Boxing out the Bulge

Everyone knows toughest part about having a baby is getting rid of the baby weight. The more babies you have had, the tougher it is they say. Some people are blessed to bounce back, others have to work double time.  I was so afraid of having a hard time losing weight after my second baby that I was really careful with my food intake and exercise.

It’s been 3 months since I had my daughter and although my weight has gone back to what it was before getting pregnant with my daughter, I don’t look like it or feel like it. Bulges refuse to budge, things hang from places they aren’t supposed to and the general shape of the body is different from before having kids. Its going to take a lot of work.

I’m finding that my old tricks don’t work anymore. I’m beyond the age where not eating for a week could slim me down. I can’t afford to be moody with kids, plus not eating increases fatigue, thereby decreasing breast milk production. I downloaded the Live Strong calorie counter into my ipod and was trying to be truthful with it, but ended up lying to my ipod about my calorie intake. If you have good self control, I recommend this app or any app that counts calories to help you stay on track. Giving up on my app, I tried NUIU Life Cuisine for a calorie controlled diet- after clearing the calorie intake that I needed with my doctor of course. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they supplied CARBS in the meals! They included healthy carbs such as brown rice and whole-wheat toast. I remember sending a message to NUIU to ask them if they had mistaken my order for one that was a higher calorie count, as I enjoyed my meals so much.  I was afraid that the restricted intake would impair my breast milk production but it did not affect the supply at all.

 

 

As soon as I was (again) cleared by my doctor, I resumed exercising. Breastfeeding increases breast size by leaps and bounds for many women, and a good sports bra is needed to hold everything together, while not being too uncomfortably tight, especially when your breasts fill up with milk again. After trying several uncomfortable bras,  the brand Moving Comfort was recommended. I found that they carry this at Runnr in High Street, but in limited sizes. I had to take to Amazon to find my proper size. I found the Juno style bra suited my needs best as it was for high impact sports such as running (which I plan to get back to soon). It comes with adjustments for the back as well as velcro adjustments for the front to accommodate your breasts better.

 

Before I had my babies, I used to run. I would smugly smile as I sped past the people walking, thinking how bored I’d be walking for so long. My sister told me she had joined some elderly folk in the village walking club and found that it helped her a lot, and time passed quickly. I’ve been trying to walk an hour a day and its not as easy as it sounds! Having said that, I come back from the walk feeling energized for the rest of the day. My new Moving Comfort Juno bra was also so comfortable, I was finally able to break into a slow jog today.

I saw a good friend of mine slim down and increase her physical stamina by doing Red Cord classes at B+B Infinity at the Fort. I tried out the class and despite the initial confusion with the cords, the class gives your muscles a good burn, while not being too hard on your recovering body. I also went back to doing Core Kenisis, a class that focuses on total moves for the body-meaning that each push or pull of the arms is accompanied by a lunge or squat for the legs. It saves a lot of time compared to traditional workouts that isolate body parts. A work out can go from 35-45 minutes. Its perfect for me because I can go in between pumping or feeding.

 

If breastfeeding is paramount to you, its important to adjust physical activity and food intake accordingly. Remember that after giving birth, our bodies main objective is to nourish our babies. Exercise and diet in moderation, remember not to let baby’s supply of breastmilk suffer.

 

NUIU Life Cuisine: www.nuiu.ph

Core Kenisis: 0915.285.76.16

B+B Infinity: 02 4786691