Journey to Fitness Post Baby

I heard, “your body will never be the same again” A LOT. Of course, they were right my body will never be the same again, but neither will my heart. What I didn’t hear was how I could fall in love with the imperfections and love my new body after having a baby so much more than before. If no one has told you yet, embrace your maturing body. Everything may not go back to the way it was before you carried your little one, but who’s to say it’s not better? Yea, your boobs might be a little more saggy and your belly button might look “lived in,” but it’s just a beautiful reminder of the life YOU carried and helped create. I’m not the girl I was before Mia, in any way. I am a woman who is forever changed in so many ways, and I love myself and my body now more than I ever have.

I gained 30 pounds when I was pregnant. I like to think most of it was healthy weight. I worked out most of my pregnancy and didn’t indulge in my cravings too often. I lost the weight, and a little more, within the first couple of months after delivery, but even though the scale was showing numbers I hadn’t seen since high school I wasn’t happy with my reflection in the mirror. Honestly, I could probably write a list as long as my arm of all the things I didn’t like about my body, but that’s not the point of this post. The point is sharing where I’m at now, and how I learned to love my body after having a baby. I still have a list of goals I’m working towards, but in the meantime, I’m loving the process and the results. You don’t have to be satisfied with your body all the time, I know I’m not, but you do need to give yourself some time and grace to reach your goals. Don’t rush to the gym just because you want to bounce back after having your baby. It takes time, be patient you’ll get there.

I wish I was sharing a six months transformation right now, but figuring out a fitness routine with a new baby and a global pandemic wasn’t easy, so working out took the back seat for a while. The photos I’m sharing today are my one-month progress pictures. I have been working out at our local CrossFit gym 2-3 times a week for four weeks and I am already noticing some changes. I haven’t started any dieting just yet, but I do practice portion control and choosing healthy options. I’m learning to be patient with myself and honestly, I’ve never felt so good about my body. Things are definitely not the way they were before pregnancy, but surprisingly I love myself now more than ever.

Learning to love my reflection again has taken a good balance of hard work and mindset. I no longer see my body as what it is, but what it’s done. I’m proud of how far I’ve come and I’m excited to hit more of my goals. Loving what you see in the mirror can be hard, especially in a world of filters and photoshop. The standard of beauty is seemingly perfect. Don’t fall for the traps. Stop the comparisons and stop being so hard on yourself, and if you can’t do that stop spending all your time picking yourself apart in front of a mirror. The first step is the hardest, but we can do this.

Until next time.

-kp