First off I have to say that it is taking a lot for me to post these pictures. I have struggled with
body image throughout pregnancy and after. But I know that so many moms struggle with their bodies after having their baby so I wanted to share my experience in hopes that it can help someone.
My journey to losing weight has been tough. In 2012 I gained a little more weight than I wanted. The older I got, the harder it was to keep off the weight. I wasn't in high school anymore and I could definitely see it in the way I looked. Starting in January 2013 I made a conscious decision to start working out and I get in better shape. This was the time we started trying to have a baby and I thought it could only happen. Ha! If only I knew.
During this time I was also diagnosed with a hypothyroid, which can cause weight gain. Finally! An answer! I began taking medicine and it helped the weight gain a little.
When I started IVF in October 2013 I weighed 136. IVF does a toll on your body and can cause you to gain weight as they are stimulating your ovaries. I gained about 6-7 pounds in that 6 week period and by the time we found out I was pregnant, I had no time to lose that weight. So I started my pregnancy around 140 pounds. I gained 40 pounds with Raegan and topped off the scale at about 180 pounds.
Once having Raegan I lost 30 pounds pretty quick, but then it stopped coming off. I was pumping and was told that breastfeeding is a great way to lose weight. Well it wasn't working for me. I didn't have time to work out and had zero time to prepare healthy meals through out the day. I was having fast food at least every other day and snacking constantly. I would grab anything that was close, no matter if it was healthy or not. The weight stopped coming off, but I wasn't surprised.
I struggled with the fact that I still wasn't fitting in my clothes and needed to buy new clothes, 1-2 sizes bigger than my pre-pregnancy clothes. And I struggled with feeling attractive to my husband even though he continuously told me that I was beautiful to him. But I knew I looked different than the woman he married.
So in December 2014 I joined
Baby Boot Camp. It was the first step in my journey. I am so glad I joined this group. Not only was I finally working out, but I got to take Raegan with me! Check us out in the top right hand corner :)
If you are needing a place to work out and take your kids, this is the group for you! They have tons of them all over the U.S. Google them, you won't regret it.
I started seeing a difference in my body, but the weight still wasn't coming off. So in March 2015, I decided to do an Advocare 24 day challenge. I had done one in June 2013, and knew the results it could give me.
I lost 5 pounds and 6 inches. It's not the best results ever, but I think the pictures are worth a thousand words. I mean, look at that side shot. That is a huge difference in my book!
The challenge is a great way to get your eating back on track. There are meal replacement shakes (vanilla is my favorite) and supplements to take for the 24 days. The first 10 days are the cleanse (don't worry, it's not a drastic cleanse. It's very gentle) and then the last 14 days is the max phase where the supplements are filling your body with wonderful vitamins and supplements that promote healthy living.
During the 24 days you are expected to eat healthy. That includes protein, vegetables, and complex carbs. I did have to do a little more planning for my grocery trips, but you know what? It made me think about what I was eating, and now that the 24 days is over, I STILL want to eat that way!
For me, I wanted to start eating healthy and continue it after the challenge. This helped me do exactly that. I now have a ton of recipes to pull from for our dinners and I snack on things that are good for me.
Losing weight I feel is something all women struggle with, no matter your size. Whether you have 10 pounds, 20 pounds, or even 100 pounds, to lose, this program can get your started! It will change your body but also give you the tools you need to be successful in your weight loss journey.
Check back in a few days for everything I ate during the challenge (recipes included!)
Have questions about the challenge or want to try yourself? Email me I'd love to help!
