Postpartum Plan to My Pre-Pregnancy Pounds

Two days ago I had my postpartum doctor’s visit, and praise God, all is good and I’m totally cleared to begin working out. I’m inclined to publish my postpartum plan to regain my pre-pregnancy body…my reason being for accountability. I need to share what I plan to do to keep me disciplined and motivated to achieve results. I’m a firm believer in that results only happen if you track your progress. (I’ve learned that from managing my Mary Kay business.) So, consider this photo taken yesterday of yours truly as the jump starter to my weight loss transformation.

Today was Day 2 of my work out plan and although it would have been so easy to stay snuggled next to my son and my husband, I forced myself to get out of bed and hit the gym at 6:30am. I’m so glad I did. My plan is to stick to a dedicated cardio routine everyday for the next two weeks so my body can get reacquainted with exercise. It’s been a good two years since I’ve had a regular workout routine. God willing, I will begin a full out work out regimen with a buddy beginning on September 6th. The plan is to lose 25-30 pounds before Christmas. God, please help me!

I don’t mean to bore you with these details. Again, I just have to hold myself accountable for the mission I’m trying so hard to accomplish. And for the record, I gotta say that these past two days of cardio first thing in the morning has helped me feel the happiest I have felt since I had Baby Eli. I’ve struggled with the baby blues for the past few weeks. Who knew that a burst of endorphins would help me come out of my postpartum funk? I gotta keep this awesome routine up!

Dear Lord, help me to stay healthy, to stay motivated and to stay focused on the end result. Let the transformation begin!

The nanny

I received a handwritten thank you note from our nanny who went back to college a week ago. To be honest, I’ve read her thank you note at least four times. Each time I get through it, I get choked up.

She spent the most grueling of times with me while I was finishing up my second pregnancy. She even worked during those daunting weeks of recovery after Eli’s C-section delivery. She had seen me through my roller coaster trip of hormonal rages. She had seen me with makeup and when I confidently felt I looked my best. She had also seen me stripped down to a bare-naked face full of blemishes and imperfections. As Isaac’s nanny, she basically experienced the good and the bad with me in the most candid and intimate way.

Her thank you note completely caught me off guard. I will spare you the details, but her words were appreciative coupled with a spiritual sense of sincerity. It’s a beautiful letter. I was touched by her words, not just because she seemed genuine, but more importantly because she saw how I live my faith and in her note claimed to want the same for her own life. To her, I am a good wife and a good mother. But above all, she believes that I’m a God-fearing woman who inspires her to be “always faithful in God’s plan.” Her compliments are the nicest praises I have ever received.

I can preach on and on about what my Christian faith has done for me in these life-changing past three years. But I worry that for those who read this blog as their only connection to my innermost thoughts, I may sound fake and pretentious. Strike that…I was once told to my face that on this blog I sound totally fake and when I speak of my faith, I seem “brainwashed.” Ouch! For those who feel the same way, I’m sorry that you do.

If I have been “brainwashed,” it’s only been a good thing for my life and for those around me. It seems that to those who are looking for insincerity and imperfection, my faithful words mean nothing. But to this particular woman who has seen me living my life in my daily walk with Christ, I’m empowering by my actions alone. Her words mean more to me than she will ever know. Truly God has blessed my life by allowing me to be a witness to her.