Hey fam! LG is back today with an update on her postpartum transformation journey. I hope you’re enjoying this series and can find something relatable to your own fitness journey even if you aren’t necessarily postpartum. xo - Candace
It’s been a little over two weeks since my last YBC® check-in, and I’ve been working hard to juggle everything - babies, nutrition, fitness and self-care. It’s pretty much impossible to prioritize any one of these things right now (other than babies) because they all seem so important, but all I can do is give it my best and try again the next day! Some days are harder than others but I’ve got happy, healthy babies and am getting whole, nutritious meals in - and even a few workouts here and there - so I’m happy.
Next time I’ll do the post in a little different format with some Q&A, so if you have any questions, just drop me a line!
Nutrition
My goal of following my macros has gone really well…until my mom visited the new baby. So for week 8 I followed my macros exactly, but for week 9 I continued eating my lunches from the meal delivery service Mighty Meals (located in the greater DC area), but dinners were whatever mom was cooking. She’s a phenomenal cook, and we were in heaven with the delicious home cooked meals she prepared each night. But as soon as she was wheels-up, it was back to solid, consistent macro counting! If you’re interested in obtaining your own macros, you can email James directly.
I want to stress that I’m not a nutritionist or dietician and macro counting is just what helps me feel best - emotionally and physically - and I don’t find it restrictive or cumbersome. Some people find keto works well, others just eat intuitively and feel great.
Fitness
Balancing my baby’s needs and my toddler’s tantrums can be really stressful. There are always a few moments that I have to take a few deep breaths but another great thing about my mom’s visit is that she wanted lots of baby time, which allowed me to hit the gym. The minute I got my heart pumping and endorphins flowing, I felt SO much better! My workouts truly are my therapy.
Strength training is my workout of choice but since I’m still so short on time, my workouts consist of 30 minute AMRAP circuits. I stuck to five full body movements again, for example:
3 minute row (can’t stop, won’t stop)
20 KB swings
20 Hollow hold military press (Candace featured this killer move on her IG below)
15 Weighted back extensions (try to focus on using your glutes to raise your upper body)
10 Pushups
Mentality
As I mentioned in the last post, it’s so important to keep the realization that it took 9 months to transform my body to give birth to a healthy baby, and it will take almost as long to get back into the shape I was pre-pregnancy. Therefore, these past two weeks, I’ve tried to maintain a positive and patient dialogue with myself. Time and time again, the minute I feel like giving up, is the minute I see results.
Current Status
Here is my current physique. I’m down from my starting weight of 155 to 151. That’s four pounds in two weeks, which is great. Again, I’m not so focused on a number but rather my overall strength and stamina. I do see definition forming, so progress is progress.
9 weeks postpartum
Duration: 9 weeks postpartum
Current weight: 151 (down 4 pounds which is about 2lbs per week)
Workouts: Circuit training 5-6 times per week for two weeks (more workouts!)
Nutrition: Meal prepping and macro counting for one week, and open dinners one week
Goal: Still to lose fat and build muscle, but also to maintain positive momentum and focus.
Concerns: Moving forward, Nash will be able to join me at the gym, so making time for workouts will be much easier. My only concern is maintaining a positive outlook if I don’t see the results I want as fast as I want.
I’ll be back in about three weeks this time with the next update on my postpartum journey! If you have any questions or comments (or words of support!), please comment below or email me directly.