I want my children to remember I gave it my all.
Candice
When my children remember their childhood I want them to remember that their Mother gave it her all.” Being a Mom is the most amazing experience I have ever had. Before my first pregnancy I had been doing Crossfit competitions, maxing out on lifts and spending time in the gym with friends. I found out I was pregnant with my first baby boy. What an emotional experience. The love you feel is so special. So what did this mean for my workouts? Well my pregnancy wasn’t much different, I continued to workout until 8.5 months along doing scaled workouts when I had to but, overall enjoying myself. Trying to eat healthy but, with a busy lifestyle was a little challenging. In November 2012, I had our first baby boy. Pure bliss! So, as the weeks started to progress after delivery I could feel myself being happy about baby boy but, I was feeling bad about myself after about 8 weeks. I was expecting more of the weight the fall off. I mean I had the baby and was breastfeeding, that’s what they tell you to do to “lose baby weight” that wasn’t working. So, I decide to go to the gym, my second home. I get there everyone is happy to see me but, something is different. I feel self conscious, emotional both from hormones and because I can’t do what I could do before and also disappointed in my body. I didn’t meet myself where I was at that time. I didn’t give myself time to heal. Time to recuperate from having a baby. I felt judged by others that by a certain time I needed to be back to “pre-baby”. Well, let me tell you that didn’t help me. I went to the gym and went to the gym but, I was not mentally there. So, I decided to do my own workouts on the side of the WOD, I thought that would help me get ready again! lol I was wrong. I kept talking myself out of going back. It took me 2 1/2 years to lose my first baby weight. It took one of my long time friends to give me some tough love to make me realize no one thought about me the things I thought. It was all me!
Well just finished up round 2 of having a baby in March 2018…this time TWINS! Yes, I gained the entire 65lbs. that my doctor allowed! 🙂 But, this time I told myself the baby weight is going to be gone in one year. I gave myself more time and I set a goal. I gave myself time to heal. I went back to the gym at 8 weeks. I started by walking, pulling a sled with a light weight and doing farmers carries with 10lb dumbbells. I met myself where I was at the time. Yes, I was still judgmental of myself but, the more I judged myself the more I took that to push me harder. I would make myself do more the next day or week. I would increase my weight when I knew I was ready. I let the coaches help push me. I stayed away from the scale. I changed my diet a little at a time to make it something I could actually fulfill. I’m still mastering this! When I look in the mirror I try to see where I want to be not where I am. I think of what hard work will do for me and I stop feeling sorry for myself. The biggest emotional challenge has been to get out of my own head. Physically I have to remind myself I can’t do everything. A sit up? nope my muscles aren’t ready. Really! Just a sit up? Yes!
I am 6 months post partum and I have 18 lbs. to go to “pre-baby”.
Does my body look the same so far? no
Do I feel better? Yes
Do I feel more confident? Yes
Do I struggle sometimes and fail? Yes
Am I perfect? No, not by any means. I’m still trying to find my new normal.
Is it worth it? of course, I would go through this all again
Before I was pregnant last year I worked out 5 times a week and tried to eat as close to Whole30 as possible. I was very pleased with my body and what it could physically and emotionally accomplish.
My biggest challenge to getting back in the gym was no different than the first time. It was feeling guilty about taking that time away from the babies. But, last time it was fine and my little boy still loves the gym. He was doing squats alongside me a 2 year old maybe younger. He was doing push ups with me on my back when he was an infant. I decided I wanted to be a role model for him and this time for our new son and daughter. I want them to understand the importance of health and wellness both physically and emotionally.
Crossfit has been amazing for my self confidence and my emotional state. It helps stress relief and mindfulness at times. It helps me push myself to the limit and makes me feel stronger. I want to be a strong mom. It has helped me get a support system through other amazing women. It has shown me our Crossfit is a family. The people at our gym are part of our family, they jump in to help take care of the kids so I can finish my workout. They offer to babysit so we can go to dinner or spend time with our older son. It is such an amazing feeling to know you are not alone in your journey. And to that I say thank you to each of you.
“It is a shame for a women to grow old without ever seeing the strength and beauty of which her body is capable.” – Socrates
Enough about me, meet four other Moms from our gym that have been on the same journey…
Suzanne
Prior to pregnancy, I was at the gym 5xs per week, and active on my off days. My biggest challenge after delivery getting back to the gym is prioritizing time when I’m feeling tugged in many directions…working mommy, wife, etc. Sometimes I feel guilty going to the gym because I should be working, or fixing dinner, or playing with my baby, or cleaning the house, or hanging out with my husband. Yet, after going to the gym, I have more patience, more confidence, more energy, and overall, I just feel better about myself. Going to the gym also gives me time to see my friends! It’s hard as a new mom to find time to be social, so getting to the gym also helps with that! I haven’t had any physical or emotional issues coming back to the gym, it actually makes me feel better! Well, and super sore. 😊 Not sure what quote describes me, but it’s hard to manage all the priorities I have, so I just keep telling myself to keep trying! So “never quit”.
