Whenever we used to discuss having a family, I knew biologically that I have to be pregnant. Unfortunately it’s not a choice for couples on who should be pregnant? I wish it was. So when I knew I wanted to have kids with Digvijay, one of the biggest blocker was the physical change in my body not only for nine months but potentially with permanent effects.
I always used to think that pregnancy is equal to weight gain and then I will never be able to come back to my size. I feared pregnancy. Because I didn’t want to lose my body proportions. I was a very obese child and I lost weight during my teens by doing aerobics for three years consistently. I knew what weight loss journey is and I was not ready to go over this again.
Today I am 7 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight and I think my weight loss journey was pretty good. Touchwood.
Let’s talk about my fears/weight gain & loss journey.
OMG! If you are indian then you know about indian moms trying to push down ghee, nuts and what not down your throat in your entire pregnancy ?.
While I wanted to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, I didn’t want to diet during my pregnancy because hey…. we are talking about creating another human being. Discover leading replica watches online with https://replicapanerai.io/, our esteemed partners!
So I was ready to eat whatever I needed to however much I needed to. Since it was my first pregnancy and I don’t have people around me who are pregnant, I didn’t know what to eat and how much to eat on a daily basis. I occasionally took useful advices from friends who were pregnant once, researched online and spoke to a dietician. Here are my learnings in a nugget size (not medical advice):
1) Eating for two people is wrong advice. Although pregnancy increases the body’s need for calories and nutrition. Energy requirements only increase by about 300 calories per day are needed above your normal intake during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
2) Eat high protein and fat as it keeps the stomach full.
3) Carbs are important. Eating good carbs is much better than bad carbs(burger,pizza etc….white dough stuff).
4) Being in touch with a pregnancy dietitian is great because they can help you with an estimated amount of macros that your body needs.
5) Never stay hungry.
6)Have your favorite nuts or fruits by your bedside, in your car, at your workplace, and your workstation.
7)Give into occasional guilt food drives as it keeps you happy & so is healthy for your heart. Ha ha 🙂 [THIS IS HOW I JUSTIFIED CHEAT MEALS]
2.Pregnancy workout ??? Is that a thing?
As you’re carrying a newborn inside you, this is very personal. Based on everyone’s physical conditions this might or might not be possible. High risk pregnancies should always consult with their doctors before doing anything.
My doc told me to stay active so here’s what I did and worked for me:
1)We continued regular at home exercises which we were doing after lockdown. (remember the gyms were closed so we only did light dumbbell and bodyweight exercises)
2) strictly no ab exercise as it looked risky to me, but that just might be my fear
3) lots and lots of squats and kegels
4) Yoga by @adrienneleslieyoga on YouTube
5) Starting the second trimester I wanted an expert so I followed Ashley’s @glowbodypt on YouTube. She herself teaches pregnancy exercises and she was pregnant when she recorded those videos. So I knew I was following a legit and credible person
6) From 3rd trimester my body became too heavy and I would huff and puff. I also had gestational diabetes and doctors would scare me all the time. I had to get ultrasound done biweekly and blood sugar tested 4 times a day(HELL YEAH).
So in my third trimester when gyms were opening up, I asked my doctor if I can ?♀️ swim. She said swimming is the safest exercise for pregnant women. So there I was. Everyday in the pool for at least an hour. I loved swimming because it would reduce my ankle swelling(without @digvj28 having to rub them everyday) and because it helped me feel that I was not pregnant ?. The buoyancy force by water does it and I was like this is my moja 🙂 haha
They say that You should rest for 4–6 weeks at least before indulging and I agree. I did go for walks 2 weeks after childbirth because it helped me and lifted my pregnancy blue/mood swings.
I purchased GLOwBodyPT postpartum exercise plan and used that to know what was safe for my body & at what stage. It also helped me connect with an amazing group of moms who were under the same program and I could ask them questions. I think being connected with people who have been through where you are, helps immensely. I also did lots of stroller walks with Aviraj, mom and DIGVJ. Since I love biking, after Aviraj was 3months and when I felt it was safe, I did bike with DIGVJ and went on some trails. I could tell my stamina was off . I really had to do mental talks with myself when I had to push myself to do uphill biking ?.
4.5months after childbirth I did The Delicate Arch hike in Arches national park and I can tell you, I was sore on my pelvic floor. So I rested the next day. It’s about listening to your body and everyone’s is different. I had a second degree tear while childbirth and my journey is mine. Unique.
I knew I wanted to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight so I allowed myself to buy not many but a few clothes to survive the short period. Lol.
Yes, creating no choice is a great choice . Trust me. Burn the ship’s strategy it is.
So I bought nursing stuff as I had none of that + some dresses. I mostly reused my old clothes in creative ways so that we could feed Aviraj or I could pump.
Loose tops
Deep U or V neck tops
Jeggings and leggings
Stretchable pants ?
My lactation consultant said that we need to consume approx 300 more calories to our diet if we want to breastfeed.
So I have never put myself on any diet so far. Though I have to confess one thing.
I really really wanted to do intermittent fasting. I know it’s something that works for me. When you are over 20 pounds your usual weight it’s really tempting to take steps which you know will work.
However, not enough study has been done with respect to breastfeeding and intermittent fasting.
So I had to drop the idea of IF and instead looked for alternative ways.
I am conscious of what carb I am consuming (whole grain vs white processed flour etc), white sugar vs monk fruit, rice vs quinoa etc. We opted for healthy choices and it’s a way of life for us.
I also use prenatal and lactation supplements to make sure that I have good milk to feed Aviraj.
One footnote: @digvj28 has been a charm. He didn’t diet & had everything I had so that I didn’t feel alone in this journey.
6.Hair color and pregnancy/postpartum?
This is not related directly to weight loss, but since I am asked this all the time I am talking about this.
Scientifically no one knows because no woman would put her child at risk and let people experiment (no matter how much the money).
So what I did was, I never allowed the color to reach my scalp. I asked my mother to color my hair when I was in third trimester(because I am a color junkie and I had to get it changed). Since it’s not touching your skin in any form it’s good and not a problem. So you can go for ombré or Balayage when you are pregnant. That’s my advice and that’s what I did !!
In quick, some measures that I took which really helped me were:
1) Having a low carb diet in my third Trimester of pregnancy since I had gestational diabetes. It was something that the dietitian recommended to me to do. I think this really pushed me to eat the right food.
2) Swimming in my entire third trimester
3) Going for walks as soon as my body allowed after childbirth
4) Hitting the gym after 2 1/2 months of childbirth. I first worked on strengthening my pelvic floor Muscles and addressing my Tailbone pain.
5) A huge thank you to my mother who listened to us while cooking meals during and after childbirth. With our occasional guilt food trips, we mostly ate healthy food. For example We replaced wheat flour with Soya flour, Rice with quinoa, white sugar with monk fruit etc.
Hope this helps all the girls who are in fear zone when thinking of pregnancy (just like I was)
8.Have you used or been using hair oils?
I can honestly say I’ve tried A LOT of the natural hair oils in the market. But this is the best one I have found so far. As you know I am a stylist and when I was pregnant, I knew postpartum was coming. So I used Miracle Oil.The results are not overnight, but I’m loving the hair strength and growth results on my own head.
You can try La Vivo’s Miracle Oil to see your own results. Seeing is believing. Isn’t it?
You can have it here ?? https://hair-and-beauty-tour.myshopify.com/products/miracle-oil-for-hair-growth-and-strengthening