My fitness journey started a few days after my daughter turned one - Feb 8, 2016 to be exact. I was constantly getting chest pains and had to go to the emergency room several times for emergency medication. I was assigned a cardiologist at the age of 39. I was not in a good place health wise.
I was tired and lonely from 12 months of being home alone with a baby and pumping around the clock. She was born premature and didn't latch so the result of that was me not giving her enough milk to be interested. I still wanted to give her some of my milk (some is better than none). I pumped every 3 hours 30 minutes at a time during the day until I fell asleep for 5 hours to wake up and do the same thing all over again. I had no time for me and while I was pumping my snacks were candy and chocolate.
I also ate all the things thinking it would help with my milk production. Little did I know I was slowly but surely degrading my body. I was eating way to much sugar. I did start working out a little bit my going back to Barre classes. I was so weak that I sometimes had to take a break or catch my breath.
On her 1st birthday was the last day I had to pump. I made it to a year and the heavens cleared and I now had time to take care of myself. My best friend told me of this program called Fitgirls Guide. I looked them up on Instagram and downloaded their books. I started my Instagram account and started following the most inspirational and up lifting women.
I modified my eating according to doctors orders. I mostly stuck to a low fat paleo food plan using Whole30 as a guide and started working out at home 3 times a week and during the weekends I would go to Barre classes while my husband watched our baby.
I kept at it (consistency is key!) For me I started feeling and seeing the difference after 3 months. I lost 10 pounds and started feeling stronger and started looking for new ways to challenge myself physically. I started a new workout program called BBG. It was intense, but what I loved about it was that it was just 28 min long no matter what. I could work it into nap times and even do other light workouts to compliment it without it being to intrusive into my day as a stay at home mom. I completed 2 rounds of it in a span of 6 months. I lost another 10 pounds.
It was time to step it up a notch again. When I turned 40 last November the present I gave to myself was a personal training session. Conveniently right next to my barre studio a private gym opened up and I did my first training session and I got killed and I loved it. I have now added lifting to my workouts and I have to say out of everything I did that year this is what changed me the most. I so much stronger in everything I do and have so much more control over my body.
A year after I first saw my cardiologist he gave me the most awesome news that I no longer have to see him. My blood pressure is maintained with the right medication. Unfortunately I have to still take the medications as my condition is inherited, but the medication is minimal. I normalized my cholesterol with clean eating. I now primarily eat plant based with a few paleo days thrown in. Dairy is not in my diet anymore unless we are out to dinner on a special occasion.
I feel so much better and younger.
In future posts I will talk more in detail about my love of Barre and Lifting and do a comparison of Fit Girls Guide and BBG. Comment below let me know if there are other things you want me to go in detail about.
p.s. I am not a certified trainer or nutritionist. Everything I talked about here was under the supervision of my doctor. Please talk to yours first before changing your exercise and eating habits.
Leighann says
Congrats on all you've accomplished in your fitness journey! I completely relate to pumping around the clock and all of the snacking. I'm so happy to follow you here and can't wait to see your insights:)
Rezel says
Thank you Leighann!!!