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How I lost the baby weight and then some… (part 1)
Happy Friday Beauties!
I’m finally writing the post that I can no longer avoid…
Over the past few years I’ve shared a lot of information on eating healthy, getting in shape, creating balance and practicing self-care. But I’ve successfully avoided sharing much of my personal journey.
There is a reason for that. Three reasons in fact:
- First, it is never my intention to spur comparison. My intention is to inspire you to look inward, appreciate your body and find what works for YOU, not me.
- Second, I have never seen my story as incredibly inspiring. I’ve never been significantly overweight. I’ve also never had an insanely hot bod. There isn’t a big WOW factor. I’m just a normal woman who’s gained some weight, lost some weight, drank too much, ate too much, ate really well, ate really poorly, been lazy, been active, etc. etc. I’m just a normal woman with ups and downs like the rest of you.
- Third, I NEVER want to appear as though I am perfect or have it all figured out. Because I don’t. Even though I’m a professional, I’m still a work in progress.
But ultimately, you guys have continually asked to hear more of my own journey and so today I’ll share part 1 (it’s a long story, I’ll do my best to pare it down).
I’ve lived through a lot of ups and downs and a lot of different seasons on my health and fitness journey. And I’m thankful to say that the older I get, the healthier I feel and the more I love my body.
I can honestly say I feel more confident and appreciate my body more than I did when I was 21.
But it didn’t just happen. Physical fitness and self-confidence don’t come naturally with age. I’ve strived and worked for both with a lot of trial and error.
When I went to college I gained the expected freshman 15 (or 20, who knows). I didn’t fit comfortably in my clothes, my face was bloated, I ate like crap, avoided photos, was tired all the time and ironically, was focused on losing weight every single day.
I tried to lose weight by eating salads in the dorm cafeteria, trudging away on the elliptical and forcing myself to run after being out late with friends.
I used artificial sweeteners in my coffee, tried to follow weight watchers, ate egg substitutes, low-fat foods, lean pockets, diet Dr. Pepper and 100 calorie snack packs on the regular.
I was putting loads of thought and emotional energy into losing weight but was ignorant to the fact that I was sabotaging my efforts in so many ways by the choices I was making.
I was uncomfortable in my skin and looking back, truly uncomfortable in my life.
I knew I needed a change.
Eventually I moved to California to live with my cousin, his wife, and their two kids. They are health nuts in the best kind of way. Every morning they wake up and immediately strategize how they’ll each get their individual workouts in based on their busy schedules and childcare needs.
In all honesty, I thought this was kind of overboard and extreme, but now that I have a kid of my own I totally get it. Without strategizing and planning workouts won’t happen. But I digress…
During this time I continued in the same well-intentioned, but largely misdirected pattern.
I started running every morning…and rewarding myself in the afternoon with Ice Blendeds from The Coffee Bean. I went to yoga on Saturdays and rewarded myself at dinner with a big burrito + extra chips and guac. I earned it right?
I continued to feel uncomfortable in my skin. Not because I was largely overweight, but because I was not living in balance. Because I wasn’t in my natural state of health and well-being. My clothes weren’t fitting. I was struggling with confidence and peace.
I was punishing myself with workouts and rewarding myself with unhealthy foods.
It’s no wonder my weight continued to climb.
Eventually, I returned to college and stopped working out completely.
And it was the best decision.
You can read about that part of the story right here.
Once I stopped using exercise as punishment and unhealthy food as a reward, things began to change.
I have a distinct memory of a thought entering my mind one morning clear as day:
“you’re not going to change the way you look and feel if you don’t change what you’re doing each day.”
I realize that may sound simplistic…and it is. But at that point in my life it was the most profound realization I’d had in a long time.
Over the years I had put A LOT of time, energy and emotion into thinking about losing weight.; into hating my body; into thinking about how I should work out; into reading articles and books about how to get fit.
If only I had put the same amount of energy into actually DOING.
The truth is, I was doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.
Since that day, I’ve poured time and energy into working from the inside out; into changing my thoughts and internal conversations so that they translate into my daily life; into realizing which things work for me and my body and which things don’t; into embracing the fact that if I want to see and experience change I ACTUALLY HAVE TO CHANGE WHAT I’M DOING.
