Post-pregnancy and back from maternity leave, Laura from Fitness Superstore HQ shares part two of her pregnancy diaries – detailing how fitness and nutrition helped to get her pre-baby body back. If you haven’t read Laura’s previous blog, all about her pregnancy diet and training, click over to get caught up... So, having always been conscious of – but not obsessed with – my health and fitness, I was a pretty fit pregnant person. A woman with a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) between 18.5 and 24.9 should expect to put on between 25-35 pounds during pregnancy, and I was no exception. At 5’4”, 8st 9lbs (121lbs) and with a healthy BMI of 20.8, I put on 28lbs, weighing 10st 9lbs by the end of my pregnancy. I have to stress – as body-conscious as I am – I didn’t obsess over my weight and changing body during my pregnancy, and I’d urge every woman to be the same. I didn’t even weigh myself – I left that to my midwife and was just happy to hear I was gaining as I should. As I said in my last blog, I do recommend keeping fit and healthy throughout the nine months – but it’s so important to acknowledge the MASSIVE job your body is performing, and embrace the changes. I actually really liked to see my growing bump. I wasn’t concerned about afterwards. In my mind, if other women could get back in shape post-baby, so could I. And would I really care as much about my taut abs once I had my beautiful baby in my arms? OK, so yeah – I did care a bit! Don’t get me wrong. When our gorgeous girl arrived safe and sound following a very smooth labour (which I credit to my continued exercise and good diet), I was totally immersed in her. Who cares that four weeks after her birth I was wearing maternity trousers, leggings which were unflatteringly baggy at the knees because I’d bought budget pairs from Primark, and that I still looked like I was “a bit pregnant”? BUT, me being me, thoughts of getting back in shape didn’t take too long to start creeping in. I still wasn’t overly bothered – being a healthy eater anyway, the diet side was already pretty much being taken care of. But I was starting to crave a bit of exercise, and I knew it would help to get me back to my pre-pregnancy figure, as well as keep the potential baby blues at bay. Because I’d had a smooth natural labour, I was able to move about freely with no pain pretty much instantly, but I knew I shouldn’t do anything too strenuous for about six weeks after the birth. Seeing my postpartum body A month after Claudia was born, my husband filmed a short video while we all opened presents at my parents’ house. Watching that back in mid-January, I can’t lie – it did bother me a little. I knew I didn’t look bad at all, but I could see that my figure was not what it had been pre-baby. And it shocked me a bit. My arms weren’t as toned as they used to be, my upper thighs looked so much bigger and I could see the baby weight in my face. Once that big, hard tummy is gone (or rather somewhat deflated and softer from when you were forty weeks pregnant), you can see exactly how the rest of your body has changed, and what you’re left with. My advice to new mums at this stage would be to make sure you have several good postpartum outfits in your wardrobe. Leggings with floaty tops, maxi dresses, that type of thing. But don’t worry – things do start to change quite quickly really. The water retention (that was the main culprit for my seemingly big thighs I think) and weight does start to melt away naturally, but just be prepared that it isn’t instant and you will have to do some work if you want to see a return of the physique you had before. And yes, this can be hard when you have a new-born baby to look after, but there are ways to do it! Firstly, don’t try too much too soon I made a mistake. Six weeks after giving birth, I knew that was my cue to start exercising again. But rather than follow the advice of getting back into things slowly, I decided to go for a run – a 3km one! Big mistake. Obviously, I didn’t do it at the speed I’d have managed a year earlier, but I didn’t stop, or even walk. I slow-jogged the whole way. Afterwards, I felt great initially. Yes, I’d done it! Having a baby hadn’t eradicated my fitness level too drastically. I was still strong! – I wasn’t the next day. I woke up with a twinge in my leg, and it increasingly worsened as the day went on. For several weeks after that, I was walking with a limp, which made it hard to get up and down the stairs. Not great when you have a baby in your arms! So my advice is – take it easy. Do not push your body too far too soon. How I lost the baby weight [caption id="attachment_1887" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Pregnant, Post-Pregnancy, Back to Pre-Baby Body[/caption] Clean eating – with plenty of fruit and vegetables My diet didn’t actually change all that much from my pregnancy diet, detailed in my previous post. I still ensured I ate plenty of fruit and vegetables (five portions a day at least), kept refined carbs to a minimum (these are digested super-fast and cause spikes in blood sugar levels, so basically most things boxed or bagged are refined – white bread, sugar, pretzels, non-wholemeal pastas and rice) and kept treats to a minimum. I’d love to say I breastfed but I was unfortunately only able to do this for a few weeks, off and on. I persevered and persevered but it proved to be