New Weight Loss Journey as a Mom of Two

Hi friends!

As many of you know, I recently had my 2nd little angel, Kellan. We adore him so much and he’s growing too fast. I am soaking up all this snuggle time with him because before long he’ll be on the move. He is so precious!

I have to admit, it’s been five years since having my daughter and this pregnancy was tough. Not only did I start out this 2nd pregnancy 15 pounds heavier, I was not nearly as active as I was with pregnancy #1. The extra 15 pounds was just due to LIFE. Going out to eat, enjoying cocktails with my hubby, eating my daughter’s mac & cheese just because….so yeah, just life. Anyone feel me on that?

The Pregnancy Weight Gain:
I had morning sickness/nausea for about 12 weeks but over the course of pregnancy #2, I had about five sinus infections that kept me out of the gym. Four of those times I was on antibiotics and my doctor told me to stay out of the gym and rest. That’s like 4-5 months of not being consistently active. I gained about 50 pounds (or so) with my son (35 pounds with my daughter, pregnancy #1).

How I Felt:
The extra weight took a toll on me. My knees and joints ached more. I could simply turn the wrong way and my knee would hurt for a week. My body did NOT like the extra weight. Heartburn was a daily thing (pregnancy related but very uncomfortable). I felt like I carried a lot more fluid. Clothes didn’t seem to fit right. Even with my first pregnancy I felt cute and loved showing off the bump. This time around I just felt uncomfortable in clothes and like I was tugging around a ton of bricks. To add to that, my son was born at 9 pounds 7 oz, so I had a LOT of pelvic pressure during pregnancy due to him being big.

Simple tasks like stretching on the floor, playing with my daughter, bending down, tying shoes, cleaning the house, getting out of a chair, etc became difficult. When I first learned I was pregnant with baby #2, I vowed to myself to stay active and eat super clean because I was starting heavier weight-wise but yeah…..didn’t happen. My food was pretty healthy and I went out to eat less this 2nd time around versus my first…but the inactivity really did it. It definitely caught up with me and the times I did indulge just stored as extra body fat.

And let’s be honest here… I am 5’10. At my strongest and fittest point, I am about 145-150 pounds and 17-18% body fat. So starting out this pregnancy at 165 pounds, took me passed the 200 pound mark on the scale. That can really get to your head if you let it.

I knew it was only temporary though. Pregnancy is a season.

My highest scale weight this pregnancy (and of my life) was about 220 pounds at my last doctor appointment before giving birth at almost 41 weeks. I didn’t capture that exact weight on the scale on my camera because by that point, I was so “over it.” I just wanted to meet my little boy and not feel SO pregnant.

Despite the discomfort, I was grateful that I had a healthy pregnancy with no issues. No diabetes, pre-eclampsia, no bed rest, etc. I know many women dream of carrying a child so every time I felt like complaining I quickly found gratitude as the answer.

It still blows me away that I was about 200 pounds in college before kids. (Shocked emoji). I knew some of my weight gain with pregnancy #2 was fluid and a BIG BABY but I also knew I had some work to do once he arrived and I was cleared to workout again.

However, I do not feel the pressure I did after my daughter was born five years ago. I was really involved in the fitness industry then and set some unrealistic expectations to quickly get back in shape and do photo shoots/events.

I just want to feel good. After a year of discomfort and not feeling 100%, I want to work on being my BEST me in 2019-2020.

This time around it’s been nice to focus on my son’s needs and not worry about what people think I “should look like.” Even typing that out makes me sad for the younger me and the fact that I put myself through that is ridiculous. But hey, you live and learn.

So…to the GOOD part. LOL. This is where I am today. I am owning it. I feel good about my transition to a fit mama of two because I know what works.

I could hide these photos from the world and pretend they never happened but yeah….that won’t serve anyone.

I know many of you out there follow influencers who magically bounce back after having a baby and I am here to be transparent and tell you I am NOT one of those people. If I eat bad, I gain weight easily. If I am inactive for a few months, it shows up. The results I have gotten in the past were EARNED from hard work and consistency. Last year I was diagnosed with PCOS, which can also make losing weight more difficult (fun stuff!)

I have about 60 -70 pounds that I will be dropping over the next year.

I am not set on a number on the scale necessarily. I just want to feel fit, strong and athletic again. Mainly change my body composition and gain some muscle back.

Some of the weight I gained was baby (he was 9 lbs 7 oz), some of it was fluid but the rest was body fat. I will also note that my blood pressure has been a little elevated the last six months or so and I know I can correct that with nutrition going forward.

My goal is the be the BEST version of myself that I can be for ME, my family and friends. When we feel good, we show up for everyone else in the best way possible. Remember that. You cannot pour from an empty cup.

I want my kids to know health is a priority by MY ACTIONS, not just my words.

I will be documenting my nutrition and workout program as I go so that all of you may benefit from it as well. I am confident it will help a lot of people.

I will be updating this page as I go. I think it’s really cool to see the “in between” pictures of a transformation. That’s where the good stuff happens. That’s when you push yourself and really grow because you may not see results every week but you keep freaking pushing yourself.

Thank you for allowing me to be transparent with you all and share my REAL journey as a mom of two who loves fitness. At the end of the day, our babies are SO worth it and it’s amazing how much love I have for my two munchkins. God is good, y’all.

Love, Kelsey

Update #1: 10 Days Postpartum – 207 pounds
First photos (4/12/19): These photos were taken 9 days post C-section. Scale weight is down to 207 pounds. I am still really swollen and my tummy hangs down over my shorts, but it’s part of the process. Healing from a C-Section is new to me but I am pushing through it. The swelling is due to all of the fluids from having an epidural and C-section, etc. They will subside as the weeks go on. I am ready to wear cute shoes again!

Update #2: About 2 Weeks Postpartum (15 days) – 195 pounds
As of 4/18, I am down to 195 pounds and have dropped 25 pounds since giving birth. I am feeling good and have more energy. My C-Section incision is still healing but I have very little pain now which is a huge improvement from even a week ago. I am eating every 3 hours, 5-6 times a day. Each meal has about 20-30g of protein and carbs. I add in veggies where I can. I am also pumping breast milk for my son. Most of my swelling is gone in my legs and I can see my toes and ankles. YAY! I’ll add more pics soon!

Update #3: 3 Weeks Postpartum – 191 pounds (Down 29 pounds) –4/26/19
I went to the doctor this week for a follow up. My blood pressure was already dropping to a normal rate and I am down 29 pounds! YAY! That is a lot of fluid, 9 pounds of baby and a little bit of fat. The night sweats pretty much went away this week and then I woke up soaked again this morning. That’s usually when I show more pounds lost. I can tell my ankles are still holding a little swelling but nothing like before. I can sit on the floor with Brinkley and play dolls with her. She’s so happy!

My nutrition is this: I eat every 3 hours, 5-6 meals a day to increase my metabolism. Each meal has about 20-30g of protein and carbs. Two of those meals are IsaLean shakes. They’re so quick and so yummy! I have not been 100% perfect with my food these last 3 weeks. Turns out, it’s not easy to break a year’s worth of habits of eating whatevah you want and not really worrying! It’s okay though. It’s a process.

I have a feeling I am about done losing those immediate birth pounds and the remaining 40 pounds will have to be my nutrition and exercise. I should be cleared to work out in about 4 weeks but I can tell I am going to have to ease back into weight training. My incision is still pretty sensitive and after doing laundry yesterday, I was really feeling sore. Feeling good and can’t wait to see what the next month brings.