So what is that arm band thingy you wear?

I've received this question many many times.

"What is it? What does that armband do?"

This armband I wear is called a Body Media Band.

They come in two different models.

The CORE, and the LINK. 

(I have the LINK)

The CORE allows you to log in online to the Activity Manager to track all of your status. 

{I'll get to that below.}

The LINK allows both online Activity Manager tracking, as well as an app on your phone to see a mini version on the go of your Activity Manager. 

{I like the LINK because if I'm out and about, or say at the gym, I can upload on the spot and see if I need to crank up the intensity, or get some more steps in before I can say I'm finished.}

For those of you who really need accountability on tracking food and really seeing what your body is doing on a 24/7 basis.. this thing is perfect. I lost 70+ lbs using this to my full advantage.

Not only could I access it, but my personal trainer who lives all the way in Vegas (I'm in Houston) was able to keep track of my activity and bust me if I wasn't eating properly or moving enough. ;)

First off, most of y'all have probably heard of the My Fitness Pal App. If not, and you're wanting to track food... Down load this. It's free and has a huge range of foods listed, a scanner for anything store bought in the barcode of the packaging, and pretty much any chain restaurant and their menus. 

(Mom and pop places, or non-chain places usually aren't on there but it doesn't hurt to look them up 

sometimes they have similar things on there.)

Also things like... eating too many carbs, or not enough fiber?  The interface online will tell you this at the end of each day, too.

I say this about My Fitness Pal (MFP) because that app actually links up to the armband. 

They also link up to several other 3rd party apps which I'll provide the link here incase some of you use these already.

Body Media 3rd Party Apps.

Now I'm not 100% sure about the CORE band since I have the LINK.. but I will share with you what some of this stuff looks like. I love that I can see this at any point of the day, too.

This is your Activity Manager face which will break down even further than what you see here.

You can see the little blue boxes along the sides of the categories listed and that will point out everything you need to be aware of if something needs improving, or if you broke a personal record it'll tell you as well.

Oh, did I mention this thing will record your every move 24/7. 

Calories burned for example: this is what you burn ALL DAY. Not just when you work out.

You burn calories when you sleep, cook, drive, go to the bathroom, read a book, eat lunch, ect...

That'll tell you around how fast or slow your metabolism is, too. 

I was able to over the span of several months, get my body to burn more for me with a better diet and lots of regular, consistent, and challenging exercise.

You've got your calories consumed, so you can see what you're taking in verses what you're burning.

Calorie balance let's you know what you've got left, or if you've gone over.

(that's a new feature I haven't uploaded yet but it's pretty self explanatory) 

The next couple of bars begin to cover your activity levels.

Moderate and Vigorous Activity. 

You'll set your goals and it'll gauge what amount of each you'll need a day.

Sometimes when I'm cleaning around the house I'll hit my moderate goal pretty quickly.

Going to the gym and lifting heavy, or running will hit my vigorous but there are other ways to do this too. (Zumba is my big one!)

(This is the back of the sensor and how it tracks everything on your arm)

Next is the Steps Taken Bar.

Basically a pedometer.

I posted a few days ago about the 10k step challenge.

When I first started wearing this arm band in July 2013.. I learned quickly I only got in about 2500-3000 steps a day. I thought I was moving way more than that but this band proved me wrong.

After a few weeks of figuring out a few ways to get in the 10k steps needed, I had lost 20 lbs in about a months time. From there on I was hooked on this armband because I could see what I needed to do every day. Everyone can get in 10k steps a day, you just gotta get up and walk and march it in. Some days I couldn't get to the gym so I'd march in place while we watched a show on our DVR. I might have looked silly, but it totally worked.

The last bar is your sleep. 

This is soooo important.

The three big key's to weight loss is:

 calories consumed, 

calories burned, 

and quality and quantity of sleep. 

If you're up and not getting enough sleep, your body doesn't have the rest it needs to rebuild and heal from the day, or from a stressful workout. This raises cortisol levels, which then slows your metabolism and you store fat. 

BOO.

Plus, lack of sleep, or staying up super late makes it easy for us to want to go and snack on things late at night after we have long finished out day and it will just sit and collect over time. 

