Keep on keeping on...

Well it is almost summer and I am so excited!  I am excited that Marley loves building sand castles and can actually swim with me this year (somewhat:)  I am excited to have baby Jonah at the beach eating sand and splashing in the water.  This first time we took him to the beach a couple weeks ago he literally crawled his way about 15 feet to the water.  It was like a baby sea turtle making his way to the ocean ~ all you saw were these two tracks.  So cute!  I am excited that we might be moving soon ~ still listed and waiting but it could happen!  Man I hope it does!  I am excited to take the kids camping and boating.  One other thing that I am super pumped about is the new me physique wise.  I think this is the first time in my life I have actually felt comfortable and confident in a two piece bathing suit.  I am the most fit I have ever been and the most healthy though my husband and I have led a healthy lifestyle for many years in terms of eating and being active.  But I have really kicked it up a notch and I am still training at Excel http://excelfit.ca 4 to 6 times a week ~ 45 minute classes.  I am down another 5lbs and now am working at maintaining ~ which isn't really work at all as it is pretty much the new normal.  I really do crave the awesome workout sessions and LOVE leaving there drenched in sweat ~ literally dripping.  I rarely have any 'bad' cravings for things I used to like mocha frappicinos and other sweets.  I do eat a lot and I pretty much eat all day ~ healthy veggies, fruits, grains, etc.  I also have a couple water bottles I keep filled all day that I drink (if my daughter doesn't drink it first lol!)  I do have a cookie every now and then, I do have other treats once in a while ~ who doesn't like an ice capp in the summer heat!  But I just make sure I am balanced in my diet and maintain my activity level.  Here are some pics of the current me when I first put on my bathing suit (it's an old bathing suit but it was expensive and it fits fine:)
Let's keep in mind that I have a 26 month old little girl and a 9 month old baby boy so yes it is possible mamas ~ if I can achieve this so can you<3

Side note ~ I have always had a bum and bigger legs since I can remember ~ this is the first time since I was probably 13 that I have had a space between my inner thighs and a smaller toned bum!  My body has completely changed! 

Holy calves batman!

Marley is my trainer:)

So last August when I was about to deliver Baby Jonah I was 185 ~ had Baby Jonah on August 22, 2012 (he was 8lbs 6oz) and about 2 weeks later weighed myself and I was 170 or so.  I started back at the gym about 5 weeks postpartum (heal time from a natural birth compared to my daughter's c-section was sooooo different!).  I was going to my gym classes about 3 times a week but my eating habits in terms of consistency, etc. were not great nor was I getting much sleep ~ which is bound to happen when you have a new baby, a 2 year old and they are sharing a room in our 2 bedroom townhouse! AHh! Oh and breastfeeding exclusively and sure your body holds onto some nourishing fat for that:)  SO not much progress made for the next few months and then I find myself at 165 and it's December ~ complete bummer and sure doesn't help with one's self esteem when you are so hormonal:) Decided it was time to kick it into high gear and what better way to do that than to sign up for the "60 DAY FITNESS CHALLENGE" Excel Fitness http://excelfit.ca was holding.  Weighed in on January 6 and I was 165 of lovely mama body.  Measurements done.  So from that moment I started to go to gym classes 5-6 days a week (keep in mind these are 45 minutes at a time ~ perfect mama break for a breastfeeding mom that has to get back to feed a little guy!).  I made sure my diet was healthy, consistent and balanced.  Nothing extreme ~ just eat good food and do it all the time (like 6 meals a day~pretty much a grazer) AND drink a ton of water!  We do eat a lot of organic and unprocessed food so it wasn't that much of a change ~ just keeping on top of it!  Fast forward 60 days ~ I win the challenge ~ YAY!  Lost over 20 pounds in 60 days ~ more importantly lost a lot of inches and body fat plus gained a lot of muscle.  Oh and another side note ~ I have PUBIC SYMPHOSIS INSTABILITY from back to back babies ~ pretty much the joint holding my 2 large pelvis bones in loosey goosey ~ BAD NEWS I CAN'T DO ANYTHING 1 LEGGED!  No lunges, no running what so ever, no balance on one leg crap, no star jumps, no mountain climbers, nothing!  So guess what ~ my instructors helped my modify (along with advice from physio and chiro)  I started this process not being able to walk much without pain ~ limping around a lot of the day.  So these were my keys moves that I still do a lot of today:

1. SQUATS are your best friend ~ grab a kettle bell and do some shoulder presses while you are at it:) turn it up a notch and jump while you are it or stay down and pulse.  Either way you don't need a gym to do squats:)

2.  BURPEES ~ I have to step back one leg at a time so I am not the fastest but boy is it good cardio!

3.  SKIPPING ~ while others were doing sprints, I would be skipping ~ I now can skip for a few minutes straight and fast too:)

4.  SPIN ~ no matter how you look at it cycling provides a great workout! 

In addition to all that I do strength training, stretching, some core work (lots of glute bridges to help with my pelvis), and sometimes when I am feel strong I will do stairs but the moment I am hurting I pull back otherwise I will have a rough next day.  I am now able to run a bit (say around the bases when I play ball) but running is still quite the struggle for me.  SO yep I lost all these inches, all this weight and didn't run a mile!  

Fast forward to NOW:  I weigh roughly 135 ~ I have dropped a couple more % of body fat as well.  I am now wearing a size 8 which is the smallest I have been since I was about 12! LOL!  It's really not about the size to me ~ I just wanted to fit into clothes without being uncomfortable.  I wanted to feel strong and help heal my injury.  I just want to feel great and looking great is fun too!  I will never be a skinny girl as I am naturally a muscley person ~ and I am super happy to be that way!  I mean check out the biceps and the calves in the pictures above ~ Love it!  Things are just so much easier when you are in great shape ~ climbing the stairs while holding a 2 year old in one arm and a car seat with a 21 pound 9 month old in the other arm, cleaning the house, running errands, etc.  It is all easier and it feels awesome to just go into my closet and grab whatever and throw it on without worrying about it being tight.  I now throw things on and am like "damn too big!"  Now that is rewarding!  

I am still breastfeeding A LOT so even though my plan is to lose about another 10lbs, tone up more, get rid of some more body fat (2% more), I am just maintaining where I am at right now and staying healthy and nourished so baby Jonah can reap the benefits:)  Thinking come September I am going to kick it up one more notch, train a little harder and reduce calories a tiny bit while fuelling my body for the kickass classes I will be doing. 

Right now I am happy.  Right now I am proud.  Right now I am feeling great and that's exactly where I want to be.  And it doesn't hurt that my stretch marks have almost disappeared since I have toned up my tummy!  And I hope some mom is reading this out there and gets inspired to push themselves to where she is feeling strong and healthy:)  Ha perfect timing ~ guess who just woke up looking for a boob ~ nope it's not Paul;)  I am on my way baby Joe<3