Operation lose the baby weight!

I finally started my postpartum workout program!! Woo-woo! I'm so excited about it! Operation lose the baby weight is in full swing :D. I was told by my doctor that I could begin working out again whenever I felt ready so I resumed my workouts when I was 3w 6d postpartum. I didn't exactly ease back into it, choosing to do some P90X workouts first thing. Haha. I know what you're thinking- "What?! She's cray cray!", and yes, I might be. But I felt ready so I went for it. I didn't want to do some lame-o super easy workouts. I took it easy on the workouts at the end of my pregnancy and I was ready to hit it hard. Now it didn't take me long to realize that my body is not what it used to be! Well obviously. I did just have a baby, after all ;]. But I am definitely my own biggest critic so it was hard for me to get back into my workouts and realize that they were a lot more difficult than they used to be. I did a mix of P90X and some postnatal boot camp DVDs that I got with a prenatal program I bought during my pregnancy. Everything seemed to be a tad more challenging for me so I stuck to these workouts for the first month. Then the fun started. And by fun I mean grueling postpartum program that's kicking my butt, haha. I'm doing Pretty Fierce Lean Out by Moms Into Fitness. If you've never heard of MIF, it's run by this amazing momma, Lindsay Brin. She's totally my new fitspiration! I mean seriously, look at her! It's hard to believe that she's had 3 kids! Ahhmazing. Anyways, the program recommends that you're at least 10 months postpartum. Ummm, yeah, I wasn't even 10 weeks when I started it but I am (was?) really fit to begin with so I figured I'd be okay to dive on in. I figured if I was doing some P90X routines before I was even a month postpartum I'd be okay to start this intensive program. And I think I was right. So far ;].

Pretty Fierce Lean Out is a 9 week program designed to help mommas lose the last 5-10lbs and tone up. I only have like 3-5lbs to lose but I think this regimen is perfect for me. You start by taking your measurements, doing a fit test, and running 1.5 miles to calculate your V02 max. Then weeks 1-4 focus on endurance; weeks 5-9 are all strength-based. I'm almost done week 2 right now and I'll tell you what, these workouts are no joke!! They've definitely been pushing my aerobic threshold! But I'm really not a cardio person to begin with. I'd rather lift all day. So these workouts have really been challenging me to keep up my good form when lifting but do my reps really fast to get my heart rate up. I like that there's a good mix of workouts- upper body, lower body, abs, yoga, aerobic and anaerobic. Plus, I love that the workouts aren't super long. It's nice to be done with my workout in under an hour and still be getting in an intense session! It's definitely a tough program but I'm glad that I'm doing it! I'm hoping for some good results. I'm looking forward to finishing the endurance phase and moving into the strength phase. But now, for the moment of truth. Solely for accountability and motivation purposes, I am going to document my measurements, fit test score, and V02 max. Eeeek. Don't judge!

Measurements Day 0
Shoulders: 37" (around)
Dominant arm: 10.25"
Chest: 37.75" (thank you nursing! Haha)
1" above navel: 29.5"
1" below navel: 34.75" (ouch! This is my worst trouble zone right now, for obvious reasons)
Hips: 35"
Dominant thigh: 22.5"
1" above dominant knee: 15"
Weight: 128-129lbs (depending on day/time)

Fit Test Day 0
Push-ups: 30
Squat jacks: 40
V-Ups: 24 (modified)
Switch kicks: 45 (R), 45 (L)

V02 Run Day 0
1.5 mile run time: 16:11
V02 calculated: 33.3762

I am soooo not a runner so that 1.5 mile run was a beast. My knees were killing me. Thank goodness my doctor gave me the green light to start taking glucosamine again! I am very, very far from where I want to be fitness-wise right now. But everyday I'm working on getting closer to my goal. My goal weight has been set at 117lbs. That is 7lbs less than I weighed pre-pregnancy (eek). I'm really hoping that I can get down to that but I'm honestly not too hung up on the number on the scale. I want to tone up and be more confident. If the number on the scale doesn't get as low as I want but I see the positive changes in my body I'll be happy.

On a side note here, as hard as I'm trying to tone up and lose those last few pounds I have to say that I am incredibly proud of my body! It carried a beautiful, perfect baby boy. It delivered my baby without as much as a dose of Tylenol. I'm very proud of myself for having a completely natural birth with Camden. It made me feel so incredibly strong and empowered!! It is truly amazing what the female body can do! Honestly, it's kind of hard for me to believe that I had Camden sans drugs. It wasn't easy. It was the hardest thing I ever did. But I DID IT. My body did it. If I can do that then I can definitely get into shape like I want to! I just need to set my mind to it and work hard. Just like I did during labor. But I'm not about to beat myself up and hate every inch of my now very different body. Not at all. I love my body for what it did. And if it's never quite the same again, that will be okay. Because everyday I get to look at and hold my beautiful son and rejoice in the fact that he's mine. He's worth all the sacrifices and changes. He's even worth the times I have to pause a workout to soothe him or just plant kiss on his smiling cheek. So if I never quite reclaim my pre-pregnancy body I'm okay with that. But I'm most certainly going to try to get in the best shape possible!

Right now I think the hardest thing for me is balancing calorie intake between losing weight and not losing my milk supply. I can't eat too little but at the same time I don't want to eat too much... I want to lose weight but continue nursing. It's a tough balancing act and I'm still trying to get it all figured out. I'm basically just adding one healthy snack per day to account for my breastfeeding caloric needs. But some days I feel super hungry and need to eat a little extra...I'm just hoping I can shed some fat even if the scale doesn't go down all that much. We'll see.

Okay, as usual this post ended up all too long so I'm going to end it here. I'll update my journey along the way and share my new measurements and fit test score after day 21 and my overall results at the end of the program. Wish me luck! :]