At 2 months after delivery, I started with 3 minutes jogging round my house. Yes, 3 minutes, because that was the much my strength could carry without much pains
~Joyce
At Maternity Nest, we are always on the look out for mothers who have successfully bounced back and are fit after having their babies.
We know it’s such a struggle to combine our fitfam goals with our busy mommy/wifey/work schedules; therefore we try to get all the details on how they are able to achieve this, so as to encourage other moms and moms-to-be who may be in need of inspiration/motivation to stay fit after pregnancy.
We caught up with Joyce: a mom of three with an amazing post-baby body. We love her sense of humour too! Hopefully, you will be as inspired as we are. Enjoy!
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am a Geoscientist by profession; but have done way too many other interesting vocations outside my field of specialization (event management, soap making, freelance writing and programming). Yes, I have done all that and still doing some of them. You may call me a jack of all trades; but I call it having multiple streams of income. I am a mother of three lovely, high energy kids of ages 8, 6 and 2 years. I enjoy reading, practicing lots of DIY in body (skin and hair) treatments, cooking and cleaning products. I love watching tennis, and I also play tennis once in a while.
Yep, multiple streams of income is the way to go! So,we like to ask all moms what they think about the societal pressure on women to lose weight after pregnancy (a.k.a body shaming). What’s your opinion?
It is important to lose weight after pregnancy because of the health benefits and the ‘feel-good’ factor. I don’t see it as a societal pressure because the weight added during pregnancy was as a result of your body serving as an incubator for your little one. Once the baby is born, you don’t need those excess water and fat in the system anymore. Loosing weight after pregnancy is a priority to me because there are some of my treasured clothes that I would not like to stop wearing just because I had a baby; so I work hard to get back my body to fit into my favorite clothes. If not, I have to change my wardrobe entirely which most women may not be able to afford at the time.
What was your weight at the end of your last pregnancy? And how much weight have you lost so far?
My last weight after having my baby in September 2013 was 89 kg, and my current weight is 67 kg. I didn’t achieve this in a day. There has been lots of fluctuations down the road.
When after childbirth did you start your fitness journey?
My last baby was born through a caesarean section, so I didn’t start quite early. By 6 weeks, I started with plank position for my abs and to get the incised area back to life. It was painful; but I just had to start.
Now this is the juicy part! You have to tell us exactly what your weight loss regimen is. Any slimming teas? Give us the full low-down.
At 2 months after delivery, I started with 3 minutes jogging round my house. Yes, 3 minutes, because that was the much my strength could carry without much pains. I continued this daily and sometimes, every other day. I later gathered the energy to run for 5 minutes, then 10 minutes or 1 kilometer non-stop or until I got tired on the treadmill or round my house. I never took any slimming tea; but I ate lots of vegetables and fruits. Sincerely, I ate normally, but little or just enough at any meal time. I needed to eat well because I was breast feeding so I ate mostly local and homemade food.
My running routine was what I followed diligently. I still run 1 kilometer a day, 3 days a week even though I don’t always keep to this plan depending on how busy my week is.
OK, so what/who has been your greatest motivation?
I have been self-motivated from day one and my greatest motivator is my weighing scale tucked right under my bed… lol
Can you give us a breakdown of your daily meal plan? Like how many times in a day do you eat, and what do you eat at those times?
Hmmm, I don’t have any meal plan per se; but I make sure the size of my food at any time is not too big. I eat 3 times a day but not so late at night, my snacks are mostly nuts and crunchy fruits like apples, hard but ripe pawpaw, garden eggs and banana. I don’t like eating snacks like meat-pie, egg rolls, gala and the rest because they make me feel very clumsy, I don’t even know why..lol
How long do you intend to do this for?
This is already my lifestyle so I will continue with it because I see great results.
What are the main challenges you face, and how do you overcome them?
Of course, I indulge in sweet foods sometimes. I get lazy with my running schedule too but when I notice some tightness in my everyday clothes, I step up my game too. For example, I added about 7 kg during the holidays. So you see, this is what one needs to make part of her life to keep fit.
How are you able to combine your fitness regimen with your daily work/ mommy/ wifey schedule? How do you make it work? This is the biggest challenge for most mothers.
My day starts by 5:00am, when I wake up to get everyone ready for the day. So I set my alarm for 4:45am and use the 15 minutes for my “me time” before my day starts properly and before the little kids come calling. I usually use the 15 minutes for my abs workout or for running (for days I have to run) or meditate alone.
For you, what’s the best thing about losing weight?
There is no down-side of loosing weight at all. I feel very much healthier, swifter and more flexible when engaging in physical activities or sports. Running has also helped me develop more stamina and energy to work through the day without easily breaking down.
I don’t know if loosing weight has added to my mental alertness; but I have an overall control of my body and mind. I feel younger too! lol
You are young! Finally, what is your advice to other moms who are struggling with postpartum weight loss and are in need of motivation?
Workout an exercise plan around the little time you have for yourself, because I know mothers work round the clock. Have a goal and write it down so you can always remember. For instance, I told myself to be running a minimum of 3 times a week no matter how short the distance is. It was hard for me to keep to this initially but when I kept trying, it just became part of me. Don’t say you will loose 20 kg in 2 weeks, you know that will not work (it might, for some people). Break down your goals and go gradually.
Watch what you eat. You can eat the things you like, but moderation is key to achieving success with weight loss when it comes to eating. Keep up with any routine you have started and continue. Please keep your scale away for sometime so you don’t get discouraged…winks.
Thanks for sharing these tips. It was fun chatting with you.
It’s a great pleasure. Keep up the good work!
Have you been able to lose that excess baby weight? How did you do it? Interested in motivating other women by sharing your tips and regimen? Contact us at features@maternitynest.com with the subject “my post-baby body”.
Do you need support and motivation to lose weight and stay fit? Join other moms in the Postpartum weight loss challenge forum. Let’s struggle together! See you there!
