Guest Blogger: Britney Munday Talks Losing the Baby Weight

Hi ladies! I have a special guest blogger named Britney Munday on the blog today. She is a hot mama and I actually found her on Pinterest when looking through transformation photos one day and I thought "WOW! I have GOT to feature this incredible woman." She had a baby several months ago and has documented her changes all throughout the way. Check out her story, her weightloss tips,-and her stunning PROGRESS! This will be sure to motivate you all.

"Before I was pregnant I was very health conscious and in shape… but once I became pregnant all of that changed. I worried about getting my heart rate too high while working out and hurting the baby, I worried about not gaining enough weight, I worried about not eating enough calories.. all of that turned out to be a recipe for A LOT of weight gain. Seventy pounds to be exact. I started out at 130 pounds and made it to 200 pounds (on the dot) the day before my delivery.

Honestly, I don’t regret it completely. I had always been fairly in shape, I never knew what it felt like to be overweight. I never knew how hard it was for people to actually lose a significant amount of weight. So in a way, I’m glad I went through this journey so I could better empathize with people and show people one very important thing—you can lose the weight. It can be done, and it can be done without the assistance of weight watchers, south beach diet, atkins, diet pills, surgery, etc…

You just need to know this one secret to losing the weight… You ready for it?? K here it is: There is no secret. That is the secret! All it takes is motivation; you are the only one who can change your weight. You hold the keys to your success.

Here are some tips I have found useful in my journey of weight loss (54 pounds down, 16 to go!)

·         Eat clean

o   Honestly, the less processed the better. If a caveman would have eaten it, you’re on the right track. One of my favorite programs that guides you through eating clean is certified personal trainer Jamie Eason’s 12-week live fit trainer. It can be accessed at http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html and outlines a meal plan for you AS WELL AS a fitness plan. A lot of those bikini competitors follow this program (or one similar to it) and the best part about it? It’s FREE. I love it because it shows beginers how to clean up their nutrition and it’s very sustainable. You’re not left with cravings or feeling hungry.

o   You’ve hear it before, abs are made in the kitchen. You can do crunches until you’re blue in the face, but if your diet isn’t clean you won’t be seeing those abs anytime soon!

·         Exercise

o   When I first had my baby I was SO out of shape. No really, going on a walk made me get a side ache and lose my breath. It’s so crazy to think about how far I’ve come, from getting out of breath from a walk around the block to today (I just ran 8 miles!).

o   The trick is to slowly increase your exercise intensity, start by pushing your kids around the block in a stroller. Then increase your miles each time, at one point I was walking at  about 6 miles a day.  Walking is HUGE for losing weight because at the right intensity it keeps your heart rate in the fat burning zone.

·         Weight Lifting

o   Now before you skip over this bullet point, listen to me. I know if you haven’t lifted weights before it’s probably because you’re intimidated. All of those levers and pulleys, what are those even for any way? Not to mention all of the seasoned weight lifters who are just staring at you as you try and figure out the equipment. I was in your shoes too! I know how it feels. It’s embarrassing in the beginning but it’s totally worth it!

o   I love Jamie Eason’s program (I’m not paid to say this I promise haha) because it’s excellent for beginning weightlifters. Before her program I rarely lifted weights, now I love it! It taught me how to use all of the equipment and feel a lot more comfortable in the weight section with all of the guys.

o   Lifting weights can be one of the most rewarding things you can do for your body. I always loved ceramics in high school; there was always something so intriguing about being able to manipulate the clay into whatever you wanted. Now I think of my muscles as the clay and weight lifting as the tool to change my muscles into whatever I want. You’ve never had nice calves and always wanted them? You want to wear short sleeved tops without being self-conscious about your arms? You want a nice butt to put in your jeans? It can be done. You can sculpt your muscles to look however you want, all with weights.

·         Cheat day

o   I swear by the cheat day. You will end up binging if you don't give yourself that one day to look forward to. To be honest, once I get to the cheat day I forget what it was I wanted to eat so bad, and I end up eating healthy anyway! My cheat day is every Saturday and let me tell you this, I look forward to that cheat day like it’s Christmas.

·         Don’t drink your calories

o   We've all heard it before, "Don't drink your calories" and there's a reason for it! I would so much rather eat some nice cheesy spinach artichoke dip then drink soda, juice, sport drinks, etc… during the week. So that's what I do! If you want orange juice, actually eat the orange. If you want apple juice, eat the apple. It has valuable fiber anyway! And if you must drink that soda, save it for your cheat day! Make it a treat you look forward to.

·         Don’t eat after 7 PM

o    I try and make my last meal before 7 PM and I don't put anything in my mouth (besides water) until breakfast.  Often food that is eaten late at night just ends up turning straight into fat.

·         Don’t s skip Breakfast

o   Breakfast kickstarts your metabolism and should be one of the first things you do in the morning (within 30 minutes of waking up). Skipping breakfast doesn’t do you any favors, in fact it can send your body into starvation mode and make your body think that it needs to hold onto any food it gets. You don’t want that.

If you’re trying to lose weight, just know that it can be done. You are in charge of your weight loss; you are responsible for your weight loss. Don’t waste any more time fantasizing about your dream body, make the lifestyle changes to get it NOW!

I’m absolutely flattered that Sia contacted me to write a guest post. She is a rockstar and a perfect example of how to have a fit and healthy pregnancy.  If you’d like to follow my progress head over to britneymunday.com. Thanks Sia!"