If you're not sleeping well either, this will also cut into how much rest our body is getting and will effect our system too.

With this band, it'll record when you are at rest, and asleep. 

I remember at first when I started wearing it, I noticed my sleeping patterns would be off around 3am. I was in a lighter sleep tossing and turning, or had to get up to use the restroom and go back to sleep. You might even be laying there and still, but if you're awake, it can sense this and will show it on the interface when you upload and check. Pretty cool if I do say so.

This is a quick screen shot of the iPhone app for Body Media. 

The dashboard can also be turned to the side and you can access more in-depth info on each category where it picks apart what you've been doing all day and night

Few pointers. You do wear this 24/7. On the 14th day you usually take it off to charge it over night, and then put it back on. I remember the first few days it was weird wearing it, but after time I forgot it was even there until it beeped to let me know I needed to charge it.

Also: it is NOT water proof. So you can't wear it in the water which kinda stinks if you're swimming but you can record that in there as well on the side.

Weight loss and good health is a commitment you have to make and if you're needing a little extra help monitoring it, I'd recommend this 150%. 

{This is a few weeks before my surgery, but you can see where you wear it on your arm.}

Hope this answers any questions about the arm band I use. 

Also, if you wanna keep up with my next workout phases and get some freebie tips and mini workouts follow me on my IG: mommac_x3

Have a safe Pre-Thanksgiving Weekend! 

XOXO

My first workout program: The 10,000 step challenge.

So if you read my last blog post about how I lost 75 lbs in 18 months, 

this should be a great part-two post for you to read.

Did you know that the average American doesn't work out? 

That labels them as 'sedentary'. 

A Sedentary person usually gets between 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day. 

That's not a lot of movement.

Last year my trainer started me off with a nifty little gadget called the "Body Media Armband" and it not only tracked what I consumed and burned all day and night, 

It tracked steps -- amongst other things.

 (Another post to come about this awesome tool!) 

You can access the bands main info/data page online, as well as a smaller app on your phone to see progress as you're on the go. I love love LOVE this thing and it has been a major part in my learning process.

This 10,000 step challenge was my first month of official working out

before I started in the gym.

 Just walking. 

That's it. 

Wear what is comfy to you.

Strap on some tennis shoes.

Be barefoot if you'd like!

And go! :)

After having my 3rd child I quickly realized that I had fallen into this 'sedentary' category.

My metabolism was slow as hell and I was clearly not moving enough to be burning any extra calories I was storing, hence why after having my babies I wasn't budging on the scale much.

I also liked it because it was kind on my knees with the extra weight and I could set my own pace.

I still aim for this to this day. 

I get a sense of accomplishment.

And if I go over then I know I did very well haha. :)

So pairing this 10k steps a day challenge with a cleaner diet, my trainer and I began to notice some major changes and FAST. Around 15-20 lbs gone actually in the first month for me. 

(this will probably vary per person depending on your metabolism, diet, and how dedicated you stick to things.)

First off. 10,000 steps is roughly 5 miles. 

2,000 steps is in one mile if you break that down. 

And if you were only getting in 1,000 to 3,000 a day... 

you're only walking a mile, maybe a mile in a half at most. 

You do NOT have to be a runner, or a gymnast, or an experienced athlete to be able to do this challenge, and in fact, it can be a very simple way to get in some exercise daily, even with a very busy schedule. 

This can get your movement and goals kick started.

So check this out. 

Iphone/Smartphone users.. there are FREE apps you can download that have nifty little tools called pedometers on them that will count the steps you take. Just drop that phone in your pocket, hit play on your favorite play list and plug in your ear buds and get going!

(And no you do not need an armband, I just wanted to share what I was using.)

If you somehow don't have a phone that carries apps,

then Walmart carries pedometers for $5-20 dollars 

and you can clip it to your pants and keep track that way!

What if I don't have a gym? Or a big neighborhood? Or the weather is poor? Ect...

The beauty in this is if you don't wanna go outside, or can't go to the gym on a treadmill, you don't have to. You can march in place... which I'll admit, once I started seeing weight go, I was doing this like CRAZY. I would watch movies or what we saved on our DVR and just marched in place. Sometimes I'd do it really fast to get in higher numbers. Sometimes I just marched slowly or walked in a circle while carrying my baby. It was a great way to get him to fall asleep too haha. 

