Postpartum Baby Weight: Featuring FitTrack Scale

 Hey mamas!

Baby weight. Whoa. What a heavy subject, literally and figuratively. Maybe for some of you, you've been able to elegantly and gracefully handle the pregnancy and postpartum weight like a champ. Maybe you have thoughts such as, "I love my body!" or "I just birthed a baby, of course, I have a ways to go." or "My body is rockin'." And maybe for others of you (those who I secretly love to hate - kidding, not kidding), you lose the baby weight within a matter of weeks or even months, so baby weight is a non-issue for you. Go YOU. Seriously. Okay, maybe I'm a little jealous...

When it comes to me, little old perfectionist, overachieving me... the same girl who had weight issues / an eating disorder in high school that took several years to overcome, I will be honest and say that I am not above the pregnancy and postpartum weight. The topic has been a raw source of heartache for me. When I got pregnant for the first time, seeing my body change and the scale go up was hard, and losing the weight? Oh, don't even get my started. Okay, well I'm already started, so here it goes...

My first pregnancy, I gained double the allotted weight requirement. Yes, I gained sixty pounds, and cried about it on a daily basis. Thankfully, I was able to lose the weight within a year without doing much of anything, but it certainly was a journey, folks. Then, my second pregnancy, I was older, wiser, and knew better than to eat for two. I really watched my diet and started exercising regularly over those nine months. I was beyond proud when I had only gained thirty pounds and knew I'd lose the weight in a matter of months because of how little I had gained. Oh, but no. Fate wanted to teach me a lesson, and my body clung to the baby weight for dear life. I couldn't drop an ounce of the 12 pounds I had to lose since I left the hospital. Not just that, I started gaining weight at six months postpartum. I got up to eighteen pounds over my ideal weight and had meltdowns regularly.

Not just that, but I spent thousands of dollars trying to figure out why I wasn't losing weight. What was wrong with my body? Why was I gaining weight postpartum? Even when my diet and exercise routine were still the same, if not even better and cleaner!?

I am the QUEEN of obsessing over post-baby weight loss. For gosh sakes, I started a company surrounding the topic of postpartum weight called the Postpartum Slimdown. If there were a reality show I were to ever be on it would be called “Losing the Baby Weight.” Seriously. I’m obsessed. To say that I've had heartache over pregnancy weight gain would be an understatement. But now that I've gone through this whole gain weight and lose weight thing three times, I have a little bit of perspective that I wanted to pass on from one pregnancy weight gain obsessor to another.

In hindsight, the weight I needed to lose wasn't on my body, but rather was in my mind. So, here are things to keep in mind on your journey....

1. The weight will come off ... eventually. Praise Jesus, am I right? If I knew that I would eventually lose the weight the first and second time around, I probably wouldn't have been so mental about it. The thought that my body might be like this forever scared me. Now that you know you'll lose the weight, what's the catch? The catch is: it'll take time. Give yourself at least a year; maybe two. I’m a firm believer that if you’re motivated enough, the weight will eventually come off. Some people may hate me for saying this, but if you don't have a medical condition, such as a thyroid issue or hormone issue or anything like that, you should be able to eventually lose the majority of the baby weight if you feel inclined to. That said, it won't come off over night. There are likely several factors contributing to why it will take you longer than you'd like to lose the weight. This includes things like breastfeeding, which I will get to in a second. But, yes girl, you will lose the weight, it will take time, and this should give you perspective over the heartache you may be feeling.
2. Don’t let the extra weight monopolize your mind space. I know this point is hard coming from a pregnancy/postpartum weight obsessor myself. And I know that if you're anything like me that you'll have a tendency to obsess. I think it's okay to monitor and consider the weight you've gained and the weight you may need to lose, I mean, we are only human, right? But to obsess about it daily is only going to hurt you... and your baby. When you start to obsess, refer to step #1 and remind yourself that it will happen, eventually. The mind space you're using to obsess is taking away from love you should be feeling towards your new baby. Again, refer to #1. You’ll get there eventually so stop dwelling!
3. Breastfeeding may hinder your ability to lose weight. So buckle in, invest in some new clothes and enjoy this time. Y’all. I spent thousands of dollars trying to figure out if I had a thyroid issue or what the heck was wrong with my body after I couldn’t lose the 12 lbs that never left my hips after I left the hospital (and started GAINING postpartum weight). I thought something was wrong with me. Turns out it was breastfeeding hormones. I can see that now in hindsight, but once again, had I understood this, it might have saved me some money and been a little easier on me, mentally. In the meantime, what I wish I would have done was invested in some comfy clothes that were flowey, or baggy enough to make me not think about my weight, or rocked bigger sized clothes without second-guessing my body. This time of breastfeeding and snuggling your little one is very short-lived. You'll never do it again, unless you're fortunate enough to have consecutive babies. Savor it. Live it up. Hold onto the extra pounds for the sake of breastfeeding. If you enjoy it, it's worth it. Plus, the weight will be ten times easier to lose once you've stopped. Trust me. I've tried. Trying to lose weight while nursing is a losing battle that you won't want to fight.
4. Unfollow anyone who makes you feel less than. Seriously. Life is too short to follow people who make you question who you are. That girl who just birthed a baby and is in a bikini two weeks after? Unfollow. That girl on The Bachelor who is a size 0 and flaunts it? Unfollow. That mom influencer who shows off her six pack after giving birth? Unfollow. It's not about hate towards these people or even jealousy, but instead, it's about protecting your heart. This is a vulnerable time. Trust me. If you continue following these people, which half the time what they post is an illusion (trust me, I do it too!), then that is on you. It's as easy as clicking the "unfollow" button. Do it. You'll feel better! And in the meantime, stop comparing yourself to friends like Cindy who lost the baby weight in 2.5 seconds. She is a freak of nature and not the norm. And most importantly, she's not you. Ugh, I am the worst at comparing myself to other women, but it self-sabotages and does nothing to push me closer to my goal. In the meantime, embrace your curves, put on some confidence and own your body, queen. 

