Growing a human is hard. Losing the weight afterwards, even harder! Everyone always says how breastfeeding burns a ton of calories so I always thought the weight would just fall off in a couple of weeks. That is definitely not the case. I've gone up about 4 sizes in jeans and my stomach is probably the same size as it was when I was pregnant! Finding time to exercise has been a major challenge, but so has my desire to actually get up and get moving.
I came up with a list of some motivational tips to help loose that baby weight and hopefully they can help get you motivated to start exercising and to keep it going, as well as myself lol.
Music: I love cardio and nothing makes me want to push myself more that a great playlist! I'm one of those people that can't exercise without music or TV, I find it helps distract me from thinking about the fact that I'm actually working out, and it makes the time go by quicker! Studies have shown that listening to music while working out improves endurance and intensifies a workout. Songs with higher BPM (beats per minute) are best for cardio and it's recommended to choose songs at 120-140bpm.
Here are some great cardio songs to add to your playlist:
"Work Bitch" by Britney Spears (127 bpm)
"Hey Ya" by OutKast (158 bpm)
"Single Ladies" by Beyonce (apparently only 97 bpm, but a great workout song!)
"Pump It" Black Eyed Peas (153 bpm)
"Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake (119 bpm)
"Dancin' With Myself" by Billy Idol (176 bpm)
"FireWork" by Katy Perry (145 bpm)
"Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson (160 bpm)
Pretty Active Wear: I find something very motivating about nice and bright active wear. Wearing nice workout clothes definitely makes me want to get outside and go running! This bright geometric pattern set from UK Lingerie is absolutely perfect for running. I love the beautiful colours and mesh details which also help make it breathable and keep you cool! The leggings are super comfortable but nice and tight, feeling like they're holding everything in place and form fitting! I love the open back of the top with the same mesh detail. This pretty workout outfit will definitely have you movin'! The tank top is available
here and leggings
here
Involve the family: Having someone to get out and move with makes a big difference for me. I really love getting out and going for walks/jogs with my little family. It also helps having someone to help motivate you to get up and get going.
Track your progress: Writing down in my day planner after I've done something really helps to keep my wanting to continue with it. Also, having before/after photos to remind me of why I want to do it and the changes in my body, really makes a big difference for me to want to keep going.
Dance it off: I am a terrible dancer and I NEVER dance in public. But, I absolutely loooooove dancing and even more so, playing dancing games on the Wii. Just Dance is the freaking best! It's so much fun and you seriously work up a sweat. Even just the Wii games are so much fun too and help you burn some calories. The hoola hoop one and tennis definitely gets me sweating!
Incorporate exercise into your every day life: When I had gestational diabetes, it was a huge challenge to keep my sugars in check a lot of the time. One very weird thing that really worked at keeping them low was cleaning! I could eat the exact same meal and my sugars would spike. If I swept and mopped and picked up Carters toys, my sugars would be nice and low! Another thing I started doing that I found works really well is doing what I like to call "steps" lol! Basically just quick paced walking around the house while moving your hips back and forth kind of like a dance. Lol I got the idea from an episode of Modern Family where Gloria is trying to reach a crazy amount of steps in a day. Side note, if you haven't seen this episode, you really should check it out. It's hilarious!
Find An Activity You Love: I really LOVE tennis and golf. I pretty much like playing all sports (which is weird because I hate playing on a team or in front of a lot of people, I get too embarrassed) but these two are my absolute favourites. Tennis is a great way to burn lots of calories and it's lots of fun! I also love going to the driving range. Hitting some balls is so much fun and also a great stress reliever!
At the end of the day, do what makes you happy. Somedays I don't really care about my weight but other days it really bothers me. I have been having some health issues lately too and I'm worried I may still have diabetes so I know how important it is to start exercising more and eating better.
I would love to hear what helps motivate you and any health tips you have wether it's working out or food tips. Please share in the comments below :)
