How I Lost My Baby Weight and Stay Fit as a Busy Mom

November 7, 2018

WORKOUT LEGGINGS + TANK | KENNEDY’S LEGGINGS + TOP | GREY SNEAKERS | KENNEDY’S SNEAKERS

Sharing how I lost my baby weight and some tips on how to get fit as a busy mom!

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“How do you have time to workout?” I get asked this question all the time, especially since I started getting my butt back into shape after having Kennedy. I have been meaning to write this post for a while (Kennedy is 2 years old now), but I just kept making excuses and other things got in the way. I wish I had a secret to share with you on what I did to lose almost 50 pounds after having Kennedy, but the secret is there is none! I truly did it the old fashioned way, which was so hard for me to get started.

It took me a while to actually start working out after having my baby girl. First off, I was dog tired between taking care of the baby, the housework and trying to keep up with my blog. That left little to no time for self-care let alone working out. After a while, I was getting frustrated that the weight wasn’t coming off as easily as I had thought. Also, seeing other girls on Instagram whose stomachs shrink back to normal after one week or look fit right after giving birth really got me down. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge believer in the wonders of fitness both for health and your mind, and think it is also amazing during pregnancy too. Just the current state I was in didn’t help my self-esteem. I felt helpless and as if I just wasn’t a supermom who can do it all like those other girls on Instagram. One morning, I decided to stop those negative thoughts and make a change that day. I was tired of not feeling confident and not feeling my best.

That is when I decided to start making some changes and implementing HABITS. Habits are so important because they become a daily part of our lives after a while and are easy to maintain. When Kennedy began to sleep through the night, I started waking up one hour before she woke up to do a 25 minute workout (this was usually around 6:30am). Waking up early and working out every single day was SO hard and I was so out of shape. On top of my morning workouts, I also would walk with Kennedy for 3 miles everyday. Soon it became easier and easier, and my routine became a habit. My everyday routine became the norm for me and I started to feel weird when I wasn’t physically active.

Another habit I created that contributed to my weightless was changing my diet. Living in Texas at the time, there is a lot of delicious food options- hello queso and BBQ!! I cut out all junk food, fried food, and desserts. I allowed myself one cheat meal on the weekend which also included a dessert. My goal at the time was to lose twenty pounds before our trip to Mexico, and I did just that.

I was able to finally feel super confident again, and I honestly think it made me a better wife and mom. My husband was so supportive and did the workouts with me every morning. I think having a good workout partner or support system cheering you on makes the world of difference on staying on track. I also created a vision board of fitness inspiration photos on my Pinterest, and that is what also motivated me! I think having a visual of what your end result will look like is a great motivator. I have done T25 Beachbody workouts, Kayla Itsines, and now I’m doing the ProForm Studio Bike Trainer! I have always wanted a piece of exercise equipment in our house because it’s hard to go to the gym or I get bored sometimes of the workout videos. I’ll be sharing more soon of more in detail of my exact workout routine I’m doing at the moment and the equipment I am using. I will also be sharing the foods I eat daily to maintain my weight.

Here are some simple tips I have from my own experience, that I hope you will find useful as well:

• Be Easy on Yourself! If you mess up or are too busy to do a workout due to a hectic schedule, just focus ahead. Try to get back on track as soon as possible and plan your next meal to be a healthy one.
• Have a great support system! It’s HARD when everyone around you is eating junk food or not supporting your new healthy eating choices. Talk to those closest to you and tell them your goals. Let them know this is something super important to you and that you need their full support and encouragement to keep this up!
• Try to wake up before your kids wake up! If you can’t squeeze time in during the day, then try to make time before the house gets up. It’s nice to also get a workout in before you get your day going and it will get you in the best MOOD! You also get that set-aside “me time” which us moms so desperately need everyday!
• Make a grocery list before you go shopping! I have been making a list of the fruits and vegetables we will eat during the list, and I buy the same ones every week. I also will plan out our meals Monday-Wednesday and get the ingredients written down before I go to the store. It helps save money, reduce waste and make sure you’re staying to your healthy eating goals!
• If you’re schedule is absolutely so hectic you can’t workout, try at least moving around for 15 minutes that day! That can included cleaning, doing laundry, or taking a small walk around your block. Everything adds up and something is better than nothing!
• Find a workout style you love and one that doesn’t take a lot of time! All the workouts I’ve done since I’ve started my post-baby weight loss were all 30 minutes max. Most of the workout videos I did took me 25 minutes and I felt like I got a complete workout! The extra time in the hour leaves me to eat breakfast and shower before Kennedy wakes up!
• Getting lots of sleep and drinking LOTS of water! Getting lots of sleep (at least seven hours) is so important for your overall healthy, preventing illness, your mood, and weight. The more stressed out you are and the less sleep you get, the harder it is to lose the weight. I also think drinking a lot of water throughout the day works wonders. I have a medium sized tumbler that I refill throughout the day. I lose count on how many glasses I drink but it is definitely over 4!! I also only order water with lemon when we go out to eat!
• Stop making excuses! Our minds are SOO powerful and we can trick ourselves easily in making us believe we feel a certain way. For the longest time, I made excuses, mainly because I was tired all the time or just plain lazy. Once we nix the habit of making excuses, its amazing how much you can accomplish!