Postpartum Update: One Year Later

I feel like I'm constantly updating people on my postpartum weightloss status {because it's all I can fucking think about - kidding, kidding - or am I?} But in any case, I thought I would do sort of an official update. I mean, Memorial Day weekend has passed, it's the unofficial start of summer and it's been a year since I had Farrah, so this is as good of a time as any to put it all out there.

This last year has been a mental and physical struggle. I've worked hard...I've fallen off the bandwagon a couple times {no longer than a week}, but for the most part, I've eaten clean and I've been dedicated to my workouts, be it 4am or 4pm, or both some days. I sincerely cannot believe how hard it has been this time. My body is fighting me so hard...or at least it's making me put up a good fight to get it where I want to be. I don't remember it being so hard before. When you go from having babies at 22 and 27, to having one again at 31, it's amazing to see the difference. I've always kept myself healthy and in good shape, so I never thought my metabolism would become an issue. I won't call it any sort of medical issue, as it's certainly not that drastic, but when you are constantly in a mode of health and fitness, you definitely notice the subtle changes in your body and the way it performs, or reacts to your performance. I've come to accept the reality that my body in its 30s needs to be clean-fed a lot more than it used to in order to maintain the size I want.

So all that said, I can proudly say I am at my pre-prego weight. 57 lbs in one year is no joke and no easy feat. I have to allow myself to be so proud of that accomplishment. However, I've been better than this and getting back to that was always the goal. So while I fit in my old clothes, I know I could look a lot better in them, so I definitely am making no plans to stop and maintain here. I truly have about 10-15 lbs-ish to go. I say "ish" because I don't generally use weight as the defining point, as I know that it really all depends what I have muscle vs. fat. But I know that getting where I want to be will likely having me weighing somewhere in that range less than I do now. And we all know, those last crazy 10-15 lbs, just to get you tight and toned are THE HARDEST to lose and require the most effort. Daunting when you feel like you've been giving pretty damn good effort for the last year.

Here is what I know now...I'm fairly happy in a bikini. This is a major milestone in this journey. I can bare it all and while it ain't perfect, it also ain't half bad. And hey, my super cute husband likes it...that's all that matters, right?

So that being said, I had a bit of a cheat week last week...it was a holiday weekend, I was enjoying myself and letting loose and I wasn't worrying about my weight as much as I have been for the last 365+ days. But as all good fitness fanatics do, we get back on track. It's all about balance.

I am stoked about Farrah's new single jogging stroller that should be on my doorstep today when I get home. I sold the double last week, so was without one that could even go on sand {which hurt me a bit this past weekend at the beach}. The plan is to take her on a 30+ minute jog each evening after I get her all in her jammies in order to help wind her down so she hopefully doesn't whimper as much when I put her in the crib for bed. {It has been a harder transition getting her to bed now that she doesn't have formula to help knock her out...she definitely gives me a guilt trip each night now and it breaks my heart.} I think these strolls will be nice for us together and running 30 minutes a day definitely will help my figure!

Additionally, I'm back to my weekly workout planning. I hadn't written one out the last couple of weeks and sort of winged it, but it definitely helps me to see my plan written out and know what I'm doing next. I'm a visual person and I think visualizing myself going and doing the plan I've set out for each day helps me to actually go and do it.

Anyway, it was a year ago to the day that I wrote my first postpartum update post and these were the pictures of me I posted back then. When I see these, I think "what a difference!" Sometimes I forget where I started and it's always good to look back and get some real perspective. I'm going to keep kicking ass, y'all!

This is a picture I took of myself the other day, not really a good profile picture to compare, but you can definitely tell I've made progress. Here's to another year of continual improvement! xo

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Five on Friday

This week has been a busy one. I'll just get right into it.

{one}

If you saw my posts earlier this week, you know that we celebrated Farrah's 1st birthday on Saturday with a rainbow-themed bash.

It was bittersweet, definitely. My baby girl, my last baby, is not going to be a "baby" much longer. She will be toddling before I know it.

{two}

In addition to already being emotional about her big milestone, on Monday I was hit with Breckin's Pre-K graduation {Lord, please take it easy on me, geez!} Breckin was fantastic...he is such a crowd-pleaser and definitely stole the show. The audience was completely tickled by him and his antics on stage. He is such a cute little guy with an awesome personality.

Oh my God...tears in my eyes...I was so glad I was able to snap such an amazing picture of him on his way to the stage. Now onto Kindergarten. {Cue more tears here...of the crocodile variety.}

{three}

So with Farrah having turned one, that also means it marked one year of me working to lose the 57 lbs I gained with her. I'm still sitting at a lb shy of pre-baby weight {and holding, apparently} but I know the body works in interesting ways and I've been putting on muscle mass lately, so it's going to not show a change in the scale so much, but it will show a difference in inches. I'm feeling good in my clothes and I'm back in a bikini. This is where I'm at a year later.

