Yes, it’s been two years. But, in all honesty, I’m okay with how long it took me to get (almost) back my pre-pregnancy weight. My body did amazing things for those two years. Three if you count pregnancy.
The Hold Up
Cookies.
In all seriousness, cookies contributed, but mostly it revolved around anxiety.
I was very committed to breastfeeding Auggie to 6 months, and then a year, and then 18 months, and so on, until Auggie said no more at 25 months. Breastfeeding started as an anxious desire and ended as a calming technique.
At first, I was dead-set on breastfeeding for that reason exactly: death. It’s been shown that babies who are breastfed are less likely to die of SIDS and are ill less often than those who are not. Therefore, I pushed Auggie to nurse around the clock, every two hours, until at least 4 months old. Around 6 months, I loosened up slightly but still planned my days around breastfeeding. At a year, I started to let Auggie dictate for himself when he wanted to nurse and when he did not, at which point breastfeeding became less out of necessity and more out of desire for the both of us.
Instead of fighting each other for thirty minutes each nursing session, as we had been prior, we started enjoying the quiet break. Auggie would actually settle in my arms instead of doing headstands and the anxiety I had felt prior was replaced with a calming sensation.
At which time, I started working out again. Why wasn’t I working out beforehand? Because I knew that weight loss and dehydration can lead to a lower supply; something I was not willing to compromise. Instead, I shoved Milkmaker’s chocolate chip cookies in my mouth, followed by sugar-filled red Gatorade in hopes to increase my supply.
I’m very fortunate that I didn’t blow up like a whale. Instead, my body simply maintained a very steady weight and its milk supply.
Looking back, I still don’t regret it. Is it slightly delusional to think that lack of breastfeeding would be the main cause of SIDS? Maybe, probably. Is it irrational to think that bettering myself with exercise would take from Auggie? Possibly. But, at the end of the day, regardless how irrational, I’ll always place Auggie before myself.
Nutrition
I’ve always been pretty frugal, minus a few years of high school when I blew all my money on Miss Me jeans. When I left home after graduating from college, I started to realize that groceries are expensive. Shortly after that, I realized that healthy meals are vital to my mind.
After several years of looking for triggers to my anxiety, I began to notice the impact of a sugary meal, especially those not cooked at home. It got to the point that I had anxiety before even eating such meals. During pregnancy, I would subconsciously refuse to eat out due to the unknowns. Instead, I got my pregnant butt up off the couch and started cooking.
What I found worked the best was following a meal plan.
At first, I looked to Pinterest to find meal plans that were three things: (1) affordable, (2) easy, and (3) healthy. I came up fairly empty-handed because developing a meal plan that is all three of those things is almost impossible. What I did find was a blogger who had printable weekly menus that met two of my three criteria. (They weren’t always very healthy.)
I ended up taking her idea and running with it. Now, I plan out meals in one or two week increments in a OneNote. Some weeks are healthier than others, but they’re all real ingredients, simple processes that can be done with a toddler, and nice to your pocketbook. For us, that means around $100/week or $175/biweekly. (Less if we didn’t buy primarily organic.) We use the leftovers the next day for lunch. However, if you’re not into leftovers or have other lunch options, these meals could easily feed a family of 4 or 5.
If you’d like a sample, I’ve created one with some of my favorite fall recipes in anticipation of September:
Also, a quick tip, if you live near a participating HyVee, order your groceries online and have them delivered! (It’s free if you purchase over $100.)
I know, I know. You’re probably thinking that prices at HyVee are ridiculous, and they are if you’re shopping in the store. You know why? Because you’re impulse buying brand name items. Online shopping saves us a ton of money by making me consciously buy items. I find that I spend just as much money at Aldi’s, where I have to actually physically go, as I do shopping online in my PJs from HyVee.
Also, less impulse buys mean more weight loss. I don’t know anyone who impulse buys carrots.
Exercise
Other than being transparent in my struggles with anxiety through blogging, exercise has been one of the biggest helps. Have you ever heard of a runner’s high? It’s real, and you can get it from more than just running.
I honestly don’t have much time or ability to run, my pre-child preferred method of exercise. Leaving the house to devote time to myself for working out is a struggle, so I’ve been opting for something I can do from home: Beachbody.
I know. It’s probably all over your Facebook like it is mine, which is enough to make you want to unfriend all the pyramid-scheme-pushers. SAME. But, I was desperate to feel like myself again, so I contacted one of those schemers, who ended up not being much of a schemer at all. Actually, she’s a friend from college who wasn’t interested in making me buy things or having me “coach,” which is essentially what the people who post on Facebook do. Instead, she helped me set up an account on Beachbody on Demand and gave me two weeks free to see if it would motivate me.
It did. I’ve only had a handful of days between that day in April and now that I haven’t pressed play.
Progress
You may look at the photos above and think to yourself that I was never really that heavy, even while pregnant, but that’s not what my health journey has been about. My journey was about getting healthy, having more energy, and using exercise as a way to reduce anxiety.
Anyways, I’m weighing in seven pounds heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight. Seven pounds that I will proudly carry around in remembrance of all my body has achieved.
Whether you have an extra five pounds or 30, even 25 years postpartum, I challenge you to embrace it. Consider it a treat to yourself to fuel your body with healthy meals and daily exercise. For inspiration or ideas follow along as I try to share my journey to health with you every Monday.
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