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Yep. That’s me.
Not the easiest photo to look at. But it’s me. I’m a real person, with a real life, that faces most of the same daily challenges you do. I have 3 darling little punks that will be 3, 2, & 1 in 3 months. I love them, but I do not love what 3 years of pregnancies left my body with.
It’s time to get Momma back into shape, FOR REAL. Piper will be a year old in March, and I REFUSE to still be carrying 3 years of baby weight past her first birthday. Besides, what mom doesn’t want to look fabulous on her child’s first birthday?? There are A LOT of photos taken that day.
I’m sure I sound absolutely selfish by saying that, but honestly, mom’s are not selfish anywhere in their lives. Our families are our first priority. We stay up late, we get up early, we may even get up all night, we use the extra dollar for the kids activities & clothes, we stretch out hair appointments, manicure? What manicure?? You name it and we do it , or give it up, because our family is our family.
But my Latte Fairy friend often reminds me, “Happy Wife, Happy Life”. Not gonna lie, you know there is truth to that. I for one am not totally happy when I’m juggling half a zillion balls in the air, but when I catch a glimpse of myself (who looks NOTHING like she did 3 years ago), my heart gets a little sadder, and my spirit starts to retreat just a little bit more. And that doesn’t do anything positive for me or my family.
I do not feel good being the person I look like now, when it’s not the person I know I am.
Last Spring I started a post series to get the body back, “Battle of the Belly”. My intentions were good and in the first 2 weeks I had dropped 10 lbs. Both Hubs and I could see the difference. It was working! WhoooHooo!
But then reality set in. Although the meals I was preparing were good, they were outside of my trained “know how”, meaning they weren’t as fast & easy for me to put on the table.
The workouts were great! But they involved such coordination to drop off 1 baby, while getting the other 2 in the stroller to take with me (and 1 always wanted to get out when we got there). Then to get everyone home again…..UUUUGHHH the whole process took about 3 hours and WAY more energy than I had. There was nothing left of me to give the kids when we got home. So although the weight was coming off, it was not working for our family and not making me feel any better.
So I stopped.
I still have not gained that weight back, but I have not lost anymore either.
So here I am again. And I’ve had my “Ah ha!” moment. For this to work, these things must happen:
- Your family needs to be in the trenches with you. Meaning support you and be on board with the program you decide. In my case, my husband has agreed to stay home until 8:30AM, 3 days a week to give me time to workout and shower. For me to workout any earlier is difficult as at least 1 babe is going to have a tough night and I’m setting myself up for failure to get up at 6AM, if I’ve been up from 3-4:30AM. You may have a totally different situation. Figure out what works for you and devise a plan with your family.
- If a program is going to work for me, it has to work into the life I am living now. Not all workouts programs work for everyone. We need to come up with what works in our lives. Is getting to the gym the best for you? Walking on a treadmill at home? Going for a run with the kids? Having a trainer? Going to a class? Be honest with yourself (but don’t confuse this with making excuses) as to what you can really do.
- Make sure there is an end in site. If you told me I could workout and eat right and the weight would be gone by next Christmas, I would laugh. That would be failure for me for sure. But if you tell me to dedicate myself and truly focus and I can lose 30 pounds in 3 months, that’s doable. Heck, that’s 1 trimester from 1 pregnancy! If you could wait 12 weeks to tell your friends and family a babe was on the way, then you know this is possible!
- The food doesn’t need to be fancy, it just needs to be easy and good. I’m not a huge salad fan. Wish I was, but I’m not. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat salads, but they might not be the salads that qualify for losing weight. So a few a week is ok, but everyday for 12 weeks. Well…it would be tough. But tell me to eat a turkey sandwich every day with an apple, that I can do. Whatever food I’m going to commit to eating needs to be easy for me to pull together and be yummy enough that I’m not feeling deprived.
