I’ve received so many questions about how I lost my baby weight and what I’m doing to get in shape so in today’s post, I’m going into more detail and also sharing my experience using the BodyBoss Ultimate Fitness Guide! (Here’s a code for 15% off the guide, valid till Dec. 31, 2017: BBDARLING)

If you’ve been following my postpartum journey for the past 9 months, you’ll know I’ve had my ups and downs with health and fitness. During my pregnancy, I gained 25 pounds and that was mainly due to the fact that I had intense morning sickness for the first 5 months. I’ll spare you the gory details;) Because of that, I thought I would have no problem losing the baby weight and had heard from countless Moms and people online that if I breastfed, I’d lose all my weight in 6 weeks! Oh boy was I wrong about that! Although breastfeeding does make you lose extra calories, it makes you so incredibly hungry. I think it’s your body’s way of encouraging you to fuel yourself to feed your baby. The increase in hunger coupled with the anxiety I felt about breastfeeding (I’m a stress eater) made the weight hang on for months. It took me 6 months to lose all my weight. I started really focusing on weight loss and leading a healthier lifestyle at 4 months postpartum. I made it a point to walk 2 miles, 4 days a week, eat healthy foods 80% of the week (with the other 20% indulging a bit), and counting my calories. A lot of women don’t believe in counting calories because sometimes it can lead to an obsessive, unhealthy relationship with food, which I totally get, but for me, it was just what I needed. I was so used to coming out of my third trimester and eating whatever I wanted (aka: 2 bowls of cereal at night, 5 cookies, Coke-a-Cola every day etc.) that I started to forget how many actual calories I was consuming. Once I started tracking them on My Fitness Pal, I was shocking and it made the world of a difference!

Once I lost all my weight, I still didn’t feel healthy mentally and physically. Spending most of your days breastfeeding and inside with a new baby can be draining in so many ways.  I was looking at trying out gyms in my area and even went to a workout class, which I had to leave early because it was WAY too intense for a postpartum Mom! I soon realized that I didn’t necessarily want to sit in LA traffic on my way to the gym at 5:30pm when Doug gets off work or wake up at 5am when I was sleep deprived so I searched for something else. BodyBoss reached out to me to try their fitness guide and I had never tried an at home guide before so I decided to give it a real try and not just do it 50%. I got a few of my friends together to try it out and it really is so great for postpartum Moms.

BodyBoss is a 12-week step-by-step fitness guide comprising of high-intensity exercises ranging from bodyweight resistance exercises, to plyometric (jumping) exercises, cardio, and unilateral exercises. The exercises are aimed to accelerate fat loss, torch calories, tone and improve fitness levels. The program is designed to achieve maximum results in the least amount of time. Perfect for busy moms or women in general. You just need to sneak in 24 active minutes for a quick workout, 3x a week! Minimal equipment is needed and no subscription plans or gym memberships as well!

First off, I’m the first to admit that I was so out of shape and most workouts would have killed me. I’ve tried a few 30-minute workouts on Youtube in the past and literally couldn’t finish them because I got so sore so I would just give up! BodyBoss is perfect for Moms/people who are just getting into fitness again because there is a month of bonus pre-training to finish which eases you back into working out. You’re able to do everything from the comfort of your home (although I do them at the park) with your baby nearby watching! The moves aren’t complex at all and the guided book/online guide shows you exactly what to do if you’re a nube to fitness like I was. Weight loss wasn’t necessarily my goal, but it can totally help you drop the pounds if that’s what you’re looking for. I really wanted to be stronger and look more toned in my clothes and I can totally see the difference in just the 2 months I’ve been doing it. My stomach has already shrunk down and I’m starting to see more definition!

BEFORE….

AFTER!

I can already tell I have improved muscle tone on my legs and arms now that I’m on week 11. Although weight loss wasn’t my main goal, I went from 130 lb to 126 pounds, without dieting and my mood is so much happier since working out throughout the week.

Other than that, I believe everything in moderation is key. Yes, I enjoy a nice Happy Meal/Combo #2 at McDonald’s occasionally or Cinnamon Life after dinner as a treat, but most of the time I limit my portions and not overindulge at every meal like I was doing during my third trimester. I’m happy to report my body is back to where it was pre-pregnancy and I never ever thought that would happen!

Talking about meals and diets, BodyBoss is launching their Super Food Nutrition Guide to complement the fitness program end of the year! Looking forward to how it can help me on my fitness and health journey! I got myself subscribed here for first-hand updates, you can too if you can’t wait.

*This blog post was sponsored by BodyBoss. I truly love and use this program and it’s been the key to helping me feel 10x better postpartum!