I gained 52 pounds during my pregnancy , delivering at 179! At 2 months postpartum I was cleared to begin exercising. I was 158 pounds and super unhappy with my body. At 4 months postpartum, I was 140 pounds and I was happy to have seen a little progress / pounds dropping on the scale. I was still far from my goal though so I kept pushing. I stayed at about 140 with a little more definition until 6 months, dropped down to 132 at 7 months & fit back in my old pants. Now I am almost 9 months postpartum, 127 pounds (pre Kennedy weight) and finally comfortable in my own skin again. I still have some major goals to crush, mainly building mass in my glutes and toning up my tummy, but I feel great with where I’m at mentally and physically! I cannot stress enough how IMPORTANT it is to maintain your health! Your body is a machine, what you feed it is your fuel and the more you condition/work it the better it’ll treat you! It has not been the easiest ride but it has been WORTH IT! There has been endless amounts of sweat and even a few tears but it is all so rewarding! I couldn’t have done it without the motivation, love, patience, support and understanding of my wonderful soon-to-be hubby Matthew!!! He is literally the greatest man God could’ve ever placed in my life and I can’t thank him enough! Ready to keep reaching goals & becoming better and better everyday!!
NAME : Nicole
BEFORE WEIGHT : 179
AFTER WEIGHT : 127
POUNDS LOST : 52
HOW DID YOUR WEIGHT AFFECT ANY ASPECT(S) OF YOUR LIFE? I was very unhappy with my appearance mostly because I knew where I was before the weight gain. I was also unhappy with my eating habits. They left me feeling fatigued, bloated and just all around ‘unhealthy’.
WHAT WAS THE “TURNING POINT” THAT GOT YOU STARTED ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY? As soon as I was cleared to workout after having my daughter I got back into it!
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? I initially began working out in college and started taking it even more seriously when I met my fiancé (who was my personal trainer at the time).
HOW LONG AFTER YOU STARTED DID YOU BEGIN TO SEE RESULTS OF YOUR WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS? I noticed pounds dropping and clothes fitting looser after about 2 months.
WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART? Trying to balance being a mommy to a newborn and finding the time & energy to get in the gym. Also getting in all of my meals, it was easy to skip meals because of exhaustion or getting so caught up in doing things for my newborn. I really wanted to focus on getting my metabolism up and it was hard to do so when I barely ate 3 meals a day.
DID YOU EVER WANT TO GIVE UP? WHAT KEPT YOU GOING? I never wanted to give up. It was tempting to stop work outs sooner than I should’ve on days I was exhausted but I knew i had a set goal and I wanted to reach it for myself, for my fiancé and one day for my daughter. Ultimately I want to be an example to her to live a healthy lifestyle because of how much it benefits you all around.
DID YOU HIT ANY WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAUS? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM? I hit a plateau around 6 months because I was stuck working out in an apartment gym with minimal equipment. I changed up my routine, incorporating in new workouts that I was able to do with what I had and started seeing results again.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO LOSE MOST OF THE WEIGHT? 7 months total.
DID YOU HAVE ANY NON-SCALE VICTORIES? Yes, I wanted to lose I nches in my waist, which I did. Going from a size 8 pants back to a size 2 pants. I also have a goal of adding more mass to my glutes.
WHAT DOES YOUR DAILY DIET LOOK LIKE COMPARED TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? I eat about 5 meals a day, I try and get in a certain amount of proteins, fats and carbs. I also like to drink plenty of water.
HOW DOES YOUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COMPARE TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? I feel so much more energized and anything that requires a lot of physical activity, (swimming, hiking, running, walking long distance) does not bother me.
MY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS & TRICKS
- Make sure you are eating enough!! It’s not just about eating ‘clean’ it’s important to eat ENOUGH!
- I have found it is the easiest thing to constantly compare yourself and your progress to other people. It’s also the worst thing you can do. Sure, it’s easy to look at the fantastic people like Nikki B and the others you look up to and think ‘ugh why can’t I look like her already’? The answer is simple, because you won’t. You are YOU & you have YOUR OWN body. I started seeing the most results once I started working on being better than who I was the day before. It’s easy to get down on yourself, it’s easy to want to give up and that’s because working for what you want is HARD. Set some goals, surround yourself with loving, supportive people and go after what you want!!
- Take rest days, it’s good for muscle recovery (that’s when your muscles grow) and is good mentally to rest and prepare for your next workout.
- Surround yourself with like minded people. It’s easier to keep after your dreams when you’re with people who are also chasing after similar dreams.
- DON’T GIVE UP! Not only will it be worth it to achieve your goals but it’ll leave you feeling INVINCIBLE!