Carrying baby adds resistance! That helps ya too! :)

*Actually I think my husband has some videos where he filmed me because I got so into this. I might post these later so you can see what I was doing in the early months of my weight loss. :)

You can do it cooking, cleaning, going out to get the mail, around your neighborhood, up and down your yard. The locations are endless! This is what makes this challenge perfect to kick things off.

Start off with this and take measurements and photos to track your progress.

Good luck to all of you out there and let me know if you're planning on taking this challenge!

The holidays are amongst us and this is the perfect time to keep the pace going for our fitness! 

Keep looking forward my friends!

Part 3 on how I lost 75 lbs will be coming ASAP.

XOXO

How I lost 75 lbs in 18 months. What changes did I have to make first?

Before I lost the weight, I remember being on the other side of the fence looking at other success stories on how some women, or men, were able to lose 30, 40, 50, 60+ lbs.
Some even pushing 75-100 lbs lost!

I'd scroll the internet, hunting for stories on how they did it.
I'd find photos to compare my physique to theirs, wondering if I'd ever get myself down to a point where I could get close to them. I did this right after I had my first born and all the way into the beginning of this year. I still do to be honest.
New goals and a new journey.

Remember, it's not a race. It's a journey. 

Journeys are not supposed to be smooth sailing, or straight lines.
I cannot tell you how many times I'd take a quick exit and find myself being comfortable in bed at night instead of working out.
Or snacking on something sweet that I KNEW I shouldn't have had right after a workout, but I did.

I learned quickly though that moderation is KEY, and that a clean diet will trump any quick fix such as a diet pill (I did not use any of that to lose the weight), or that a body wrap thing would be the answer. They are temporary fixes and you will not get far with them.
Having said that, I didn't learn the diet part over night though.
It was something I had to experience a few times before it clicked.
I mean, I'm still learning about the diet part.
It's a science!

This was the morning I went into labor with our son last April. We were actually leaving when we took this last belly shot. I weighed 235 lbs and had no idea my journey would lead me to where I am today.

This was in January of this year (I'm on the right in the neon green jacket)

I was around 190 after having our third. It didn't come off fast.

I had just started getting serious about weight lifting and my diet at this point. 

(That jacket was skin tight on me and showed everything.)

This is now. I'm hovering at 160 currently.

And looking at the calendar it'll actually be 19 months this week.

---

So, how did I get here? How did I start?

To begin, you have to be mentally ready.

Not just say "I wanna __________"

You have to have a goal in mind on what you want to achieve. 

Without that, in moments of weakness or doubt... you won't have something to grip onto.

The next big thing once you become ready mentally is write down your goals. Pin them to your mirror so you see them every morning when you first wake up to remind yourself.

Set realistic goals at first -- if you have 50 lbs to lose... aim for the first 15.

Treat yourself to a new pair of workout pants or something useful towards your journey!

( I became obsessed with Old Navy workout leggings because they were comfy and didn't shrink on me or lose the color. Cute workout clothes keep you feeling great, too!)

Reset your goals once you've reached the little ones. I cannot stress HOW much I had to adjust and sculpt this as I went along mine. 

I had 75 lbs to lose. 

75.

I would have burned out FAST in the beginning if I hadn't done the smaller increments at first.

Once you've set some goals, 

you need to decide on how you will do your workouts and where.

Do you have a gym membership? If so great!

Will you be at home? 

I know I had to start off here, and not everyone can or wants to have a gym membership.

Maybe you can't because it doesn't have day care or you have to work during the day, and cannot get out with your kids or don't have someone to watch them... and that's OK!!

Find an area where you will be focusing on your workouts and make sure you have enough space so you don't injure yourself or break anything. 

Are you a runner? Where will you run? Can you track your distances and routes?

Write this down or mark it on a marker board.

If you're in school, sometimes they have student gyms, or apartments have little workout centers.

Find your sweat center!

NEXT!

When will you workout?

Are you stay at home with a schedule or lots of freedom?

Do you work a 9-5 or another schedule outside of this realm?

