Sorry for the blog silence you guys! We dealt with a stomach bug so it was a rough 10 days for us over here. We all got taken down by it and it was awful! If you saw one of my recent Instagram posts you may have seen what my April fitness goals are. I’m near my pre-baby weight but my body consistency (belly and butt, specifically) have not snapped back like they did after I had Jack. The month of March was also full of some pretty poor food choices and I was just feeling really sluggish and bloated by the end of the month. I’ve also struggled to fall back in love with running, which makes me sad because running has always been such an integral key to my physical and mental well-being.
In April I vowed to tackle all of these things, so the first thing I did was sign up to do the free 21 day 8 minute workout challenge that Ashley Keller of Glow Body Personal Training put together. She was a year behind me at West Point and she’s a mom of two young boys and she’s also a world-champion triathlete. She’s all about helping women bounce back after baby, but she’s also a true athlete which is appealing to me because my fitness goals are more about performance, strength and how I feel, rather than strictly looking good. I started the 21 day challenge on the 1st, but then got sidelined on day 5 because of the stomach virus. I missed days 5-10, but I jumped back in the saddle and I’ll make up those days I missed at the end of the 21 days. The challenge consists of 2, 3 or 4 8 minute workouts a day that really target specific body parts that many women struggle with. The workouts may only be 8 minutes long but they are challenging and so good! If you’re looking for a great way to jumpstart your fitness or if you simply want to try something new consider signing up for her plan! It’s free and available for you to do at any time. (Once you sign up an email with a link to the PDF will be sent to you. The workouts are clickable, so just click on the title of each workout and a youtube video will pop up). I can’t say enough good things about it and I’m excited to see what I look and feel like at the end of the program. I’ll share my before and after pics at the end of the challenge. She also has a 12 week postpartum plan that I haven’t done but I have friends that have done it and they all say it’s amazing. (None of this is sponsored at all, I’m just excited about it, can ya tell??)
My other goal this month is to run 20 miles each week. 20 sounds like a daunting number (and it is if you wait to do it all on the weekend like I did last week)…but if you break it up and run daily it’s only 2.85 miles a day, or if you decide to run 5 days a week you’re doing 4 miles a day. If you’re not quite there yet then make a smaller goal, like covering a mile a day with a run/walk combo. Or 10 miles in a week. Any goal, no matter how small, can really help get you focused and moving in the right direction. I only got 15 miles in the first week because we all got sick, but I was able to get back on the horse for week 2 and ran my 20.
Oh and here are some of my favorite workout items right now:
– favorite tank: I’ve had this tank in white and light pink for about 4 months now and just ordered the navy blue color. I’m not wearing it in the photos above but I wear them at least twice a week. Cool Racerbacks were my go-to tank for years (and I still wear them frequently) but I like how this one isn’t as form fitting and the material is awesome. For size reference, I’m 5’5″ and 130 pounds and wear a size 6.
–favorite sneakers: I have two pairs of this sneaker and wear them daily for running and the gym. This pink pair is my gym pair because I want them to stay clean because I think they’re so pretty, and the gray pair is my outdoor running/exercise pair. They’re so comfy and lightweight and the best part is that they’re only $59.98 right now. I wear a size 8 in most shoes but always size up to an 8.5 in my New Balance sneakers.
–favorite crops: These crops are high-rise and feel like you’re not wearing anything. I have 2 pairs and they’re awesome. I bought my normal size (a 6 at lululemon) in my first pair but sized down to a 4 for my second pair because they run a little large. I run, lift weights and do yoga in them. They’re amazing!
–favorite sports bra (nursing friendly but not actually a nursing bra): I mentioned this bra in this post about nursing bras a few weeks back, and I’ve been wearing it non-stop since I bought it. Very supportive and comfy!
–favorite sports bra for when you need to carry your phone (not nursing friendly): I added this bra to my sports bra collection a couple months ago and it’s great because it has pockets. I also still have two old bras that are really similar from when it first came out about 6 years ago. This kind of bra (with pockets) is the only bra I run in when I know I won’t need to nurse. I carry my phone in one of the two pockets and it works really well.
Do you have any current fitness goals? I love talking about running and workout out and would love to help cheer you on if you need a little encouragement our have any questions!
How do you keep your milk supply up by running such long distances? I barely did two and noticed a big dip.
Anonymous
April 17, 2018 / 6:33 am
Interested in the 8 minute glow body challenge, but do you need much equipment for it? Would I need to be in a fancy gym for it, or can you do them at home? Thanks!
Hi! It's designed for you to do at home, although yesterday I did it at the gym because I had to be there anyway while Jack was at preschool. The only equipment you need is a pair of dumbbells (I use 5 pounders) and a stability ball (although I don't have one so have been making due without it and it's been just fine). The stability ball is only really used on the ab and muffin top workouts and it helps give you more range of motion and makes the moves a bit more challenging than if you just did it on the floor. The plan is still totally doable without that gear though, because much of it uses your body weight as resistance and it's still a challenge. Hope that helps!
Hi! I make sure to not restrict my calories and everything I eat is full fat (half & half, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, etc.). I eat a lot of healthy fats like avocados, walnuts and olive oil because I think having fat in your diet is helpful with milk supply. I try to eat a lot of veggies and healthy foods but don't hesitate to eat dessert a couple times a week. Basically I think you just need to make sure you're taking in enough calories because if you don't take in enough it can definitely affect your supply. And drinking TONS of water is key. I also nurse on demand and don't stick to any strict schedule. I hope that helps!
How do you keep your milk supply up by running such long distances? I barely did two and noticed a big dip.
Interested in the 8 minute glow body challenge, but do you need much equipment for it? Would I need to be in a fancy gym for it, or can you do them at home? Thanks!
My latest fitness goal was to run a sub 2 hour half marathon and I accomplished that this past weekend and it felt amazing.
Yay, that's incredible Jen! So happy you were able to accomplish that goal. I bet that must have felt so great!
Hi! It's designed for you to do at home, although yesterday I did it at the gym because I had to be there anyway while Jack was at preschool. The only equipment you need is a pair of dumbbells (I use 5 pounders) and a stability ball (although I don't have one so have been making due without it and it's been just fine). The stability ball is only really used on the ab and muffin top workouts and it helps give you more range of motion and makes the moves a bit more challenging than if you just did it on the floor. The plan is still totally doable without that gear though, because much of it uses your body weight as resistance and it's still a challenge. Hope that helps!
Hi! I make sure to not restrict my calories and everything I eat is full fat (half & half, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, etc.). I eat a lot of healthy fats like avocados, walnuts and olive oil because I think having fat in your diet is helpful with milk supply. I try to eat a lot of veggies and healthy foods but don't hesitate to eat dessert a couple times a week. Basically I think you just need to make sure you're taking in enough calories because if you don't take in enough it can definitely affect your supply. And drinking TONS of water is key. I also nurse on demand and don't stick to any strict schedule. I hope that helps!