How to Find the Right “Gym” for You… The Weight-Loss Challenge after the Babies

When I was younger, weight was never a problem. I never had to go on a diet. I ate anything and everything I liked and never had to worry about gaining weight. I was happy with my size.

Then, motherhood came and suddenly, I am bigger and heavier.

From small/medium to large to extra large!

(Don’t get me wrong. I love my kids. I love being a Mom. The happiness they bring into my life is beyond compare. If I can do it all over again, I will still have all three of them.) I have never imagined myself to gain this much weight! My clothes don’t fit me. My appetite has gone haywire! I look at my old pictures and just sigh. I look at other moms who remained slim despite the pregnancies and sigh some more.

But, but, but! I am also the type who never gives up. So I decided to inject exercise into my life and become more conscious of the things I eat. I have to admit, though, that the diet part is more challenging for me. I have three growing boys, you see. J

Yup, I have been through three pregnancies which means I have been through that post partum stage of deciding what would be the best weight loss plan for me three times. Each time had been different so here I am sharing what I have learned, so far.

After my first pregnancy, I gained 30 whopping pounds! However, I was a stay-at-home-mom-and-wife so I neither had the time nor the money to go to the gym. I knew two things, though. I enjoyed dancing and I had “free time” when my baby was asleep. So I took out the Jane Fonda workout tapes my mom gave me and started doing aerobic exercises daily at the comfort of my room. Every single day, I went to “my gym”… my own room. I couldn’t quite remember if I went on a strict diet during that time. Hubby says I did but I can’t really recall. You see, I love soda and I didn’t give that up even when I was trying to lose weight. Jane Fonda’s workouts were perfect for me because I felt like I was attending dance classes. After three months, I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight and size. Victory!

Then my second baby boy came and I was back to stage 1. However, I also had a full-time job so finding time for my workouts became very difficult for me. With a household to manage, an eight-hour job, and my boys to attend to, I was always tired and just wanted to sleep during my free time. Every morning, however, I looked at myself in the mirror and was just so unhappy with my weight. So I had to find a way to be able to squeeze exercise in my daily routine. Again, I could not go to the gym because I wanted to go directly home after work. What worked for me, then, was to eat late afternoon snacks at work (which served as my dinner) and exercise while my boys were having dinner. That way, after dinner, I got to spend quality time with my hubby and our boys. Victory #2!

You know what’s next. Rather, who’s next. Yes, baby #3. After giving birth to our 3^rd baby boy, losing weight has become even more challenging. It’s actually a challenge I am still facing up to now. My metabolism has definitely slowed down now that I am older. I developed a thyroid problem and I learned that it affects one’s weight loss/gain. My work has also become more demanding leaving me way too exhausted for workouts in the evening. For a couple of months, I went back to running and joined race events on weekends. I conquered 10-km distance categories. It felt good but eventually I didn’t like the thought of waking up very early in the morning so I put running on hold. I took a closer look at my schedule and realized I have a couple of hours in the morning before work that I can devote for workouts. You see, I am usually in the office as early as 6am because my hubby and I share a car (because this is more practical for the family) and his office hours start at 8am. That gives me almost three hours of free time in the morning. Hence, I enrolled for a gym membership. So that’s my battle plan for now, to go to the gym at least three times a week before I go to work.

In a nutshell,

(1)  Exercise does not really mean going to the gym that we know and lift weights. Our “gym” can be anywhere. We just have to find a physical activity we love and do that more often. Like dancing, or running, or biking.

(2)  Creativity is key. Our schedule can never be too busy. We have to be creative enough to find ways to squeeze in exercise in our routine. We need to. Anything for our health and wellness is always good investment.

(3)  Persevere. I once read that you didn’t gain that weight overnight so don’t expect to lose it overnight as well. One step at a time, baby. You’ll get there. I’ll get there.