Tips for Losing the Baby Weight

Okay mamas, only when the time is right and you are ready to hit it hard to lose that baby weight, here are my recommendations. Again, you'll be the most successful after you have stopped breastfeeding and have given yourself at least six months post-baby for your hormones to chill out. The magic time for me is around a year postpartum.

​Here we go:

1. Start a diet program. I recommend the Postpartum Slimdown. Yes, this is the company that I founded, but it's based on a system created by a holistic MD. I merely sell the same program that he used on me when I struggled to lose the baby weight and nothing else worked. What is it? First and foremost, check out the website, but essentially it is a shake fasting program that you can do for either three, five or seven days. That means only shakes, no food, for the duration of time that you choose. All of the products are medical grade, and the program has four pillars in that it... 1) reduces inflammation 2) practices calorie restriction 3) removes waste and 4) improves gut health. Y'all, I swear when I say that this was the only thing that worked for me. I don't make enough money selling it for it to be a moneymaker; I'm just passionate about how it helped me and needed to share it with other women! If this program doesn't sound appealing, consider Weight Watchers, keto or the Whole 30. Those programs didn't work for me. I needed something more aggressive, and I liked that the program used simple shakes rather than obsessing about food and what to eat.
2. Start an exercise program. Exercising is amazing for many reasons. It makes us feel GREAT, it gives us energy, it tones and keeps us healthy. That said, exercising shouldn't be the main tool that you use to lose weight. Instead, use exercise for toning, energy and health maintenance. Weight loss happens in the kitchen, while toning and stamina happen in the gym. 
3. Invest in a good scale. I am obsessed with the FitTrack Scale, so much that it deserves it's own talking points...

The FitTrack Scale

Some people are anti-scales. I get it. I used to be one of those people. I thought that scales made me obsessive, and in some ways they do. But when your goal is to lose weight, nothing better will hold you accountable than a scale, and not just any scale. What I love about the FitTrack scale is that it utilizes a free app on your phone that syncs to the scale. Among other things, the app tracks 17 indicators including:

• Body Weight 
• BMI
• BFR
• Muscle Rate
• Body Water
• Bone Mass
• Metabolic Age
• Weight History
• Allows you to add up to 8 profiles per smartphone device

​..and several other factors. By tracking your data daily, you will be held accountable. You'll be able to see where you've started and how far you've come with the app's history​ feature. Not just that, but you can add multiple people, so if you wanted to partner up with your spouse for further accountability, y'all can each have a profile.

The great thing about this scale, especially for athletes like myself, is that you'll be able to see how your weight loss regimen is affecting your body in ways other than the scale. Maybe you've gained more muscle, this may mean more weight, but a higher muscle rate. 

Summary

In sum, the weight you may need to lose after baby may not be on your body. For the first year, you'll need to consider any negative self-talk about your body and throw it out the window. Enjoy this time with your baby and try your best to love your body. It gave you the greatest gift of all and should be celebrated, no matter what the size. And then, when the year is up (or whatever time you determine is adequate) and you're ready to hit it hard and lose the baby weight, check out the Postpartum Slimdown Program and purchase a FitTrack Scale, and you'll be on your way to pre-baby weight in no time. You got this, mamas!

*This content has been sponsored by FitTrack.

Use code "BROOKE20" for 20% off your FitTrack Scale.

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