I gained 45 pounds when I was pregnant with Peanut. I ate like a horse because 1) I was hungry 2) I’ve always eaten like a horse with no consequences and 3) if you can’t eat like a horse when you’re pregnant, then when can you? Pregnancy was not a time when I thought I looked my best. People tell you that you look so pretty and glowing, but I felt like a swollen toad. I was a swollen toad. My legs were so swollen they hurt and no amount of watching my sodium intake helped.

So, after Peanut’s birth, I left the hospital 15 pounds lighter, but still pretty swollen. Weeks went by and the swelling went away, but the body didn’t quite bounce back that quickly. I don’t know how many people told me stories about how 6 weeks after they had their babies, they were back in their jeans again. They. Were. Lying. Immediately after I had Peanut, I started watching what I ate so I could lose the extra weight I had left. By the 6th month, I still wasn’t in my jeans. Just trying to eat better wasn’t working for me. I decided to take drastic measures (aka exercise.) I’m an extremely active person, (except when I’m parked here on my can blogging). It actually makes me angry to just sit around. My nerves go awry and I end up lashing out at people. I have to be doing something. But, my definition of doing wasn’t working. I had 12 pounds to lose and it had collected right around my middle. The hardest place to lose weight.

This is when Tony Horton became my hero and The Abs Diet taught me how to really eat right. I started doing Power 90. NOT P90x, but the Power 90 at home boot camp. It kicked my dog. I was terribly out of shape. Two days after I started the regimen, I was in so much pain I could barely move. I actually had to take a break for 3 days in order to recuperate. (BCAA was an invaluable supplement at that point. It made a marked improvement in my muscle recovery time.) I was dedicated, though. See, the reason it’s called Power 90 is because you have to religiously do it for 90 days. Six days a week. It’s a committment, for sure, but I was so happy with the results that I started recommending it to everyone. My arms got more toned, my legs got more toned, and the fat around my middle was melting off. My energy level really improved, too.

Then, I stopped seeing as much progress, so I decided to try The Abs Diet. Tony Horton has a meal plan, too, but it was way too rigid. No caffeine? I’ll pass. And you slowly wean yourself off of meat and I like meat. A lot. I read The Abs Diet and it was a total game changer for me. I highly recommend it. It changed the way I think about food, but I didn’t feel like I was sacrificing much because the food’s you can have are foods I really like. And you get 1 cheat meal a week. (I actually took more like 2 or 3 and still saw a lot of progress.) At first, I got hungry some, but you eat every 2 hours, so that definitely helps. Then, my body acclimated to that eating pattern and I was good to go from there. I lost all the weight and my arms and legs never looked better. I was back in my size 4 at 60 days, but I finished it all the way through and still continue to do the work out. Just not as religiously. But, I do still follow The Abs Diet pretty close for maintenance.

I’m still a little looser around the middle than I used to be, but that’s just what babies do to you, I’ve decided. (That was my disclaimer so you wouldn’t be too critical of me.) But, I wanted this post to be the introduction of a new category of my blog. I’m all about finding healthy recipes for my family, foods that boost metabolism, helpful facts about weight loss, and anything else that has to do with healthy living. I’ve found some really delicious recipes and concoctions that don’t make me feel guilty and I’ll be sharing them with you from now on along with all my other daily ramblings.

Again, if you want something that works and you’re in it for the long haul, this works! 3 months is really not that long. You just have to be dedicated and make time. There were nights I would come home from work, put Peanut to bed, and be in my living room at 9:00 just starting the workout. It’s only 30 minutes long for Phase 1-2, so it’s really not that bad and soooo worth it when you feel good and know that the fuel that you’re feeding your body is the most efficient, high-octane fuel you can give it.

I’ve blabbered about it long enough, so ta-ta for now, but if you want to know more or have questions, feel free to contact me.

Not a fitness guru, just know what worked for me,

The Dairymaid

This is not a paid advertisement for Power 90 or The Abs Diet. I’m just passionate about the combo and wanted to share.