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Motivation for My Postpartum Weight Loss Journey
After birthing my son in 2017, my weight settled between 185-190 lbs for over a year. Due to nursing, I did not try to actively pursue a postpartum weight loss plan until my son was weaned. However, by the sixteenth month of breastfeeding, I was over the process. My son’s tugging/beating me up while feeding and the aching of joint/back from carrying so much weight were mentally getting to me.
Therefore, last summer, I mentally shifted myself to become more active and aware of what I was eating. I was very motivated to create a plan to drop the weight. Right off, I knew I did not want to count calories on MyFitnessPal nor do endless hours of cardio. I refused to go the cardio bunny route again. Additionally, anything lower than 1700 calories per day was not going to cut it. I wanted to try something more efficient and sustainable this umpteenth time around.
Research + Diet
I have heard the Ketogenic diet floating around for months but had little clue what the hype was for a long time. I knew that most diets were too restrictive and I have been there and done that. Therefore, I gave the ketogenic crave no thought at all.
However, when my son weaned from 20 months of breastfeeding in October, I decided to explore the nutrition options out there other than the “eat everything in moderation” plan. My addiction to sugar and bread was overbearing
I came across the ketogenic diet on a post from social media and looked more into it. For a couple of months last fall, I researched the diet, read people’s success stories, looked up the pros/cons, and read the following books (links open to Amazon):
- Eat Fat, Get Thin by Mark Hyman (I enjoyed this book. However, I definitely sensed the author’s business marketing throughout the book leading to his Eat Fat Get Thin Cookbook)
- The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes (I loved the intensive research collected and learning the history of how sugar has permeated our systems in modern day society)
- Grain Brain by David Perlmutter (This is another research heavy publication that was very informative and correlated to the research found in Gary Taube’s book)
- I Quit Sugar by Clarkson Potter (A quick read about the author’s journey to eliminating sugar followed by a personal weekly plan with recipes)
After reading the books and dabbling in a few others, I was ready to jump into a short-term plan. In the beginning of November, I decided to follow as close to the Eat Fat, Get Thin’s 21 day diet plan. I will explain in a later post my response to the ketogenic diet. I will say that I am definitely pleased with the results despite several bumps along the way.
Postpartum Weight Loss Exercise Plan
As mentioned above, I did not want to be subjected to the treadmill or a lot of cardio as a part of my postpartum weight loss regimen. I have been skinny fat before kids, and I simply do not have the time post kids to be bothered.
Although I really enjoy walking the trail with the kids or biking, I had this yearning to be strong and fit. Being in the mid-30s, I recognize the gradual slowing of my metabolism. The achy left knee does not help matters either. I knew I needed more strengthening overall. Therefore, I research some very basic beginner’s weight training programs.
Currently, Planet Fitness is my gym literally 5 minutes away. No excuses, right? So far, I have been quite consistent with my workout plan
Progress: June 2018 – Now
I cringe at my photos because back fat and rolls just suck on me. My second pregnancy left me with a hernia and diastasis recti. Pretty much, my transverse abdominal muscles never reconnected following months after pregnancy. Therefore even at 25 months postpartum, I can still look 4-5 months pregnant at any given moment. The vertical gap between my abdominal muscles is about 3-4 fingers deep. Not cool at all. My gut is kind of just hanging there until some intervention occurs.
I went through a few months of physical therapy in 2017 and purchased the MUTU program to address the issue. The physical therapy was helpful but the timing was not ideal to keep up with the exercises. The same situation with the MUTU program. Some women have reported great results with MUTU. I plan to pick up on it the second half of this year to focus on core strength and engagement the safe way.
Anyway, what you have been waiting for–my progress. I started walking the trail with the kids in June, eating mindfully in August, contemplating Keto end of October, lifting weights in December, and keeping at it up to now. Click the images to enlarge.
Looking Ahead
I will make updates quarterly to track my fitness and postpartum weight loss progress. My bigger focus revolves around my nutrition. Since starting Keto, I cook and bake more from scratch. My husband decided to join me in my Keto quest so now I am prepping my foods, meals, and snack for us both on the go. Preparation and planning are so critical to Keto. I will start sharing recipes that I have tried and enjoyed so far in this journey.
Check out my Chicken and Veggie Mini Quiche Muffins and Spicy Jalapeno Salmon Cake recipes!
Have you tried the Ketogenic Diet? Success stories or failures? Do you have any postpartum weight loss tips? What are some of your favorite recipes and snacks? Let me know below!
