Getting Healthy

I’ve been waiting to do this post for a while because I had to have the results first!

After having a baby in November and not eating the greatest afterwards it’s really been on my radar to get back into shape and start eating better again.

I was so surprised after really putting forth a little effort to gorge myself less, eat healthier and exercise that I got the results I wanted really quickly.
Let me note also before I get into this that everyone’s body is different or works differently. Some people may find other things work better for them! This is just what worked for me.

I’ve mentioned this same subject before in What They Don’t Tell You About Being A Mom, What They Don’t Tell You About Being A Woman and Skinny Chocolate so make sure to check out those posts as well.

After leaving the hospital last November I really only wanted to lose 10 pounds to get back to where I was before I got pregnant.
About 4 of those pounds came off after a couple months of just living normal again. Then I got stuck. I had another 4-6 pounds I really wanted to lose and it wasn’t going any where. A lot of people told me that I may just be stuck with it and that it’s just part of being a mom but I didn’t really believe it. I felt yucky and drab. I knew I could do better for myself and my self-esteem.

My husband and I worked together to get healthier and be better for ourselves and once I start that, the other 4 pounds came right off.
Here’s what’s I changed:

1. I drink more water.
I used to not drink water. And it’s not that I was drinking soda or coffee instead, I just wasn’t drinking anything! And that makes you so bloated! By drinking the allotted amount of water you should be you can lose up to five pounds just off the bat without doing any work! I bought a huge 32 oz cup so I would only have to fill it up once during the day and I got a sticker made for the outside to really help me keep track of what I should be drinking.

2. I started to do actual exercise.
I never did actual scheduled exercise before now. I would be active sometimes and it worked for me for a while but the older you get you just need to add regular exercise to your lifestyle. It makes me feel so much better to be active everyday. It’s not even a lot! I take my son on a walk everyday for 40 minutes and try and get my heart rate up a bit. Then after he is asleep for the night my husband and I doing an and leg exercise on the floor for about 15 minutes 5 days a week. I feel better and my tummy is looking better.

3. I cut out as much sugar as I could without feeling deprived.
I love sugar and won’t go into this a lot since it’s in a previous post. But, if you cut out all the preservatives and sugars and ad fats you will lose weight and feel so much better. I won’t deprive myself of sugar though. If someone gives me a treat I eat it. If I’m out at a restaurant I’ll have some. It’s it’s Halloweeen and someone give me Reese’s Cups you better believe I have one. But I cut it out of my normal diet. The easiest places to cut sugar are in your day to day foods. Store bought bread can have a lot of sugar. Dressings and store bought marinades can also be made with a ton of sugar. Look for brands that are naturally sugar free. Look for low fat dairy. Don’t eat a ton of carbs. Look for healthy complex carbs when you do. Eat lots of veggies and fill up that way! It’s not hard and there are so many ways to make you food delicious this way, check out Pinterest!

4. Get a good nights sleep.
You eat a lot less when you sleep a full eight hours as an adult. The longer you sit on the couch and watch tv the more you’ll eat. Give your body a chance to reset its metabolism. It works wonders!

This is all I’ve done! Start simple and set easy goals. Have someone help you. Don’t deprive yourself and have fun!