Enter Pilates.
I quit the gym.
I completely gave it up.
No more long, boring cardio sessions while watching Real Housewives.
No more elliptical.
No more stair climber.
I didn’t enjoy it, it wasn’t working, it had to go.
Pilates taught me to re-connect with my body. It taught me how to enjoy exercise again. It left me feeling positive and strong. It got me off the hamster wheel.
Pilates alone doesn’t provide a huge calorie burn so it helped me break the cycle of rewarding myself for exercise with unhealthy foods (aka: replacing my hard-earned calorie burn).
A new cycle began.
A cycle of keeping the good thing going.
So instead of bingeing on treats after my workout it felt more natural to cook a healthy meal and enjoy it with a nice glass of wine.
Pilates taught me to listen to my body and pay attention to its needs.
My perspective of what it meant to be healthy continued to change, and my body followed suit.
I started reading ingredient lists instead of nutrition labels.
I started shopping at the farmers market.
I stopped getting take-out for lunch.
I started paying attention to the way food/exercise made me feel.
I quit using artificial sweeteners and started using real sugar instead.
I stopped watching calories.
I stopped wearing a watch while running.
I eliminated all negative self-talk.
I spent more time in workout clothes which lead me to be more active on a regular basis; walks, Pilates, goofing off with friends, impromptu tennis matches, etc.
My workouts became less about punishment or obligation and more about the way they made me feel.
I began to write and blog about my experience because I wanted others to experience the same freedom and results that I was experiencing.
I’ve continued down this path of transformation and the freedom just keeps getting better and better.
And then I gained 45 lbs…
Prior to getting pregnant, I was in great shape. Stronger than I had ever been.
Instead of worrying about what would happen to my body during pregnancy I focused on nourishing myself as much a possible so that I could have healthy, enjoyable pregnancy.
I gained about 40-45 lbs while growing my little human and it showed. But I didn’t care. As a fitness professional it was actually a nice change to focus on getting bigger instead of getting smaller.
After my daughter arrived, I promised to give myself time to lose the weight. At least a year, and if the weight wasn’t gone in a year then I’d call in some reinforcements. 🙂
Here I am, 1 year out and 15 lbs lighter than the day I got pregnant. Feeling healthy, strong and balanced.
(I really, really hesitated posting this photo but you all encouraged me so here you go. 🙂
In part 2, I’ll share more about how I lost the baby weight, but I’ll give you a hint: it’s more of the same. Freedom, grace, self-care and making one healthy decision at a time. Plus some really great recipes that include plenty of fat. 🙂
xo,
PS – Can you relate to my story? If you’re ready to stop doing the same things that aren’t bringing results I strongly encourage you to consider joining The Balanced Life Sisterhood. It’s an incredible online community of women that will help you reach your goals.
Robin Long
Robin Long, founder and CEO of Lindywell, certified Pilates instructor, Nutrition Therapy Practitioner, and author of 'Well to the Core,' blends 15 years of expertise with a lifelong commitment to holistic health.
Learn more about Robin Long
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26 thoughts on “How I lost the baby weight and then some… (part 1)”
You look amazing in the picture of you and Blake!!! Thanks for sharing.
Robin! Thanks so much for sharing! Your honest voice and thoughts are much appreciated. Looking forward to the pilates body program!
Your story is totally inspiring, Robin! You’re helping women change their perceptions about food & exercise – and that’s incredibly important!! You’re awesome to share your story 🙂
So awesome!! Thank you for just being you! You’re such an inspiration!
amen! totally. I’m 27 and 7mos pregnant now, and it took me a long time as a 25 and 26 year old to finally cut the “diet” idea and just start living in balance and loving the strength that comes with my body. What a tough lesson to learn!! As I become bigger and bigger with my pregnancy I have to always remind myself that this is what is supposed to happen and to stop the negative self talk. looking forward to part 2.
Thank you for sharing, you look great and have inspired me with your summer sessions to really look at improving my strength and health with pilates
You look great.
