3 ½ months. It was 3 ½ months ago that I weighed my heaviest ever! Ok, so I was 4 days overdue with my first child. I had only gained a total of 35 pounds over those 10 months of pregnancy. I never skipped a beat with my fitness that entire time. I worked out about daily before I got pregnant and there was no way I was going to stop that after I got pregnant. I wanted to stay healthy and I wanted my baby to have the healthiest start possible!

February 3rd, I went to my prenatal swim class as usual. Just like every Thursday since I moved to the suburbs in September. I was 3 days overdue and really hoping this child of mine would decide to arrive soon. My swim instructor sympathized with me and said “we are going to get this baby out of you tonight!” I laughed that off, because I was beginning to think we were heading all the way to our scheduled induction on Monday. I went through the class, working as hard as I always did. Went home and cooked some turkey chili. My hubby and I ate. I started having what I figured were more Braxton Hicks, because it was just tightening and not too painful. But then around 12am they started really hurting and getting close together. And I thought “oh THIS is what they have been talking about!” It didn’t feel awesome. After calling the on call Dr., we left for the hospital around 2am. This was happening! Finally!

Long story short half of my epidural stopped working, and I started pushing less than 12 hours later. I pushed him out in only 40 minutes. Pretty great for a first time mom. It would have been 30 minutes but my Dr (yes, it so happened by that point my actual dr was on duty!!!), was also delivering another baby simultaneously! The pain was pretty intense but I was determined to get through it. I didn’t scream, cry, or lose focus. I just wanted my son out. The better I pushed, the more I used those ab muscles I knew where somewhere in there still, the sooner I would be done! I was right.

So began the journey to lose that terrible weight. In my mind it was a lot. Too much. According to most people I have encountered, it was great to gain that little. OK, well, who has to lose it??!?! Flash forward to now. I have 7 pounds to go. I am at 131 pounds and I need to get back to 124. I fit into a size 4 pants/dress and with most tops I am back in a small.
I started light exercise around 3 weeks post-partum. My theory was that I worked out the night I went into labor, if anyone was ready to bounce back quickly, it was me! I listened to my body. If something was uncomfortable, I didn’t do it or I stopped. Once my 6 week checkup went well, all bets were off and I went right back to vigorous sweaty soaking workouts. AHHHH how joyous those felt!

I work out 5-7 days a week. It all depends on what is going on. I refuse to let myself fall into that rut where I use my new baby and tiredness as an excuse to not get back to where I want to be. It is so easy for me to think, “ugh he was up 2 times last night and I am tired.” But the more you do that the easier it gets each time to skip a workout.  I nurse him and so it is always on me to get up with him. I just have to remember the sooner I get back to where I was the happier I will be. The happier I am the better parent I am! Don’t get me wrong, I am happy overall. But there is that voice inside my head that still notices that those old jeans don’t fit just yet!

So I thought I would begin to document my new journey. Remaining fit while being a new mom! I have been doing it for 3 ½ months on my own. Sharing my small victories on face book. Why not expand my story else where?  I hope to inspire other new and not new moms out there. It can be done. You can squeeze fitness in if you’re determined to not give up! I plan to share my journey, my workouts, dvds/programs I find that I love, articles/tips I find, and perhaps even some healthy recipes I find and love!  And even just every day mom stuff. Not to mention my adorable son. Yes, I am a bit biased.

Here’s to taking care of the most important person in the family! Yourself, because without YOU things wouldn’t run how they should. Everyone would be lost. Don’t ever forget about how important Momma is!

The preggo photo is the day after my due date. Two days before I went into labor! The baby photo is my son and me before our first swim lesson two weeks ago!