Perhaps you are a nurse (I've seen a lot of posts on this on the web) and you work long or crazy shifts?

Don't stress.. you can do some stuff on the side that will get your metabolism moving and grooving.

Decide on when will be the best time you can workout according to your daily schedule.

Make it a priority like you would a meeting with your boss or a doctor.

This is an appointment for YOU.

Moms out there, you take care of everyone else... 30-60 minutes a day set aside for YOU,

even if broken up, should be an important appointment on your schedule.

Write down a log of your meals.

Discipline yourself to note everything you allow past your lips.

Track calories with the app "My Fitness Pal"

You will see where you're at very quickly on your diet.

Fitness is 80% diet and 20% workout.

Did you know this? 

You cannot out work a bad diet, and this is where a lot of people struggle and get frustrated.

They slave themselves working out and a few weeks later see hardly any progress.

Over consuming calories will make you gain,

 and under consuming will make your metabolism crash and sluggish. 

It really is a big science project, huh?

Now I'm not a nutritionist but a site that I love and that has helped me gauge where to stand on calories is this site:

IIFYM Calculator

I plugged in and screen capped mine for right now. It's different than it was in the summer but this will be an example on how to read it.

TDEE is the amount of calories your body burns in a 24 hour period, sleeping working, exercising, playing and even digesting food!

Your BMR is what you burn at rest - what your body NEEDS to consume to stay alive daily.

The 1200 calorie diet is crap and a myth so STOP if you are doing that right now.

You are starving yourself and killing your metabolism. 

Think of this. FOOD is FUEL.

GOOD good is fuel.

Crap food is sludge and makes the body harder to maintain.

Just like you wouldn't put crap in your car instead of gasoline.

It wouldn't work very long right?

You have to put the right stuff in to make it work!

So you should have your calorie intake at the bottom.

To lose weight on the bottom left, and to maintain your weight second, and to bulk third.. but unless you're body building or competing, don't worry about that third one.

{I will make a separate post on all the stuff I did to tweak and change later on but for now this will give you an idea on where to begin.}

Sleep is important too. 

Staying up too late - which I am guilty for - raises cortisol levels which messes up your metabolism and therefor makes it harder to lose fat.

You also get late night hunger strikes staying up which causes you to munch and consume empty calories too.. so get that beauty sleep!!!

DRINK YOUR WATER!

I bought one of these cool things from Walmart for under 5 bucks.

And I drink at least one of these a day. It carries 8 glasses of water in them. I try to push for two.

Dehydration is a spell for water retention and swelling, as well as constipation and will not allow your body to flush out all the yucky gunk that has collected so along with that, it'll make you feel sluggish if you don't drink enough water.

We are trying to avoid that right?!

So drink up! :)

---

Now. 

Before I make my next post on my diet and even some workout gear like bras and clothes that made me feel good, I wanted to say one more thing to do to get ready.

1. Weigh yourself at the same time every day. 

Record it. Do this once a week.

Daily will drive you crazy.

2. Take weekly photos.

Tracking this progress will help you see the changes you've made when you're having a slower week!

You'll be amazed at how your body will transform in ways you probably didn't realize.

I never thought my bust would go below a 42EE after I had my last baby, and now I'm down to a 34/36 C. So take those photos!

3. Get a measuring tape and measure up. 

Inches lost are WAY more visible at first than anything else. Don't forget to record.

I went from a 45 waist right after my 3rd delivery and now I'm down to a 29/30 waist.

I like to have a binder or a folder of this kinda stuff to stay organized.

Making a motivational wall in the bathroom is another great step to see your goals and progress daily! I'll make one this upcoming weekend for 2015 and you guys can do one with me too! I wanna see everyone's unique motivational walls! 

These are the things I did to get me started and it helped me out tremendously. :)

This is all I have time to post now, but I will make another soon on what tweaks I did to my diet and the gear I love to keep me moving along!

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

XOXO

My silent battle with depression.

Yes.
You read the title of this post correctly.
I have battled a long time with depression.
Silently, that is.

Most of my friends and family who know me personally probably wouldn't have guessed I have struggled with this before. Many times, actually.

