***Disclaimer: I don’t usually talk about weight and fitness here on the blog, so I’m being brave today posting this! I know that weight and exercise are personal subjects. All bodies are different. There is a lot of speculation and opinions on when to workout after pregnancy and what you should or shouldn’t be eating. This is what worked for me and may not be suitable for everyone. This is not a sponsored post.
My pregnant belly – August 2012
Let’s be real here. I am not athletic. Ask anyone in my family, they’ll just laugh. I also have a major sweet tooth, and you can often find me eating a big old cookie for breakfast. Regardless, I have always been in decent shape. I’ve never been really big or gained a lot of weight in a short amount of time. So when I got pregnant, I had a hard time with the idea of gaining weight. I knew that it was healthy and necessary for bringing a beautiful baby into the world. I gained 28 pounds during my pregnancy. I wasn’t in the best of shape when I got pregnant, but tried to be somewhat active during pregnancy (keyword: somewhat :) Although I struggled with being much larger than I ever had been, I was so happy to have sweet Ellie come into our family.
the day Ellie was born – September 20, 2012
For the first six weeks after I had Ellie, I didn’t do much exercise wise. I was still in the process of recovering (dang episiotomy!), so we would try to go out for a walk everyday, but that was about it. After I got the go-ahead from my doctor to work out again, we continued walking and here and there I would break a good sweat. Everyone told me that the weight would “just fall off” or “breastfeeding makes it go away faster” and it does. After three months, I had lost 19 pounds, but I still only had one pair of jeans and four shirts I could fit into. I knew I would have to work hard to lose the rest or wait awhile. And let’s face it, I’m about as patient as I am athletic.
one week after Ellie was born – September 2012
So, on January 1, Brian and I started Insanity as our New Year’s Resolution. Insanity is an at home fitness program, focusing mainly on cardio. We borrowed the videos from one of Brian’s friends and worked out six times a week. Yup, six. It was a killer! Sundays have become my favorite day of the week for sure. ;) At the beginning of the workouts I couldn’t do a single pushup. I could barely even do a “girl” pushup! By the end, that was totally the opposite! Some days I really struggled with the workouts. If Brian wasn’t there to motivate me, I probably would have just given up. It was hard. But man it was worth it!
one month after Ellie was born – October 2012
A few people have asked how I workout with a baby. It was hard! I would try to workout during naptime or right after I fed her during playtime. Sometimes she would get fussy so we tried to keep it entertaining for her. I would do my pushups over her and every time I would come down I would kiss her little tummy. She would laugh and laugh! Other times we would sing silly songs or make funny faces while we jumped around in front of her. Again, she though we were hilarious! Occasionally she would be tired or hungry, so every once in awhile our workout was cut five minutes short. Basically, as long as we timed it right, we could get the workout in, no problem.
Along with working out, we have also been eating healthy (not disgusting!), proportioned meals. I refuse to say the word DIET, it’s a swear word around here. (No seriously, it is!) Insanity has a meal plan that we adjusted to fit our needs and lifestyle. Basically we ate five small meals a day – two smaller breakfast, two smaller lunches, and a dinner. We also sometimes had a little treat in the evenings. The meals were very similar to what we ate before, we just took out the extra not-so-healthy stuff and downsized the amount a little. Portion control played a big role! The first few days I learned that I wasn’t eating enough to keep my milk supply up, so I added more food to each meal. I refuse to starve myself or go hungry, so if I felt hungry, I ate something healthy. I learned to listen to my body and eat for nourishment, not because I was bored. (More on healthy eating and meals in tomorrow’s post.)
You’re all probably dying to see a before and after Insanity photo. Well, here you go! (Just ignore my dorky faces!)
and a week by week comparison:
I have never stuck with anything this long before and I’m awfully glad I did. During the last two months, I lost a total of 20 pounds. (That’s a total of 39 pounds since being pregnant! I now weigh less than I did when I got pregnant!) My stomach still has some loose skin and such, but it’s much better than before. My stretch marks have gone down a lot. My hips are still wider than they were before pregnancy, but my jeans fit better because of it. ;) I also have so much more energy during the day! It’s amazing what exercising does not only for my body, but also my mood. I find that I’m less irritable and more energetic. I am quite happy with the results and we already have planned to continue this active lifestyle (after a big celebratory meal of course!) Perhaps I am becoming slightly more athletic? Ha. I can only dream! Next up, toning!
family photo - March 2013
oh my golly. you look amazing!! this gives me hope because my body feels like it's gone to pot since getting pregnant. i'm 12 days overdue today and i am dying to get on with getting my body back.
ReplyDeleteGO GIRL!
I am seriously amazed!!! I'm on my second day of insanity! Its a killer. Did you get the pack or just the 20 min work out?!
ReplyDeleteYou both look amazing! Seriously so inspired!
