The Pursuit
Baby Mateo is 13 weeks old today and I have good news to report about my postpartum comeback. I recently lost a few of those dreaded pregnancy pounds—Yes! But before you go assuming that this has been easy for me or that I’ve had a tummy tuck behind your back, pull up a chair and have a listen my friend. If you’ve ever read my story, you know that I’ve never been one of those lucky women the pounds just melt off of (and no, the nursing hasn’t helped). I’m really the anti-Fitness Barbie. At 5 feet tall (not even 5’1†people), I’ve always had the opposite problem—fat clings to me like scuba gear—but then again, I don’t exactly eat rabbit food.
Here’s what I’ve been up to:
1. I make time and hit the gym (no matter what).
2. I train under the watchful eye of my beloved (lucky me).
3. I try my best to keep up with you guys in class (Have you noticed?).
So, in addition to the obvious: EXERCISE, the other part of this weight loss equation has been (drum roll please) DISCIPLINE.
1. I don’t eat white starchy stuff these days. I still mourn those cocktail buns from Chinatown, but my morning cardboard (toast) helps.
2. I mainly eat green vegetables, egg whites, fish, chicken, turkey, fruit, and roasted nuts.
3. I drink tons of water.
4. I go to bed hungry a lot of nights.
5. I wake up and say no to crack another day.
6. I fight those inner food demons with positive thinking (i.e. meditation, affirmation, visualization) which for me is the real work when you’re an emotional eater.
Stay tuned, I have a long way to go…
This photo was taken on 6-18-07 (10 pounds ago).
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Okay IC moms, share a special highlight from your postpartum comeback. Give a girl some inspiration, will ya?
hey Maya-Rune says you’ve worn a path in the concrete (last photo)-that a girl-you inspire us all!
Rune dared me to challenge Peter on hanging leg raises during class today. It was sooooo fun! (J/k Rune) It was really Kelly, but Rune high-fived me afterwards. Wait, actually everyone did.
P.S. I hope all you IC moms out there spill a few beans on your challenging postpartum weight loss stories… unless it was easy for you, in which case I’ll just start hatin’!
Mujer! you are B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L… but not to take away from you’ve said, you are an inspiration. there you are in the morning with us and i can honestly say that just having you there (sometimes with the bebe all bundled up) doing the same stuff we are….you go girl! see you tomorrow!
I thought it was me who challenged you…… I lost! Goddamn, you just gave birth three months ago. You are a very very sick woman. Or maybe just unbelievable cool.
Peter
I heart Paty and Renee.
Peter, I still remember how you challenged me on pull-ups the first day you met me. Didn’t you lose that day too? Keep it up; it only adds fuel to the fire!
Go Maya!! Baby weight or not, its still hard to keep up with you!!
well, as I’ve made 12 dozen cookies this morning for Haakon’s young high metabolic rate swim coaches-yes 12 dozen. (it’s my turn)- I’m so thankful to the IC that I’m not eating all of the cookies and the dough! That would have been challenging for me last year! Today, not so hard. The cookies are wrapped up tight. As Annakari says “yeah me!”
Maya, I wish I would have had the resolve you have now at this early stage of post partum. One of the endearing qualities you have for me is that your weight sticks on you too. It makes you human and approachable. You walk the walk. I wish I would have found the IC years ago. I used to say I love the IC when people would ask me. Now after this summer I simply say, the IC saved my life.
To all the fellow mama’s out there you are all an inspiration. When I go to OPP and see Erin trading off kids so she can run, while her child is at practice- that’s inspiring. I’m starting that next week! Shari-love your commitment, always inspirational! The trainers-holy moly-awesome.
thanks to all!
Maya you kick ass! You are one individual I look up to. You inspire me to do better in every aspect of my life. I love you girl!!!! You truly are my sister. Oh by the way you should’ve had Steve driving his truck beside you with the Rocky theme on. Just an idea for next time you tackle that hill.
The highlight of my postpartum comeback was walking in the IC and meeting you, Maya. You’re like a little firecracker that keeps me energized. Gradually, when I got to meet some of the other moms in bootcamp (like Tsan, Susan, Maina,…) I realized the power of commitment. I try not to let anything get in the way of my bootcamp classes. Not dr. appts, not the kids and school functions, not work, not the negative thinking, because life is going to happen. How I control my day is in my hands. Once I started putting myself first, the commitment to exercise and eat better just fell into place, because it is what I wanted to do. Next thing you know, pounds just started coming off and my clothes started fitting better. I felt better about myself, which makes me happy. When momma is happy, everyone is happy. I have the energy to do what it takes to be a better mom, a better wife and generally, a better person. I am constantly working on myself, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Once I get complacent in any area of taking care of myself, the whole thing gets out of whack. Trust me , it’s hard traveling this month and not able to come in and work out (I am physically out of the area) but I can do the 100 challenge while I am away.