- Don’t assume you know best, ask for help. If you have never written HTML code before, would you assume you could sit down tomorrow and do so? Nope. So what makes you think you’ll know how to lose the weight? Talk to friends that have been successful. Do a little research. Weight Watchers? Lindora? Flat Belly? Counting Calories? Find something that will help you be successful. If you are like me, you wont stick to it unless you are seeing results, so find something that will work for you.
So what have I decided to do?
I’m going to completely embaress myself for the next 12 weeks. I’ve enlisted the help of the oh so fabulous Erica from Knocked-Up Fitness to GET RID OF THIS EXTRA STUFF! She will be devising the workout plans, reviewing the food and offering tips and suggestions for any and all of us to follow.
And I CAN’T WAIT to share it with you all!! Today I’m starting 3 days of Ritual Cleanse…I’ll let you know what I think. Nothing like a jump start to get this party started. It’s coming HIGHLY recommended, and a quick Yelp search shows all high marks as well, so crossing fingers!
Day 1 ~ this is where we are starting ~ no secrets here, and I’ll be posting each week the results and workout plan for the week. So check back Tuesday for this week’s plan
Good luck girl! I need to get my butt in gear as I am wearing clothes (and fitting into them) that I specifically bought for my first trimester for baby #2, not exactly maternity, but might as well be! It’s the tummy that’s killing me here…never had an issue w/ my mid section until that baby girl came around. Maybe it’s a girl thing!
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I love that your middle one is wearing a lifejacket in DECEMBER! :-) I’ve been doing Stroller Strides, I think they are popular down in the OC, but you’re right – it takes a lot of effort/energy to pack everything up and get somewhere to work out with 2, much less 3, in tow multiple times a week! Good luck! I’ll be watching! :-)
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Well it is warm in California :-) JK – we were actually in the garage and whenever they see their life jackets they want to wear them….keep the peace at an any cost!
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So interesting that you look really thin in person. I remember seeing you right after you had Piper and thinking you didn’t look like you just had a baby. And I saw you a couple of weeks ago and thought you looked thin. Meanwhile, people still ask me if I’m pregnant and my baby is 2. I need to follow along with you!
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Spanx & Yummie & Tummie are my friends! I will admit I”m good at disguise and thin arms and legs help…but that middle section, oh it needs some attention! Would love to have you follow along too….everyone has to figure out what’s best for them, and I’ve decided its best to fit into my old jeans! :-)
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Best wishes to you! I must say that I think you look lovely; but I understand that you want to be in better physical shape. You can totally do this!
Lynn from For Love or Funny’s last blog: I went Xmas shopping- and now I need therapy
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Good for you for sharing the down and dirty! It’s hard and it’s humbling, but it will get it done. Good luck to you!!
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Good Luck! One thing that I can suggest to get some easy workout time in is to purchase a used treadmill off Craigslist. This is what I did after I had baby number two and was working full time. I didn’t have time to go to the gym so during nap time or early in the AM or after hubby would get home I would hop on it. It is a small investment and since it is so difficult to get out right now this may be a better suggestion. It worked for me!
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Great suggestion and I did exactly that! We looked for one on Craigs List, then realized my husband’s brother had one in his storage unit not getting much as much use, we were are borrowing it for a bit! It’s really helpful to just grab 20-30 min here and there! Thanks for tip :-)
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You are an inspiration and I am with you every step of the way!!!!! I am so proud of you for putting yourself out there and sharing your journey. Whatever the numbers are you are
beautiful. But it’s how YOU feel that matters. Go Shanna go!!!
Jen {Tiny Oranges}’s last blog: Core Athletica Pilates Fundraiser
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Kudos to you for being so bold and sharing this. I’m sure it’s a great motivator to stay on track with your new plans. Thanks for sharing.
Emily @RandomRecycling’s last blog: Real or Fake
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So proud of you Shanna! It was fun to workout with you this morning, I know you can do this. And I second everything Jenn says!!! Xoxoxo
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Loved working out with you too! Always fun to laugh with a friend when you’re in the trenches :-) Looking forward to more mornings together!
