Month 4 Progress Update

Posted: May 11, 2011 at 9:00 am

I had to pick my jaw up off the ground this morning. My little man is suddenly 4 months old! I do not know how this happened.

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I just want to snuggle him! Even with all that drool on his shirt.

Well, the fact that another month has passed not only means another visit to the doctor, but also another installment of my Body After Baby progress!

This month certainly posed the most difficulty to date. A lot of the challenges were mental and I had to really dig in my heels to not throw in the towel, like I wanted to a few times. Once I calculated up my totals for the month and took my measurements and progress pictures, I learned that the month in fact did bring much success. And the biggest success came with the learning I did through it all.

This Month’s Totals Overall Totals
Weight - 3.2 lbs - 13.6 lbs
Stomach (Smallest) - 0.5” - 3.25”
Stomach (Belly Button) - 1.5” - 4.5”
Hips - 0.75” - 3.75”
Butt - 0.75” - 3.25”
Thighs - 1.0” - 2.5”

Front Progress Shots: Month 3 on Left – Month 4 on Right

month 3 progress 1 month 4 progress 1month 3 progress 1 month 4 progress 1

Side Progress Shots: Month 3 on Left – Month 4 on Right

month 3 progress 3 month 4 progress 3 month 3 progress 3 month 4 progress 3

This month seemed more challenging because, well, I had two weeks where I actually gained weight. In fact, I had only lost one pound on the scale over the course of the month before my final check-in. Frustrating.

Despite the frustration, I fought to keep perspective. I also considered what factors could have hindered my progress on those two weeks I gained. Here’s what I learned:

  • Week 1 = + 0.2 = Social Eating: This week came after a week that included quite a few social engagements. I knew I had slacked on the healthier eats, especially on the weekend. I had lots of pizza and also quite a few sweets between a birthday party, cook out, and a movie night with Peter that included lots of candy. I don’t regret those things at all, though!
  • Week 2 = – 1.6 = Kept Up Normal Habits: I got back in my groove as soon as possible and it gave me results. I  didn’t do anything crazy this week, but kept up with workouts and choosing healthier options. I still had treats though! Margaritas, Mexican, and fro yo, anyone?
  • Week 3 = +0.4 = Eating Too LITTLE: This week started off with a bit of indulgence with Easter treats. I found myself in old habits of trying to cut back extra here and there on my calories through the week to counteract the treats. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until I tried to figure out my gain on that reflective long run I had. I know from experience that my body will hold onto weight like crazy if I don’t fuel it properly. Case in point with the gain I encountered that week, despite eating even less than normal. And feeling cranky from hunger was no fun.
  • Week 4 = –2.2 = Kept Up Normal Habits: Once I got back to eating enough and treating my body with respect – bam! Another good loss.

I also want to emphasize a few things that this month shows as well. Consistency matters most. When I keep up with healthy habits, my body makes progress. You have to treat healthy decisions truly as a lifestyle to make strides in reaching your fitness goals. And part of keeping it a lifestyle is to live life! I didn’t give up my holidays or events with friends.

It is also important to remember that progress is not linear. There will be ups and downs along the way, but keeping the bigger picture in mind can help with focus and determination. It helped me to trust the plan that healthy living will bring my body to its happy place and not give up because of a few bumps in the road.

And lastly, the scale does not show everything! If I had focused solely on the scale, I would have missed out on seeing such great progress as evident in my measurement losses and pictures. I see a better difference there than expected based on the scale progress. Your body can make great changes even without huge weight shifts, which means more to me anyways.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s progress update! I know I did because it reaffirmed to me that taking care of my body is all I need. It goes a long way.

  • Have you ever faced what felt like a stall in your goals, but actually wasn’t?
  • Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a new workout top!

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121 Comments to “Month 4 Progress Update”
  1. Tina, you look incredible! Whether the scale showed it or not, you’re body has went through some amazing changes this month – you are one hot momma 🙂 And that baby of yours…too cute for words!

    I’m trying to get fit and lose weight, but instead of going on a diet, I am trying to live a healthy lifestyle. The changes are definitely coming alot slower than I’d like or what I would see with a diet plan, however this way once I hit my goal, I hope I’ll be able to easily maintain it.