Jessica
What was your fitness regimen like before pregnancy?
I was very active 5 days a week with Weight lifting, Spin, Barre, and running 5ks. I actually found out about my pregnancy bc I took a test on a whim before I started to intensify training for a race. In my early 20s I was sedentary and overweight. I couldn’t even do an easy hike at Natural Bridge. So I was terrified of falling back into this lifestyle post pregnancy. I kept up a lot of my fitness routine throughout pregnancy, including running 5ks and a Sprint Triathlon at 12 weeks. I scaled back as my pregnancy progressed, but stayed active the entire time.
What was your biggest challenge to getting back into the gym after delivery?
Balancing with my pumping schedule and eventually with work. Feeling like I was supposed to be with my baby instead of doing something for myself.
How do you feel it has been on your social and family life? How has it helped?
The impact has been incredible. I have more stamina, so I feel more capable of handling all of the responsibilities I have to juggle. Working out helps me to be an overall better (nicer😂)person. It has helped me get to know many other moms going thru the same stage of life and reminded me that I’m not alone.
What are some of the physical and emotional obstacles you have had to overcome getting back into the gym?
Physically: having to scale EVERYTHING I did was frustrating. Not being able to run.
Emotionally: leaving my baby and being self-conscious about how I looked.
Give me a quote that defines you!
“Progress, not perfection!”
Allison
What was your fitness regimen like before pregnancy?
Before my most recent pregnancy I was working out to a moderate/high intensity about 4 days a week and lighter intensity the other 2-3 days.
What was your biggest challenge to getting back into the gym after delivery?
Resources like time and energy were biggies; But feeding schedules for the baby and physical restrictions following my third C-section also made getting back into the swing of things more difficult.
How do you feel it has been on your social and family life? How has it helped?
The connection between my physical and emotional body has become abundantly more clear as I have grown into a mother. Taking time to move my body and be active makes me a much more pleasant person to be around lol… less stressed and more patient…. and getting to spend time with other adults (gym friends) outside of the work setting is also a plus!
What are some of the physical and emotional obstacles you have had to overcome getting back into the gym?
The Physical changes after having my 3rd major abdominal surgery have been a significant obstacle to deal with; and then being a full time working mom with three kids makes it difficult to juggle all my responsibilities (professional life, spending quality time with the hubs, caring for children, taking care of myself physically and emotionally, dishes, laundry, after-school activities, cleaning, bathing myself and the children lol, etc). I am almost 9 months out from delivery and still do not feel completely healed; talk about physical and emotional obstacles! I keep trying to remind myself that recovery after birth takes time and I need to offer myself enough time, space, and compassion to heal.
Give me a quote that defines you!
“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” Mother Teresa
I try to practice presence as I move through my busy, fun-filled days as a mom. This quote reminds me that everything I need is here with me right now ❤️
Rachel
What was your fitness regimen like before pregnancy?
I was pretty active before pregnancy, going to the gym 3-5x per week. Once I got pregnant though, I had issues with piriformis and sciatic pain, so I just slowly stopped going at all by about my 5th month of pregnancy.
What was your biggest challenge to getting back into the gym after delivery? I felt so out of shape, I didn’t feel confident anymore. Also, juggling little sleep, a hectic work schedule, and having to bring my son with me seemed really intimidating. But I pushed through it anyway.
How do you feel it has been on your social and family life? How has it helped? It’s been great for my social life. I love seeing other strong women and moms pushing themselves to do seemingly impossible things. I’m not from this area, so it’s been awesome meeting new people. I feel like all I ever did was work a ton and then rush home before going to the gym. Getting to know some of the other gym members has been such a highlight in my fitness journey. As for my family life, I’m more relaxed, happy, and confident when I’ve been hitting the gym regularly. There are days when life gets in the way, whether baby is sick, or husband has to stay late at work, which can derail the gym for the day, but those days aren’t very often.
What are some of the physical and emotional obstacles you have had to overcome getting back into the gym? I was athletic my entire life. Played sports into college. Loved the gym. But I had never weighed as much as I did postpartum, and it was definitely a sore spot for me. I’d created this beautiful thing, but I was at war mentally with the mirror. I feel like the gym has given me my confidence back, which has seeped into other areas of my life, not just my physical appearance. I feel stronger, feel like I could defend myself and my son if something traumatic ever were to happen. But that first step in the door at CFSS was intimidating until I got through my first class, and then I was hooked.
Give me a quote that defines you!
“Some women fear the fire. And some simply become it”
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