How I Lost Those Last 10 Pounds

Somewhere between six and eight months after having Stevie, I actually hit my goal weight. Did I celebrate with pizza and fries? Hell yes I did. Of course I was so proud of what I accomplished, but to be completely honest, I had also surprised myself a little bit. Going into it, I had no idea what my body would do or how it would respond after having my second baby at 35 years old.

As soon as I was cleared by my doctor to start working out again, weight loss was my mission. And I had my work cut out for me. I had gained 45 lbs and although I have decent genetics, the "baby weight" wasn't melting off on by any means. If I was going to get the weight off, I was going to have to work my butt off. The formula was pretty simple: workouts five days a week, strict eating, lots of water and sleep.

Weight loss is a mindset adjustment. I hate the word dieting, working out and eating healthy needs to be a lifestyle. There were no "cheat days" or "cheat meals" either because I was working too damn hard and it just disrupted my progress. Instead, I was saving all my favorite indulgences for when I actually hit my final goal, kind of like the ultimate reward. But first I had to get there! Baby weight…or not, reality is that those last 10 pounds are always the hardest to lose - but despite all of the factors I had working against me, I'm proof that it's not impossible.

When the number on the scale wasn't budging, I had to re-evaluate my program. Being committed, motivated and determined was large part of it but in order to make more progress, adjustments needed to be made. I believe these few things played such an important role in getting me to my final weight loss goal.

Plan your week, know how many days you're working out and stick to it.

​On Mondays, I workout. I literally have to or I get anxiety about not getting all of my days in that week and it stresses me out. If I miss a workout on Monday, that means I only have one other day that week that I can take off. Don't get me wrong, it's still possible to get in my five days in when I miss a Monday but it's also very likely that I won't.

Creating a loose schedule that breaks up the types of workouts I'm doing also helps insure I'm going to get them in and keeps my interest. For instance, on Wednesday and Fridays I like to take yoga. I try and communicate that to my husband ahead of time to ensure that it happens. The remaining days of the week I run. Running can become monotonous for me too so I try to switch up my locations (especially on days that I have to run back to back) it helps motivate me and keeps it interesting. Rain in the forecast? The elements can definelty play into my workout schedule so if there is rain in the forecast that week, I will plan my week according to that. I also know that I have a much better chance of getting my workouts done earlier in the day, my fitness motivation is virtually non-existent by 3pm.

Take a good hard look at yourself. Are you being challenged?

Getting myself dressed and out the door for a run or to a yoga class is the hardest part. So why show up and half ass it?? I had a goal in mind and I had to push myself harder than I ever had to get there.

100%, the real results come with correct form during my workouts. Bending at the hips or at the knees? It makes a difference. Swinging my arms or pushing then resisting when working triceps? It makes a difference. Is my core tight? You get where I'm going with this. Any opportunity to step it up, I have. You should see me in bootcamp, I literally started propelling myself in the air like Lebron during jump squats and jumping jacks. I'm sure I look ridiculous but I've seen such great results in my quads, hamstrings and gluts since applying these little tweaks during my strength training.

As far as cardio, I picked up a longer, more engaged stride when I run. I will also concentrate on working different muscle groups during each mile I run. Inner thighs and core are my go-to's. I'm always trying to run harder and faster than my last run and I love a challenge, stairs and hills are my favorite.

Look out for yourself.

Sleep affects everything for me, therefore I'm asleep by 10pm every night. When I'm tired, I don't have energy to workout and I crave shit food. Most of the time I can still drag myself to workout (and always end up feeling better after) but my body doesn't perform at it's best and I'm more prone to injury when I'm lacking sleep.

I have seen progress faster when I eat food that I've prepared. I always eat breakfast and lunch at home. I'm not much of a breakfast person so I usually do a shake before my workouts. Lunch is an important meal for me. I need to fill myself up enough to get to dinner without inhailing an entire block of cheese at 4pm. But seriously, I love to snack so my goal at lunch is lots of veggies, lots of protein. I've taken most bread out of my diet while trying to lose the baby weight.

While I love a fitness packed week, I love my off days. A good rule of thumb is to plan your week around the days you don't want to workout. If I know we have a wedding Saturday PM, I'm going to make sure that I'm taking Sunday off because there is almost a zero percent chance I'm doing anything the next day. We went to San Francisco last weekend so I had to get all my workouts in during the week and I took Saturday and Sunday off. You catch my drift.

Keep your eye on the prize.

Everyone needs a juicy, enticing prize. My prize? Maintaining. To me, a lifestyle where I'm maintaining a comfortable, healthy weight is everything. I love food, I love wine and I love dessert but I've been able to figure out a way that I can splurge a few times a week witout gaining it all back is priceless. Another prize? Being able to fit into my old clothes again dammit, and not having to be ok with buying the next size up! Feels pretty darn good the first time you can comfortably zip up your skinny jeans.