Last week was a big week here:
My daughter Emilia turned 4 months old!
Sleepless nights and ‘round the clock feedings are already a distant memory, and we’ve settled into this crazy-awesome new life with an extra (little) person in the house.
Now that the “fourth trimester” (months 1-3) is complete, I want to share a bit of my postpartum fat loss and fitness journey with you!
As you can see from this photo, the last 4 months have been quite the journey! My body has gone through some CRAZY changes, and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything!
L to R: March 29 at the hospital for my induction! May 12 - 6 weeks postpartum. August 8 - 4 months postpartum.
MY PREGNANCY WORKOUTS
I stayed consistent with weight lifting 3x a week and walking daily right up until I gave birth. I aimed for 10k steps each day and used our STRONGER TOGETHER Training Club workouts - mostly done at home in my garage gym. I stopped doing moderate intensity cardio (like indoor cycling) a few weeks into the third trimester because it just didn’t feel good any more.
NOTE: There aren’t a lot of one-size-fits-all guidelines for pregnancy exercise, but it’s worth checking out the guidelines from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology if you’re unsure of what to do.
Aside from the guidance from ACOG, so much of what you can and can’t do while pregnant comes down to what feels good and what’s safe. It’s also not advised to start a NEW fitness activity while pregnant - all the more reason to start right now if you’re a woman who hopes to get pregnant some day!
THE BIGGEST WORKOUT EVER
I had hoped baby girl would come early, but she had other plans! Once we were into week 39, my doctors scheduled us for induction so I wouldn’t go past my due date.
Our original induction was scheduled for Friday night, March 26 (my due date). There was ZERO progress, so we decided to go back home and wait through the weekend to see if things progressed naturally on their own.
Since I didn’t know when I’d get to work out again, of course, I decided to get in some more walks and workouts that weekend. Our doctors and nurses said it could get labor moving, too.
We returned to the hospital on Monday morning and my induction started - for real this time - at 10 a.m. Sixteen hours later - and after only 3 hours of hard, active labor - little Emilia Glory Ann arrived at 6:44 a.m. on Tuesday, March 30.
It was the biggest, toughest workout of my life - and I loved it. I felt so grateful for every walk, every workout, every weight lifted because I know it made my body strong and fit and helped make labor - and my entire pregnancy - easier.
POSTPARTUM WORKOUTS
I didn’t have any complications and my body healed quickly. I resumed walks around the neighborhood a day or two after coming home and it felt AMAZING just to move - even if it was slow and even though I tired quickly.
Around week 4, I started getting the itch to train again because lifting her car seat, stroller, diaper bag, etc. was getting HARDER. After not lifting weights for 4 weeks, I could feel my upper body getting weaker, struggling to lift things I would normally have no issue with.
It was time to pick up some weights.
My first workout was maybe 15-20 minutes long, and consisted of some upper body exercises to begin rebuilding my strength: single-arm rows, overhead presses, bicep curls, tricep dips, etc. I continued with these little “mini workouts” in my garage gym for about 2 weeks, eventually adding in core and lower body exercises.
At my 6-week check-up, my doctor cleared me to resume normal exercise. I think I went to the gym that very evening because I was so excited to get my hands on some heavier weights and to be back in my happy place!!!
It was truly humbling in some ways, and incredibly empowering in others:
There was an exercise I used to love and do often that I literally could not do: a single-leg glute bridge. I didn’t have the core strength and control to hold myself up with one leg!
I retained a lot of strength by training during pregnancy. I was able to push more weight post-pregnancy than I could pre-pregnancy because I stayed consistent with incline push-ups and shoulder presses. I was able to squat with a weighted barbell (~70 lbs.) because I stayed consistent with lower body training. I did NOT expect that!
I couldn’t run. Even a light jog just felt…off. Not good at all! I didn’t even attempt running for a few more weeks and just stuck to walking.
The rebuilding process has been incredibly fun and rewarding because, as a personal trainer, it’s good to be reminded what it feels like to start at square one. This is where so many of our clients start in Fat Loss Lifestyle School!
My square one was a long time ago, but now I remember what it’s like to not be able to run, to have to start with body weight only, and to lift light weights.
FOUR MONTHS LATER
The time has absolutely flown by. Now four months after giving birth, my fitness level is almost back to where it was pre-pregnancy, and I’m even challenging myself by training for a 5k - something I haven’t done in YEARS!
I’m feeling my body get stronger: watching the reps and amount of weight I can lift go up, and running a little faster and further each week. I have 9 lbs. and 5-6% body fat left to go to reach my goal, but slow, steady progress will continue on its own timeline, the same way it always does when all the pieces of puzzle are dialed in:
Nutrition
Workouts
Movement/Walks
Sleep
WHY am I sharing all of this?
Before I got pregnant, and a few times during my pregnancy, I was scared of what would happen to my fitness level. I had worked so long and so hard for it, and to think it could all be wiped out in 9 months was really scary.
I was scared of the unknown, and I also let all those “scary mommy” bloggers and Instagram accounts put crazy ideas in my head. I’ve heard from so many of you who’ve had the same fears.
But I’m here to tell you:
There is nothing to be afraid of.
Your body has your back.
It was built to do this, and if you take care of your body before and during pregnancy with proper nutrition and training, you will come out on the other side EVEN stronger.
You don’t have to kill yourself in the gym or follow a super-strict diet - two things you’re unlikely to have the time or energy for while pregnant or as a new mom.
My best advice?
TRUST THE PROCESS.
I know: those three words are some of the most annoying and most cliche words that personal trainers and coaches like me tend to throw around, but it really is true:
Just like your body is going through a process to create and develop a new human life, your body will also go through a process when it’s over.
The same way that nutrition and training worked before baby, they also work after baby.
You will get your strength, flexibility, balance, and mobility back. It just takes time, patience, and of course - hard work. :)
Track your progress in workouts, and track your physical changes with progress photos, a tape measure, and how your clothes fit.
If you stay consistent with strength training, walking, and balanced, nourishing meals, your body will transform slowly and steadily. A sane, balanced approach to workouts and nutrition will also help maintain milk supply if you’re breastfeeding.
Pregnancy is not a setback to your fitness. It’s an opportunity to come back stronger.
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