A few months ago, I started this blog post series to document my progress in what has become my most challenging physical endeavor yet. I took months away from my traditional weight training routine and am now back at it. I’m about about 5 weeks back into my program and wanted to share an update.
My first update post is in this post!
MY PROGRESS ROOTS
Growing up, I was tall and lanky; I never struggled with losing a significant amount of weight. However, that certainly didn’t mean I was immune to body image issues or a desire to improve my physical self.
As a teenager, I wanted so badly to put on muscle and achieve #CurvesMadeOfMuscle I dreamed of a fit body that screamed physical strength. I quickly found how difficult it is for me to put on muscle. I have to work really hard in the gym and eat “enough without the excess” to build muscle.
I also found there is such a difference between being “thin” and being “lean.” Thin is a term many use to describe someone who is physically small. Lean refers to having low body fat, which allows for muscle definition and lends itself toward that fit appearance. The later is what I have always been after. I worked to change my body composition from thin with higher body fat to someone who has muscle mass and low body fat.
I HIT MY GOALS THEN GOT PREGNANT
Long story short, I eventually hit all of the physical goals I described above and then found ways to maintain it, which is what I constantly share on here. Then… I got pregnant. It may be strange for a health and fitness enthusiast to embrace her growing body so much, but I totally did. I absolutely loved being pregnant and my baby bump, which many of you know if you followed me through that part of my life.
On June 21, 2017, I gave birth to my sweet baby, Leo! And that marked day 1 of my post-natal journey. I was SO excited to be a beginner in fitness. Everything felt brand new! Weight I could normally lift was near impossible. The distance I could usually run was far from reach. Yet, it wasn’t at all discouraging. I’m just a few weeks back in and I still enjoy all these beginner feelings.
It took about 10 or 12 days (I have the exact day but I’ll have to go fetch that pic in my photos) for me to lose all the baby weight. I guess that kind of surprised me although I was still pretty healthy during my pregnancy with nutrition and working out almost daily. Yet, it showed me how little weight really matters. It’s all about body composition.
In less than 2 weeks, I was at my pre-baby weight, but I looked SO different! I could barely see any muscle at all. Hello, square 1.
AUGUST -> SEPTEMBER PROGRESS
Progress Summary: overall, I would say I’ve made the most progress this past month. When I last gave an update, I just began working out but it was no where near the intensity level I could usually give and it was very post-natal focused. Then, I was getting back to weight training workouts but I was having a difficult time getting to the gym. Now, I’m back into my usual training, can give my typical intensity and have found a groove with making a daily workout work in my schedule. I’ve been in that phase for just about 4 weeks and it feels great!
What I’m Most Proud Of: two things pop into my head 1) dedication – I am at a place where I genuinely enjoy going to the gym and because of that, I’ve been dedicated to going almost every day. 2) training intensity – it’s pretty defeating to be back squatting just the bar when you’re used to way more and when you’re winded 3 burpees into a workout, but my endurance is really improving.
Where I Feel Stuck: abs! Haha! I know my body will naturally need time to “progress” here but I also know that my abdomen is where I hold my fat and that has to do a lot with my nutrition. I’m eating nutritiously but I do know I have room to improve here. I’m not “worried” about this goal because I know I will progress here with consistency but it’s definitely where I feel stuck.
Fall Challenge Goals: you know I love setting goals but I also know how important it is to set goals in many areas of our lives, so I’ll share 3 here.
1. Fitness – glute training 4x per week (in addition to the fall challenge). I will be following the Glute Guide to a tee. You may be thinking, “yeah me too” but as the one who writes the programs, I normally can’t stick with them because I’ve already spent so much time writing them, testing them, etc.. This time, I actually plan on going through it cover to cover.
2. Nutrition – meal planning + prepping – this is my least favorite part of healthy eating but I know it makes the biggest difference for me.
3. Personal – meditate every day. I feel like I have a lot going on right now (don’t we all!) and I find myself overwhelmed a little too often. At the end of every workout or in the late afternoon, I want to add in a 5-10 minute meditation
Thank you so much for keeping up with my progress as I work toward that fit and lean body. I took a few pictures and want to share to continue holding myself accountable. These will serve as my “before” images for the Fall Challenge + Glute Guide.
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