Why did nobody ever really tell me how hard it is to exercise, eat healthy, and have a newborn?
I suppose I am not giving enough of the people who I have talked to credit. I do recall people, in hopes to scare me or what (who knows), tell me I will be "sleep deprived, tired, and have constant head aches". (It is funny how been-there-done-that-mothers always say how hard it is the first few months rather than saying some good things about it) But to be honest I didn't believe anyone. I had this big dream in my mind where Jude would constantly be sleeping in his crib, napping all day and giving me time to work out/hang out/play video games/have me time/shower/you know the drill. I have no idea why I was so gung-ho about it! In fact, I sort of wish I wasn't, maybe then this first week of "being healthy" wouldn't of been so hard. Regardless, nobody ever told me it would be hard to exercise and now I realize why. Nobody really expected me to exercise. This may be a harsh reality, but it is no wonder post-partum women and people who had their baby ages ago complain about the "baby weight that will never go away".
I promised myself that when I felt good enough (I was hoping it would be a month post-partum) I would start exercising again. Not just to lose the baby weight, because I made damn well sure that I wasn't going to gain too much weight during pregnancy*, but to become fit for my son (and myself). When I bring this up to a lot of people, especially my husband, I get the same exact reaction: "But Stephanie, you are fit!". This, unfortunately, is one of the fattest lies on earth! Do people even know what fit really is? Even if I have a little leg/stomach jiggle, I am still considered "fit" because I am small, 5'4, and weigh 114lbs. Sure, I may look like I don't spend my day eating bon bons, but that doesn't mean I am fit. Many people overlook the real meaning of fit it seems.
Here are some of the definitions off of Dictionary.com:
fit: adjective, fit·ter, fit·test, verb, fit·ted or fit, fit·ting, noun
adjective
1. adapted or suited; appropriate: This water isn't fit for drinking. A long-necked giraffe is fit for browsing treetops.
2. proper or becoming: fit behavior.
3. qualified or competent, as for an office or function: a fit candidate.
4. prepared or ready: crops fit for gathering.
5. in good physical condition; in good health: He's fit for the race.
The main definitions I want people to notice is definition 1 (adapted or suited; appropriate) and definition 5 (in good physical condition; in good health). That is what being fit is to me. It is when my body is suited for keeping up with everyday activities my son may want to do. I often see moms at the park who sit on the bench while their kid plays alone on the monkey bars. It baffles me, and worried me, because what if one day I was that mom**. And in order to prevent being that mom I need my body in a good physical condition and health. I need to have muscles that will enable me to be strong, good endurance so I can keep up with my son, and a healthy diet that will make me live longer and keep my body happy. And best of all: if I can be fit my son can look up to me and be fit himself. (I can't forget: now that I am a new mom I am a constant role model!)
So now onto the real news: how my first week of being fit went.
Well, it was difficult. It took me about two weeks of off and on work outs to feel out how Jude will cooperate, but for the past 7 days I have worked out each day by doing the 30 day shred. This in itself was difficult enough on top of everything else. I had no idea how I had no muscles! (Unfortunately my diet has only been good 4/7 of those days). It is difficult to not comfort eat. When Jude starts crying there is nothing better than grabbing 10 oreos and scarfing down 433 calories and 15 grams of fat in less than two minutes. I am still trying to figure out a way to prevent me from eating pointless, and more importantly, unhealthy comfort snacks. Good thing when me and my husband went shopping last night we bought tons of grapes, bananas, and baked Doritos (oops - at least they are baked, right?) to fix the cravings.
But there is good news on top of all of this! I was able to keep up about 98% of the 30 day shred (cheating: using water bottles as weights. Hey, its a start!) and been eating decent, protein filled, meals. I am currently breastfeeding so it is very important my diet is still good. The weekend is now here and I will not be working out for the next two days since I will be archery hunting. I suppose I will get a pretty good work out from that at least! Anyways, that is it for now. I hope you didn't mind my endless babbling. Until then!
*I was on the elliptical 5xweekly for 40min until 39 weeks pregnant. My last week of pregnancy I went on 2 easy, and beautiful, 2 mile walks with my husband. (In fact, I went on a 2 mile walk when I was 41 weeks pregnant at night and the next morning, at 1:30am, I woke up with contractions 2 minutes apart!) I owned a heart rate monitor and always made sure my heart rate never went above 140 for very long, if ever. I also consumed about 2000-2300 calories a day. I made sure to talk to my midwife about food and exercise during my whole pregnancy to make sure I wasn't harming myself or the baby. He was one of the healthiest babies she has ever delivered.
**I am not saying all moms who sit and watch their kid play at the park are lazy. I guess I am imagining the stereotypical mothers I see. So, if you just so happen to do this, do not be offended. I am sure you have your reasons to not be playing with your kid.
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