Anne
Awesome story, thanks for sharing! Ps I purchased the Pilate program 🙂 but I haven’t received anything except the payment receipt…when should we expect emails, etc?
Thank you SO much for sharing this with us, Robin! You are such an inspiration and a breath of fresh air!
You have such an amazing journey! I can relate to a lot of it and am so thankful you decided to share your story with us. It’s so encouraging and I can’t wait to read more. Can I just say again how excited I am for June 15th?! 🙂
Great story! I just started following you on IG and I’m really considering taking up your Pilates program. So happy I found your blog:)
I actually just finished writing up a similar post for my blog but have been really hesitant because what I’ll be disclosing. But this post has convinced me to publish:)
Love hearing your story Robin! I remember taking that Pilates class for one of our classes in college and the instructor had bite size pieces of dark chocolate in her studio and encouraged us to enjoy our favorite treats in moderation. She said that a piece of dark chocolate was much better for us than a pack of diet cookies or a sugar-free chocolate bar. I used to be a lot like you with the diet foods…college is the worst for that! It’s inspiring to hear your story…and to see your abs! You go girl!!
I can’t wait to read more! I am just now about to get the ok from my OB to start exercising again, but I must say that the years of Pilates leading up to childbirth put me in a good place not only for birth, but with recovery also. Yes I have a jiggly belly that I haven’t seen before, but I am still feeling strong underneath and am not putting any pressure on myself. I may even quit the gym after all these years anyway, I don’t think it added much to what I was already doing (except Kiehls products:). You look absolutely fantastic, and have such a healthy outlook. I hope I have a similar journey back!
You are such an amazing inspiration, that literally brought tears to my eyes. I completely identify, and came from a much heavier place. You have done SO MUCH for me in the past few months that I couldn’t do for myself for the last decade. Thank you for sharing this story… I didn’t think it was possible, but I love you even more now! XOXO. Can’t wait for my second round of PBP to start 10 days!
I absolutely understand your feelings about working and changing the way in which you eat. I found paying attention to ingredients is far more beneficial than counting calories. Goodbye frozen low calorie meals! Congrats, Robin 🙂
Robin!!!! You have a washboard stomach! Thanks for posting that image of you and baby, loved it!
Thanks for sharing Robin! So motivating!
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so glad I found your blog. I really enjoy connecting with you and hope to be able to join one of the Pilates programs soon when budget allows. Looking forward to part 2!
Wonderful. Encouraging. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing your story! You are an inspiration and influencing women’s lives daily. Keep it up 🙂
Thank you for sharing with amazing honesty and grace. I have done your last few challenges starting with 28 Days of Pilates, and can’t stop telling my friends about your blog!! It was fun to see your Young Life water bottle. 🙂 We love YL!!
Wow thanks for sharing! You do have the right approach. A lot of what you said reminds me of myself at times. Since following you I’ve slowly adopted your approach and I know it’s making a difference! Thank you for being brave!
Thanks for sharing. such an inspiring story, you are an inspiration, an encouragement. Thank you.
I really enjoyed this post. I have been making improvements in my own life and this post has made it a little easier for me. I do believe in the power of Pilates, infact when I started my Pilates journey a few years it too made me more aware of what I put into my body. Thank you for sharing and looking forward to part 2. Just wondering if you could share what you fuel your body with, maybe for 1 or 2 days. Just curious and also I like to try new recipes etc. I love to cook.
I am thinking of signing up for the 6 week program.
Thanks
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This post and the photo are truly helpful. Many ladies have told me I’ll never have my body back after having a baby. I’ve noticed that is an ingrained assumption in our culture. To see someone prove that it doesn’t have to be that way is incredibly inspiring. Thank you Robin!
Thank you for being honest & real & awesome. You do all of them so well, Robin! 🙂
I love this Robin! I’m new to your blog and I already love it! I currently go to the gym and train weights, and I feel like I can ‘get away’ with eating more because I ‘burn more calories’ and now I’ve gained quite a bit of weight. It has got me considering giving up the gym now, I just worry that pilates won’t be as effective?