I've got work to do, but I'm proud of what I've accomplished because I knew where I started and it was a big feat in front of me at that time. Third baby and in my thirties...I guess it's true what they say {at least for me}.

{four}

I'm finally going to clear my garage of my pile of  "stuff to sell" and have a yard sale tomorrow. I think I'm going to have mimosas ready to go because it is so buh-oring...to sit out there for five hours. I hope it's a good day and that it ends up being worth it. I am making myself take the leftovers to Goodwill this time...no matter what it is. It all just needs to go...I hate clutter and I know how I feel when it's all gone is worth way more than what I could ever sell it for...so it shall be donated at the very least.

But I swear I take things in as fast as I clean things out. I found this gorgeous antique vanity {I have wanted one to makeover forever}. I am picking it up this weekend and I think I am going to paint it white and give it some updated hardware. It is gorgeous, isn't it?

{five}

Farrah had her one year check up at the doctor yesterday...she's still at the 97th percentile in both height and weight and holding. She was happy and playful all throughout the appointment until it was time for shots {I always hate that part, but I don't know who doesn't.}

This morning was sad for me because I gave her her last bottle of formula...it was sad to look at her so sweet, cradled in my arms and eating...I'm going to miss that. But she's been doing great with the transition to milk...yesterday she had no formula at all and did incredibly well. I am going to be feeding her primarily table foods now, rather than baby food.

Hope y'all have a great weekend! I hope to get some pool or beach time for sure!

Linking Up With: Hello, Happiness! // The Good Life // A. Liz Adventures // Carolina Charm // Lauren Elizabeth // Meet @ The Barre //September Farm // The Farmer’s Wife // All The Joys // Momfessionals

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Five on Good Friday

Happy Good Friday to you! Many of you are lucky enough to have this day off, or already stay at home and may be enjoying Spring Break with your kiddos. I am doing neither! Regular work day for me over here.

 

But nonetheless, I'm happy it's Friday, I'm ready to have a great weekend and celebrate Easter with my family! On to my five...

{one}

I left you on Wednesday with some ramblings about my future and some plans I have. I mentioned that as of next month I may no longer be at Boeing. Well, I received the news yesterday that they'd like to extend me into July...and at that point there may be permanent opportunities. So that's good news - and I'm always open to possibilities. Either way, I'm going to enjoy the extra income for another few months. However, my heart is really leading me to what I was discussing Wednesday, so we will see how it all turns out. Good news is though, I received news that I've been invited to audition for a barre instructor position at a local barre studio. I'm not sure when that is yet, but they'd like me to come in as much as I can this month to take classes at a steep discount, in order to familiarize myself with their method.

{two}

I have wanted the Goddis Linsey cardigan for so long now. On a whim this morning, I decided to look it up on Revolve again to see if it price-dropped or if maybe they had a few new patterns. It was originally priced at $215.00 and I had not seen it go down in price. Unfortunately, I'm unable to drop that on a cardigan! This was the one I'd been eyeing:

{via}

I couldn't believe it when it said it was discounted to $121.00 and there was only one left...AND it was my size. You know I put it in my cart. Being the resourceful gal that I am, I looked up discount codes on Retail-Me-Not and found that if you use their app, you get 15% off your first purchase. So, I downloaded the app and got that discount. For a whopping $102, I got my most-coveted cardigan! Can't wait til it arrives! Perfect beach cover.

So it now says "out of stock" thanks to me, but they do have a couple of other patterns if you're interested.

I'm just calling this an early birthday present.

{three}

Speaking of my birthday...I feel like I'm rapidly getting deeper and deeper into my 30s. It seems like it was just yesterday that I turned 30...how have two years gone by? Two years and a baby to boot?! What a whirlwind it has already been. Turning 32...I don't quite know how I feel about that, but nonetheless, it really doesn't matter because it's happening whether I like it or not. But I'm good with where I'm at in life at this age...three great kids, a wonderful husband, true friends and I'm finally starting to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I'm excited to see my growth in that area in the next couple of years...see how it all pans out.

{four}

I've pretty much got the kids' Easter baskets put together this year...but when I went to put everything in them - stage them, if you will - they seemed a bit sad compared to years past. I definitely tried to scale back on the candy...it seems we have leftover candy year-round from holidays and I've just got to put a stop to that! I may need to do some more shopping...any good toy/gift recommendations for kid's Easter baskets? Something they will actually get use out of? My boys are 9 & 4. Farrah of course will not have much because she's not going to eat any candy at 11 months old. Heck, she won't even know what is going on. I basically have to get her an Easter basket so the boys don't question why she doesn't have one.

Our Easter plans are pretty low key. Church in the morning {can't wait to see Farrah in her Easter dress!} and of course I always do a little backyard Easter egg hunt with the boys. I am hoping for nice weather so we can go outside and have some fun as a family.

