9 tips for adjusting to your postpartum body

The new mom months are a crazy time. So many new experiences, hormones raging, pain and soreness mixed with exhilarating love. New motherhood changes you in so many ways, both emotionally and physically.

I love coaching women to develop healthy habits, self-love, and positive self-talk in the postpartum months. Your health (physically and mentally) plays a big role in raising your tiny babe. Here are a few of my tips for feeling your best.

1. Be gentle. Be gentle with yourself, your body, your baby, your mind. Be nice to yourself. Speak to yourself like you’d speak to your daughter or BFF or sister that you absolutely LOVE. I highly recommend positive mantras or affirmations as a way to develop a positive relationship with your body. Your self talk will truly influence your self-esteem much more than any weight loss could.

2. First things first. Okay this should go without saying, but seriously. Listen to your body. Think about what your body needs. Are you craving more exercise? Get out for a walk. More sleep? Put down your phone and for the love of god, try and sleep when you can. Dying of thirst all day? Buy a freaking huge water bottle and fill it! (Cute water bottles + water tips here!) When it’s empty, re-fill it! Only YOU can determine what your body needs NOW. Every mom is different. Every pregnancy is different. We all bounce back at different rates and bouncing back has nothing to do with a personality trait aka you are not weaker or less than for taking longer to get into a groove! You do you, babe.

3. Social support. There is no time like the early postpartum months that social support is more crucial. After the initial wave of visitors and meals and calls are done, you are left with little sleep and a new tiny (and maybe crying) baby to care for. It can definitely be overwhelming. Meet up with other moms at local mom groups, using the Peanut app, or through mom based fitness classes like Stroller Strides. It feels good to be around other women who are going through (or have been through) what you are.

4. One thing at a time. This is my golden rule when it comes to coaching. One habit at a time. When you are ready to address your health and fitness, adopt one new habit at a time and stick with it for at least a week (maybe 2-3) before adding anything else. You are raising a brand new little baby. There are already a million things on your plate. Don’t try and do a huge diet/exercise overhaul all at once. You’ll end up disappointed which is no good at all. Focus on one habit. I always recommend starting with a prenatal vitamin if you aren’t taking one (yes even postpartum). Other great places to start are a protein shake blended with peanut butter in the morning, 10+ glasses of water per day and even more if breastfeeding, walking 15 minutes per day, etc. One manageable habit at a time will get you much further than going full force and then quitting 100 times.  

5. Eat your Veggies. Vegetables are golden when it comes to the postpartum diet. Why?? You need all the vitamins you can get, they are a source of hydration since they have a high water content, and you get a lot of caloric bang for your buck. What does that mean?? You can snack on a TON of veggies with very few calories, but still feel full thanks to the fiber they contain. That fiber also keeps you regular, which any new mom will tell you is important… #ColaceFTW…. SO. The easiest way for a busy mama to get her veggies in is getting raw carrots, celery, peppers, and/or cucumbers and making sure they are all washed and chopped in the fridge. Bonus points for putting them in individual containers or baggies (you overachiever, you). Then find a dip you like. There are so many amazing flavors of hummus. Find one and buy it! Then snack.

6. Get moving. After you get the okay to exercise, don’t feel the need to get back into your old gym routine. Just start with whatever feels good. It is definitely possible to get a great workout in at home. There are apps and youtube channels dedicated to this, plus a million body weight workouts you can do at home. And don’t underestimate the power of a good stroller walk!

7. Routine. Simple routines are everything, especially for a new stay-at-home mom. Even if you aren’t sure what your baby’s schedule will bring you for the day…. Every morning- up, dressed, and make a plan! Managing your time (as possible) makes everyone feel a little better. If you have any specific errands to run, make your list the night before (or during the middle of the night nursing sesh.

8. Food, fast. Utilize food prepping to avoid being forced to head out for fast food. By cooking a batch of chicken in the crockpot on Monday afternoon, you will at least have protein for sandwiches or salads, with any combo of sauces or dressings will make your life easier. I also recommend coming up with a list of quick snacks that you love. Make sure they include a combination of either protein + carb or fat +carb (or all three!). The point is to avoid carb-filled snacks, because they will only leave you feeling hungry after about an hour. And no mama has time for that.