So I have choices everyday, do I want to snack on those chocolate chip cookies left over in my daughter’s lunch or do I reach for the handful of almonds I know are in the cabinet. What will make me feel better? Sure the cookies are satisfying in the moment but I know I will feel guilty an hour later. Why waste the energy on guilt when empowerment is a much better feeling. How great does it feel when you finish a set of reps before that timer goes off? Or when doing reps of sit ups/push ups/crunches/ squats/pull ups and pushing yourself to one more than the last round? Be proud of yourself and the small accomplishments you make.
You look mah-velous Maya. go on girl with your bad ass self. I can’t wait to see you again. I know it isn’t easy. Keep the commitment to yourself and everything else will fall into place.
Wow, Maya. Your story is powerful, just like you. I remember when you first started back in the mornings after Mateo was born, seeing you dive right into sit-ups and ab work, maybe just 8 weeks after the big C, was quite an inspiration for me.
I, on the other hand, was “diving right back” into sit-ups after maybe 10 years (no lie) of not doing a single sit up–having only partly to do with the ab surgery and 2 C-sections in the intervening years. I like to pretend that I’m shaking some postpartum weight, but I think that after 2.5 years, the statute of limitations has run out on legitimately using that term. Whatever the extra poundage is called, I’m trying to lose it and get back down to the (long surpassed) weight that’s printed on my driver’s license. And it won’t be easy for this beer drinking, cheese loving mama. (any chance beer counts as a whole grain? )
Luckily, there’s the IC, which has been extremely motivational for me. Much gratitude for the guidance and incredible example of hard work and commitment –and success– that everyone there demonstrates.
You all rock!
maya,
no postpartum tales to tell, but I had been awaiting your return for months, as I had heard so very much of you/about you, and began IC during your baby coming time off….Now, i miss you when you are not there in the morn. You look fabulous and I never saw you before, so there. Ok, not to minimize your challenges…the words of wisdom, esp. discipline is invaluable to me as I am a self proclaimed carbo whore (all my sisters and I re-affirmed this recently during our family beach week) We just looooove bread – bagels – the neices’ goldfish crackers. sigh. Now they may eat all that but they run like hell and my discipline in cardio is lacking soooo surge on, keep visualizing and I am far behind, but inching on…
Maya,
Do burritos fall into category #2? Didn’t think so… Can’t tell you what an inspiration you are — after my first baby, I was resigned to being a size 8 forever. It didn’t come together for me until after my second and only then because I stumbled into a fitness program that re-instilled the discipline I had so many years ago. The IC has now made me an addict, needing a fitness fix almost daily. Now if I could only kick the burritos…
Girl, you are hot. HOT! but it’s true that it’s what you feel that is important.
Personally, every ounce shed from my post partum body leaves kicking and screaming and holding on for dear life. I only gained 30 pounds with my first pregnancy 3 years ago (after many months of fertility injections not helping my lifelong struggle with weight), but my daughter was stillborn at 9 months. So I had baby fat and no baby, no-one to breast feed and very intense grief. I started running again about 2 months after to help find sanity and I ran a half marathon a couple months later. My running club was super supportive and I looked forward to those hours of on-the-run support.
I got pregnant again 6 months after she died with 15 lbs leftover baby fat (on top of my usual Xlbs extra), and gained only 27 lbs with Ruby. Most of that came of relatively easily, although when I stopped full time nursing I gained a few back.
So here I am with the world’s most precious 14 month old, almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but still 30 to loose (or 7% more body fat on top of the 5% i’ve lost since starting at the IC in February). I feel strong, happy and incredibly grateful to the IC community for giving me the physical strength that lets the personal strength come through.
So I figure, we have beautiful healthy babies…everything else is gravy.
Mommas and Momma-supporters,
Your stories and words of encouragement are incredible. I have goose bumps the size of golf balls right now. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like laughing and crying in the same moment. (Wait, I’m such a liar; it just happened to me last night when Mateo let out his first real belly laugh while in his sleep.)
I know you all have touched the hearts of many people today.
