Getting Back to Working Out

Seven weeks ago I said I would post about the state of my six-week postpartum body.

Oops.

Six weeks came and went. No post, no pictures. I wasn't kidding when I said it wasn't a high priority, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't matter to me. I thought I'd lose more weight naturally in that month, but it turns out I didn't. The scale said the same thing at six that it did at two. Guff! That month was filled with Christmas and lots of treats, but still. When I looked in the mirror and through my wardrobe my heart sank a little. I'm not in any of my old jeans; nothing but my sweats fit properly.

Periodically Ray has gently asked me how I'm feeling. Not physically, but emotionally- he's tentatively trying to ask if I feel depressed or not. Since I'm naturally more of a 'glass is half empty' type, the fear of postpartum depression was real for him. Every time I confidently say I feel great. Yes tired, yes maybe a little cranky, but no depression in sight. Life is great, but I admit that any sadness that I have does relate to my thighs and abs and their present state of jello. Maybe I had high expectations but I hoped to be much closer to my 'normal' by now. Because honestly, my goal is less about what the scale says and more about fitting into my old clothes.

At 6 weeks postpartum I was given the go ahead to work out again. This is great, but finding the time to do seemed like an even bigger hurdle than the workout itself. Unless I wait for naptime I don't have more than 20 minutes together to keep Lyla happy and occupied. If I want to shower, or eat, I have to factor in that time gone too. Housework must be done too but many things can be postponed since I make exercise more of a priority.

It's been 3 weeks now and while I'm not melting away, my body is looking and feeling a little tighter. I've decided not to weight myself for a while, but to keep with my new routine as much as possible. Here's what is working for me so far:

• 20 minutes of exercise first thing in the morning. I feed Lyla when we wake up, then change into my workout clothes and set her up on her play mat in the living room. I recorded a bunch of workouts on FitTV while I was pregnant that are 30 minutes long with commercials, and I'm also borrowing a new set from The Firm that my Mom got for Christmas. It has 12 workouts that are 20 minutes long which is perfect for me. Just as I'm finishing Lyla loses interest in playing and wants to be picked up. I'm not missing out on any time with her since she'd be on her play mat anyway, and I'm starting to entertain her; she spends more and more time watching me jump around. Always doing this 20 minutes first thing means that no matter what the day brings, I've gotten that much exercise in.
• At the end of this morning workout, I pick Lyla up and lay her on my chest while I do some crunches. This gives me some extra ab work and gets in more tummy time for her.
• Depending on the morning, I can sometimes fit in a second 20 minutes while she is awake and happy to sit in her bouncy seat or the play mat again. If not, I can do it during Lyla's midday nap between 12:00 and 3:00pm. On a really good day I can do a third but right now 40 minutes is pretty good.
• Now that it's January and the holidays are over, I'm trying to be more cognisant of what I'm eating and how much. Nursing does make me more hungry sometimes but I'm not always reaching for the healthiest snacks. I know that I eat more in the evenings because I'm tired and it feels good. I'm striving to rein in my cravings without feeling deprived. Some days are better than others.

With three weeks until Lyla hits the magical twelve, my hope is to be back in at least one pair of pre-pregnancy pants.