Month 5 Progress

Posted: June 7, 2011 at 9:12 am

It’s that time of the month again! No, not that time of the month. I mean progress check time of the month. Yes, four weeks have already passed since my last check-in on this part of my life. Hard to believe, huh?

Last month I learned from some tough moments that continuing to make regular healthy decisions without going overboard will reap me the most progress. I put that lesson into action this month and despite a trip to Fitbloggin, BBQs, and getting closer and closer to my happy weight, I still saw progress this month.

This Month’s Progress Overall Progress
Weight - 2.4 lbs - 16.0 lbs
Stomach (Smallest) - 0.25” - 3.5”
Stomach (Belly Button) - 0.5” - 5.0”
Hips - 0.25” - 4.0”
Butt - 0.75” - 4.0”
Thighs - 0.25” - 2.25”

Front Progress Shots: Month 4 on Left – Month 5 on Right

month 4 progress 1 IMGP1566 month 4 progress 1 IMGP1566

Side Progress Shots: Month 4 on Left – Month 5 on Right

month 4 progress 3 IMGP1569month 4 progress 3 IMGP1569

{Begin Side Note} I always feel SO weird posting pictures like this. It has nothing to do with fearing what I look like or people seeing them. You all know I don’t mind putting myself out there openly. I guess I don’t want to come across as “Look at me! Look at me!”. Yes. That’s what it is that feels so weird! {End Side Note}

I didn’t do anything dramatically different this past month. I simply kept myself focused and determined on caring for my health. It did take some extra drive at times, like when my emotional side tried to lure me into binge eating, but I remembered my dedication to caring for my health while still enjoying life. I stayed on top of regular workouts and choosing nutritious foods to fuel my body. That’s pretty much the gist of it.

However, I will say that it does take effort, planning (in a non-anal way), and compromise to make progress in the physical goals I have for myself. While I certainly do not take a drastic approach, I do have to accommodate certain habits in my life to continue the momentum of my progress.

  • Occasional counting of calories and measuring of portion sizes. I do not meticulously track my food on a daily basis. Nevertheless, I remain mindful of how much I eat. I do this by loosely shooting for a certain amount of calories in each meal/snack and consuming proper portion sizes in balanced meals.
  • Deciding the best way to satisfy cravings. Sometimes I have strong cravings for some chocolate or ice-cream that I do not honor by feeding myself chocolate or ice-cream. Part of feeding myself well for my progress does involve some limitations. I could happily eat a huge bowl of ice-cream every day. But I don’t. I choose to honor my cravings in a way that suits my progress – with a small portion on occasion, an alternate choice (yogurt or a smoothie instead for example), or distractions in the case of a non-hunger-induced craving. I do try to minimize “treats” to a few occasions weekly, so I don’t feel deprived at all but stay on track. I do, in fact, sometimes have to say “no”.
  • Setting and committing to workouts. They are a commitment. I make them happen, unless a true physical/mental need for rest. Other than that, no excuses.

Yet again, I plan to persevere in this upcoming month with my commitment to “Body After Baby”. Does that mean I don’t feel satisfied with my body currently? Heck, no! Does that mean I believe I need to tighten up more or lose more weight? Absolutely not! But – does that mean I plan to stop working hard? Also, no. I still plan to live healthy, challenge myself, and see where my body takes me. That’s what this progress is all about. Staying committed to my healthy lifestyle, testing myself physically, and trusting my body to end up right where it wants. Right where it belongs.

  • What is one way you challenged yourself physically this past month?

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123 Comments to “Month 5 Progress”
  1. wow you look SO happy! I always love seeing pictures of you bc I can tell how confident you are in yourself! You are such an inspriation!

  2. Andrea says:

    You look fabulous! I just adore you!

  3. Heather says:

    You’re quite the inspiration, Tina. Keep up the great work!!

  4. I love your philosophy about staying focused and honoring cravings in a mindful way. I find that I go in “spurts” of listening to my cravings, and as a result, occasionally go overboard. It’s all about balance, and I’m working on reminding myself of that on a daily basis.

    You’re looking great! And I know you’ve posted pics of your bathing suit before, but I love the floral pattern!

  5. Emily says:

    Awesome work Tina, you look great!! I have been challenging myself by adding weight in my group power class 🙂 I am hoping to keep up with my strength training but also get my consistent with my cardio 🙂

  6. You look fantastic! It’s a perfect example of where hard work pays off with amazing results. I love your approach and attitude – you’re so inspiring!

