My pregnancy Diary- Post Partum Weeks 1-4

My Post Natal Journey!

Getting my body back...

So I decided I was going to let you in on my journey to getting back into shape. I am going to do weekly progress pictures and give some in site into my workouts, diet, how I feel measurements etc. This is a personal journal not to be followed. Any exercise or diet program needs to be catered to the individual and always cleared by your doctor.

So my entire pregnancy I only gained 19lbs. I ate well, exercised 5-6 days a week and pretty much kept my life the same as pre pregnancy. So this first pic is me 3 days postpartum. I had lost 10 lbs right away. Which was good considering my baby was only 5.5 lbs.

So the first week I didn't do anything. I was sore, tired and overwhelmed with joy with my new bundle of joy...I continued to eat like I had been during pregnancy.

1 week post baby

 At the start of week 1 i began light exercise. I did some cardio like walking and my stationary bike. i started out super slow since I was still sore and really tired. I also added light weights with some strength exercises to get my muscles warmed up. At this point I no longer had stitches.
Here is a look at my first week of exercise.

Day 1
Monday 21st
walk 4-4.2 mph 0-2 incline 10 min

stationary bike- 10 min fast pace med intensity

step ups 50 each side

bicep curls in, reg and out

tricep extentions

ab roll ups

plank hold

side to side abs (standing)

heal touches (laying down)

leg raises

upper raise (toe touches)

35 min

Day 2
Tuesday off

Day 3
Wed 23rd

walk 4 mph 2-4 incline 10 min

step ups

aerobic side step punch

squat ball pick up

reverse lunge and kick

high knees

mtn climbers/ pushups

bi curls

shoulders/ front and side raise

Stationary bike 10 min med intensity

ab roll ups

heal touches

upper raise

leg raises
35 min

Day 3     
Thurs 24th
10 min treadmill
20 hiit
Burpees
Jump rope
Step ups
Squat press
Side step punches
Reverse lunge/ knee ups
Abs
Curls
Rows

Day 4     
Fri 25th
15 min treadmill
10 min bike
plank hold 45 sec x2

Sat & Sun Off

Getting back into working out is definitely hard after having a baby. My body feels very loose and weak. Even though I strength trained my entire pregnancy things just feel different. A lot has to do with the hormone Relaxin. It takes a few months for that to leave the body after pregnancy. I feel good though. I feel my blood pumping and the soreness in my muscles which i love. I took this week lightly and definitely didn't go full speed ahead.

down 14 lbs

The start of my third week post I felt really good and knew I could increase my weights a bit and push a little harder. The key is to listen to your own body. I did more hiit training this week to really target my muscles.
                        
Week 3
Mon 28th
Started reg hiit training
25 min
Jumo rope mixed with
Squat, clean and press
Step ups
 Wood chop l
Wood chop r
Reverse lunge kick     
Wide squat press
Knee ups
Curls, shoulder press, upright row
Cable row, triceps

Tues 29th off

Wed 30th
25 min hiit (variations of previous workouts)

Thurs 31st   
Cardio bike and treadmill
30 min   

Fri Nov 1st off

Sat Nov 2nd
25 min hiit
Abs, rope, squat with sandbag
I began using my 2o lb sandbag again

Sun Nov 3rd off

weight is the same but toning up more and tummy is going way down

Heading into week 4 I pretty much was back to my normal pre pregnancy workouts. My postnatal bleeding has stopped and my body feels ready. this week I started back on high protein. As you know I couldn't stand any meat during pregnancy but now im back to normal. So its time to get the diet back in check and hit it hard, high protein, my goal is usually 90- 120 grams a day. Lower carb, mainly veggies and moderate healthy fats and lots of fiber and water.

Week 4 

Mon nov 4th   

10 min hiit and

 10 min wind sprints

Tues nov 5th

25 min hiit - fully used sandbag,  did all old exercises including half burpees

Wed Nov 6th
 13 min bike moderate
10 min interval run/ sprint side shuffle & backwards 5 min abs  

Thurs Nov 7th
Couplet hiit 20 min
15 min bike

Fri Nov 8th
20 min couplet hiit
10 min bike

Sat Nov 9th                                         
Cardio treadmill 20 min
 bike 15  

Sun Nov 10 off

I posted the below pic to show that if you want something bad enough you just have to do it. To me getting back in shape is a huge priority. Not only for myself to feel good but for my energy, my relationship and to keep up with my kiddos. Finding the time to exercise is the number 1 thing I hear from moms, there just isn't enough time..Well you have to make time. All the exercise I do can be done with little to no equipment in the comfort of your own home. Yes I do have other stuff but its a bonus and not necessary. Make it happen ladies don't wait till its to the point that you feel horrible and it becomes a chore.

you can achieve anything you want!

Here is an example of my diet now:
Wake up Have a cup of coffee with real half and half (fake stuff or non fat is full of chemicals and corn syrup, more fattening than the real stuff)
Breakfast: 2 whole eggs 1-2 egg whites scrambled with 2 slices or 2 oz of low sodium all natural turkey breast chopped and about a half cup of fresh organic spinach chopped topped with about an 1/8 cup shredded cheese.

Snacks vary: Handful of raw trail mix ( I make it all raw nuts, almonds, walnut pieces, cashews, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds mixed with either raisins or dried date pieces.)

1/4 cup organic all natural cottage cheese with 1 tbls chia seed and i use a tsp organic strawberry jelly for flavor.

A string sheese

1 serving organic grass fed turkey jerkey

A protein shake ( just a scoop in water )

My homemade protein cookies

apple with cheese or peanut butter

smoothie: protein powder, chia seed, frozen banana, frozen berries, spinach or kale

Lunch: Sometimes the cottage cheese or a shake and a cookie.
I am a grazer so other than breakfast I pretty much dont eat meals i pick all day long. Im not a huge fan of meals. I tend to eat more of a mono diet, meaning one food group at a time. Sometime I will make a cabbage wrap which is just turkey in a cabbage leaf with avocado, cheese and mustard.

Snacks again are the same as above

Dinner:
Ground turkey on a salad of mixed veggies
ground turkey cabbage wrap
chicken with either of the above
chicken and steamed veggies ( zucchini, green and yellow, yam, cabbage, broccoli )
fish with either of the above ( salmon or talapia)


I don/t drink soda or juice
I drink coffee in the am, decaf black tea or chamomile and water.

I'm sure i'm missing stuff but you get the gist.

I forgot to add that i'm exclusively breastfeeding.Which I want to state that there is no issue nursing and exercising. It used to be thought that nursing after a workout could make baby not want the milk because of lactic acid but has been shown in recent years to be untrue. However, I do recommend nursing then exercising so your breast aren't as heavy and its more comfortable.
Also my weight at this point had not changed. I was losing inches but not lbs.

Weeks 4 - current are coming soon!