not for Claudia or myself. However, if you can breastfeed, that’s another great way to lose some baby weight. As I wasn’t breastfeeding, I did have the odd glass of wine, but as I didn’t really have many other treat foods, I think that’s allowed! I also ensured I drank plain water during the day. No sugary squash or fizzy drinks. Having a new-born baby keeps you busy, so it can be hard, firstly, to remember to eat and to stick to healthy choices. A good idea is to prepare healthy meals you can freeze in the run up to your due date. That way, you can have nutritious meals in the busy period after birth without the hassle of prepping. I didn’t actually think that far ahead, but we made sure our meals were relatively fuss-free – stir fries, healthy salads, grilled fish, boiled wholegrain rice. Basically, meals that don’t take long! My advice is not to limit your portions, or calorie-count. As long as you’re eating healthy, nutritious foods, you can’t go far wrong. Sweet tooth? I love natural Greek yogurt with frozen raspberries or fresh fruit with a drizzle of nut butter, or a handful of granola if you want a bit of crunch. And it’s important to eat those healthy fats too – avocado is one of my favourite foods, and I use coconut oil all the time! Walking Don’t underestimate the power of walking. And, when you have a baby to look after, it’s incredibly convenient. You can fit it into your lifestyle very easily, it’s a great way to get a baby off for a nap if that’s proving to be a difficulty, and it gets you out and about, which is great for your mental state of mind too. As you get stronger, you can go faster, increase the length of walks, and find routes with a bit of an incline to get those leg and glute muscles working. I took Claudia for walks pretty much daily while I was on maternity leave, and I absolutely loved it. It’s something you can start as soon as you feel comfortable and it eases your body back into shape naturally. Buggy runs I didn’t actually get into this until a friend mentioned it about five months into my maternity leave. I strongly recommend it though. For me, it came at the right time, as by then I was getting back to my pre-pregnancy fitness level, and the instructor was amazing. No softly-softly approach – she made us work! It was great though, as she made sure she pushed us all individually. It was quite a small class, so she could give us one-on-one attention. It wasn’t just running you see – it was push ups, lunges, burpees and all sorts. Give it a go – it doesn’t matter what your fitness level is. Plus, it’s a great way to socialise and make new friends. For you, and your baby! The Bowflex Max Trainer Working at Fitness Superstore, I have access to their great range of fitness equipment. Before I went on maternity leave, we launched the new Bowflex Max Trainer. I desperately wanted to get on and use it but, being pregnant, I couldn’t as it focuses on high intensity intervals, aimed to push you to your max. Post-baby, I couldn’t get enough of it. I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase one as I decided to quit the gym and exercise at home. No monthly gym payments justified my spend, and both my husband and I get fantastic use out of it. I LOVE this machine. With no impact, it’s great for avoiding training injuries and its revolutionary 14-minute Max Interval Workout works you really hard. Just fourteen minutes long, it’s so convenient for me now I’m a busy mum. Since returning to work, I use it on my lunch breaks (I do the 14-minute workout twice) and then do a good range of strength training exercises at home in the evenings with dumbbells, barbells and weights. [caption id="attachment_1886" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Burning that Baby Weight on the Bowflex Max Trainer[/caption] Resistance training Although I had returned to my pre-baby weight by the end of June 2016 (seven months post-birth), I wouldn’t say my body looked exactly as it had. I was fortunate to not really get stretch marks (I used Bio Oil religiously during and after pregnancy) but my tummy definitely wasn’t as taut as it used to be. I didn’t stress though. Having started resistance training again about 6 weeks after giving birth, I had slowly increased what I was doing to get back to the level I was at before having Claudia. See my previous post for my routine. It’s taken time and perseverance but I would say that by the time we celebrated Claudia’s first birthday just a couple of months ago, my body was back to looking as it did before. Yes it took hard work, yes it meant choosing to work out rather than enjoy a relaxing long bath or a boxset binge, but it was work I feel was worth it and paid off. I feel better than ever, and proud of what I’ve achieved. I can still see that my tummy has changed a little – it still isn’t as firm as it was, but I don’t care. It’s a reflection of the amazing journey my body’s been on, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Parting advice – focus on your diet initially, fuelling your body with nutritious food that makes you feel satisfied (no one should ever feel deprived, or go hungry in order to get in shape) and then bring in exercise that works for you. Share your experiences What helped you get back in shape after pregnancy? What was your own journey like? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch via Twitter or Facebook!