Jennifer's postpartum weight loss journey with #TEAM95
Here's a little background about me & what lead me to sign up for the challenge!
Before having children I was an avid runner. Even after having my kids I still ran but my body was not the same. Just as it took me 9 months to gain my pregnancy weight, it took me about 9 months to get rid of most but not all of it. I had a lot of fat concentrated in my stomach due to a condition called diastases recti (during pregnancy my abdominal muscles separated leaving a 1.5” space between them, making it hard for them to return to their original position).Even after months of physical therapy, I was tired of getting asked when I was due when I wasn’t pregnant. I was determined to stop eating the same meals as my kids, out of convenience, and get some muscle back.
Before I started eating 95 Nutrition meals I decided to have one last hoorah and eat all the perishable food in my house and stop grocery shopping for things that only I ate. This has proven to be helpful, I don’t feel like I’m wasting food because it doesn’t belong to me anymore. It’s for my husband or kids.
So how was my 30 day challenge journey with 95??
When close to home it’s so easy to stick to the meal plan. I don’t have to think because it’s convenient and portable. I can eat it before, after or during an outing (as long as it’s not rude to bring your own food). I’ve gotten questions at family dinners, “Is it filling?” Not to sound corny but it is filling and delicious...And in place of eating dessert later in the evening I just get to have another meal! (you eat 4x per day on the program)
On special occasions I can grab a 95 nutrition dessert and join everyone without feeling guilty. I don’t need to buy food outside of the plan but the other day it was my husbands birthday and I was able to choose something comparable to a 95 nutrition meal based on what I have learned since I started!
I’ve been really proud of my progress so far. For the March 30 day challenge I was able to lose weight by being consistent and dedicated. I found it easy to stick to the meal plan but at a certain point I started to lose less weight. I talked to Sierra and she asked how my cardio was going. I was going to the gym and usually got through the weights but sometimes don’t get to the cardio if I ran out of time. Since that conversation I make sure I do the whole workout even if that means having to do half the workout now and the other half later. This has proven to be helpful because even as my weight loss slowed down I kept losing inches as I built lean muscle. I also had to remind myself muscle weighs more than fat but looks better in photos!
So when asked to share my photo knowing it might get posted I was a little nervous but decided to go for it knowing I had done my best. After all that work I’m excited to enjoy my spring break and get back business for the May challenge. Thank you to all my running friends who have supported my journey. I have felt better both physically and mentally from changing my lifestyle and have started to get faster already. I can’t wait to reach my goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon!
If you are "on the fence" about trying 95's 30 day challenge, I am here to inspire you to just GO FOR IT! You have nothing to lose be the weight that has been holding you back from being the confident woman or man that you want to be!