Ivy Says

I watched my weight throughout my pregnancy. At some point my doc even asked me to “eat.” I swam laps on a weekly basis during my 7th and 8th month. I walked my dog uphill daily. But then the 9th month came along and suddenly started to feel hungrier and heavier. 5 kilos heavier to be exact. My sweet tooth kicked in and I gave in to those late night cravings. My hubby would come home with boxes of my favorite salted caramel cookies, caramel cheesecakes and Nutella crepes. My challenge not to invest in any maternity clothes was one I began to regret. By the time I checked into the hospital for my Baby Luca’s birth, I had gained a total of 15 kilos. Let’s just say my doc was not too impressed.

How will I get rid of the weight? My clothes will never fit again. What am I going to do with the 60 plus pairs of pants I own? It felt like I was going to be this heavy forever.

Turns out I lost about 9 kilos right after the birth. Aside from my relatively (larger) baby (no complaints there), patients were not allowed to eat both before and after a C-section for days, and even when you can it’s strictly a liquid diet. Though I would have killed for a burger back then, I’m kinda happy about the crash diet they forced me on. The pain of surgery curbed my appetite as well, so food wasn’t exactly on my mind.
But then I came home with a baby and 6 extra kilos which didn’t seem like they were going anywhere. Working out was off-limits for the first two month, until I made a full recovery. And since my baby’s nutrition depended on my own, diets were also out of the question.

4 months later and here I am. 3 more kilos to lose before reaching my pre-pregnancy weight but let me say it’s been slow and steady. I’ve heard about women bouncing back immediately, tales about the pre-baby jeans they wore as they left the maternity ward, but then I remember the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and how swollen her tummy looked standing on that hospital entrance just hours after giving birth to her second daughter and I know those stories can be exaggerations. I’ve always had a low body mass index, and a high metabolism so this new size was a little bit depressing for me. But every time I put myself down I look at my Baby and remind myself how amazing and strong my body was to produce such a blessing. I’ve been constantly asked by some of my readers who are currently pregnant or new mothers how I managed to take the weight off and so I thought I would share the Get-Fit plan I designed for myself. But first let me clarify one point, I don’t want to be Victoria Beckham thin, my goal is to be fit and strong, while looking good in a sexy pair of jeans. I want to be well-built enough to carry my son (who loves being carried might I add) and play with him without breaking into a sweat or complaining about joint pain. So here it is this is my plan, some of which I’ve already began and others which I plan to do.

My Diet

Nutritionists are great. I’ve been offered countless sessions with some renowned names in the industry. But I know what I should and should not eat to stay fit and I believe that the best way to lose weight is to make the tough decision to stop eating the things that won’t come off your thighs and butt. For me that’s carbs and desserts. I know that instead of that bolognaise I should go for the grilled chicken breast with the roasted side of potatoes. I know that. But I’m currently in an ongoing love affair with food which I don’t plan on calling off, so instead of cutting them out completely, I’ve done two things, reduced my portions in half and stopped food intake after 7pm. It’s made a huge difference but it’s also takes some MAJOR will power on my part. I’ve tried muesli and oatmeal in the mornings but they left me unsatisfied and honestly just sad. Kellog’s new Crunchy Muesli was a game changer, I have it with a probiotic yogurt and drizzle a tea spoon of honey. It’s keep me going for at least 5-6 hours until lunchtime. I’ll also have it as an afternoon snack if I didn’t have it for breakfast.

Hot Yoga

It has been linked to some serious weight loss and I can attest to that. It’s hardcore. I sweat ten times more than I do at cardio. There are points where the heat gets to me and I feel like I’m about to faint. There are times where I look like a complete fool attempting the downward dog after doing the night shift with Baby Luca. But I persisted. 8 sessions and counting. Some days I don’t find the motivation, but when I remember how much inches it’s taken of my hips I push myself harder. Because it’s gotten me into half my jeans already. It’s also great detox with all the toxins it helps my body expel. I’m a total convert, and this is something I’ll keep doing even after I reach my goals.

Cardio Classes

We’re talking Body Pump, Body Step, Body Combat and Body Attack, you name it. I’m signing up for open classes at my local gym and even though my schedule is too sporadic to actually commit to fixed classes I’ll be making it a point to attend at least two of these a week. It’ll help me burn those extra cheat day calories and get me toned up.

Body Contouring and Cellulite Reduction

Don’t worry I don’t plan on having surgery. I’ve started a program with CEF (Centre Esthetique Femme) in Byblos to undergo a series of treatments that will help me slim down, and let’s be honest, make me look good in a bikini. The centre has state of the art machines (Vela Shape, COOLTECH, Venus-New Life) that can supplement my workout and dietary routines, and a big emphasis here on “supplement”, because this is not some make-me-skinny-because-I’m-Lazy quick fix, these are noninvasive machines that can help reduce cellulite and help your body expel out stubborn areas of fat which you won’t shed off even after hours of exercise. I will be keeping you posted on this experience frequently right here.

I’ll be updating this get-fit list as I go along. For now you can follow all my adventures live on SnapChat, Ivy Says.

Shoes: Adidas Originals ZX Flux by Rita Ora

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