Body After Baby Update! 10 Months Postpartum

I wanted to do a quick update for those following along with my Body After Baby series. I'm updating per program now, but wanted to talk more generally about the whole losing the baby weight process for me.

What a process it's been!

3 weeks postpartum

It was very strange being back at the beginning of a weight loss journey again. It was much more taxing mentally and physically than I'd anticipated. "Pffft, I've got this. I've been here before. No big deal!" I thought. Ya, not so much. I found myself battling old demons like negative self-talk and emotional eating. What the?! Oh yes, and sleep deprivation messed with me way more this time around!

With fitness, I must confess: I went in circles the first 7 months post-baby. I'd try the same tough/intense workouts I loved pre-baby (tabata, HIIT, plyo, sprints...) only to realize my fitness level wasn't there yet. Then, I'd get frustrated and quit. Around and around like that I went.

My eating was always Paleo, but I did terribly with my portion control. Yes, you can eat too much good Paleo food and thwart your fat loss efforts!

Around and around I went. Up a few pounds, down a few pounds. Completely lacking in consistency.

Finally, I woke up and realized that I needed to do 2 things: 1. take baby steps back with my fitness and 2. focus on consistency.

Searching for more beginner level DVDs I fell in love with Leslie Sansone DVDs. I made myself build my fitness level back slowly. I also made myself suck it up and dig out my lighter weights. It was tough! But it was exactly the right thing to do.

7 months postpartum

It took a while to build myself back to the heavy lifting and intense cardio that I love. But it was worth it! All those stops and starts were definitely never going to get me to my goal.

Once I had a bit of my fitness built back I wanted to feel strong again! I started Ultimate Booty Workouts and focused on being consistent with my workouts and eating. Consistency paid off...

10 months postpartum

So, here I am. Almost 11 months postpartum and I'd hoped to be 'done' by a year postpartum. Ah well, I'll get there...

Fan Favorites

Hype or Help: Jillian Michaels Body Revolution Final Program Review

Disclaimer: I received Jillian Michaels Body Revolution for review purposes. As always opinions are 100% honest and my own. After three long months of testing this program I'm finally down to the review! I've had so many questions, and I hope to answer them all here. So, is it hype or help ? Have a seat, let's talk about that... What you will need for these workouts: A set of light, medium, and heavy hand weights to suit your ability level. What's Included with Jillian Michaels Body Revolution : 15 Workout DVDs Resistance Cable Fitness Guide Book Fat Burning Meal Plan 7 Day Kick-Start Your Metabolism Plan 90 Day Journal Bookmark What's in the box? My unboxing video if you want to see it all: The Body Revolution Diet Plan I've had a lot of questions on what exactly the diet plan for Body Revolution is. Let me break it down... The diet for this program is roughly 1200 calories a day and all of the recipes come from J...

30 Easy Prep and Pack Whole30 Lunch Recipes

The Whole30 Program is amazing. I highly recommend it. Every time I've done a Whole 30 I have felt AMAZING by the end. It's a very empowering experience. It is not however an easy one. Mostly because the food prep can take much more time if you're used to grab and go options. A little planning ahead and you can definitely make it through the 30 days. When it comes to Whole30 lunches, 3 things worked best for me: Quick and easy salads. Prepping food on Sunday. Cooking too much at dinner and eating leftovers for lunch the next day. I thought I'd share 30 of the awesome Whole30 lunch recipes I've found from my favorite bloggers (and a few from me!). I've included all three options I listed above. Some quick and easy salads, some to prep an entire recipe on the weekend and then portion them for lunches that week, and some to be cooked for dinner and the leftovers packed for lunch the next day. Play around and see what works best for you. This list...

Paleo Energy Bar Recipe

I'm always playing around with easy snack recipes for my paleo kiddos. This Paleo Energy Bar Recipe in many incarnations is our go-to! It takes no time at all to whip a batch up and the kids love them. They're not only paleo, but also vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, and dairy-free. Plus, I mean... there's chocolate. ;) Just 4 ingredients! Paleo Energy Bars Ingredients 1 cup Whole Natural Almonds 12 to 14 Organic Medjool Dates , de-pitted 1/2 of a Alter Eco Chocolate Dark Blackout 85% 1/4 cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds Directions Pulse the almonds in food processor until you get small bits, but not paste. Empty into mixing bowl. Do the same with the dark chocolate. Process the dates in the food processor until smooth. They will tend to come together in a ball. Add to nut/chocolate mixture. Add the pumpkin seeds whole. Line a 9 x 9 pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Mix the ingredients in the bowl. I usually just smoosh all of the ...

Paleo Smoky Grilled Pineapple Burgers

Since going Paleo my family has fallen even more in love with our grill. Paleo and grilling just work well together. The past couple of years I've even been stepping outside my grilling comfort zone more and more. Grilling things I'd never thought to have grilled before and trying new flavor combinations. I have to say I'm pretty thrilled with the results of most of my flavor experiments. In the past I'd never have thought to grill fruit, but it's amazing. Grilling fruit and adding it to traditionally savory dishes? Brilliant. Oh yes, and? New rule: every burger recipe for the rest of forever must contain grilled pineapple. OK, maybe more of a guideline. It's a seriously delicious combination though. This Smoky Grilled Pineapple Burger is always a crowd-pleaser at my house. It's not only Paleo, but Whole30, glutenfree, lower carb, and clean eating friendly. I promise you won't miss the bun! paleo, grilled pineapple burger, smoky...

