My Weight Loss Journey as a New Mom

Today’s guest post is from a new mom, Linda Ho. It covers her expectations of what a fit and healthy pregnancy would look like for her, and what it was like in reality! She then goes on to talk about her weight loss journey as a mom so far. When Linda said to me, “I’d like to write a post about my weight loss journey as a new mom,” I agreed because I thought others might relate to what she had to say. It’s important to realize that your journey is your own. As Linda says, “You just need to embrace the cards that you’ve been dealt with for your life and make the most out of it”. – Elly xx

Here’s a little about myself: I am a new mother from Germany with a Polish background. I moved to New Zealand five years ago. I’m 33 years old, a Registered Nurse, Qualified Yoga teacher, Master Hypnotherapist, NLP Coach, and a Coach in Time Line Therapy ™. I specialize in Hypnotherapy for weight loss and NLP for weight loss, quitting smoking, and anxiety. I’ve chosen these areas of specialization because I learned the value of these techniques through my own journey.

My old Idea about my body and pregnancy

It all started back when I did my yoga teacher training in India. I’d dreamed of having a baby one day with the perfect man by my side. I’d always pictured myself being one of the super slim-fit yoga teachers still doing all kinds of postures in the last trimester. It almost seemed like the pregnancy never touched these ladies. Yes, this is how I saw myself, beautiful and bendy with just a big belly. I’d always been very fit, loved running, yoga, and the beach, so it seemed like a realistic picture in my head.

Fast forward three years, and everything was completely different, except I did have the perfect man by my side. The pregnancy hit us by surprise and was not planned at all. I literally had just let go of the thought of having a baby anytime soon. My husband and I love to travel, so family planning wasn’t on our minds at the time.

The first two trimesters

However, we were absolutely stoked to hear the news of our beautiful baby girl entering this realm. In the first trimester, I spent a lot of time in the bathroom. Boy, was I sick! Vomiting, or let’s call it purging, was my new hobby. Morning, noon, evening, it didn’t matter – it could happen anytime. I am sure some of you can relate. I was wondering why they call it morning sickness when most women experience it at any time during the day?

You can imagine that sport was not high up on my list. I’d tried to run but felt so sick that I decided to lie down was a better option. Listening to my body was my new mantra.

Then yay, finally the second trimester started. The sickness passed, and I felt actually quite good. I’d heard about the beautiful 2nd trimester, and here it was.

I thought it was the perfect time to squeeze in a little training. I’d been volunteering as a trainer in an Organisation called Renewed Mums, where we support mothers by boosting their confidence and teaching them tools to improve their lives. My passion to help people grew from there.

How can you help someone?  By developing yourself further! So I did. I flew to Sydney to study NLP and Time Line Therapy™. Did you know there is NLP for weight loss? There is an NLP technique for everything. Crazy, I love it. The training was full-on but so rewarding.

The techniques, our coach, and the group of people I studied with were amazing. It was lots of fun and helped me get my own emotional stuff sorted. Especially when you’re pregnant, everything comes to the surface; nothing hides inside. I must admit I cried a lot. I was very sensitive and felt so blessed to have such an amazing and understanding husband. Thanks, Joe!

Letting go of expectations

Towards the end of the 3rd trimester, I was huge. I mean, I am not very tall, so there was nowhere for our baby to grow but outwards. With that excess weight, my pubic and groin were so painful that if I was working for more than two hours in a standing position, I was in agony and in tears. I felt so helpless.

It was so bad that my boss and I decided it would be best for all of us if I took sick leave until my maternity leave started. It was almost like a relief, but with that said, my picture of me as a fit pregnant lady just with a big belly faded to the point of no return.

Reality hit home. I had to admit I was not going to be one of the super-fit yoga pregnant ladies. I had to learn and honor that I am a beautiful, round, nurturing pregnant woman who had to listen to her body and her emotions by resting and taking it easy. By the time I was ready to deliver, I was easily over 20 kg heavier than before, but that was okay. We had a beautiful 3.5 kg baby, healthy and full of energy. What else could we have wished for?

I honored my resting period for the first six weeks with a special diet after delivery. There was a really interesting book called ‘The Golden Month’ that discussed the importance of good, healthy nutrition post-birth. We women lose a lot of chi energy during delivery, and a good diet afterward is crucial for the well-being of the mother and baby.  We were very diligent about that and made sure I was always getting good, healthy meals, which supported my recovery. I also started drinking hot lemon with apple cider vinegar 30 min before my first meal to support my weight-loss journey.