    • Tina says:

      It’s true that slow and steady wins the race. And it does make it easier to maintain. At least in my experience. 🙂

  2. jobo says:

    Tina, you look fabulous. your stomach is looking sooo good! I hope mine can get that good, honestly!! I think you bring up really great points – CONSISTENCY is key. It’s what I am learning now as I embark on this 60 day challenge, and tracknig what I eat. I can’t have major spikes on weekends as I suspect was happening on the past. Moderation is key and I wasn’t really living by that on weekends before. it is tough though, because of course you want to have a little extra on weekends. you are the epitome of balance, honesty and success. Truly.

  3. Lookin great mama! And so is that gorgeous baby!

  4. I am really inspired by your progress. Consistency is really hard and one of the things I struggle with. Your updates are really motivating because you look awesome, you’re not doing anything crazy to get those results, and it just shows that hard work over time really does pay off!

  5. Tina you look GREAT! Even if you did struggle some and the scale didn’t go down that much, the inches and pictures definitely show results. You’re so right in terms of consistency and your point about eating too little really hit home with me! Your honesty and progress is inspiring, really.

  6. Lauren says:

    Girl you look amazing!!!! What incredible progress.

  7. I know you can’t promise me your abs after I have my baby, but I wish you could. 🙂

  8. Tonya Cook says:

    WOW!!!! What amazing progress you have made! I can’t believe that it has ONLY been 4 months! You can really see a big difference this month. You are proving that dedication, persistence and consistency is key to getting results!

    And your baby is absolutely ADORABLE!!! So darn cute!

    You and I started running at the same time, I unfortunately, did something to my back in boot camp to cause a herniated disk issue that took me out of running for a while. Not sure when it will be safe to start again 🙁 Hopefully I will get to catch up to you soon 🙂

    Keep up the awesome work!

    Tonya

  9. You are so right about “eating less”! Your body will most certainly hang onto weight because it’s trying to keep something extra just in case! THanks for the reminder to keep on eatin’ 🙂

    You look incredible too – fyi.

  10. WOAH Tina forget the stats, just looking at the pics alone is astounding!! SUCH a difference!! Seriously your progress photos are AMAZING!! It’s hard to believe that just 4 months agoyou had a baby! Just shows what a healthy lifestyle and outlook can do! 🙂

  11. Hot momma!! Look at that flat tummy. SO inspirational. You make me believe it’s possible to get my body back 🙂 Keep up the healthy work & progress!

    • Tina says:

      It is possible! just get back to healthy habits as quickly as possible so you get the progress started. 🙂

  12. He is just the cutest little thing I have ever seen!! GIRL!!!! YOU LOOK AMAZING!!! WOW!!!!

  13. tina…you look absolutley amazing. thank u so much for being so willing to share this with all of us! i often feel disappointed at small weight gains bnut forget to realize that there are so many things that could be the reason for the gain…and i am not necessarily “off track”

  14. Naomi says:

    UM you look awesome!!!!!!! what an inspiration 🙂 HUGe difference in your midsection and thighs!! <3

  15. You are SUCH an inspiration. I didn’t have a baby but am trying to use a few pounds and MY GOSH you are just doing so well, staying so consistent and surely enough reaping the benefits- keep it up, girl! And baby boy is SO CUTE – I can’t believe it’s been 4 months either!

  16. Katie H says:

    B is absolutely adorable!

    Your progress this month is amazing- you look awesome! You can especially see it in your stomach- I can’t believe you are only four months post partum!

  17. Looking awesome there lady!! 😀 Great job!

  18. I love all three of your key points from this month. Really good stuff!

  19. Errign says:

    you look greatttttttt. Awesome job this month. And…I can’t believe B is 4 months old!

  20. You look amazing! And this just goes to show, inches change even when pounds do not. You can see a difference from last month to this. Great job staying with it!

  21. Aw, Baby B is adorable! They grow and change so fast!

    You look great, too. Whatever the scale says, you look fit and healthy.

    • Tina says:

      I have no clue how much I weigh…just my progress. And I do feel great so the scale won’t change that feeling.

      • Melissa says:

        Yes, I did read about how you track your progress. I just mean whether you’re up a pound, down two pounds, or whatever, you do look fit and healthy. And you feel great – so much the better!

  22. Andrea says:

    You’re such an inspiration! Love reading your posts!

  23. Becca says:

    Love this post Tina! You are truly such an inspiration!

