Losing The Baby Weight Part 7

Losing The Baby Weight Part 7

A few days ago, my little guy officially turned 6 months old. That means, I have had 6 months to work on losing this baby weight. I have been stuck with 10 pounds remaining for the last couple months. (Read previous posts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6) Of course, I have been slacking off a little and not really been eating as healthy as I should. Since my last post on this subject of slacking off (see post 6), I have been trying to eat only healthy meals and work out regularly. I stepped on the scale today to see that I am now down to 128. That means I have eight pounds to go before my goal! YAAHHH!!

I think I have lost the two pounds because I have really stepped up my fitness routine as of late. My husband and I joined the local YMCA a couple of months ago and it has allowed us to work out together while the baby is in the daycare. In fact, I would say that joining the gym was one of the best decisions we have made. The gym we joined focuses on working out as a family. Our little guy might be in daycare right now, but we like to take him swimming in the pool (he loves the water) and as he gets older he can attend gym classes specifically designed for kids.

In addition to the family aspect, I love the mental break the gym gives me. You see, after the baby was born I went from working outside the home to working in the home. I am basically a stay at home mom now, which I LOVE and wouldn’t trade for the world. I work part time from home, but my number one job has been to raise this little guy. I am lucky to be in a situation that allows me to stay home with him. However, being at home all day with a child can get a little overwhelming. I mean, I do have the world’s easiest baby, but there are times where I need a little “me” time. The gym has really given that to me. They have a daycare that will watch him while I work out. It’s great “me” time that is healthy for not only my body, but my mind too!

Since we have joined the gym I started to attend some of the classes offered and I really love going to them. It gives me time to interact with other adults and usually have some trainer beat me into shape. The classes vary, but I usually attend some type of boot camp or circuit training. The instructors have been very good about keeping the classes updated, so the workout doesn’t get boring. Just last Friday, Good Friday, I attended a class and the instructor said that she had an Easter present for us. She had planned an Easter scavenger hunt. Now, I know this sounds crazy, but it was a really good idea. Each of us were handed two full sheets of paper. One paper had cardio workouts and the other was weight workouts. The scavenger hunt was to mark off as many as you could from both sheets. I thought I would share this with the blog world because it was really a creative way to mix up your workout routine. Here are all of the items I accomplished from the scavenger hunt:
Weights
25 Chest Presses
25 Squat Jumps
25 Rows
25 Hamstring Curls
25 Triceps Extensions
25 Bicep Curls
25 Knee Tucks
25 Reverse Crunch
25 Pushups
25 Bench Dips
25 Pull Ups
25 Kettle Ball Swings
25 Band Bicep Curls
25 Lunges
25 Sit-ups
25 V-Tucks
25 DB Shoulder Presses

Cardio
200 Jump Ropes
50 Mountain Climbers
20 Burpees
2 Laps On Track
50 Jumping Jacks
10 Globe Jumps
1 Ladder (gym floor)
2 Laps On Track
30 Box Toe Taps
10 Elbow to Knee Jumps
1 Min Ride on Bike
1 Floor Cleaner (gym floor)
30 Line Jumps
200 Jump Ropes
10 Box Jumps
20 Burpees

I woke up the next day totally sore, but it felt great to have such a fun way to work out. Yesterday, I was looking in the mirror and noticed how ripped my arms were getting. I attribute my new tone to all the classes I have been taking.

I guess the moral of this post is, join a gym. I know the economy is tough right now, but for a pretty reasonable fee the YMCA provides a number of healthy activities for the family. It’s a great way to build a foundation for you and your children to have a healthy and active lifestyle. So what are you waiting for? Have you been thinking about joining a gym? Do you currently belong to one? Why not give it a shot. The only thing to lose is some extra weight and maybe you will gain some mental health and muscle in the process!

~Beth