KETO Cocktails: The Lemon Drop

I love a good glass of red wine now and then, I mean it's practically a health food, right? ;) But sometimes I just want a cocktail. I'm all for moderation and having a drink now and then, but I'm just not down with the calorie, carb, and sugar counts of some of my favorites. Seriously, have you ever looked them up? Eek. So, I've set to work at converting my favorite cocktail recipes to be more keto diet friendly! The first cocktail recipe I'm tackling is the keto lemon drop . I used to love these, but haven't had one in years because of the sugar in them. In my early twenties I had a friend who used to make them for me all the time. We would have a shaker full of these, a good dinner, and a chick flick on a weeknight , it was kind of bliss. Her recipe called for so. much. SUGAR though! Looking back I think she may have used a wee bit more sugar than most, but they were really good. I think my keto-ized recipe comes pretty dang close to those delicious...

KETO Hot Cocoa Pancakes

OK, I know I've been on quite the low carb pancake tangent lately, but THESE! Seriously, these are yummtastic. Yummazing? Ya, they're really good. They just might be my favorite recipe I've ever done. Ever. OK, that might be my paleo apple crisp recipe , but that's not low carb...ooo, I wonder if I could tweak that low carb... That would be brilliant! You know, bloggers area always talking seo this and seo that (seo stands for search engine optimization if you're not a blogger) and I'm just over here yammering. I'm pretty sure when google's spider crawlers (anyone shiver at that word picture? eesh) get to FitViews they just think, "Yeesh, move along. Nothing to see here." Ha ha ha! Anyway, pancakes. KETO Hot Cocoa Low Carb Pancakes no less. So good. As I've mentioned before I'm back to low carb (keto actually) and developing new recipes to make it easier to stick with. I find I just plain feel great when I eat keto...

Jillian Michaels BodyShred Full Review

I was sent the Jillian Michaels BODYSHRED program and supplements for review purposes.In this BodyShred review, as always, opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own. I have to say my two months of BodyShred flew by! It seems like I just started yesterday. Ah, time flies while you're having fun. Right? OK, in this full review post, I hope to give you a good overview of exactly what the BodyShred program is as well as my thoughts and opinions on the program. So, is Jillian Michaels BodyShred hype or help? Let's chat... Jillian Michaels BODYSHRED is Jillian's latest total-package fitness program. This set includes: What is included in the BodyShred program? What's in the box: BodyShred Fitness Guide BodyShred Meal Plan BodyShred Rotational Calendar BodyShred "Let Them See You Sweat" Workout Towel DVDs- 8 - Shred Style Circuit Workouts 1. Launch 2. Rise ...

Paleo Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer Recipe

It's just not the holidays for me without a Starbucks peppermint mocha (or white chocolate peppermint mocha, mmm). I generally splurge once or twice during the holiday season with the real thing. Since going keto paleo, however, I'm not sure if I will. Sometimes the sugar just isn't worth it! Problem is I like them, miss them, and would really enjoy them all season long! So..... I decided I wanted to tackle the peppermint mocha and come up with Paleo-friendly version . With this simple recipe, I can have a peppermint mocha anytime. Not only is this recipe Paleo, but it's also Whole30, gluten-free, vegan, primal, and 100% junk-free. Paleo Peppermint Mocha Recipe Ingredients: 1 can Organic Canned Coconut Milk (Regular, NOT light. Seriously, ew.) 1/3 cup Organic Cocoa Powder 2 to 3 Tablespoons Organic Grade B Maple Syrup (Optional, leave out for keto or Whole30.) 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Organic Peppermint Extract (Depending how pepperminty you like...

Jillian Michaels Body Revolution: My Final Results

I decided to separate my final results and final review of Jillian Michaels Body Revolution into two posts. Otherwise it would equal one really really long post. My final review should be up tomorrow. Today, my final results!

Review: Jillian Michaels Killer Buns & Thighs

With her latest offering in the fitness DVD realm- Jillian Michaels: Killer Buns and Thighs - Jillian Michaels delivers again in typical Jillian style . To some, that will be the problem. I hear this less since she left the Biggest Loser, but I still hear it. It seems most people either love her attitude or can't stand it, with few in between. But if you are a Jillian fan like me (or a can tolerate Jillian for a great workout type) this is an intense sweat-fest of a DVD that I highly recommend. From the packaging: Do the saddlebags on your legs make you insane? Do you loathe wearing shorts because of saggy knees or flabby thighs? Have you avoided skinny jeans like the plague? Or do you just want to go from good shape to great shape and rock a bikini with the best of them? Well no matter what point you are starting from, if you want to get your lower body in sick, crazy, amazing shape, Jillian Michaels: Killer Buns & Thighs promise...

This post has been a long time coming. It was inspired by my friend in hopes that it will encourage and inspire others. It took a long time for me to want to post 'before' pics of myself and then it took even more time to find before pics. I was a master hider. Case in point. Hiding behind the kids...then craftily cropped most of me out. I was about 226 here, that shirt was a 3X. Wish I still had it, it'd be a dress. Those are my 2 youngest about 5 years ago. I decided then that they deserved a happier, healthier mommy. OK, hardest pic to find and to post. This is my before. I quote my highest weight as 226, but looking at this pic I wonder if I was heavier. I wasn't weighing. I started walking and doing yoga, and even joined Curves. At this point I went gung-ho low carb...it worked for a while. Then I stalled out about: 204, bad pic, but this is when I joined Sparkpeople. Started counting calories and adding some workout DVDs. me at 200 lbs. Cut my calories even m...

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