Maya ..
what can i say …after 6 years of training together there is no better partner than you !!! keep up the amazing work
lots of love always
mars-wow now that’s a life story–Ruby is a special gift.
maya-here’s a little tiny story that just happened at the swim meet. I had to carry the 50lb. ice chest filled with drinks and ice to the stairs to the front gate and then down the stairs to my car. I thought, no problem, excited to do this. Just a deadlift-so glad we deadlift the sand bags! The ice chest doesn’t have the best grip on the indented handles. So, I did it. Wow at least three people were now believers of my IC experience -and hopefully call soon- but one woman really told me how it could have been much easier if I just backed the ice chest down the stairs (it has wheels). She repeated her self 3 times! ” Wow, that looks heavy, it looks awkward etc. ” Finally I said , yes, it’s called a deadlift and it’s the way I wanted to carry it down the stairs! I found my voice of strength-it may have been a little b****y-but really! So that’s my inspiration in the everyday stuff.
So someday when you’re lugging Mateo’s stuff to a meet of some kind, it’s 8pm and you’ve been going since 5am-you’ll just be your fab kick ass self and make it look easy and beautiful! Even though your hours are crazier with Mateo now, the gear just gets heavier.
Maya, you are such an inspiration!
After having my second child at age 42 (I had my first at 31), I was totally unprepared for how little energy I had. Existing on next to no sleep and very little exercise, I felt completely exhausted and for more than a year after my baby was born. Not only that, but I felt frumpy since none of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit. Instead of getting off my butt and doing something about it, I had started to slip backward and gain back some of the weight I had lost. Ice cream had become my best friend.
I had read about the IC, and decided to give a one month Bootcamp Express membership to Jeremy for his birthday last October. At the time I didn’t even consider it for myself. Jeremy’s transformation was incredible, and a by March he had convinced me to try some personal training sessions. I can’t tell you how scared I was to start, since I still felt so weak. After a few weeks training with wonderful Mani, I started to feel my energy return. Now in my third month of Bootcamp, I feel like a different person. I have more energy for my work and my family. I can actually carry my baby for more than five minutes without my arms and back giving out. Several of my friends have even told me that I look fit (I don’t think anyone has ever told me that before!) I may still not fit into my old clothes, but now I don’t care. I actually feel good about myself for the first time in a year and a half. I am so grateful to everyone at the IC for motivating me to get moving again.
hey maya,
it’s so great to see you back at ice chamber. (you keep us all honest with our squats!).
when i started ice, lucas just turned 3. i weighed more then than when he was 12 months old. very disturbing to me.
my challenges of keeping the weight off started when lucas was eating regular people food. it was, and still is hard for me, to let food go to waste. so if i make dinner and he only takes a bite, i’m eating his leftovers, on top of what i made for myself. so i try to salvage what i can and put it in the fridge, but that’s not always practical – who wants day-old oatmeal or scrambled eggs – not me! so our dog benefits from lots of his left overs and i put a lot more in the compost.
you have dogs, so this could work for you. and if you don’t already have one, start a compost system – it’s good for your garden, good for the planet.
- sunny
Maya,
You look so incredible! I know I don’t have to tell you that your encouragement to give up carbs refined and add protein is largely responsible for my post-partum (if 3+ years is still post-partum) success. Since I’m blacberrying , I’l keep this short and share this latest triumph – I bought a new pair of jeans today. Size 2. Never in my life did I imagine telling the sales girl, “um, these 4s are a bit big.” Thank you thank you for the push. Let me know if I can fix you a no-carb lunch.
Michele, I was just taking a bunch of pictures of you the other day because I kept thinking, dang she looks great! Who would have guessed that your b-day present for Jeremy was truly a gift for us?
Sunny, I love the tips because like me, my dogs are never full. Your IC transformation has been incredible as well. (Indeed you have one of the prettiest free squats in the house.) Will you let me post before/after pics of you? I’m serious.
…and Ms. Shaw-ree, a size 2? Do you still want friends at the IC? Haven’t you seen the film Mean Girls? Just kidding, you already know we all want to look like you, beautiful one!
Renee, start writing that autobiography because we’re all going to want a copy! So. Freaking. Awesome.
This might be a lot to ask, but would anyone who is following a real low-carb/high protein meal plan be willing to keep a journal and publish it? I will do really well for short periods of time, but then I get really bored as I end up eating the same thing every day! I’d love some new ideas… My e-mail is jen@gripman.net if anyone would be willing to share their favorites. Thanks in advance!
Maya,
Maybe we can set up a seperate link and post daily entries to it. It will be good motivation for me after being in Maine – the land of fried everything, where cole slaw is considered a vegetable…