Pregnacy + Fitness

Before getting pregnant I started a workout journey where I lost 30 pounds! On the right side, I was 183 lbs. On the left side, I was nearing 155 lbs.

My weight-loss journey was kickstarted when I looked at photos of myself in my phone and I could visibly see the weight gain over time. I remember looking in the mirror and saying to myself, "I'm really not happy with how I look. This has got to change, Simone'." I felt feelings of sadness and insecurity that I refused to sit with any longer.

In my efforts to get things to change, I began thinking about what could help me get started. I figured I could eat healthier, drink A LOT more water, and find more time to get active. My husband was even in on it! He supported me by helping me transition into eating more vegan foods, keeping me accountable daily to do HIIT (high intensity) workouts, and even helping me find an online trainer (Sydney Cummings on YouTube - she is AMAZING!) Oh - and did I mention he did all the workouts with me in the first month when I started. Talk about support. 😍

Now, fast forward - right after I lost all of that weight, I became pregnant. lol. (I ain't complaining). Here is a photo right after I found out we were having a baby. I was so happy to be pregnant, but also curious as to how this would impact my body.

Here I am thinking, "I'm going to be one of those workout-all-the-time-pregnant moms." And... I actually was! I kept up the workouts just about all 9 months of pregnancy (toning it down on the high intensity and incorporating more walking and yoga as my due date got closer). Here is a video of me at 3 months trying my best to keep it pushing!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/50baef_d512c87a1aba43758cfdfb1fb1d2a05b/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Here is 1 last video of me at 8 month still pushing until delivery day!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/50baef_7e332448dc2649a490f0deb1a4fb69fd/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Then, finally on March 22nd, 2021, I delivered baby Chase by c-section, which meant I needed to chill. No more workouts for at least 6 weeks (that was the last thing I was thinking about anyway.) But, man oh man, did I look at my body after delivery and think, "How the heck am I going to get this back into shape?!"

I wasn't downing myself or beating myself up.. I knew I was a new mom and all moms experience body changes that are natural. I embraced my changes for-sure and I put NO rush on to working out. At the 6 week mark I was cleared to begin working out and I still waited. I just didn't want to create this idea that I had to jump right back into shape.

But, I guess finally at week 8 I said enough is enough. lol. I personally just enjoy fitness and working out, so that was the beginning of my fitness journey again. I'm not going to lie... It's HARD. My legs and abs muscles are weaker and haven't been used in so long that I have all kinds of soreness when I workout. I've started running to increase my cardio (20 minutes) and I'm back to my YouTube workouts for strength and conditioning exercise (30 minutes). As of now, I'm doing alright. Some days I'm ready to pass out. Some days I'm extremely tired. Some days I kill it! But hopefully in a few weeks from now I'll look up and see the payoff from taking the time out of my day to better my health and wellness!

Here are the most recent photos I took last week when I worked out. I'll check back in with you guys soon to let you know how the journey goes! Wish me luck! 😊