Postpartum Fitness Journey: 2 Months

My little boy, S is 2 months old and is thee happiest baby.  He fills my heart and our home with so much joy.  The transition from two to three kids has been much easier than from one to two.  A lot of people have told me, “wait until he starts moving,” and I will be sure to report back on that when the time comes.

I shared my nursing struggles and I am so happy that we are over that time and he is a great little nurser.  He eats every 3-3.5 hours and is sleeping for 5 hours stretches at night, which officially makes him my worst sleeper.  He is smiling up a storm, starting to make little noises and sometimes has to take it when his two siblings annoy him.  Like when he is nursing and M wants to pat him on his head; I mean seriously, who wants to be hit on the head while eating.

My Postpartum Journey…

As for me, I am going to admit it, I feel tired.  I don’t ever remember the “waking up in the middle of the night” stage lasting this long (I know, I am lucky).  I finally looked in C & M’s baby books to realized they were both sleeping anywhere from 7-9 hours a night and they were done nursing through the night– no wonder I feel more tired with this one.

I don’t weigh myself often, but the last time I weighed myself I hadn’t lost any weight since month one.  There was a period of time with the other two where I stalled at about 5-6 weeks and then the weight loss picked back up.  I am still waiting for it to pick back up, but weirdly okay (most days) where I am right now.  I know that sleep has a large play in weight loss and I am hoping that once I get more sleep I will lose more pounds.

Despite the lack of sleep and the sometimes frustration the with time it is taking to lose the weight, I feel great and that is what I am focusing on.  I am enjoying this baby stage and loving the ever growing bond between my three children.  Life is good!

Postpartum Fitness

I am finally getting into a workout routine and I feel great about it!  I have not started teaching yet (that is next week) and my workouts will change a little, but not much.  I am actually teaching less than I have in years and feel so excited to focus on spending more time with my kids and enjoying my own workouts and goals more.

Right now, most of my workouts are still done at home I only go to the gym once or twice a week.  I love lifting weights in the driveway, running sprints down my street and not having to drive to and from the gym every single day.  My kids love being outside while I workout and I am enjoying being creative and intentional with the workouts I create.

My week usually consists of one all-leg day, one all-upper body day, one day of speed work with weights in between, a full body day and a day of strictly running.  I have already hit 100 pounds on the bench press and feel like I am getting stronger each day and that is the purpose of my workouts.  I also love that I am giving my body one more day of rest each week.

Nutrition

Last month I wrote that I was eating pretty normal and keeping my sweets and treats to a minimum… and then that got out of control.  I think I had a bowl of strawberries, chocolate and marshmallows every night for a week or two.  I also had a glass of wine almost every night last week.

I know that is not going to help me get where I want to be so I am cutting back to my few sweet treats and adult beverages per week.  Other than the wine and sweets, I am still eating like normal: a good balance of protein, carbs and fats.  Overall I feel great and that is why I focus on eating well each day.

Goals

In my Postpartum Journey: 1 month post, I shared some goals with you all and I still have these same goals:

At two months postpartum, these are my fitness & nutrition goals:

• A 10K: I still want to be able to run that 10k in October at an 8:30 pace.  My runs have been a little slower so this is going to be my focus this month.  J and I pushed the kids in the jogger for four miles last week at a 9:05 pace.  I am confident I can do it.
• Pull Ups: 3 unassisted pull ups is my goal!  I have been incorporating assisted pull ups into my workout and feel like I will get there by this spring!
• 5 Workouts: This is hard for me- super hard.  Taking that extra rest day is a mind game and I am having a hard time, but I have been doing it.  I still need to include some mobility work or stretching on that day, but you know I don’t like that either.  I need to make myself do it.
• Play: I have officially picked up my tennis racquet twice and love it!  J and I had a date night where we played tennis and then grabbed dinner at the pub after- we loved it.  Then I played in a tennis tournament with my best friend.  This will continue to be a goal of mine in my postpartum journey.
• ENJOY: I am doing this every single day and I am happy.  Each day I am thanking God for the blessing He is given me and enjoying it all… even the messes.  I am trying to be more present and I feel like I am doing a better job.  I am not perfect, I am a work in progress and I am getting so much better.  This will continue to be a goal for me.

As I am enjoying this stage of life, I am also reminded of God’s love for me, for us.  I often times need to remind myself when those negative thoughts enter my mind that “He loves me just the way I am.”  Some days it is harder to be patient on this postpartum journey than others and I am reminding myself that it is more than a number on a scale; this journey is about strength, energy and mindset to live out God’s purpose each and every day.  As always, I am a work in progress and I appreciate you following along on this journey.