Choosing a healthy post-delivery diet to aid my weight loss journey

About eight weeks post-birth, we went off to Australia again. I signed my husband up for the NLP training and myself to become a Master Hypnotherapist. Did you know you can do hypnosis for weight loss? I was excited, with the baby packed, we went over to tackle our first adventure as a little family. My hubby and I took turns. He did the first training while I watched our beautiful girl. I did the next training, and he brought her in so I could breastfeed her.

I am telling you breastfeeding is your number one weight loss tool when you have a baby, especially in the beginning. You can burn lots of additional calories just by breastfeeding. You need to make sure you are getting enough calories while breastfeeding. Otherwise, you risk drying up. Breastfeeding and weight loss go hand in hand. Remember, however, that I’m sharing my weight-loss journey with you, and your experience could be quite different.

Don’t be discouraged if you’re not breastfeeding. There are amazing foods and exercises you can use to help you and your body get back in shape, and you don’t need to worry about the drying-up part.

Hypnosis for weight loss

After my training, I was certified as a Master in Hypnotherapy and specialized in Hypnotherapy for weight loss, quitting smoking, and overcoming anxiety.  Whoop Whoop, and I am in love with it. It is so peaceful and relaxing, even for the hypnotherapist. I was lucky enough to have one of my classmates do the Hypnosis for weight loss with me to assist me with my own weight loss goals.

Especially as a new mom, this technique is a God-send because it relaxes you and gives you a break while you change habits. Absolute winner! I literally felt more energized after each session. It feels like you just came out of a long meditation. This training as a Master Hypnotherapist was my personal starting point. I wanted to get back on track with training and working more on our business, alongside being a mom.

A postpartum workout plan to strengthen my body safely

I started to go for little runs again, but two days in, I started having terrible pains again in my pelvic floor area. So I decided to get seen by a Physiotherapist specializing in pre and post-natal women to get my all clear and some guidance. She ended up not giving me the all-clear. I was not allowed to go running anytime soon. Walking was fine, and special pelvic floor exercises were prescribed, which help stabilize the body after pregnancy and birth.

I decided I wouldn’t let that hold me back. Instead, I trained more, focusing on strengthening my body and slowly building it back up.  I checked my postnatal diet plan and altered it a bit more with a stronger weight loss focus to assist me in my weight loss journey. I also started weighing my food so I could have a clear picture of how much protein and fat I was naturally eating and where I needed to adjust to meet my macros. It’s a real eye-opener if you look closely at how and what you eat. It makes such a difference.

They say 30% is training and 70% is diet. If you’re active and still not losing any weight, that is probably why, but please also consider that muscle is denser than fat. So while it could look on the scale like you didn’t lose any weight, your pants might tell a different story.

My husband created a postpartum exercise plan for me, and we just adjusted a few things. I wouldn’t run, but did cardio on the cross trainer or went for long beach walks with bubs. I started working with my body weight, built up slowly, and used weights, squats, lunges, and, very importantly, pelvic floor exercises. I’ve lost the first 10 kgs effortlessly with just watching my diet, hypnotherapy for weight loss, beach walks, apple cider vinegar lemon drinks in the morning, and breastfeeding.

My weight loss journey continues

I also dived more into my NLP books, books on hypnosis, and Time Line Therapy™ material. I wanted to brush up on my knowledge and help myself and others achieve goals of any kind.

The last 5 kgs of my weight-loss journey were hard work, requiring determination and consistency. I am personally not one of those women who lose weight quickly. I have to put my mind to it, work hard, and be consistent to see results, and that’s ok!

You just have to learn to embrace the cards you’ve been dealt with for your life and make the most out of it. We are all so unique and beautiful in our own ways. We need to learn to honor the beautiful Goddess within every one of us. Just remember what you resist persists! It all starts with embracing your own uniqueness and learning to fully love yourself, no matter what!

I hope my weight loss journey so far has inspired you and/or helps you on your own journey. If you’d like to comment on my weight loss journey or share something about your own pregnancy or postnatal health and fitness experience, please leave a comment in the box below! You can also find out more about what I do by visiting my Facebook page.

If you’re a new mom, you might want to read these 19 tips for self-care as a new mom, and this expert’s guide to postnatal yoga. If weight loss is one of your goals, make sure you’ve got the right mindset to get where you want to go.

To read about another inspiring real-life weight loss story, hear from Katie. She lost 43 pounds without fad dieting and has kept it off.