Sia Cooper's 5 Tips to Getting Your Body Back After Baby

One thing I'm very adamant about now is having a fit and healthy pregnancy next time round. With my last pregnancy, I didn't work out, I didn't focus on eating healthy, and my weight gain reflected that. The doctors scared me not to get my heart rate above 140 beats per minute... uhhh that's like a walk down the hallway for me. Because I was scared about that, I just didn't work out. But looking back on it I think it's a whole lot healthier for you and your baby if you continue to work out, regardless of if your heart rate gets above that!

I'm obsessed with blogger of "Diaries of a Fit Mom" Sia Cooper because she proved that having a fit and healthy pregnancy is possible. You don't have to completely let yourself go during pregnancy, in fact, please don't! It's so hard to gain back your fitness when you haven't been doing anything for 9 months! This girl was doing 20 minute runs on the treadmill when she was 40 weeks pregnant. And guess what? Her baby is completely healthy and she is too!

Here she is 18 hours after giving birth to her baby. This is def not what I looked like 18 hours out... this is motivation enough to cotinuing to live a healthy lifestyle and work out while your pregnant! Here is Sia's story and her tips on getting your body back after baby:

<Enter Sia>


It has been one hell of a journey so far. My body has morphed through a ton of changes that I had
never thought possible. For the pregnant Mommies out there, I can tell you that the one main thing that has helped me on my journey back to where I used to be-taking care of yourself during pregnancy.  It will greatly affect how you bounce back afterwards.

I realize that stuff happens-health problems, bed rest, high risk pregnancy, etc, but if you can, staying
active during pregnancy and eating clean is the best thing you can do for you and your little one! I also realize that sometimes, you just do not feel like making it to the gym or eating salads everyday-I get it, I have been there.

I am nothing special, just simply a 25 year old, first time mommy who is trying to get her body back-and loving every step of the way.

During my pregnancy, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to stay fit and to keep up with my
original workouts, but adding some minor modifications to accompany a growing belly.

I kept up with my clean dieting for the most part-though I did give in to a few usual cravings, such as
chips & queso, pizza, fries, and cheeseburgers, every once and a while. Hey, I am human! 

Here are my 5 tips for getting your sexy back after baby:

1. Embrace your new look. The biggest and most important tip I can give you is to remember to love
your body-no matter how it may look or feel at this moment. Realize you are human and cut yourself
some slack! You just had a baby, afterall. Some of us may bounce back faster than others, but that does not mean anything is wrong-our bodies just happen to vary from person to person and situation to situation. When you feel confident and sexy, it shows through to the outside! Embrace those new
curves that mommyhood gives you!

2. Clean up your diet. If you are wanting to lose your pregnancy weight, clean up that diet the best that you can. The best place to start is by throwing away all the processed garbage in your pantry and going grocery shopping for clean ingredients. This part always excites me! Planning your meals or food prepping helps to keep you from deviating from your goals.

3. Plan your workouts. You may not be able to workout for up to 6 weeks after giving birth, but most doctors will usually clear you for walking after a couple of weeks. Utilize that if you are able to and go with the flow. I remember getting out my jogging stroller and taking my son to the local track for nice walks. Once given the clear by your doctor, you will be able to resume and plan your actual workouts and get back into action. I realize, being a mommy, it gets a lot harder finding time to workout. I cannot just simply change my clothes, jump in the car, and head to the gym. What used to take 5 minutes now takes about 30 minutes-and that is with careful planning!

4. Set goals. Chances are, you may not be 100% thrilled with your postpartum body. That's okay. This is where goal setting comes into play. Personally, I love setting goals because it not only motivates me, but it gives me something to strive for. My body is flabby, but is slowly tightening up. I have tiger stripes on my bum, but I know that they will some day fade. I realize that with time, good food, and hard workouts, I can get to where I need to be.

5. Find your motivation. My personal motivation is and has always been Jamie Eason. I followed her before she ever became pregnant and I'll tell you a little secret-I had saved a picture of her as my screensaver back in 2010 which motivated me so much that I dropped 50lbs! I also had purchased a new pair of jeans-ones that I could not fit in just yet-to motivate me to tone up and lose those few extra pounds. It does not matter if your motivation is in form of another person or a thing as long as it's positive and makes you feel good about reaching those goals.

Thanks Sia!

You can follow Sia at fitmommydiaries.blogspot.com.