In general, I'm a pretty happy person.
 I love being around people.
I crave it actually.
I'm a hugger and will become very emotionally attached to the ones I am closest with.
Especially family, and if you're a really good friend of mine, you will quickly gain a family title status.

I am an artistic person, driven by sensory stimulation. I could be in the middle of taking test, or cooking dinner and something will strike me and I'll have to grab a pen or pencil and scribble down my idea before it merges into the next thought. (I swear I have ADHD because of this)



I love to write. I have a fiction novel coming out next year (one way or another) that I've worked on for about 10 years now and it has been a huge weight on my shoulders to complete. The characters here are like my family, or children if you think about it since I created them. Writing allows me to not only express myself, and pour my inner most thoughts onto a page or blog, but I can create a world entirely out of nothing and it allows me to become someone else and visit places that may or may not really exist. A stay-cation up in the noggin if you will, haha.

I also love love love loveeeeeeee to stay physically active and will sparkle in delight if something seems challenging to do. I've been doing taekwondo, and swim teams, gymnastics, as well as weight lifting since I was in middle school. Running marathons, racing through obstacle courses, and perhaps a fitness competition are on my radar soon for 2015/2016. :)

I also LOVE being a mommy to my 3 bitties, and a wife to my wonderful husband, Eric.

So why would I fall into depression?

This question was something I had asked myself many times in the last year. Maybe two.
See, before kids I was self conscious of myself. I might have always seemed like a confident person, but I had things about me physically before that I would sometimes feel uneasy about. I think every girl has a moment of that. (looking back at myself now I wanna kick old me in the shin for it too!)
However, it wasn't bad. It was only sometimes I let this problem surface, but I never let it slow me down with what I wanted to go out and do.

Right before I had kids, I thought. "Hey! I was active! I'll bounce right back!"

WRONG. 

I had gone from 160-165ish to 230 my first time, down to 188 and back to 210 with my second, and from 180 to 235 with my 3rd pregnancy. I. got. huge.

 I am a tall girl standing in at 5'9" with broad shoulders, and a full chest that I got over night at 18 from an 'okay' plastic surgeon.

Gaining that weight shook the ground from under my feet and when none of it fell off right away, I was mortified. My chest ballooned in 2 years from a 36AAA, to 36C with implants, and then exploded to a 42EE when I was nursing.
I didn't see that coming at all before I had implants or I would have never had them done before kids.

Having a 9.5 pound baby in a short torso (I'm literally all legs) and a c-section with the weight gain mentioned above left me scarred and stretched out beyond repair at the time. I was unrecognizable in my 19 year old body, going into my 20's.

Post partum depression had it's firm grip around my conscious for several months into the early days of me joining mommy hood for the first time and I had no idea how to cope with it. I also struggled to come to terms that I had to have a c-section when I had these plans to delivery a  totally different way. I felt like I had lost myself.

Repeat this 2 more times.



----

Now pause for just a moment. Before I get too far ahead I wanted to point out a few things.

I was thrilled to death being a mom from day one. Scared to death too! I had never held a baby before so this was so alien!! I kept thinking I'd break them or they'd never survive with me being their unseasoned mom, but somehow I was doing a decent enough job and they are happy and healthy today, LOL.

I was thankful I was capable of carrying a baby in my tummy. Despite how I felt right after the delivery and finally being able to see what unstretched-strechmarks looked like a week post delivery. I did marvel in the thought of how delicate pregnancy is and how cool it was that we can grow another human inside. This drove me right away in wanting more kids. Before my first, I wasn't sure if I had wanted any at all, so this kinda shocked a few friends and family when I was all about it after my first.

With how I think on a regular basis, I had these 'oh this is so cool" "wow I'm a mom!" "I love my baby she's amazing!" thoughts.. mixed in with my already seeded thoughts of "what am I going to do with my body?!" from long before I even fell pregnant. It was a constant back and forth struggle.

I don't want anyone to think I didn't enjoy being a mom, or that I didn't love my kids or my husband.
They were the ones that kept me going. I was MOM and WIFE. That was my universe.
I poured my heart and everything into those two things.
But nothing else.


----

So months after my kids were born, I kinda went into a groove of things and fell complacent with how I looked and felt. That was it, right?
This was going to be me forever.
I can't change this.
Nopenopenopenope.


