Over the past few years, fitness has become a huge part of my life. It wasn’t always that way, though. Prior to having kids I “belonged” to X-Sport Fitness. By belong I mean I’d go there maybe once a month…do the elliptical for 20 min, run a mile on the treadmill and do some random weights😂 So let me share my journey to being a healthier & happier version of myself!
I was newly postpartum with my first baby. After having an emergency c-section, my recovery was nothing at all how I had imagined. I was so swollen and simply didn’t feel like myself. While on maternity leave, a girl I followed on social media kept posting about this accountability group she ran on Facebook. I figured I’d give it a try since I needed something to keep me busy in between changing diapers, pumping, and trying to nap!
These were my physical results after just 3 weeks. The pounds and inches lost are obvious, but what you can’t necessarily see from these two pictures is how much my mental health improved. In just 3 weeks I learned how to meal plan properly (for the first time in my life!) and carve out time to workout every day even with a newborn (for just 30 min.!) I had a lot more energy and was also sleeping better.
With how good I felt after those 3 weeks, I knew that this new lifestyle was something I wanted to continue. That’s when I decided to sign up as a coach. I knew that I could share how I felt with other women!
Fast forward two years, and I was on my second postpartum journey after another c-section. Once I got the “all clear” from my doctor to begin working out again, I tried out a 6 week cardio based program. These are my results from that program!
One of the biggest “aha moments” for me was when I look at this picture comparing my two pregnancies at 9 months. This picture is proof of what working out during pregnancy can do for your body. On the left, I was 9 months pregnant with my first, and didn’t work out AT ALL. On the right, I was 9 months pregnant with baby #2 and continued my workouts (with modifications of course) 5 days a week. I should also note that I have 2 boys – so I’m not sure how true that old wives tale is with belly shape!
This is me today – June 2020. I’ve kept up with these at home workouts for the past 3 years, and can honestly say that not only am I in this best shape of my life, but my postpartum anxiety has improved as well. I continue to run my monthly bootcamp through Facebook and absolutely LOVE motivating other busy moms and women in their 20’s & 30’s to take time for themselves. I run monthly challenges with an opportunity to win prizes to help keep the motivation and encouragement up! My hope is to use this space to share motivation, healthy recipes my family loves, and inspiration!