  7. Céline says:

    You look aaamazing!
    Congrats

  8. You look great! I admire how you challenge yourself and stay focused!

  9. Rachel says:

    You look so good!! I admire your determination and your progress. It gives me hope that a toned tummy is NOT impossible after baby. 🙂

    I have been focusing on getting myself to my ideal pre-baby weight. I’m currently at around 24.7 BMI so not the worst, but also not my ideal level of fitness and strength nor my ideal weight to begin a pregnancy. Some people have criticized for me for trying to “get skinny” before having our first, but I know it’ll make my pregnancy easier and hopefully make it easier to “bounce back” after childbirth.

    I’m a newish reader to your blog, so just curious…were you already fit, trim and athletic when you became pregnant with your youngest?

    • Tina says:

      I do think being at a healthy weight to get pregnant is important so kudos to you for wanting to work towards health now. I also think it does help with the pregnancy and regaining fitness post-partum.

      With all that being said, I was fit when conceiving my children but I was also heavier than I am now. I had some issues with binging before my daughter’s conception that left me heavier and then I had a rebound weight gain from a fitness competition before my son. I was still healthy range and fit, but bigger. So, from my experience, you can make progress beyond your state before pregnancy too.

  10. WOW Tina you look SO AWESOME!! Seriously, I can’t believe you gave birth just 5 months ago!! Absolutely amazing!! And your attitude is even more inspirational- love it! 😀

  11. rofomom says:

    You are REALLY lookin’ good!!! I think it says a lot to new moms that it really is possible to get their bodies back after baby… for a long time after my first child I never thought I could do it. I was just very mis-informed and doing many of the wrong things… keep up the good work!!!

  12. I am so impressed! You shouldn’t feel funny at ALL about posting these updates – be proud of all the hard work. Not just anyone has the motivation and determination to accomplish what you are!

  13. Tara Golzbein says:

    I read your posts every day but don’t always comment. I have to tell you how amazing you look though and how I adore you and your approach to dieting. You serve as a role model to all of us mothers who want to eat well, be healthy and stay in shape.

  14. Wow! What amazing results. You should be so proud of yourself; we’re all so proud of you too!

  15. Tina,

    I love that you’re doing this in such a healthy and reasonable way 🙂 It’s a wonderful inspiration for other mom and non mom’s alike! 🙂

  16. […] over at Faith Fitness and Fun, has achieved some amazing results 5 months post her 2nd baby. I love that she’s doing it in […]

  17. Shayla says:

    Wow Tina, you are an inspiration and you look absolutely amazing and so happy! I love seeing how you’re making this progress with reasonable balanced eating, workouts, and all without deprivations. It’s truly inspiring and I will most definitely look to this for inspiration when it’s my turn after having a baby. Btw, you can really see the progress in your waistline and hips, so trim, toned, and tight! Your arms are lookin really toned too! 🙂

  18. YOU LOOK AMAZING!!!

    Gives me hope!!!

  19. I so admire you for charting your progress online. It’s really inspirational. You look amazing and I’m going to use some of your tactics to help myself get back to MY happy weight 🙂

  20. omgshhh omgshhh Tina! you are loookin’ smokin’ hot! 😀 it’s amaaaazing how quickly and healthfully you went back to the o.g.! I’m impressed and encouraged for when I’m pregnant in the future hehee!

  21. You are looking so awesome!!!!! Your dedication to getting back to your prebaby shape has been so inspiring!!! No babies in the (near) future for me but following you through your pp is definitely already giving me hopes that I’ll be able to do it too!!!

  22. Amanda says:

    You look amazing…you are such an inspiration..I love your positive attitude!! :))

  23. You are doing awesome on your progress, Tina! SO impressive.

    This month I’ve done a few circuit workouts that have really been exhausting. Additionally, I’ve done some long runs on my own that have been tough, but I mentally pushed through because I knew these training runs were important for my overall goals.

  24. Jess says:

    WOW!! You look AMAZING!!!

  25. Helen says:

    Awesome progress, you look wonderful! You are an inspiration on living healthy and staying on track 🙂

  26. LauraJayne says:

    You look great! Great work!

    I love that you are focusing on making daily decisions. Today I decided that I would make a decision every day about how I wanted my day to go, instead of trying to say that I would “never” do certain things again. Taking life one day at a time (for me) is very important in helping me to keep life, health and my decisions in perspective!

  27. Maria says:

    Haha. I totally laughed out loud at the time of month joke. If my brothers and my Fiance’s friends didn’t read my blog, I’d be throwing those jokes out all the time.

    Oh and can I just say that you look beautiful (in both sets of photos). Your determination and drive really motivate me. I sometimes think about skipping a workout and I’ll say “What would Tina do?”. Seriously. I need a WWTD bracelet to get me to the gym.