After my first two I hardly tried. I never could fix how I was and it pained me daily. I wanted to hide myself because I had this huge skin flap I had to tuck in my jeans, wrinkled skin on my stomach that bounced with every step I took and warmed my lap when I sat down from pooching everywhere, the extra weight that would never go away, and such a shortage on energy that I gave up everything I wanted to do and loved outside of being a mom and wife.

My love of sports activities was gone. I was too big. It hurt to stretch and move.
My art suffered because I never left the house, or wanted to really create. I lost the stimulation from just sitting inside and zoning out.
My writing survived but it struggled, which is why part of my book I'm doing now took forever. I just didn't feel like me anymore and I couldn't climb out of my dark space. My inspiration lagged.

I sat there for 5 years actually.
I had good days and I tried. I smiled.
I actually became very good at smiling though my struggles.

At the end of 2013 though something clicked.
I found several things on a few fitness group where moms who looked like me had these wild transformations. I began talking to my husband and my trainer Joe about things and finally one day something stirred under all the layers and layers of doubt.



I saw a challenge.

Old Megan was laying dormant under the surface, but was picking at a teeny opening.
That was last October.
That day we got a gym membership.
I hadn't wanted to take on a challenge like this in 5 years.

I started lifting weights and doing more cardio.
Eating better and exploring new options and tracking everything I ate.
I wore my Body Media band and it told me what I burned vs. consumed.
And quickly I saw changes.
20 lbs in one month actually.

Fast forward to this past summer and I was down a total 60 lbs.
I had NEVER felt better before.
My knees didn't hurt like they used to.
My skin cleared up and I stopped breaking out all over.
My hypothyroidism was under control for the first time in 5 years!
(I will post on this later on... but this was a big big deal for me and my doctor)
And I had energy! No more 3 hour naps during the middle of the day!!

I wanted to go out, create, write, draw, and make friends finally!
My confidence was returning.


All of this was before my surgery a few months ago.
All before I found out that I could get my tummy tuck.
I had flaws but embraced them, because I battled something much bigger.
And I was OK.

The moral of this story I'm sharing today (if you read this far down) is that YES.
YES YOU CAN.

I saw an inspirational quote online last night and it made me want to write this this morning.

"Your possibilities are endless.
 You are never stuck where you are."

And that is exactly what it was like for me. 

No matter who you are. You are NEVER stuck. You can make the change like I did.
You are strong. You are beautiful.
You just have to believe in yourself that you can do it. 

If you are struggling and need some motivation, please don't hesitate to message me and talk.
<3

I hope this helped someone today.
Keep looking forward!


XOXO

So you've had/ or have to have a C-section. Now what?!

So let's talk about c-sections. 

I've had 3 of them. 

Did I want to? No. 

Do I advocate and push for them? 

Not at all unless it genuinely is needed. 

Having said that, I will say:

If you have one, you have not failed. 

I felt like I did after my first 2. 

My third was a true medical emergency. 

Let me begin this with my experience. I got pregnant with my husband at 19 and had our first daughter at 39 weeks with a scheduled c-section. My doctor at the time told me I was incapable of delivering vaginally all because I hadn't dropped by 37 weeks with my first. 38 weeks went by and I still hadn't. He basically scared me into having a c-section stating I could kill the baby if I tried to force things and this would be way faster. 

Pause there. 

I was 19. First timer. And no one had ever told me doctors did this kinda thing. 

Scared and defeated, I signed my delivery away and we had her March of 2006 by c-section. 

While elated and happy as we could be, internally I struggled to accept how the birth went. I wanted to experience the high of a natural birth, to hold my baby immediately, to be the first one to hold her. None of that happened. I waited 5 hours and it was just a policy the hospital had. I remember doing the ugly cry face when a nurse finally handed her to me. She was finally in my arms. 

Recovery was hard. 

Not gonna lie. 

But I'll get to that in a moment. 

14 months later we fell pregnant with our 2nd girl. This time I switched doctors and was DETERMINED to VBAC. 

(A VBAC stands for "Vaginal birth after a C-section)

Fast forward to Feb of 2010 when I reached 40 weeks and I went into labor. 

