Motivation monday- my postpartum fitness journey

 What a difference a month can make, right!? I've been hesitant to post this blog because people are always telling me one of three things:

1. "You're so skinny!"
2. "You barely gained weight"
3. "Girl please, I was 'x' amount of pounds after I had my baby. You look great"

Ok, I understand and I appreciate it! I AM luckier than most woman for my smooth postpartum weight loss transition BUT that doesn't take away from the fact that I felt uncomfortable and unattractive in my body for a good majority of my postpartum journey. From extra stomach fat that I've never seen a day in my life to dark stretch marks and other skin defects, I just wasn't happy. Not to mention the emotional stress that comes along with it, I continued putting on pounds. It's not about being "skinny" but moreso about loosing my toned body shape and being out of shape. 


Now that that is out the way :)


I also want to mention that this is about my postpartum fitness journey- I can only speak from my experience. Everybody is different; what works for me may not work for you. I would definitely consult your doctor or seek personal training assistance.

So here's my history:

I've been pretty active my entire life however, my biggest struggle was my diet. I believe the thing that helped me the most was me almost eliminating sugar from my diet. Before I had my daughter, I barely ever ate junk foods (chips, candy, cakes, etc), I didn't drink pop or juice (unless it was mixed with my liquor LOL) , and I absolutely LOVED water.
SIDENOTE: When I was younger (yes I'm blaming this on you mom  :), I spent the summer on punishment for stealing my moms car #BadAssAlert lol. So I spent majority of my days in the basement, eating PACKS of sour patch kids...every day.....for 60 days straight. So guess what happened to your girl?! I ended up with 11 CAVITIES! (Ouch is right!)  Several dentist appointments and a bunch of numbing shots later, I was literally terrified to eat candy again! Sounds dramatic, but I swear that's a true story. Ask my mom! I'm sure that's a medical bill she'll never forget LOL (sorry mom!)

Back to my story....

Unfortunately, all of that went down the drain once I had my daughter! I developed a HUGE sweet tooth and craved pop, cookies and ice cream almost every day. This habit stuck around even after I gave birth. & to add more to my struggles, I absolutely love to sleep and I refuse to give that up for anything, especially for the gym lol. (Luckily I didn't have to sacrifice much sleep during early postpartum, my daughter was an angel!). I have a love hate relationship and I find it had to be consistent- only going hard once I notice a little weight gain then falling off. 

I'm saying this because I want you all to know that I am like everyone else, I have to work hard to stay fit....and this is about to be a LONG journey. Are you guys ready?!

When did you start to workout?

I was pretty good with stay active throughout my pregnancy. My favorite thing to do was take Zumba classes 3-4x's a week. This helped TREMENDOUSLY! Once I gave birth, I didn't work out until about a month ago....9 months postpartum. After having a pretty hard labor- 3rd degree tear- it took a very long time for me to even feel comfortable enough to sit down or stand up for long periods of time....yet alone workout. 

How often do you workout?

Let me just say, my trainer, Jordan , is AMAZING! I'll put his information at the bottom for you guys, definitely reach out to him if you're trying to achieve your fitness going and want someone who is EXTREMELY knowledgeable! 

I try my best to train with Jordan 3-4x's a week. ​Being a mompreneur is SUPER hard and very time consuming. Not to mention I am still getting the hang of this thing called Life With a 10 Month Old. Some days are much harder than others and almost impossible to schedule a workout but we make it work!

Now for the good stuff! 
​

kanye's workout plan:

So what exactly do I do? Hell if I know LOL I told you, this is a journey for me. Everyday is something new- I'm still learning the names of the exercises. What I do know is that I don't focus on cardio.....because let's face it, I HATE CARDIO. My trainer isn't the biggest fan of it either so it works out. Instead, we hit the weights HARD and I'm already seeing progress. It's only been a month! Check out the videos below to see what a normal day at the gym with my trainer looks like. 
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Personal Trainer: Jordan Davis 
IG: @jfit.ness_ | Email: ajclass07@yahoo.com | Phone: 312.409.8342
      

How do you stay motivated 

I work from home with a 10 month old, so honestly, just being able to get out of the house to do something for myself is motivation enough! Lol I find myself looking at old pictures of myself in better shape and that is also motivation for me. Overall, I want to be healthier, look healthier and to FEEL healthier (Skinny does NOT equal healthy). Working out as much as I can and doing the best I can to get a grip on my eating habits will help me get there! 

​WHAT DO YOU EAT?

This part is the toughest for me. As I stated earlier, my diet has been horrible and still is! I hate repetition, so meal plans have never been my friend. I am still in the process of getting this part of my life together but in the meantime, I have decided to make more conscious and healthy decisions:

• Less fried foods
• Less sugar (Currently trying to cut out ice cream, completely. Wish me luck!)
• Eating out LESS, more cooking.
• Drink LOTS of water

I feel like I'm all over the place but that's because I am! This is a learning process for me as well so just follow along as I go, I promise it will get better! One day at a time. Comment if you guys have any questions and I will make sure to update you on my progress. Definitely let me know what you've done to succeed in your fitness journey!

Until next time!
​
XoXo,
Ash