I can’t believe it’s already been 8 weeks since I waddled into the hospital ready to deliver this adorable baby. While I’ve been far from perfect these last four weeks, I’m really proud of the changes I’ve made, especially to my exercise habits! Today it’s time to see what those changes have accomplished…

Week 4 (Initial)                                                  Week 8

Weight — 177 pounds                                            Weight — 175.8 pounds

Waist — 40 inches                                                  Waist — 38 5/8 inches

Hips — 46 inches                                                    Hips — 45 1/4 inches

Thigh (R) — 23 inches                                            Thigh (R) — 23 inches

 

It’s hard not to be a tiny bit disappointed that the scale hasn’t moved much, but it’s hard to argue with the inches lost off my waist and hips! Plus I have to remember that breastfeeding makes my weight fluctuate quite a bit during the day based on how much and how often the baby is eating, so the scale will be a bit less accurate right now. At least it’s headed in the right direction!

I haven’t gotten in quite as many workouts as I’d like so far this week, but I’ve hit my minimum and I still have three days to go!

Sunday — T25 speed 1.0, 1.32 mile walk/jog

Monday — 1.34 mile walk/jog

Tuesday — off

Wednesday — T25 ab intervals, 1.68 mile walk.jog

Thursday — off

Marathon April Total: 7.38

I know I got off to a slow start with the Marathon, but I know with a few longer jogs thrown in, I’ll make it!

With the exception of how I fit into my clothes, I feel great physically. Working out nearly every day has been really good for my energy levels and just my overall well-being. I’m sore all the time, and my joints ache just a little bit, but it’s still an overwhelmingly GOOD feeling. The biggest challenge I’ve had is finding a bra that actually fits with enough support to jump and run. My bra size fluctuates so much based on how much Jonah is eating on any given day, so it’s nearly impossible to find something that fits really well. I’ve been wearing tight nursing tanks to help the bras work better, but it’s not a realistic long-term fix. If anyone has any advice on sports bras that worked well while nursing (especially with a 2-3 size fluctuation during the day) I would be supremely grateful!

Mentally and emotionally I feel like I’m mostly improving, but I do have days where life is overwhelming and all I want to do is cry. For anyone that wants to combine full-time school with work and an infant, I would recommend that either you cut back on school or work hours, or be prepared for some tough days here and there. Don’t get me wrong, it’s doable, it’s just really difficult to balance — hence my weepy, “I’ll never get all this done” days. The semester is almost done though, so I’ll have the entire summer to get Jonah on a good schedule for next semester. It also helps that Jonah is starting to sleep for 4-5 hour stretches pretty regularly, so I can get some decent sleep at night and sometimes even get a nap during the day 🙂 It’s amazing what an extra hour of sleep can do for your mental well-being!

Are you making progress towards your goals? How do you keep yourself accountable?