    Sometimes things arent always perfect, there is always something that comes up, but consistancy is key and you’re getting it! There is such a BIG diff in your pics!

  24. You look awesomely, stunningly, I-hope-that’s-what-I-look-like-when-I-have-a-kid, amazing! Your son is sooo cute I just want to eat him up!!!

  25. Wow! You can definitely see progress in your pics!! Great job!! And I like how you take time to reflect on the past. I should definitely try to do that more often! 🙂

  26. Awesome work! You’re making great progress. So true that we can’t always look at the numbers. There’s so much more involved and going on in the body. Plus all the extra factors: stress, sleep, food, etc.

  27. I think the most important thing you should remember here is that the scale doesn’t tell it all. You can definitely see so much progress in your toning overall and in your abs – they look awesome! 🙂

  28. […] fitness! Powered by WP Greet Box WordPress PluginThanks everyone for the encouragement on my recent Body After Baby progress post! It really was a challenging month that still turned out successful and […]

  29. Shayla says:

    Wow you look incredible!! I’m actually quite surprised that you lost only a couple pounds because by looking at the pictures, it looks like you lost a lot more….I’m so happy to see the proof in that the scale doesn’t matter, and that inches and the way you look and feel show more progress than anything else. I also love seeing how you proved that eating more will bump up your metabolism and that eating less will slow it down….it’s amazing what the body wants to do when you treat it well!! You’re such an inspiration and thank you so much for showing us that you don’t need deprivation to get results….you’ve helped me in more ways than one with owning that mindset 🙂

  30. Anne Marie says:

    Damn girl!! I wish I had your motivation!! I would love to get into shape for the summer. I seem to totally lack the self control and self discipline to make things happen. I need a workout buddy!!

  31. Sara says:

    You look AMAZING, I can especially see a lift in your backside along with the definition in your abdomen! Thanks again for sharing your process.

    P.S. If you wouldn’t mind sharing, how did you keep stretch marks away while you were pregnant?

    Thanks!

    • Tina says:

      I didn’t do anything actually. My mom’s genes! I’ve always heard its genetics in the skin’s elasticity is the biggest impact on stretch marks. I never did creams or anything special. Wish I had a magic answer! And I will say that while my tummy avoided them besides one or two very small ones – my boobs have their fair share. 😉

  32. Mac says:

    Wow your progress is outstanding! Way to go mommy!

  33. Tina, you look amazing! Consistency is definitely key! It is hard to remember that progress isn’t always linear, and that looking at the bigger picture and not just the number on the scale makes a big difference! You are an inspiration girl!

  34. Janelle says:

    I needed this right about now. I’m (quite) a bit further out than you with baby #2, but needed the reminder that slow and steady, consistent efforts do pay off. Thanks!

  35. Lee says:

    You look great! And I can’t believe how big B is already! 4 months have passed fast.

  36. Coco says:

    I think both the scale AND the pictures show great progress. Really, you look beach-ready in that bikini. I will hold the little man while you go lay out, OK? 😉

  37. Wow, you are doing awesome! You go fit mama! 🙂

  38. Tracy says:

    Getting caught up on my backlog of blog reading. Great work, Tina!!!

  39. Tabs says:

    You look AWESOME!!! Congratulations Tina!

    And thank you sharing all your thoughts as you go through this journey…it helps me more than you will ever know.

  40. Valencia says:

    Wow! You are doing great! Good for you! Stay committed and we are enjoying following your journey.

  41. YAH MOMMA. You look so fantastic! Keep up the great work…you’re so right…consistency is what counts. Love that you realized you were restricting after the holiday indulgences and then made the changes to make sure you’re eating enough to be happy/healthy. SO important!

  42. Umm.. are you sure you had a baby?

  43. I love your body update posts! You are doing a wonderful job and look incredible!! 🙂

  44. Missy says:

    The eating too little week? Hah. That’s a shocker.
    I mean, we all know that but then when you experience it holy wake-up call!

  45. Holly says:

    Loved this post 🙂 So true about your body holding onto weight if you don’t fuel it properly. It sounds crazy, but it’s SO true!! I figured that out the hard way- over exercising + not eating enough…not good for the body & it definitely let’s ya know 😉

  46. Lauren says:

    You look so great! I hope one day I can pull off a bod like you post-baby! Congrats, girl!

  47. You look great Tina! 🙂

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