Why fitness and healthy eating are so important to me.

When you're a first time mom and you're trying to shed the baby weight, people criticize you for being so focused on weight loss. They even go so far as to accuse you of neglecting your baby. They will tell you to "enjoy the baby/toddler years because it goes by super fast." They will tell you that post-baby bodies are "beautiful."
First of all, those of us who are trying to get back in shape are doing so, so we can enjoy ALL the years, not just the early years. We want to be in shape so we can keep up with our active kids, and be around for every milestone that they will experience. Also, a lot of us feel better (and more confident) when we are smaller. Our kids can pick up on everything we are feeling. They will know if we are not in good spirits.

Secondly, yes, post-baby bodies are beautiful. It is an incredible thing that we women can carry and deliver babies. I think that's beautiful in itself. Going back to my above statement about feeling better when in shape, a lot of us do count down the weeks until we are cleared to workout again (I know I did, and I didn't even wait the full 6 weeks. I went back to the gym at 5 and a half weeks. I felt strong enough to slowly start my workouts up again).
I will always have the physical reminders that I carried my son for 9 and a half months. I will have stretch marks, and I have some curves from being pregnant. I'm going to embrace these curves (there's really not much I can do for stretch marks. I'll have to live with those, LOL), and WERK IT!

Personally, I feel better at a smaller weight. I been working my tail off at the gym trying to lose weight and get stronger for months now. I want to be an active mom. I want to keep up with my son when he becomes mobile.
Also, working out is my way of getting through stress. Early on, I had severe panic attacks. My son had horrible colic, and with being a single mom, I was on empty. I was tired from stress, and no sleep. When I was able to start running again, my stress started to disappear. My panic attacks have decreased significantly because of my workouts. It's helped me be a much better mom to my son.

I'm also working a lot on my nutrition. Today I started Keto. I decided on Keto because I've heard a lot of good things about it. A close friend of mine was on it and she's at her goal weight after having her kids.
I'm at a point in my weight loss where I could hit a plateau. When plateaus hit, it is important to change things up.
I do have some reservations about Keto. The high fat part of dieting scares me a little. In the past, I was able to lose weight, even with having carbs and low fat foods. Now that I've had a baby, my body is much different, and I have to adjust to that. I have fat that I want to lose, and from what I've learned about Keto, the high fat intake is supposed to help you burn fat.
Jenna Jameson lost 60 pounds on the Keto diet. She said the diet really helped her burn the fat on her stomach. Even when I was at a healthy BMI weight, I still had a belly (from battling my weight issues since age 8). I did everything to get rid of it and the belly wouldn't decrease. I am confident I will have much success on Keto. I'm pretty excited to start this new journey, and to see how it pairs with my intense workouts.

My progress (4 months postpartum):
I am 7 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight, and 22 pounds away from my goal weight/healthy BMI weight. I have lost 33 pounds since I had my son (May 26, 2018).
I am hoping to hit my goal weight by the end of December (my birthday is December 27, and I'm turning 36. I want to be in the best shape of my life when I turn 36).

If you want something bad enough, go for it. Work hard, and you can achieve anything.

As for the moms who criticize other moms for working out: instead of criticizing a mom for wanting to be healthy for her child, you could do well by encouraging that mom. Being a mom is the hardest job in the world, we need to encourage one another. Stop criticizing.

By, Shauna S

#tuesdaymotivation #fitness #workingout #running #strengthtraining #healthyliving #keto #inspiration

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