How I Lost My Baby Weight...Plus Some!

A question I often get asked is “How did you lose so much weight”??

The human body never ceases to amaze me. I have learnt that when treated correctly, it can bounce back and actually give back, as if it’s trying to say “thank you” for how well you look after it.

During my pregnancy I wanted to stay as active as I could because I was told how hard pushing a baby out is. And yes they were all right! Even if I only had to push 3 times it was bloody hard work! So my advice to anyone who’s pregnant is just keep walking during your pregnancy!

So I’m going to be honest here, I lost most of my weight through Breastfeeding. Yup I’m one of those lucky ones who could not only breastfeed but also dropped weight very quickly by breastfeeding. But that wasn’t the only way I lost it because that would be completely ridiculous!!!!

Our little guy went through a stage where he would mostly have his good sleeps in his pram. So what did I do you ask? Yes, you go it I walked and walked and then I walked some more. I would go to the beach every single day for months and would walk 3-4km. I often would go to the shops and I would just walk around. I wouldn’t actually buy anything I would just use the shopping centre as different scenery as well as those quick trips for more nappies.

During my pregnancy I gained about 15kg total. Probably because I only had a 2kg baby! Please don’t hate me! I lost about 10kg in the first two weeks! The human body is truly amazing!

Something no one tells you though is you will still look pregnant……...for weeks and weeks. This is something that really surprised me! So new mums prep your closet full of postpartum “outfits”. Big, flowing maxi dresses or tights with long, flowing shirts. Dressing the postpartum body makes dressing the pregnancy body seem like a breeze! But don’t worry mums, the water retention melts away and things change rather quickly! Just be prepared for a confusing body shape for the first month or so!

 I was often asked if I was eating……...Yes of course I was eating and I was eating A LOT!!!! but I was trying to eat all of the right clean and healthy food. You didn’t think I was going to say the kilos just melted off without paying attention to what was going into my mouth did you? J

I focused on filling my body with as many nutritious foods as possible, and I would snack regularly because breastfeeding is hungry work, just to maintain milk supply is around 500 additional calories on top of your normal calorie intake! I’m not going to lie I would eat chocolate too probably more than I would actually like to admit!

It’s not magic you won’t just drop the baby weight without putting in the effort and ensuring you are putting the right foods into your body.

Recently I have started going back to the gym too. Not to lose more weight because I weigh less now than I did pre baby. Thanks to pregnancy I have this little mummy pouch and soft abs. So I’m now just trying to tone this mummy bod and regain some of my core strength!

I absolutely loved being pregnant! I didn’t get a single stretch mark……don’t hate me I was just one of those lucky mums! Or the bio oil I used every single day 3 times a day actually worked! Becoming a mum has made me appreciate my body so much more than I did pre baby. I am actually so much happier with my body. Yes, my body isn’t perfect, yes I have wider hips, yes I have a bigger booty (opps I always had that), and as I mentioned before that wonderful mummy pouch has appeared.

It all comes down to hard work and commitment. You need to want to look good and be healthy again. But this time it’s not just for you! You have a family you want to do it for, you want to see your children grow up and be able to run around with them without feeling the strain of a couple of postpartum years not focusing on your body, your recovery after giving birth. So mummas get out there with those beautiful babies and walk, its only one foot in front of the other while looking at your little babe.