Joy! I was doing it! YES! 

I held out for 2.5 days before my husband rushed me to the hospital and we got situated. I had read a few things here and there and felt confident. My water broke shortly after arriving and things were going great.... That is until her heart rate suddenly declined. 

We waited an hour before the Doc came in and shook her head silently saying it was a no go. She had turned wrong and become stuck and since I was a former c-section mom, they didn't want to risk it. 

Off we went for C #2.

Defeat mixed with happiness with our new arrival. A very potent concoction for post partum depression once again. 

At this point I basically wasn't sure if we'd do it again. I learned my pelvis was narrow and making 9 lb babies made things difficult. 

Fast forward to 2012 when we fell pregnant with baby #3, our last bitty, and only son! 

*hubby does a fist pump haha* 

At this point I felt a little leery of trying again. But my doctor said I was allowed. My scar looked good on ultrasound so we made plans for a VBA2C.

Fast forward to last year in April 2013 and I went into labor early on the morning of my Dad's birthday and a week after my 25th. We were excited and anxious! 

How would this play out?!

Upon arrival they checked and I was already a 3. What?! I never was that far ahead checkin in with our 2nd! 

Water breaks and we got to a 7-8. I held my breath. I couldn't believe we were there. 

This time they had me rotating side to side and he was going lower and lower. 

And then the alarms went off. A team rushed in and checked my cervix. Blood.

Baby's heart was going up and down and mine was accelerating. 

"We need to get her to the OR STAT!"

I remember feeling the blood drain from my face. Everything blurred around me and the panic gripped every fiber of my being. 

"What's happening?!" I shouted. 

I was in the middle of having a uterine rupture. 

I kept thinking "how can this be happening?!"

What usually takes 45 mins start to finish took about 3 hours. Thankfully after a shot of adrenaline and two different Or teams, my son and I survived that delivery. At that point, I was thankful for a c-section. It saved our lives. 

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So, cooling off from all of that, I wanted to share a few things that helped me after each of these deliveries. 

#1. A belly binder for post partum tummies. The hospital should provide this but if not, Babies-R-US and Target carry them. This was my number one go to item after delivery. It supports your insides and incision area and keeps you held in comfortably. I found it helped make things go down some too. They are easy to take on and off and go under most outfits too. 

http://www.target.com/p/original-belly-bandit/-/A-11169343?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=11169343&CPNG=Women&kpid=11169343&LID=22pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=11169343&kpid=11169343&gclid=COiF78LKisECFTAQ7Aod8HQAYQ

#2. Colace - AKA stool softener. You just had a major abdominal surgery. Unless you'd like to fill out a second birth certificate for pushing out a collosal sized poo that's been building up after surgery (anaesthesia constipates you....Snd sneezing, laughing, and coughing hurt already) pushing that kinda boulder out weighing in at 8-9 lbs figuratively speaking would be torture. Super important!!!! 

#3.  STAY ON YOUR PAIN MEDS. Stay ahead. Don't wait to feel pain, time it as the doctor says. If not, you'll suffer and it's not something you need in that time if you can avoid it.

#4. If you can, pre-cool and freeze meals.  It will save time and stress when you're adjusting in the early weeks. 

#5. Drink TONS of water. This helps flush post partum fluids and the anesthesia that the delivery warranted. You'll feel much better too. 

#6. Grannies panties that go up and over your waist. To your belly button! You don't want ANYTHING rubbing your fresh incision. This will prevent that.   

http://www.motherhood.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=938990577&MasterCategory_Id=MC32

#7. Iodine. The brown liquid. I dabbed this on my incision after a shower and dabbed it dry with cotton swabs. Infections are easy to get, so stay on top of this. 

#8. Sleep in a reclined position until you feel comfortable to ease yourself flat again. Use a pillow between your knees for a while as well until your body has adjusted itself back. This will reduce any post partum hip discomforts you might have.

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I really hope this helps someone. After 3 times, I found these helped me the most. 

And most of all, enjoy your new baby and  congratulations! You deserve to be happy mama. 💖

And before you go...

Here are my 3 Bitties. 

Xoxox 

Stay cozy! 

2 Months!

So two months has seemingly flown by. 