{five}

I have to end this lovely Friday post with an update on my postpartum weightloss. As y'all know, it has taken me MUCH longer than expected to drop the Farrah lbs. I had a long road ahead of me after I had her and I certainly didn't want to accept that it would be so long. I have been working hard the last 3-4 weeks {well, I have been working hard the whole time, but specifically more as of late} and I have really done well with clean eating. I have had some days that weren't so great diet-wise, but for the most part, I've been clean...and I'm seeing the results of that for sure. I am now a whopping ONE pound away from pre-prego weight! I am definitely differently distributed in some areas than before, but I plan to still do some work after I meet that weight. It is so nice to finally see a light at the end of this tunnel. Farrah was worth every single pound, but it is nice to feel more like ME again. I feel less and less uncomfortable in my skin these days and most of my clothes are back to fitting really well. It's a good feeling. For now, this is my mantra...

Have a happy Easter!

Linking up with: Meet at the Barre / The Good Life / A. Liz Adventures / Carolina Charm / Hello! Happiness

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Become a Fashion Designer

Friday Five

Happy Friday! I for one am glad this week is about over. The first week after a vacation is always the hardest, don't you agree? Here are my five:

{one}

Momma got herself an early Christmas gift and it arrived this week. The iPad Air 2! This is my first time owning a tablet! It's about time I got with the times! I am so excited. So many of the apps are better on it. For instance, I never enjoyed My Fitness Pal on my iPhone, but I can totally see myself being on top of it with my iPad. Then of course, there are Pinterest and Instagram - and we all know with pictures, the larger the better.

{two} 

Speaking of fitness, have you heard of Body Beast? I just ordered it from Beachbody and it should arrive by Monday. It's a weight training program, but looked more my style than p90x. I am excited to start. I even found a bench for a good deal.

{three}

Saturday night is my annual Ladies' Xmas Gift Xchange {or as I lovingly call it - LXGX}. It has always been fun to get a large group of girlfriends together and play Dirty Santa to dole out the gifts. It's also a nice chance to catch up with friends as everyone seems so busy these days with work, kids and family, especially during the holidays! Here are a couple of pictures from years past:

Sadly - half of the ladies in this pic have moved away! :-(

{four}

My Christmas decorating is pretty much complete. I will admit I was deep down unsure about making the decision to sell all of my blue and silver stuff and change my colors to pink and gold, but I do really love how it's turned out! And it all goes with my pink and yellow accented living room just swimmingly. I even made one of those hanger wreaths the other night!

{five}

I always seem to run out of steam once I get to #5... ;-)

Have a happy weekend!

Linking Up With: Hello, Happiness! // The Good Life // A. Liz Adventures // Carolina Charm // Lauren Elizabeth // Meet @ The Barre // September Farm // The Farmer’s Wife // All The Joys // Momfessionals

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Thoughts For Thursday

Linking up with Home of Malones and East Coast Chic for Thoughts on Thursday again...hope y'all are having a wonderful week!

I hit the ground running {literally} this week with my workouts. I have added in running to my regimen to help speed this postpartum weightloss thing along. Monday was a good day...but it was chilly, so Breckin complained the whole time {even though I dressed him warmly}, but being cold season, I didn't want to keep them out, so I ended it pretty early.

But, I am on a mission, so when Jake came home that evening after work, I took a quick run to make up for it.

On Tuesday, I went again to Cardio Craze class {think circuit training similar to Insanity}...it is a hard class, but I am loving it. It's that kind of stuff that really makes the difference...it forces me to push myself.

I mentioned before that I am signed up for the Turkey Trot 8K in Myrtle Beach while we are there for Thanksgiving, and that was going to be my first race since having Farrah. However, my friend Anne asked me to join her for the Color Rave Glow Run they are having here in Charleston on November 1st. It's a 5K and it's an evening run. I have wanted to do one of these races, so I am stoked! Being signed up for races keeps me motivated to keep on running in my spare time. The plan for now is to run in the evenings when Jake comes home, until DST ends on November 1st and I can run in the early AM.

{via}

I already told you about my neighborhood wine night's costume party this past weekend, but someone posted a group picture {this is actually not all of us that came that night!} and I had to share.

I was impressed, everyone had great costumes. I look forward to our wine night every month!

Also wanted to share this fun little picture of my littlest guy and me...he has such an awesome personality...he's only 4, but I swear I'm talking to my equal sometimes. He's trying hard not to smile in this picture, you can tell in his smirk.

I hope y'all enjoyed my outfit posts yesterday and last week...I've got a few more planned in the next couple weeks and I plan on keeping it up. I'm having fun with it and it's really something I've wanted to do for a long time on the blog. Tanner is great at helping me by being my photographer, and I am taking advantage of the timer setting on my DSLR camera so I can snap some myself. So they're not super-professional, but I'm pleased so far. Hope you are too! Would love feedback on the posts when you see them!

Have a great rest of the week!

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