9. Intuitive eating. Before you head for the kitchen in search of a meal or snack, think about how you are feeling? Are you hungry? Starving? Bored? If so, eat accordingly, but be aware of how you feel. If you are a new breastfeeding mom, crazy hunger may strike in the middle of the night. And that’s totally fine! Grab one of those quick/healthy snacks we talked about above and eat up. I kept little bars and snacks in my nightstand when I was a brand new mom because I was often starving after nursing in the middle of the night. It’s important to be in tune with your hunger cues because after the nursing munchies subside, you don’t want to continue chowing down strictly out of habit if you aren’t actually hungry. So pay attention!
   
   And a bonus..... Baby blues or ppd? Postpartum depressive disorders can come on at any time up until a year old. Be aware of your moods, how they change, and make sure you contact your doctor if you aren’t feeling like yourself.  

Cutest Water Bottles to Help you Stay Hydrated this Summer!

You know you're supposed to be drinking plenty of water, especially in this summer heat-- but what if you hate drinking plain water?? Just like any other habit, it helps to ease yourself into it! Here are 5 tips to help you stay hydrated plus what to do if you hate drinking plain water. 

1. Flavor! I love adding fruit or citrus juice, herbs (like mint leaves), or even flavored stevia drops to my water. You don't actually have to drink water "plain" to get the benefits! Try using an infuser like the one linked below, or drink tea and then slowly dilute it. 

2. Take it with you. Having a water bottle with you wherever you go is super helpful if you are trying to stay hydrated. Bottles like the swell ones below are perfect because they are insulated and won't leak in your purse!

3. Water first. If you like having a soda or cocktail when going out, drink a full glass of water before each beverage. This also works when eating at home! Having a glass of water before each meal has also been proven to assist in weight loss (#winwin). 

4.  Fill your bottles everyday. Simply making sure you have 2 or 3 filled and chilled water bottles ready at the start of each day can help you to drink more! I suggest either making this part of your evening routine and filling your bottles and sticking them in the fridge, or first thing in the morning so they are ready to go! 

5. What about if you love bubbles?? If you love carbonation there are a million types of flavored sparkling waters. If you need to, add some stevia drops or a squeeze of lemon or grapefruit for a refreshing drink without the calories (or aspartame) of other bubbly beverages. 

And of course, having a few cute water bottles laying around doesn't hurt either! Check out these cute water bottles below ;) 

 

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 

19 self-care tips for new moms

I guest posted over at EllyMcGuinness.com! Check out the post here   https://www.ellymcguinness.com/blog/self-care-routine/

MyPlate: the VivFit Way

I’m sure you’ve heard of the food guide pyramid or it's replacement, MyPlate, which came out a few years ago. Well, based on my own preferences, education,  and coaching guidelines...I like to do things a little differently.

Why? Two reasons.
 

Reason #1:  My Plate totally left out fats! And fats are essential for a healthy body. They are so important for optimum brain function and hormone health, plus they keep you full and are DELISH (avocado and peanut butter are a few of my favorite things…). I really don't think you can have a balanced diet while leaving out a whole macronutrient!! 

Reason #2: MyPlate recommends includes dairy as a suggestion for every meal. I don’t have anything against dairy, but I don't think it's necessary for every meal. 

So here’s the VivFit version of MyPlate…

What does this mean?? Here's a brief introduction to macronutrients (or carbs, fats, and proteins):

Carbohydrates/ Starches

benefits: carbohydrates provide your body with energy. Choosing whole grain carbs like quinoa, popcorn, or brown rice in addition to fruits can give your body fiber to aid in digestion, and provide you with long lasting energy (versus simpler sugars like in a candy bar that won't keep you full for long at all). 

how to enjoy them in your diet: fruit, potato, brown rice, or quinoa are excellent sources of carbohydrates. Be sure to eat them in combination with protein or fats (or all three) to keep you full! Add peanut butter to fruit, or eat your rice with salmon, etc. 

Fats

benefits: Without going into the science of the different types of fats (bond structures between saturated or unsaturated fats), the short story is fats are amazing for the body. They keep you full for longer, aid in digestion of important vitamins, and aid in hormonal balance (to name a few...fats are seriously amazing. click here for an in depth article if you're curious). 

how to enjoy them in your diet: avocado, olive oil, peanut butter,  nuts, avocado oil, or coconut oil are excellent ways to get healthy fats into your meal (and if you want to know my take on the recent coconut oil controversy, click here. long story short: in moderation it's perfectly fine!) 

