Want to know how I got a flat tummy in 30 days? Me too! I would love to know when the results shown in the photo below never happened to me in 30 days. Over the weekend I received an email from a fellow blogger, thank you Sia, notifying me that another blogger was using one of my before and after photos to promote a 30 Day Ab Challenge for a flat tummy. The image was quickly gaining traction on Pinterest. This made my jaw drop. I felt like I had finally made it as a "blogger". My work was stolen and used without my consent. And just so we are all clear on my work here, I mean selfies taken on my iPhone in the bathroom mirror. I know it is probably lame that I got excited about this, but what is it that they say about flattery? ;) Anyway, as flattered as I am that someone used my photo to promote their fitness challenge, I wish that my image had not been used in this way. THIS FIRM FLAT TUMMY IS NOT FROM A 30 DAY AB CHALLENGE I highly dislike the idea of people … [Read more...]
Body After Baby: 9 Months Postpartum
I don't use extreme measures, deprive myself, or sacrifice my sleep in order to obtain results. I was active during both of my pregnancies and I fully believe that staying active has helped my body recover. I have found that being patient, consistent, and determined are the greatest ways to regain strength and stability in my body. I am a mama to two, and a wife to a firefighter. I don't have a chef, housekeeper, or nanny. I am real person and I am inviting you to come on my postpartum journey with me. If you are recovering from childbirth please listen to your own body and know that each woman's pregnancy, labor, and delivery is unique. To read Maisie's birth story click HERE. You may also be interested in reading my 1 Month Postpartum Update and 4 Month Postpartum Update. PRE-PREGNANCY STATS Waist 27″ | Hips 37″ | Weight 130 lb. 39 WEEK PREGNANCY STATS Waist 38″ | Hips 39″ | Weight 154 lb. 9 MONTH POST BABY STATS Waist 31″ | Hips 37″ | Weight 133 lb. This is me right … [Read more...]
Postpartum Depression & Anxiety: Part 2
Thank you for coming back to read the second part of my postpartum depression and anxiety story. If you missed my first post, you can read about my panic attacks and struggle with postpartum anxiety and depression before continuing. Finally admitting to myself that something was not right was the first step in the process to reclaim my thoughts. I knew that I didn’t need to feel ashamed of what was happening to me but at the same time making the phone call to the doctor to schedule an appointment was so hard. So hard. I first tried getting an appointment with my OB but that was a complete failure. I called, talked to the receptionist about needing to see the doctor for postpartum depression, called back and left a message, and was finally told that I couldn’t get in for an appointment for at least several weeks. I honestly felt like I was being tested and wondered just how many times I would need to say what was going on in order to get an appointment. I hung up the phone in … [Read more...]
Postpartum Depression & Anxiety
Hi readers. It has been awhile for numerous reasons but the main one being I didn’t really know what to share or even how to share it. The past several months have been challenging. I had to go back and reread my last postpartum update, which was 5 months ago, because I had forgotten exactly what I had shared. My hope when I created this little space for myself was to be authentic and real. Can I just tell you for a moment how hard that can be sometimes. When I began blogging it was super easy to write and share because I didn’t think anyone I actually knew in real life was going to read it. I am not saying this to say I am a different person than I portray on the internet. Trust me. I am exactly the same. But thinking that people I actually know might visit my blog has at times left me feeling apprehensive to post. It is so easy to get caught up in yourself and the day to day tasks in life. Sometimes it can all seem never-ending. The piles of clothes waiting to be cleaned or put … [Read more...]
Pumping, Dumping, Freezing Breast Milk, & Bottle Feeding
Disclosure: The Workout Mama is a Joovy Moms ambassador and as such is provided with product for reviews. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. Over the last 2 months I have been going to weekly doctor appointments to see my vein specialist for endovenous laser treatment and sclerotherapy. For this reason I have been pumping, dumping, freezing my breast milk, and bottle feeding my baby for 24 hours at a time. When I became pregnant with Maisie I wore my compression socks everyday but by the end of my pregnancy my legs were bruised, discolored, and painful. We now had a healthy baby but my legs were a mess and I needed more treatments. I went in for an ultrasound several weeks after Maisie was born to get the treatment approved by insurance and the morning pumping sessions began. Maisie hadn’t been waking up for an early morning feeding for several weeks when I started pumping. Every morning for the past 3 months I have set my alarm to ring at 5am. Pumping is a … [Read more...]
Body After Baby: 4 Months Postpartum
Wow, I have so much to share. I am anxious and slightly nervous to write how I have been recovering during these last several months. But before I continue please read the following disclaimer... I don't use extreme measures, deprive myself, or sacrifice my sleep in order to obtain results. I was active during both of my pregnancies and I fully believe that staying active has helped my body recover. I have found that being patient, consistent, and determined are the greatest ways to regain strength and stability in my body. I am a mama to two, and a wife to a firefighter. I don't have a chef, housekeeper, or nanny. I am real person and I am inviting you to come on my postpartum journey with me. If you are recovering from childbirth please listen to your own body and know that each woman's pregnancy, labor, and delivery is unique. To read Maisie's birth story click HERE. You may also be interested in reading Body After Baby: 1 Month … [Read more...]