XOXO
Wow! You guys both look amazing! Great job sticking with it. I am glad you shared. It is always nice to hear how people succeed at their goals.
ReplyDeleteThat is so awesome! My husband and I are hoping to start having kids soon and I'm not an athletic person either. I take care of myself, but going out and running is not something that, well, excites me. Personally I've been thinking about getting some Zumba tapes just because I really like to dance. You said that you guys eat pretty much what you ate before but smaller portions. If you don't mind me asking, could you give me some examples? Thanks for posting this!
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You guys look great! You inspired me to try Insanity. Today was actually my first day and I totally cheated on that fit test. Idk if I can stick to it but here's to hoping. Thanks for this post!
ReplyDeleteamazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You look SO thin! Great job!!! And your husband looks much more toned too! Wow, you guys are an inspiration
ReplyDeleteHOLY COW, LEX! you look beyond amazing! you're such an inspiration. congratulations on finishing insanity! my husband is itching to try that program. i am also having theeee hardest time with gaining all this pregnancy weight. (i have to remind myself daily that it's *good*!) not only am i looking forward to not being pregnant so i can have this little babe here but also so i can work out and lose all this weight! haha!
ReplyDeletecongrats again! you deserve a shopping spree. ;)
xo,
sam
oh my gosh, you look so fantastic.
ReplyDeletei have been wanting to lose 5-10 pounds, maybe just maybe i will try this out.
you seriously are so motivating!
K
you go, you two! kuddos to ya'll!!
ReplyDeletexo
purposelyathome.blogspot.com
Wow - well done, you look amazing. Such a good idea to take the before and after photos. I bet it makes it all worth while seeing how much you've lost!
ReplyDeleteYou look incredible! Congrats to you both for living a healthier lifestyle :)
ReplyDeleteWow, you look amazing! Way to go! I only have about 10 pounds to go and you have totally motivated me. :)
ReplyDeletedang girl! impressive. i want to do that after i have my baby too...its nice cuz you don't have to actually LEAVE to go to a gym. hopefully ill have as good of results!
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing! You are giving me so much motivation to finally drop those last few pounds! :] One quick question, did you feel like Insanity was hard on your body at all? Like joints and bones and stuff? Anyway, you look great!!! And you kept up your milk supply which was my main worry! Seriously, thanks for posting this!
ReplyDeleteI am totally inspired to keep up with Insanity now! I keep starting...and stopping ;) It's so hard! By the way -- you look great!
ReplyDeleteI love this!! I had my baby boy last July and I too am doing insanity to lose the weight! I love how fast you see results with insanity. I am on week 7 and weigh 5 pounds lighter than my pre pregnancy weight! It is such an awesome program! You guys look great!
ReplyDeleteWow! You look amazing!
ReplyDeletelex, you are the cutest.
ReplyDeleteLove this post!! You two look ahh-maze-ing! Way to be motivated and document your success. Hope your celebratory dinner on Saturday night was deeee-licious!! xoxoxo love ya, mama
ReplyDeleteyou are amazing! you look great!
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness! you look amazing!! this is inspiring!! I'm not pregnant nor am i going to be in the near future but i'm definitely hitting the gym tonight.
ReplyDeleteI cannot get over how awesome you look!
ReplyDeleteYou go girl!
XO
E
YOU LOOK AMAZING!!! Definitely an inspiration to get my butt into gear!
ReplyDeleteI am sooooo inspired right now. lex, seriously...you look so healthy and cute. i hope you post your food plans! my friend and i are trying to get in shape while we're in grad school and knowing you could do it with a cute baby at home is totally inspiring and makes me stop justifying my junk food meals :) okay. okay, i'll be checking back to learn more from you!
ReplyDelete:) thank you!!
You look amazing! Very encouraging. My husband and I are both trying to get into shape and this is encouraging. I want to start a healthy routine before we start our family so we can pass it along to them! Thanks for being so brave!
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! Way to be dedicated and stick with your goal. You are one hot momma! I know that in about 9 months I'll be reading this post again :)
ReplyDeleteYou. look. incredible! I am still not where I want to be 8 months after delivering. I didn't even start working out until recently. And I'm even more ashamed to say I've had the Insanity DVDs for 2 years now and never opened them! I think you have me convinced. You look so good, and I love that you managed to do it incorporating the baby. No excuses. I am inspired!
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing. You look great. I have been needing to start to exercise since I had my little girl. I might just have to try what you did.
ReplyDeleteWww.ohsweetgoodness.blogspot.com
You guys look awesome. I'm going to show this to my husband and hopefully it wil inspire him to get in shape with me. Way to go!!!
ReplyDeleteWow you look amazing! You have inspired me to do the same!
ReplyDeleteYou guys look so good! I am due in a week and have been trying to decide what I want to do to get back in shape after my baby is born!! I think I am definitely going to try Insanity with my husband! Did you just do the 20 minute workout or the full one?
