Were you less-than-skinny before you became pregnant? Or are you worried about your weight now that you’re pregnant? Maybe you’re always thinking,
“I just want to look fit and fabulous!”
If you’re anything like me, your answers would be “Yes” to all of the above. Just like the average woman, I want to look my best. Unlike the average woman, I DON’T believe that to be beautiful is to be thin.”
I believe in looking the best I can be. When you think you look good, you will feel good. And you’ll feel super confident when you walk out that door and step into the world.
…I have a tendency to put on weight around my tummy, hips and thighs, which means I can’t sit around too much!
HOW DO I STAY IN SHAPE THEN?
1. Walk, walk, walk. Anyone who knows me in school or at work will know that I’m famous for walking around!
As a teen, I used to jog but when I read that:
your risk of injury is much greater than with other aerobic activities, since the weight of your body is pounding down onto your joints. (Source)
I turned to power walking, averaging 8-10 rounds of a stadium or the size of two soccer fields.
At one point in my career, I was TOO BUSY to exercise (just an excuse). I also became more stressed and grouchy.
One day, I accepted a colleague’s invitation to check out the gym and discovered the wonders of a treadmill!
He helped me program it at a speed, slope and timing I was comfortable with. Walking on it for only 20 minutes twice a week, I lost a few kilos, worked up a sweat and felt great 
2. Swim like a fish!This is another great form of exercise, which you can continue doing even when you’re pregnant (preferably in the second trimester).
Again, the key to keeping trim and taut is consistent movement for an extended period of time. With the relaxing breast stroke, I enjoy swimming for an hour or so (with breaks in between!)
Believe me, I’m no Nurulhuda Abdullah…if not for Hubby, I’d just be floating around the pool chit-chatting with friends LOL. Swimming kept me in shape during my university days. Also, it’s always a useful skill to learn.
If you intend to learn how to swim, learn the breast stroke first! It’s an easy, relaxing stroke that makes swimming such an enjoyable sport.
3. Yoga. I took up yoga when I read that it could help bring your body back into balance. Suffering from hyperthyroidism for many years, I tried yoga to see if it could help.
Looking around, I signed up for Ananda Marga yoga classes and thoroughly enjoyed the sessions on massage, yoga postures (asanas) and basic meditation.
Through yoga, I learned how to relax my mind, practise deep breathing, achieve flexibility, improve my posture and most importantly, exercise without any equipment!
4. Play volleyball. Volleyball kept me fit during my secondary school years and also inculcated a strong sense of team spirit. I also love the fact that this sport only needs a ball, a net and a playing space. Heck, even 2 people can play volleyball!
Also, beach volleyball is great fun! (and more tricky, actually)
If I can, I’d love to take up this sport again because it’s the only team sport I enjoy. Not a fan of contact sports, I love it because the skills, challenges and co-operation needed to play don’t require you to bang or bruise your team-mate or competitor!
As a mother of a young toddler, I find that walking and yoga (other than housework) are the easiest forms of exercise I can fit into my hectic schedule. I’ve recently started swimming too as we take turns to play with the boy in the pool.
Do they work? I’ll let the numbers do the talking:
Pre-pregnancy: 55 kg
Pregnancy: 90 kg (The boy weighed 3.87 kg). I’d put on 30 kg!
Now: 58 kg
If I can do it, you can do it too
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow… still got 3kg to go to reach your pre-pregnancy weight! How long did you take to shed those 30kg of fats away? My pre-pregnancy weight was 48kg and pregnancy weight was 70kg. My boy weighed 4.08kg and now I’m 58.5kg.. sigh, still got 10.5kg to shed!!
The most important aspect of an exercise program is having fun! (relatively speaking of course) If you don’t enjoy it, you’re not going to do it! There is no magic pill and no magic exercise regimen. Play with exercise and find out what you enjoy. Focus on the process, not the outcome. If you proceed, the outcome will always follow!
I don’t care what anyone says, but when I saw a trashy magazine (today) highlighting celebrities’ jelly bellies…I went giddy with delight!!!
WAKAKAKAKAKAKAAKAKAKAKAKAKAAKAKAK!!!
WOOOOOOOOO..finally! Justice for the normal woman everywhere!!!!
Very important for women too accept their body after baby. Otherwise, its a depressing thing.
And exercising to shed pounds fast you will end up hating exercise. Savour exercise for health, strength and the active lifestyle then only the pounds start to shed before you know it!
I rarely get sick from my son’s germs in comparison to hubby because I exercise.
Haha I’m not a fan of abs exercise though, so still got the jiggly jelly belly!
31kilos??? *pengsans*
But you did good and you’re back to your normal weight already. Good job
I swam a lot when I was preggers too, especially when I was barred from the gym and weights.
aiyoh, walk, swim, all sounds exhausting. but congrats on your achievement ! I think i will wait it out till AShley dont hang around my leg anymore. Kind of hard to move around like that.
BTW, u got an award !
http://www.allthingspurple.my/?p=152
come to think of it, you sure dont look like you are 58kg. i would have thought that you are thinner, like 53 kg or so
Me too Me too .. need to shed off those spare tyre ..
Ryan’s Mami – I lost a lot in the first year because I was breastfeeding and working. More came off this past year due to hectic moving and travelling. Looks like it’s taken me 2.5 years! Housework has has helped to shed the weight. Slow and steady wins the race ok
Tiffany – Well said! And yes, I buy into the “no magic pill or magic exercise regime” school of thought. I really enjoy the exercise that I posted about, just wish I have more time for them…
Mott – No need trashy magazines – I got one big jelly belly here!
LifeJuicer – Oh yes, very important for women to accept their body changes even before baby arrives. Abs exercise? Tell me if it works ok! My tummy is tough terrain.
Giddy Tigress – Hehehe, it was McD’s ice creams that did the job!
AllThingsPurple – Hahaha…I was imagining you with Ashley hanging onto your legs! She’s a natural leg weight! Thanks…will pick up my award ASAP
Chen Xi’s Mom – You’ve got spare tyres meh? I don’t believe it…until I see them
Wow – you sure lost A LOT of weight. I managed to lose all the weight that I put on with Brandon. Afterall, I only put on a miserably 6kgs. With Bryan i put on 11kg but I indulged in a lot of fast food (to fight depression) hence am still some 10kg overweight. Thanks for the tips. I’m hitting the gym twice weekly starting 2 Jan!
Paik Ling – I think breastfeeding, work and caring for the baby at night helped shed the weight. In any case, I’d definitely NOT put on so much weight in next pregnancy