Protein

benefits: The body uses protein to make and repair tissues. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. They aid in creating muscle tissue, make enzymes and hormones, as well as provide the building blocks for hair and nails.  

how to enjoy them in your diet: beans, eggs, chicken, steak, fish, legumes, or greek yogurt are examples of healthy proteins

More vs Less Mentality

I like to tell clients to focus on adding more of the good stuff instead of worrying too much about cutting out all the bad stuff. For example, more water (and then hopefully you'll be drinking less soda and juice, which spike your blood sugar and mess with hunger cues), more fruits and veggies, more healthy fats like avocado and eggs, more protein to keep you feeling full.

This is a guideline to get you thinking about how you are filling your plate. Sometimes your food will be in a sandwich or mixed in a blender or even a casserole. It probably won’t look just like the example--I personally like my food mixed in one big bowl lol-- but the purpose is to get you thinking about how to improve your nutrition, and what is going on your plate (or bowl or in your blender, etc). 

If this seems like a foreign language, don't worry! I get it. If nutrition was easy to understand there wouldn't be a million diet books for sale. 

Pop your info in below and I'll send you a sample healthy menu + grocery list to take the guess work out of meal planning this week. 

 

A nutrition Coach's Guide to mindful eating

One of the first habits I discuss with my coaching clients is intuitive or mindful eating. What is mindful eating? It’s the process of taking time and paying attention to what you are eating and why you are eating it.

Have you ever sat down for lunch or a snack in front of the tv and the next thing you know your food is all gone? That is not eating mindfully- that is mindless eating. 

Eating mindfully involves sitting down, chewing your food, breathing, enjoying, and stopping before you are 100% full.

You might be wondering, do you really need to use your intuition to eat?

Isn't eating something that should come naturally? Yes, however due to being told various food "rules", yo-yo dieting, eating while distracted, using food as a tool for dealing with emotional issues, and having access to gigantic portion sizes, most people forget how to eat intuitively. 

Because of our go-go-go lifestyle, most people inhale food. Combine that with emotional eating and the insane body standards our culture has placed on us,  and it’s no wonder we don’t trust ourselves to just eat and are always looking for the next meal plan or diet.

Eating mindfully helps you to feel connected to your hunger cues and stop emotional eating. Here’s how to do it.

(p.s. Don’t try all 5 steps at once. Try one or two at each meal and think about how they work for you, then combine them!)

5 steps to eating mindfully:

1. Next time you open the pantry or fridge, or head to the vending machine or snack bar, or buy a muffin in line at Starbucks...ask yourself “am I hungry?” This might seem like an obvious question...duh I’m hungry...but often times we confuse thirst or boredom for hunger. Truly ask yourself and think about how you are feeling. Is your stomach growling? How long since your last meal? Are you just feeling tired? How long til your next meal? If you are truly hungry, grab a drink of water and your snack and enjoy! (also important to note: sometimes we simply eat because it’s “time” aka it’s noon, so time for lunch. Pay attention to how you feel more than the time!)

2. What am I feeling? If you aren’t necessarily hungry but are feeling sad, stressed, or anxious...consider this. Do you tend to eat when you are feeling this way? What could you do instead? Are you eating for comfort? Our emotions are SO tied to our food habits. Sometimes this comes from how we are raised (you did a good job, so you got an ice cream so now you reward yourself with food or maybe if you were sad  your mom would make your favorite dinner or dessert)... consider how you usually react to these emotions, and consider an action you could replace it with. Even saying to yourself, I’ll wait 10 minutes and see how I feel can be very effective.

3. Breathe. When it is time for your next meal stop and BREATHE. I am SO guilty of sitting down and inhaling my food. Sometimes it’s because my daughter needs me, sometimes it’s just out of habit. In between each bite put down your fork and take a breath and slow down.

4. The 80% rule. This step takes a little more focus. You have to be in tune with your body AND eating slowly to really understand your fullness cues. As you are eating, focus on how you are feeling versus how much food is left on your plate. Stope when you are 80% full NOT when the plate is empty. Why? It takes your brain a while to catch up with your gut. By stopping when you are 80% full, you give your mind and stomach a chance to connect and chances are good about 15 minutes later you will feel 100% satisfied. If you usually go till 100% full or even 110% full, just slow down and scale back little by little.

5. Enjoy! When it comes time to eat, take the time to enjoy! Feel the food as you chew. Taste it. Pay attention to the texture and the smell. Regardless of if you are eating a healthy snack or a decadent dessert- enjoy without guilt or judgement.

If you need help eating mindfully or could use some guidance or accountability, check out my coaching packages here. I'm also currently offering 20 minute free sessions to work through a specific problem! To schedule a free call, click here.