And Now the Work Begins . . .

Ugh . . . so I’m officially pronouncing it “time to lose the baby weight.” I’ve been cleared by my OBGYN. I’m starting to get used to the new balancing act of two kids. I’ve enjoyed enough of my favorite cheat foods.  But now Mama is ready to get back to feeling strong and fit and ultimately, fitting back in my own clothes again.  I’ll be honest though, I’m no more of a fan of doing this than any other postnatal woman – mostly because it takes time away from my kids, not to mention it requires a lot of willpower and dedication.

This pic was taken about 10 days ago when I had just started dabbling in working out again, at about 5 weeks postpartum, and I’ll be honest, I unfortunately haven’t done much since then. I can hide my new “beer gut” behind the right clothes but it, along with my expanded hips, means Mama isn’t fitting back into her clothes any time soon, unless I start to get serious. Initially, I committed to getting back on the clean eating/exercise train this past week, since I have a friend’s wedding coming up this weekend, but it didn’t happen. I’m my own worst client with a million excuses: I just was having too much fun and too busy with my boys this week, Sean (my hubby) worked late hours, and I could not even contemplate working out early morning or late night because I was simply too tired, carbs kept calling my name – do you want me to keep going? Any of this sound familiar to you?

Trust me, I’m trying to take my own advice and not be too hard on myself.  My goal? I have just over 10 pounds to lose.  Yes, I know, I know, I shouldn’t complain, since almost 25 pounds have come off over the past 7 weeks, much faster than it happened with my first born.  My theory is that the weight loss has been quicker this time because I was able to get up and move after labor so much sooner, and though I haven’t been in the gym, I have been running around and lifting up my three year old (had to wait about 4 weeks to be cleared to carry him, so that just started happening). That said, based on my first experience with postnatal recovery, as well as helping others lose their post-baby weight, the last 5-10 pounds can be the most difficult to get rid of – mostly because your body may actually need some extra body fat in order to continue producing milk.

As always, I’m really just trying to balance WHAT I love (exercise and being fit) with WHO I love (spending time with my kids and husband). So I’m committing to starting next week . . . cleaning up my diet and working out more consistently.  This Mama not only wants her body back but strength, cardio endurance, and flexibility – sooner rather than later. I’ll be blogging and instagramming (using hashtag #Saraspostjourney), along the way, if you want to follow along.  I’m doing this to hold myself a little more responsible and to share my experience with so many of you, who I know have struggled or are struggling with the same thing. Weight loss is never easy; whether it’s 10 pounds or 100 pounds, it takes discipline, courage and commitment. And when you’re a mom, it sometimes feels super selfish to take the time for yourself.  Plus, I feel like the more kids you have, the more people that need you, and the harder it feels to pull yourself away.

Anyone out there relate or going through the same thing? Please share in the comments below. How much weight did you have to lose after baby, and what did you do to help stay focused? How did you do it and balance that process with still being able to be there for WHO you love? Inquiring minds want to know . . .