ENABLING YOUR PASSION FOR HEALTHY LIVING

Postpartum Journey #3

My third postpartum journey has been similar to my previous two, BUT I have felt SO much more myself now at 7 months postpartum and at 5/6 months postpartum whereas previously, it took me 9 months.

postpartum weight loss

I haven’t updated my blog in months because I didn’t have the motivation. I was short on sleep and help. Some things had to give and those were my blog and my YouTube channel. Two things I cherished and built up for years but with 3 young kiddos, they became a burden and no longer something I enjoyed. I am lucky I could step away, so that is what I did.

However, I’ve missed you guys!!! I’m back to share what I did differently this postpartum journey that led me to feel like myself again faster than I had before. If you’re a busy mom and don’t want to read the entire post, here are the bullet points:

  • Intermittent Fasting
  • More Strength Based Workouts, Less Cardio
  • More Protein
  • Some macro tracking but not really… same with carb cycling, some here and there but not a ton
  • Fasted HIIT Cardio
  • Shorter Workouts (30 minutes or less)
  • Patience
  • ZERO FOOD GUILT

I began intermittent fasting around week 6. This comprised of me fasting for 12 hours to start. Eventually I fasted up to 15 hours which meant my body was able to be at digestive rest from 8 pm until 8-11 am the following morning. There were zero restriction here when it came to the window. If I was hungry, I would eat. I just don’t LOVE breakfast, my body had gotten used to fasting and our mornings are busy SO I waited until after I exercised to eat my breakfast which meant I would eat around 10 and enjoy it vs eating standing up getting the kids out the door…

Next, in my previous 2 journeys I used cardio as a means to burn calories and I thought that would help me lose fat. To be honest, all it did for me was ignite an already insatiable appetite on top of nursing and did little to make my pants fit better. I do not lose weight nursing WITHOUT a deliberate plan like the one I’m detailing. It just doesn’t “melt off.”

This time around, I did start with easy low impact rides on my Peloton for 20-30 minutes. I did not start losing weight though until I added back in strength workouts that were pure strength, no plyometric or HIIT moves. I would do HIIT rides 2 days a week and then 3 days of strength with my FASTer Way To Fat Loss trainers.

I was able to lose about 25 of the 35 I gained with these two techniques but stalled out with the last 10-12 lbs. My clothes started to fit but not comfortably YET.

So for a couple of weeks, I started tracking my macros and added in carb cycling. I also stopped drinking wine. After a couple of weeks, I felt really good and let up on myself. I stopped tracking but intuitively tried to eat similarly. I did the same with the carb cycling. I wasn’t tracking carbs but I would try to have the same meals that I did when I was tracking so I had an idea that I was eating low carb.

After two months of not weighing myself and keeping consistent with the fasting, strength & HIIT workouts and intuitive macro tracking and carb cycling, all of my prepregnancy clothes fit like they used to!

I have no idea how much I weigh but I feel good about how I look. I am self confident and I have been drinking lots of wine. Did I lose the last few pounds? I’m not sure but I’m done with scales and the mind games they play with us. My scale actually broke a year ago and I only bought a new one for my virtual pregnancy appointments.

A lot of people ask me if they can do the FASTer Way program and drink wine. The answer is yes BUT if you want to see results fast, you need to cut it out mostly. I recommend my clients stick to 4 drinks a week (although I do personally exceed this if I’m being honest lol).

I do not weigh myself because I feel good. Stepping on a scale might have a number that would make me think otherwise so why do that to myself. I have clients who strive for an elusive number and my response is that *if you have to drastically reduce your calories to avoid gaining weight* it likely is not your bodies natural set point. I’m not sayin you can’t lose weight, I’m just saying, we need recognize the mental and physical aspects of weight loss and our ideal body.

My goal has always been to find food freedom and I achieved this when I was pregnant with Tommy. I rediscovered it with the FASTer Way when I became a coach.

Another point I want to share is that my breastmilk supply was not effected by intermittent fasting. People ask this a lot. I drink a lot of water and like I said, if I’m hungry I eat. My total calorie targets were around 1800-1900 to achieve my success.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I am the leanest when I do the least amount of cardio. My workouts never exceeded 30-45 minutes, usually just 20-30 though. I used to be one of those people who needed to feel like I died in a workout to think it was effective and those same workouts were just causing me to be ravenous and my body exhausted, beaten up! I then mentally tried to restrict my calories thinking the combined hard work and reduced calories would help me reach an arbitrary number on a scale that meant success. It was bad and unhealthy.

So I’m sharing this because I think my journey is doable. I don’t see it as restrictive although in my DM’s I’m always getting people saying intermittent fasting is… I don’t feel like it is because I eat if I’m hungry whether it’s 12 or 16 hours after I last ate. But to eat their own.

If you want more information on my next FASTer Way To Fat Loss round coming up, click here or take this this fat loss quiz to help you get started on your journey 🙂 My next round starts in two weeks on September 27th.

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