How I Lost My Baby Weight and Got My Abs Back Without Starving Myself or Spending Endless Hours in the Gym
Just to get it in first I did NOT eat loads of salads and I was NOT in the gym every day.
I know what you might be thinking “Ah but it’s ok for you Tara” and as much as I’d LOVE to think that I am THAT SPECIAL
What’s ok for me?
Let’s face it. Pregnancy and having a baby is hard for everyone, whether you’ve had a relatively easy pregnancy or not. In my honest opinion, it kinda sucks.
Yes yes I know, “think about your baby”. Danny is my absolute world by the way.
However, feeling sick, having headaches, emotions running riot and everything else your body goes through makes it hard work and even harder once your gorgeous baby has arrived.
Hard Times
- Sleepless nights
- What day is it?
- What time is it?
- When are visitors leaving?
- Will I ever feel normal again? (whatever normal is)
Anyway…..in addition to your whole life changing….so does your body.
For me, I wanted mine back the best I could considering that my stomach was the size of a beach ball at one point. To be a happy Mum I had to feel happy in myself. I wanted to feel strong and that I could handle this massive responsibility.
I know over the years I’ve told all my clients to invest in themselves and to put yourself first WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY.
I was ready to practice what I preached.
Fit Your Own Oxygen Mask First
Now maybe you’re thinking…..yep, well done Tar. That all sounds fab, but HOW did you get your shape back after having Danny.
So here I’m going to share with you EXACTLY what I did to help me not only get my shape back but to enjoy doing it.
I’m going to keep my most IMPORTANT thing until last.
First though:
#1 I GOT MOVING CONSISTENTLY
Now as all you mums with know….there’s a lot going on with your body and emotions. I was tired, I was up all through the night, I was breastfeeding, I was all over the place.
I had to rest and take my time.
When I felt ready I took responsibility to take some very small steps to moving more. When Danny was 3 ½ weeks old I did my first workout in the house. It was 20 squats and 20 hip extensions.
THAT WAS IT!
It probably took 2 minutes.
But the BIGGEST thing about this – it was a start!
I started my 30 day butt challenge and I took the smallest of steps.
There were days when I went for a walk with my new family (not many mind – the weather was terrible in January).
I did my first HIIT workout when Danny was 6 weeks old – IT WAS SO HARD!
IT was only 20 minutes but I did it – sensibly.
As the weeks went on I got a little routine of working out no more than 4 times per week (sometimes I’d have a complete week off )
The workouts have only ever been 12-20 mins long.
The MAIN THING is that I was CONSISTENT.
I kept going.
I didn’t go hell for leather for a week, burn myself out, stress about not doing enough or give up all together.
I did little bits and …. kept on going.
It’s something we must all do for our health, and as a new mum I need to be strong to carry Danny around >>> OMG Car seats!!! AWKS!
My back needs to be strong for picking him up out of the cot and the bath.
My legs needs to be strong for when I need to get up from the sofa with my hands full.
So to summarise #1 Do some exercise. It’s so important for you. Make the time. It doesn’t have to be long – only 12 mins and you don’t need to even leave the house. Just do something regularly.
#2 I followed the ‘GOOD EATING PLAN’
The GOOD eating plan is sooooooo much better than striving to
Follow the perfect eating plan.
It means you can have your most favourite things and not feel guilty.
A big thing for me had been keeping my energy up, especially in the beginning.
I was getting ALL OF THE CARBS in me.
I was having porridge in the morning with my fruit,
Simple meals like soups & stews with plenty of meat & vegetables
And…..chocolate (essential for those happy hormones too).
Now that the cravings were gone, I soon stepped away from the sandwiches and crisps and was now eating healthier.
You can see from all my recipes the types of meals I enjoy.
For example:
Breakfast with eggs, sausages, veggies.
Lunch would be big soups with added chicken for protein and sprinklings of seeds for healthy fats
Dinner would be chilli’s, fajitas, steak etc
What I was NOT doing regularly, was the mindless eating.
Tucking in to biscuits with a coffee each day
Picking on goodies when I was fancying something sweet each day
Drinking calories through alcohol, fizzy drinks etc.
With my food all I’ve done is eat big, healthy meals with a few protein bars inbetween to help me with my cravings.
I’ve not obsessed over food
I’ve not restricted any food
I’ve enjoyed treats – from time-to-time….NOT every day.
I stayed mindful with my choices and did what I KNEW was best to help me get to my goals.
Yes – it’s easy to pig out with a take-away or enjoy an afternoon tea and from time-to-time this is absolutely fine.
If you want to reduce your body fat, lose weight and feel happier with your body you have GOT to drop the excuses.
YES – one more will harm >>> if you’re doing it all the time!!
I’ve enjoyed pizza, had a few drinks on a night out, eaten things which are really indulgent but I get straight back to healthy eating.
When I eat out in a restaurant – I choose wisely
So to summarise #2 I ate REAL FOOD. No magic pill or powder that has promises of helping you shed weight fast. If it sounds too good to be true – it probably is.
Just eat nutritious food, yes – supplements are great to enhance your health but if you make the best choices 60/70% of the time….that is much better than striving for 100% and only being 10% because it’s too much and not sustainable.
#3 GET SUPPORT
******* This is the most important step*********
You need support in so many ways to help you get to your goals.
For me, my biggest support was my partner (Deaks) and my family.
Sometimes I needed some free time.
- To get my hair coloured and cut
- To have a bath or a shower which wasn’t a race against time
- To have a little snooze
- To sit with a coffee and a book
- To be able to have my 20 minutes workout.
Teamwork
From the start me and Deaks agreed – we’re a team. For our gorgeous boy to be happy & content, for our family to be happy we had to work together.
- We chatted about our lifestyle and work commitments and looked for ways to make things work.
- We share responsibilities. We have healthy meals together and chat.
- It’s important that we do things together as a family (very often visiting the health club and working out, swimming together. It’s not for everyone but it’s what we like).
- We know that things also have to change and we have to adapt.
- We support each other.
This does take work, but this way helped me to feel less stressed (one big thing that gets in the way of fat loss). I could recharge my batteries so I’d have the physical energy and patience to handle my busy days.
Not once have I felt guilty about escaping the house on my own.
Yes there’s been times that I’ve had to set an alarm for 5:30am so I can get up, enjoy a coffee and my book in peace. Go down to the gym, have a workout, have a nice shower and be home by 9am, but that’s what I had to do.
I wanted to feel like ME
There will have been times where I had chosen to stay in bed as I may not have had the best nights sleep……that’s good too. Sleep is another one of our fat burning friends, so that came first.
We also made sure we had quality time together just us.
Asking our family to help out when they could has helped us have a meal in a restaurant just us talking (mainly about Danny), chilling at a spa day and meeting up with friends at a party or two.
So to summarise #3 Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Being the martyr and trying do do everything on your own will not serve you at all. Get support to have time out, so you can manage your stress , get better sleep and focus on YOU!
I’m still very much work in progress. It has only been 6 months, but following these simple steps each day will ensure I get there…..then maybe put myself through it all again for a little addition to our family. Think I’ll enjoy fitting into my clothes for a little longer first though.
Do you feel like you want a bit of help for you to get your body back and start fitting into those lovely clothes in your wardrobe?
You can join my next programme where I can help you get moving, eating a good plan and feel supported.
Do like I have done and join me in my 6 week body plan that you can start anytime.
No matter how busy you are, your age, your fitness levels or how long you’ve been struggling with your weight….you can change anything and become happier and healthier.
Just take that first step
Tara xxx