  28. vivoir says:

    and that is why pictures are great for tracking progress! you’ve already come so far 🙂

  29. This is amazing!! All the pics of celebrities looking crazy skinny a week after giving birth need to be replaced by you looking so incredibly happy and healthy! I dread to think what they do to themselves. You’re an inspiration fo shooo 😀

  30. Looking good! You can see your hair growth, too…or is that weird of me to point out? Maybe I’m just noticing because I just realized how long my own hair has gotten – you know when something hits you?

    • Tina says:

      As long as its hair growth on my head you’re talking about and not my legs. Haha! Sorry. Odd sense of humor coming out.

      Actually that’s cool you noticed that since I have been trying to grow my hair a bit longer. Thanks!

  31. You look so amazing! You should feel so, so proud of your progress!

  32. Jen says:

    Tina, you look great! I’ve been noticing in all your pics lately that your smile is HUGE and you definitely seem high on life…even with the little speed bump that almost lead you back to bingeing. You are truly my dose of positivity every day….and especially on the days when I need it most! As I’ve mentioned, I’m still dealing with my binge eating and it often feels like I’ll never get better, but your journey reminds me to take everything one day at a time, to forgive myself, and to really focus on every success along the way. I KNOW there is a light at the end of this tunnel and you’re helping me get there! Thank you 🙂

  33. Jen says:

    I did not mean to make light of whatever situation got you close to your old habits! By “little speed bump” I just meant, that you were able to pick yourself up and refocus so quickly. Inspirational you are!

    • Tina says:

      I didn’t take it as you making light of anything. 🙂

      Glad you’re feeling empowered day by day. That really is the only way to take it!

  34. I know we’re all broken records, but you look great, especially arms/stomach! I can only hope that when I finally give birth, I’m as lucky (and motivated) as you.

  35. oh my gosh, Tina you look FANTASTIC!! wow…such a difference in teh pics especially your stomach and entire thigh/glute area…wow! I love your tips too! not counting, when to allow yourself something extra and staying commited to workouts! the key is consistancy! awesome job! xox

  36. I can’t say it enough – you are such an inspiration! You are just rocking your progress and I hope you’re SO proud of yourself. I loved reading your thoughts too – I need to get better at telling myself no sometimes and not just giving in and rewarding myself for every small thing I do! lOL

  37. You look gorgeous! Though I think you look amazing in both the before AND after photos.

    I’ve been challenging myself to listen to my body lately! It’s going pretty well and I’m feeling great 🙂

  38. Brittany says:

    You are freaking amazing and i’m so proud of you! That is all.

  39. Priyanka says:

    You know bloggers like you, Emily, Roni and Erica have set an example that you can have kids and have a healthy body. The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the comparison picture, the muscle tone and your hair, which look lovely btw!

  40. All I can say is you are one HOT mama!

  41. erica says:

    you look phenomenal!!!

  42. You look FAB!! You are doing this the RIGHT way, the HEALTHY way… and am in awe of you!! Kudos, friend!! Great job!

  43. Michelle says:

    I was actually thinking as I scrolled down looking at the pictures — I feel weird looking at close up pictures of her body — but at the same time I LOVE that you put yourself out there like this.

    You look awesome mama! And I CAN’T believe that Baby B is already 5 months old. Ack they grow up too fast.

    Great job on the progress!!

    One way I have challenged myself – Putting myself out there in what I would consider socially awkward situations. I’m really shy the first time I meet people, but I’ve pushed past that and I think it’s paid off.

  44. You look incredible! I need to challenge myself more. This week I started wearing a pedometer again to track my steps and last week I started running again (although I only got 2 days worth – about 2-3 miles each day). This week is tough with my husband’s travel schedule but I might try anyways! thanks for posting this – it encourages me to keep trying! I am about 4.5 months pp.

  45. You look great, Tina! I am currently challenging myself through my half marathon training – it’s tough but so worth it!

  46. Dorry says:

    Congrats on your hard work and the progress you’ve made! You really do look incredible, and I know you’re inspiring so many moms out there, as well as women like me who’ve yet to go through pregnancy/birth/post-baby body stuff.

    I’ve challenged myself with different types of yoga and also just listening to my body and not overdoing the physical activity.

  47. Mandy says:

    You look amazing Tina 🙂

  48. you are SO dedicated and it’s paying off!

  49. tabs says:

    YOU. ARE. ROCKIN IT!!!

    Great job TINA!!!!

  50. You are such an inspiration for the mere fact that you can totally rock it, while posting photos of yourself. I love your confidence (and wish I had it all the time as I just posted haha) and always like reading your posts!

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