ReplyDeleteY'ALL ARE AWESOME.
ReplyDeleteway to stay motivated and thanks for sharing :)
{now if only i could take insanity with me on the mission...}
xo
I am so glad you posted this! I did insanity a couple of times pre-pregnancy or before I know I was pregnant ha, and I really enjoyed it. I hurt for days after. When you posted the updates pictures on instagram, I knew then that I needed to do this after my baby is born. I probably wouldn't have thought to be so motivated to do it, but seeing your success is amazing! Is it weird that I want to have my baby already so that I can start the road to recovery/normal body goal? Haha. I think I'm just ready to be a mama and a woman... TWO separate things! Happy for you girl!
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ReplyDeleteWay to go! You guys look awesome! XO
ReplyDeleteHealthy eating is the key! Everyday exercise is not only good for us, it teaches our kids to exercise and love to be outdoors.
ReplyDeleteHealthy eating is the key! Everyday exercise is not only good for us, it teaches our kids to exercise and love to be outdoors.
ReplyDeleteYou look GREAT!!
ReplyDeleteyou look hot, hot, hot. I might have to start insanity.
ReplyDeleteWow - you're amazing!
ReplyDeletehttp://therealfoodrunner.blogspot.com
oooooh dear heavens! You look amazing girl! and Brian too! This is such a wonderful post! It makes me want to step it up, and get fit/toned/ and healthy for my wedding. I adore this post! thanks girl!
ReplyDeleteYou both look FABBBBUULLOOUSSS! Oh my goodness what a change! This is such a motivational post, good blogging!! I think I'll start eating a little healthier (not for weight change, but for energy!!) LOVE you guys! Keep up the activeness ya cutie! xoxo
ReplyDeleteYou look really, really good! I've always been a fan of healthy eating, but maybe I should throw a little exercise in the mix. I've never been much of an athletic person...
ReplyDeleteThis is SO inspirational!!!! I have seen so many times people put on weight after getting married (LOL) or during a pregnancy and I always thought it was a bummer. It's so amazing and encouraging to see a couple make such a drastic, brave change! You two look FANTASTIC. Bravo!
ReplyDeletewow, you look incredible! such a definite difference in those 9 weeks and i've always heard so many stories about insanity but never thought it was worth the time. after reading this though, i definitely am going to try it:)
ReplyDeleteSuch an amazing story and the before and after pics are sooooo motivating! I would love to learn more about what your meals look like and what exercises you have been doing!
ReplyDeletewow you look great! cant wait to hear more about your meals. it was fun to see you at goodwood the other day, and even better to see that you didnt go private after the crazy lady freaked out on meeting you- i told my family i met a celebrity and they laughed so hard. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou're a rockstar! And you look absolutely amazing! Way to go!
ReplyDeleteWhat an accomplishment-you look so great! This post might just be the motivation I need to get the rest of my baby weight off :)
ReplyDeleteYou seriously motivated me to start now and get in shape! Talk about hot!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's sooo awesome! You guys are adorable!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've already showed about 4 different people your before and after picture. I honestly think it is incredible! You look SMOKIN!!!! And big shout out to your husband too! He looks like he lost quite a bit as well! Awesome inspiration!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! I only could do the first month of Insanity before I quit. You guys are inspiring! Makes me want to try to do the whole 60 days! I love your little family! Keep us updated on the toning process!
ReplyDeletethis is such inspiration! you look absolutely amazing!! so happy for you guys :)
ReplyDeletewow, that really is amazing! good work!
ReplyDeleteWay to go, Alexa! :) My husband and I ordered Insanity last week and are waiting until I can kick this cold before we begin. I'm so scared it's going to kick my butt, ha.
ReplyDeleteyou look fabulous! i've been reading your adorable blog for a while & you have the cutest little family. my mom is in the middle of insanity right now & i HAD to show her your post to keep her motivated. :) i'm seriously impressed & wanting to jump on the insanity bandwagon now!
ReplyDeleteLex, this is so awesome!! I bet it feel so good to accomplish something so huge! You guys look great :) And I loved your food post, you've definitely inspired me! :)
ReplyDeleteWow, that is AMAZING! You look fantastic. Sounds like I need to jump on the insanity/eating healthier bandwagon to lose these last five baby pounds.
ReplyDeleteYou are rockstar! I have never seen a transformation like that so quickly after having a baby!!!
ReplyDeleteWow! You look fantastic. I tried using weight loss shakes. I wish I could do it like you. You look great! And congrats on both the baby and weight loss. Adorable fam!
ReplyDeleteYou look amazing! Have you thought of T25? I am about to have my baby and am not sure which one to get to help me lose the weight
ReplyDeleteI have really been wanting to try it! With my baby, it's easiest to fit in a quick workout! I bet it would be great!
DeleteYour weight loss is SO inspiring. You look amazing! :D
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