…and it feels so good. Wait, no, I’m lying, it hurts, it hurts like shit, and it’s incredibly humbling. Last week, I started training with my trainer/mentor/friend, Amanda Roush, for the first time in three years. When I used to train with her years ago, I looked and felt my best. So about 3 months ago, I asked her if I could get back on her schedule to jumpstart my postpartum transformation. (She’s one of the top trainers in Charleston and there is a waitlist to train with her). Here we are, please ignore my post workout glow. 
After being pregnant and another c-section, I’m remembering how much it sucks to get back in shape. I know what my old body is capable of, and it’s really frustrating to struggle through every workout…it’s also incredibly motivating. Amanda is amazing, and while she normally likes to crush me in our workouts, my experience with her is different this time around. She is constantly reminding me to respect what my body has been through and to have realistic expectations. After all, she has had 4 kids, so she knows a thing or two about how I’m feeling right now.
I know, I know…I’m a trainer, so why do I need to pay a trainer? It’s really all about accountability. Obviously, I know how to put myself through an effective and balanced workout, but having someone that is checking in on me, checking my food log, following up with me on weekly weigh ins and monthly measurements, someone to keep me in check when I’m slacking off and make sure that I continue to challenge myself is a complete game changer.
I’ve been thinking about this post-baby weight loss journey for months. Actually, I thought about it the whole time I was pregnant. I ate healthy and worked out up until the very end with the hope of gaining less than I did with the twins. (I gained 32 lbs with Tess and 62 lbs with the twins). I have about 6 lbs to go to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and about 20 to get back to my goal weight (I was heavier than I should have been when I got pregnant). Let me be clear that this transformation is not about a number on a scale…it’s about getting back to feeling like myself. I wish I was one of those people who can just eat healthy, workout and rely on how their clothes are fitting them, but that’s just not what works for me. I need measurable results (and sometimes that means the scale and body composition measurements). It’s time to get back to the basics…I know what works for my body, it’s clean eating, calorie restriction, food logging, strength training, cardio, flexibility training…sounds simple, right? Maybe it is simple, but it’s a lot of really hard work, and a lot to juggle while trying to adjust to this new life with three little girls.
The main focus for me is my nutrition. With the amount of activity that I do each week, my calorie goal is 1800 calories of clean eating a day. I also have to figure out how to get all my workouts in with three kids and a husband who also needs to workout to keep his sanity. There are major workout negotiations that Miles and I do each week to make sure that we are both making it to the gym. My workouts right now include two one-hour strength training sessions with Amanda, three days of cardio (with a little strength training of my own sprinkled in), two days a week of yoga, and one or two rest days each week. Through this new journey, it’s going to be so important for me to remember that this doesn’t happen overnight, and like Amanda says, “respect what my body has been through”. This blog will also serve as something that keeps me honest and accountable, and I can’t wait to share this journey with you.
