in. I used to be a huge group fitness attendee, but when mom life got busy and COVID hit that was not a viable option...so I turned back to in home workouts I had done after Axel was born and wow was that a good decision. You can have access to incredible programs that you do on your time...and honestly, I feel like I am getting into better shape than I ever have been. Ok...I am getting off track here b/c fitness gets me allll excited...if any mamas out there want to know a little bit more about the program I do, hit me up in my DMs and we can chat there.
Reigning it in now. Consistency is key. Committing to however many days per week you want to carve out for exercise and sticking to that plan. I will be your accountability buddy if you need one! Tell me your plan and check in with me as you progress. You got this mama!
TIP 3: No alcohol during the week
Yep I said it. No alcohol during the week. I know this is probably a tough one to digest after coming off 9 months of sobriety and being in a global pandemic, but trust me, this is a biggie. Alcohol has so many hidden calories and sugars that halt anyone from being able to lose weight or tone up. Knowing that, in our house we only drink on Friday and Saturday nights. If you are accustomed to drinking on week nights, this may be a tough one at first, but trust me you will feel the benefits after just a few days. You will feel less bloated, swollen and sluggish, which will help with energy levels and thus make you more likely to engage in physical activity. I totally get it that sometimes you want something fun to drink with your dinner that is not just water. Here are some things that hubby and I do to spice up non-alcoholic dinner drinks during the week:
Sparkling water mixed with a splash of OJ
Sparkling water mixed with a serving size of Ningxia Red [antioxidant rich drink]
For me: I get a bunch of cute water bottles and just fill them with water...makes it easier to hydrate when you have it in a cute cup!
Of course being flexible is key. If there is a celebratory event happening during the week, go ahead and have a drink, but don't make that the norm. Added bonus is that this makes Friday night so much more exciting...and trust me, new moms in a pandemic need things to be excited about!
So there you have it. My top 3 tips for getting your body back after pregnancy. It is important to remember that one size does not fit all. All mamas are different. Our speed of success with this will vary tremendously, but if you stick to the main principals of being intentional with food, consistent with working out and eliminating weekday drinking, overtime I am confident you will see progress!
Go get it mamas!
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