14 Weeks Postpartum

I feel both very grateful for how quickly I bounced back to looking fairly normal...and like I really took my flat stomach for granted! It's taking work to get it back. But I am happy with my progress. I have reached my pre-pregnancy weight. Yay!!! Do I look the same?? No! I think it will just take time for my skin to tighten up, my muscles to close back up, and all my organs to get back in place. I also read that for a while after pregnancy and breastfeeding, your body is still in "hang onto all the sucrose and fat for the baby" mode. When it goes back to normal, losing weight should be much easier. I feel like my body may have just changed to normal mode. It's feeling a little easier. I think doing Power 3 times a week is the best thing I'm doing though. Lifting burns so many calories, even after the workout. And as muscle builds, that muscle will burn fat. Plus it just makes me feel great.

If I'm going to be honest about my diet, it is not Whole 30. I seriously think I NEED carbs. I have a high metabolism and I really think my body was going into starvation mode and holding onto fat. Plus I would go crazy and then cheat big time! And I really do need carbs to absorb the protein I'm eating and build muscle. I'm still eating mainly protein, fruits, and veggies with one carb a day...usually steel cut oats, whole grain 45 calorie bread, or an energy bar. I'm also having a cheat meal every few days. I feel so much better and I'm still liking how I'm looking and the progress I'm making. And I don't feel so deprived. I am having some diet cokes also :-/ I know it's terrible, but if a zero calorie, zero fat little treat keeps me on track, so be it!

Okay, so here are the results...the chart is updated with where I was last Wednesday when I started my diet again and where I am today. Today I have the lowest numbers of all!! :) I also added "Upper Thigh," which is the part that touches! Ew!

	Weight	Body fat %	Waist	Hips	Thigh	Arm	Upper Thigh
4/21/14	135	25	31	38	19	9.5
5/3/14	133	24.2	30	37 ¼	18 ½	9
5/18/14	132	24.2	28 ¼	36 ¾	18 ¼	9 ¼
5/24/14	129	23.3	28	36 ½	18	9 ¼
6/4/14	135	24.2	28 ½	37	18 ¼	9 ½	21
6/13/14	127	23.1	28	36 ¼	18	9 ½	20 ¼

This week's pictures really don't look much different from the ones 3 weeks ago, but in person, I feel like I looked more toned...especially my legs. You can see slightly less back fat. Ha

Just for fun...

37 weeks pregnant       vs. 14 weeks postpartum 

14 weeks Postpartum

11 weeks postpartum     vs.    14 weeks postpartum 

1 week postpartum       vs.    14 weeks postpartum

Just to note...I do actually get ready and put on make-up most everyday, but it just never seems to happen for pictures because Clint has to take them before he leaves for work ;)