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I’m on board with you. I haven’t had any children yet…but we are talking about starting our family. I want to be healthy before having a baby – in hopes that it will help and make it easier after the baby comes!
Good luck!
Cassandra D.’s last blog: Obsessively Stitching- Cutie Crayon Pouch – Recycled!
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Great goal! I did the same before Addie and truthfully was on the “road to recovery” when I got pregnant with Hayden. Being where you want to be before hand REALLY helps both with your pregnancy and after. Good Luck!
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Cassaudra
That’s great that you recognize the importance of getting into great shape BEFORE getting pregnant! What a difference it can make during your pregnancy, your delivery & helping you get your pre-baby body back :-)
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That’s awesome!!! I think I’ll follow along with your plan and do it with you, if it works into my life that is. But with as busy as your life is, if you can work it in, surely I can too lol!!! Good luck!!!
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You go girl!!!
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Shanna ~ I am sooo excited to be working with you & leading on this journey! You are off to a great start! See you tomorrow :)
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You are a fabulous leader! Thank you for making this fun to do!! Almost time to drink Bottle #3 of my Ritual Cleanse drinks…yummy!
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GO SHANNA!!!
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Thank you!! Need to get the body back to be able to hit the beaches of Mauna Kea again :-)
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So proud of you Shanna! As someone who has tried nearly every workout routine imaginable in order to balance work, kids and family, I agree the most important thing is you pick a workout that is relatively easy to fit into your daily schedule and one that you enjoy! Can’t wait to hear about the journey!
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I feel you girlfriend. And I have NO kids. But I’m carrying around an extra chunk of weight that I do not need. Good luck….you can do it!
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[...] Check out what Shanna has to say “Getting Mama’s Groove Back” [...]
Your elbows look great!! Seriously, having 3 under 6 has been hard enough for me so I can only imagine your craziness!! I know how it feels to have a crushed spirit sometimes but remember who you really are. Your husband and children see that truth, they don’t see what you see when you look in the mirror. Do you remember what your mom looked like when you were 2, 6, 10 even? I remember the birthday parties and doughnuts on Sundays. You are amazing and I applaud your candor. You WILL do this! :)
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You rock, Shanna!! I’ve been doing a boot camp 3x/week for 5 1/2 weeks now (NOT THAT I’M COUNTING OR ANYTHING) and I truly can’t believe the change in my body. The 5:30am class is SO EARLY, but I know it’s worth it in the long run.
I can’t wait to watch you morph before our eyes! xoxo
whoorl’s last blog: Ariat Boot Winner!
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you are smart! wish I had been able to fit more in right after piper was born! You already look awesome, great job mama!!
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I don’t want to oversell it but you will love love LOVE how you feel after finishing the cleanse. I did the 3 day Ritual and I think I may go 5 next time (God help me). It’s an awesome way to clean out and jump start yourself. Good luck and thanks for sharing! You can do it!
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Love this post, girl. Can’t wait to follow along!
Amanda’s last blog: Jill Schwartz Jewelry Winner Announced!
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Thanks Amanda! You’ve shared some great tips, I really appreciate the help!! Hope I can do what you did :-)
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Wow!! Shak – you are amazing!! This post hit me right ot the core. The part about “Happy Wife, Happy Life” or Happy Mommy – Happy Baby. SO TRUE. Good for you for being bold enough to make this important priority work in your life and to get your hubby on board. Like every goal you’ve ever had in your life – you will go at this will fearless enthusiasm, a solid plan and demolish it! You are a very empowered person and an inspiration!
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Thank you so much for your honesty! You have inspired me to start my own mommy challenge! I had a lil baby boy 7 months ago, and I’m soooo tired of the muffin top falling out over my jeans!
Blogging the experience is definetly a great way to be kept accountable!
Thanks again!
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[...] get me wrong, Liam was well worth it, but I miss the non-muffin top version of me. Inspired by this woman’s honesty on her blog that I read, I will now share my measurements and a very humbling picture of [...]