It's almost like I had a child where those early recovery days and learning how to adapt have taken over what the recovery process has been like. 

Actully, it's been easier. 

Not sure if it has anything to do with working out all the time before or not,

perhaps I was conditioned to handle the aches and pains following, but really this recovery was easier than any c-section delivery I ever had. 

And I'd do it again in a heart beat!

Remember this? 

This was 1 week post my 3rd c-section last April.

I actually looked like this for 4-5 months post my delivery. 

The photo on the right was JUST before I had my tube tie surgery in August.

I worked my ass off to get there and even then I still had a major separation and lots of skin to tuck and move around. I know there are thousands of moms out there who have it as well. 

YES you can reduce it by LEAGUES. 

It can tighten so much with lots of work and a clean diet.

Mine however, just didn't get past this point. I was getting some ab definition but even my surgeon stated that I had a 4 finger gap and that I had pretty much done what I could. 

Some may think it's a vain thing to do, but I'm so thankful for the opportunity and my decision.

I feel SO much better and all the work that I poured into that 17-18 months prior to is showing now.

I am not perfect by any means, and I still have lots of work to do, but this was the best decision for me and so far I've had nothing but support since announcing and going through with the procedure.

If you are thinking of going through this, PLEASE make sure your doctor is board certified.

Research, Research Research!

I looked for my Doctor for MONTHS before making a decision.

An experienced doctor, along with a great bedside manner can make or break your experience. 

This was just before my surgery. That skin just was easily stretched off my body with little effort. My back and core support suffered from both that and lack of muscle strength. I also had two small hernias along the sides of my hips from muscles trying to support areas that were weakened. 

I was torn up essentially lol.

Morning of! 

A few days post. The drains suck. Not going to lie. You'll feel like a MILLION BUCKS once they are removed though. I will post some hacks and tricks on how to stay comfortable while with them.

3 weeks post! Scar is low and still healing. Drain sites will have little holes that scar over and stay but since they are in your pubic mons, they stay hidden from everything else. Note: Your privates will swell after this if you choose to have this procedure done! DONT STRESS! It does go back down again. And you get a little lift which is nice after having extra skin above. :)

One month post! I found a bikini on sale at Old Navy and spent 2.50 on it total since it was off season. Not sure if it'll be too big or not next summer, but this was the first bikini I've managed to fit in since having kids. EVER. It's very alien still because I'm used to wearing all things maternity to hide my old skin pooch.

This is 2 months. 

(sorry I am always forgetting to crop my photos from screen caps hah. )

Same underwear too from where I was pulling my skin above. 

It's crazy how much has changed. 

This is me now. 

I do swell still but it's mostly when I'm very active. I can get pretty puffy but a binder, kicking back my feet, and drinking a LOT of water helps reduce this problem. 

You { have to } listen to your body after something like this. 

I also went in to get some BMI and health stuff checked this past week and I weighed in at 159! 

Not 100% how accurate that scale was but it registered twice! That's 10 lbs down since having surgery. :) My goal right now is to reach 150-155 and build muscle again since being out the past 3 months. I'm 75 lbs down since having our son last April, too. 

I'm still wrapping my head around that one.

WARNING: I'M ABOUT TO POST THE MEAT PHOTOS FROM WHAT THEY REMOVED.

This right here was 5 lbs of skin, and some fat. 

The only one they snapped for me but I still think it's kinda cool.

Meg Steaks hahah!

I hope no one was eating while reading this. x)

This was about a week a go when I returned to the gym to test things out for my first back Zumba class. (My IG account is on there so you can add me there too! )

Anyhow. 

This is what has been going on so far. 

I'm keeping it brief as we are on a business trip and I have desperately needed to post this for awhile now. Thank you again to everyone out there who has supported me during this crazy time and put up with all of my meaty photos hehe. 

Starting this upcoming week I am returning to the gym and will be posting some Q & A's 

About jump starting your fitness journey, some tips, and a few other goodies that may benefit you guys out there. 

We are all strong women who are capable! 

Let us finish 2014 strong and take 2015 head on.

(before you go, I need to show off my cute bitties that keep me on my toes)

xoxoxo

Stay tuned!