Fit Momma

The belly bulge has got to go!

Now that the holidays are over, not to mention all holiday indulgences, it’s time to finally focus my attention on getting rid of this nasty, wobbly, post-preggo belly. I’m stuck in a horrible rut right now where both maternity clothing and regular clothing don’t seem to fit me properly. I spend most of my days in jammies or yoga pants because that’s all I really have. As someone who was accustomed to taking care of my appearance, I now look like a sad and sorry shadow of my former self. There’s only one solution – get back to the gym and toss the crap from the cupboard.

Fitting exercise into my schedule hasn’t been easy with a baby. I try to fit in an hour of home workouts when hubby comes home and puts Drew down to sleep. I find myself dragging my heals some days and finding the motivation after a long day of keeping up with the little guy’s demands can be tricky. Any time I’m feeling lazy, I go into my closet and look at all the beautiful clothes that no longer fit. If I’m feeling particularly lethargic, I’ll whip out pictures of myself in a bikini in Mexico… that’s particularly torturous.

While I’m certain that my body will never return to its Mexico glory, at least not without a nip and a tuck, I’m bound and determined to fit back into most of my clothing by the time I return to work in October. With a new home to pay for in May and a baby in daycare I can’t afford a new wardrobe. The pressure is on – lose weight or wear a loin cloth…

In an attempt to keep things fresh, motivating and interesting, I have signed up for a Zumba class at the local community centre. I needed to add something different into my rotation as the home exercise DVDs were getting dull; I also need to escape from the house so that I don’t go stir crazy. I’m very excited to start my class as it’s a mix of high-impact Latin dance and cardio. If there is one thing I love and miss with all my heart, it’s dancing! While I may look scary shaking my flabby belly around, I think this will be a great way to let off some steam and “hopefully” shed some of the remaining 30 lbs I aim to lose. A girlfriend of mine has also joined the class so at any rate we’ll have a blast laughing at ourselves.

I have also enrolled Andrew and I in Salsa Babies – a weekly class where I wear Andrew in my baby carrier and dance around to salsa music with other Moms. I’m a little nervous because this will be my first time going out and meeting other Moms and babies. I guess I feel anxious about Drew having a meltdown but it’ a fear I have to get over. I figure that if anyone understands crying babies, it’s certainly other mothers. I have done a few test runs wearing Drew around home and dancing; he usually likes the motion and is lulled to sleep. Yesterday it took two salsas and a meringue to get him down for his nap…whatever works.

Wish me luck folks, both on the losing weight front and on returning to society. It’s scary out there but it’s even scarier at home, wearing flannel reindeer pajama pants every day.