When I tell people that having this third baby has destroyed me I don’t think they believe me. I’m telling the truth when I say that my pregnancy with Hunter has literally wrecked havoc with everything!  My hormones are completely out of whack, lingering weight has become even more stubborn and my skin and hair are now begging for mercy.

After Noah’s pregnancy the weight fell off and after 8 months, I was the lightest I had been in years, maybe even lighter than I was on my wedding day! I think it was partly stress (new mom alert!) and partly because I was younger (Damn you age!!). Then I fell pregnant with Brody and after giving birth for the second time, I started noticing a change even then, as my postpartum body responded that much slower to the weigh-loss process. It took me a full 18 months to get my figure back and with more excessive exercise and strict dieting. My hair eventually stopped falling out, my skin was clear and bright and my metabolism had begun to sort it self out.

Fast-forward another 18 monhts to just before falling pregnant with Hunter, and I think I was the fittest I had ever been. I had a fair amount of definition in my legs and although i have never known what a flat tummy looks like (never mind a six-pack), I had strength in my abs and my core was semi-decent. I was running almost every day, drinking green smoothies packed with all sorts of nutrients and super-foods and generally felt the picture of health.

Then I fell pregnant with Hunter and although I didn’t put on an excessive amount of weight I certainly lost all motivation to be healthy. I had the worst morning sickness which generally could only be curbed with carbs and my sweet tooth took to new heights as I welcomed anything with chocolate!

After her birth I was gentle with myself and knew it would take some time for the weigh tot shift. In my head I kind of imagined it taking about 6 months to see most of it off. But I was wrong…. My body has changed so much after this last pregnancy. The weight is that much more stubborn but I’ve also noticed that my weight has shifted around more too. I have weight in areas, like my bum, that i didn’t have before. To be honest, I quite like having a bit more meat on my behind because I’ve always had a rather flat bum which i feel isn’t in proportion with the rest of me. I know people who carry their weight opposite to me will say they would prefer to carry their weigh ton their top but I beg to differ. It’s horrible feeling top heavy and self-conscious of your arms and waist.

So I am one week onto my weightless and fitness journey. A journey that has been inspired by Adventure Bootcamp for women. Today marks the third day this week that I attended the class with a group of awesome women who are also eager to get fit and see changes in their bodies and its been AMAZING so far!! Its not as gruelling as I thought it was going to be. It’s tough an always a challenge but its totally doable if you put your mind to it. Our instructor is fun, motivating and encouraging, all while pushing us to be the best we can be. There is a strong focus on working at your own pace. Every day I have walked away feeling so motivated and super keen to get back. And I’ve woken away sore, feeling muscles I haven’t felt in a while 🙂

Here are three important things that I have taken away with me already, three things I need to remember on the journey if it’s going to be in any way worthwhile.

  1. I’m no spring chicken. I’m not in my twenties anymore and that means that my body (although not OLD) is not as young and as agile or as resilient as it used to be. I will never have a six-pack but the doesn’t mean I can’t try like hell to get my abs in better shape than they have ever been before.
  2. Food and Diet play a very role in this journey and if I’m going to see any change, I need to be conscious of what I put into my body. I cannot assume that the weight will fall off by only doing exercise. I need to stick to an eating plan for at least 90% of the time. I will still allow myself the odd treat, but those will be few and far between. God give me strength.
  3. I need to start from a place of self love and acceptance. I need to remember what my body has achieved by bringing three beautiful babies into this world and to be gentle on myself. I cannot preach “Body Positivity” if I don’t start by loving my own body for what it offers me, the potential it has or how it has served me so well up until tis point. If ANY of this is going to be In ANY way worthwhile, i need to start for a place of LOVING my body, not HATING it.

So here’s my weigh-in and measurements for the week. I have stuck to a strict diet of slow release carbs, protein and LOADS of salad and veg at every meal. I will talk more about my meal plan/diet in my next transformation post!! But I will take a high-five from you all for lasting five days with NO SUGAR!!! And yes that means no wine.

7 months postpartum weight – 64 kg’s ( this is what I weighed when I first began Adventure Bootcamp )

MEASUREMENTS (from 5 days ago)

Chest/bust – 94cm

Mid-thigh – 46cm

Waist – 86 cm

Upper arms – 27cm

 

I will only be measuring again on Monday so will report back in the next post. Until then, here are some Pre-Transformation pictures. Just to keep things real 🙂

 

MY GOAL

My goal is to lose at least 5 kgs. I would say 6-7 kgs, but I realise that I will be putting on more muscle mass so I don’t really want numbers on the scale to be the end goal. I want to concentrate more on muscle mass, tone and centimeters lost around my middle and upper body.

So there you have it guys, the start of my weight-loss and fitness journey, all logged for all to see! EEEEK!

To a stronger, fitter and leaner me! Fingers crossed! ♥

 

Hi I’m Leigh! Did you enjoy reading this post? I really hope so and would love you to stick around a little longer! Please feel free to browse my blog for other articles or to keep up with all the latest news and to be the first to hear about some great competitions, come and find me me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email me directly at leeloobaggins@hotmail.com or simply subscribe below and never worry about missing out!