Can You Get Your Body Back While Breastfeeding?

SO first of all, I apologize for not posting for awhile - baby girl is now officially two months old, and my little family has my heart and much of my time lately ;)

BUT with that said, I've also been busy working on myself, taking care of my team, and my clients in my current 21 Day Fix challenge group, and planning future groups. And as I've been on this post-baby journey (especially while breastfeeding), I've found myself going through a whole range of emotions: frustration, excitement, concern, joy, etc.

Frustration because I had worked so hard and still gained weight (I know, I know - this one is just dumb - of course I gained weight with a baby!).

Excitement because it didn't take long to start seeing results with The 21 Day Fix after I started working out and creating a meal plan again.

Concern because the scale doesn't necessarily want to move as far as I'd like it to (I'll explain more later on, but for now just know the scale doesn't accurately reflect what's going on with your body - you'll see in the MANY pictures I have later).

In the hospital, the day after I had baby girl!

Joy because not only have I lost weight and inches already (today marks exactly two months after baby was born), but I also am able to share what has worked for me with other brand new Mamas who have partnered up with me and are now also seeing results with The 21 Day Fix :)

But to be up front, I seriously had my doubts about getting my body back (or really shaping my body at all) while breastfeeding. So this is my story, to share with you for encouragement!

"They" say that nursing burns calories, and that very well may be true - but when I was a new Mom with my son, I was also a closet binge eater. So those extra calories burned were pretty much lost as soon as my boy started screaming and I dove face-first into the pantry. And it also seems like when I'm nursing, my body holds onto the last ten pounds or so!

This time around, I worked hard to stay fit during pregnancy - you can read my story here, but I still had quite a bit of weight to lose afterwards (and I am of course still working towards my goals).

So I work out at home, around my own schedule, like all of my clients do. We just don't have time to find childcare, drive to the gym, change, wait for machines, shower, then drive back - it just won't work for us. So we push play for 30 minutes a day, which is SO feasible for us busy Mamas!

I started my workouts very slowly and gently two weeks after having baby. Which meant, yes, I made myself take the dreaded BEFORE pictures.

If you're wondering WHY before pictures are necessary, I'll explain more later on, but trust me, they are!

I've been exclusively breastfeeding my baby girl since day 1 (Can I go off topic and say how AMAZING it is to have a baby who latches on right away and just loves to eat? Total polar opposite of my first!). I knew I'd be making this post along the way, because I've always wondered if you truly can work towards getting your body back after baby if you're breastfeeding.

So I HEAVILY modified my first round of The 21 Day Fix after baby. I was very careful to speak with my Doctor first, who knew how active I was during pregnancy. Then, I modified almost every exercise and really listened to my body during recovery!

I have to add in the disclaimer: my specialty is basically being a crazy busy wife/mom/coach. I'm not a Doctor, nor am I giving medical advice - talk with your Doctor before beginning the 21 day fix, or any other exercise or nutritional program, ever, especially while healing after birth!

I absolutely LOVED my results from the first round of The 21 Day Fix.

I lost 8 pounds and twelve inches during my first round of The 21 Day Fix after baby.

I was feeling so good that I decided it was time to break out the bikini to track future progress. This only happens when I feel like you can see more of a difference with it.

After squeezing into my pre-pregnancy bikini, I remembered why I hate bikini pictures - I wanted to crawl into a hole! 

But I know from past experiences that the scale does NOT accurately define what's going on with your body when you are on this journey. So I took them and hid them on my phone!

I then jumped into PiYo for a week or so, and then went back to The 21 Day Fix with some TurboFire workouts thrown in for fun (I'm waiting for the new Cize workout to be released, so I did a hybrid of programs to keep me on track towards my goals until then).

I waited four weeks to measure my progress again, which is what I'm sharing here with you today.

I haven't lost much weight since that first day I stepped on the scale almost two months ago (18 pounds) - but I can feel my body changing and THAT is why pictures are so important!

 I've even seen a little bit of a booty lift post-baby, what?!?!

So CAN you change your body while breastfeeding? With the right tools, absolutely!

Now, you may also be wondering:

Can you lose weight/inches in your chest while breastfeeding? 

I have lost a total of 5 inches around my chest since my day 1 pictures. I would LOVE to work towards my goal of being a perky C cup, but being realistic, I'm not completely sure that'll happen while nursing. ;) But if it does, you know you'll be seeing it on here! ;)

Mama, if you're nursing your little one and wondering if this can work for you too, I encourage you to A) Speak with your Doctor about how many calories you need and to ensure you're cleared for exercise, and B) if you're looking for accountability with another nursing Mama, please feel free to Add me as a friend on facebook for support and we'll chat about getting you into my next online challenge group (which I also participate in) to keep you accountable through this time!