Well, well, well, if postpartum weight loss hasn’t been a total BLAST.
Kidding. It’s no f*cking joke. This time around, after Townes was born, has been WAY easier than when I was postpartum with Zaza, but it’s still no walk in the park.
In case you missed it, my entire pregnancy weight gain (& therefore loss) journey with Zaza was a real bitch let me tell you. To recap:
+ I gained 55 lbs.
+ was addicted to carbs.
+ if you opened my fridge you’d find raw cookie dough with spoon marks all over it.
+ the amount of butter I put on sourdough bread, was just, out of this world LOL.
+ I had a serious addiction to Annie’s Mac & Cheese with chili flakes & lemon.
Just being honest.
I recorded an entire solo podcast episode to go over all the things I did to lose the weight with Zaza, and it involved a ton of little tips, tricks, & hacks (some are the same as below), but you gotta do what works for you. Let’s just say there were A LOT of ingredients going into that recipe. So there’s not just one thing that worked for me, it’s small daily habits that led to results.
Anyway, back to present day- by no means am I where I want to be. I’m still working on tightening up, but I wanted to share what’s been working well FOR ME so far.
Postpartum Weight Loss Experience, #2:
♡ weight lifting
Weight lifting has been such a game-changer. I’m so used to doing Pilates and low impact exercises (I still do them, we’ll get to it), that when weight lifting came into my life I was so shocked with the results. In fact, a fellow client of Brent Hruska was just on blog to talk all about the benefits she’s experienced with weight lifting.
Just in awe of how much lifting weights has toned & tightened me up. So I think adding some weights into your workout along with some Pilates style movement is just such a good idea.
In the past, I’ve stayed away from gyms & weights because I don’t want some cortisol-raising workout where someone is screaming at me & I’m dripping in sweat. It’s just not for me. Brent’s gym is basically outside & he’s so relaxing to train with. He’s been on the podcast & on the blog so be sure to check both of those out.
♡ daily hot mom walks
LOL,hot mom walks are the perfect way to get fresh air, spend time with your baby (or not, but like, strollers welcome), start your day with movement & light and set the tone of the day. Now, that being said, your hot mom walks don’t need to be in the morning. They can be at any time of day.
You could do a podcast (our latest episodes with Chervin will really light a fire under your ass to get going with all things wellness, it’s a must listen), Audible book, call a friend to catch up, or just enjoy time in nature with your baby.
Oh ya, if you’re in LA, be sure to grab your PINK DRINK from Erewhon while it’s available (until October 15). You get your steps in WHILE drinking a delicious pink drink with just all the beauty benefits. Think sprouted, raw almond milk, strawberry compote, sea moss, silica, vanilla coconut collagen, vanilla camomile yogurt, & coconut/almond cold foam. Like, it’s so delicious.
Anyway, I’ve really fallen in love with just walking. It can be almost meditative. Also, sometimes I opt for my treadmill at home instead of going outdoors, just anything to get steps in & the circulation going.
♡ other forms of movement
It’s a priority for me to move every single day. It’s a non-negotiable and I schedule it in my calendar. It gives me so much clarity, is amazing for my mental health & it’s become a habit that’s just part of my day. At the moment I’m loving all these:
My friend Kim Kelly has been on the blog before and the podcast. She always has the best tips & tricks when it comes to diet & effective workouts. If you’re in Del Mar you can go to her studio (I love it there) the cutest studio in Del Mar, but she also does Skype sessions. So if you aren’t in the area you can still have her as your trainer. Plus, her energy is always on point which is just so important if you ask me. You can find her here.
You may have seen one of my recent highlights answering all of your meditation FAQs. Well, Melissa is the one who got me into meditation in the first place. She told me to just do it, so I did, and it was so hard to get into, but now I’m addicted. You can check out my post about it here.
Anyway, I love fitting Melissa’s workouts into my day too. She has Pilates/yoga inspired videos, guided meditations, prenatal, postnatal workouts of all different lengths. I love to fit in a 10 or 15 minutes Pilates video between Zoom calls. Just like Kim Kelly, Melissa’s energy is always exactly what I need.
+ p.volve
These are such good workouts to tone & strengthen your muscles. You can do live, on demand or in studio classes. They’re so gentle and effective and mostly use your own bodyweight.
♡ healthy eating
Duh, everyone knows this a big part of the weight loss equation. Erik Young aka @theflexible.dieting.coach(he’s been on the podcast too) has been helping me with meal plans that include foods I actually like. Which is nice. LOL. But really, it’s been working for me because I don’t have intense cravings or feel deprived because I am eating what I like.
He’s all about this counterintuitive approach that gets your body on track and functioning properly.
This helps us feel balanced and improve how we eat (and look).
So what he does is he looks at a food journal that you give him. After he reviews your existing diet, he gets an idea of what you like to eat, and you can also just tell him the kinds of foods you want in your life. For me that was, eggs, a specific hot sauce, red lentil pasta with Rao’s Arrabiatta, & wine or a spicy margarita at the end of the day. He took all this in, and YOU GUYS, I’ve never eaten more in my life. I was like “wtf, I have to eat again?”
Then, he removes a bit of food and weight loss begins. My issue was that I wasn’t eating enough and I was being too restrictive. In fact, before Erik starting cutting my food back, I lost 6 lbs while eating so much food. Anyway, he really knows what he’s doing and has worked with Hilary Duff & Molly Sims. Be sure to check him out if this sounds like something that might work for you.
Another thing I love about it is that it takes out the guess work. I love having my meals laid out for me, straightforward, so I know what to do and eat. It saves me time, and I’m a creature of habit anyway. LOL.
♡ belly binding
One thing that tightened the sh*t out of my waist is @bellibind.
A couple years ago, you might have seen my chic, Barbie pink belly wrap on Instagram. BelliBind is this company that comes to your house & wraps you up. They also offer online appointments & tell you how to do it yourself so you don’t have to be in the area to use their services. You can purchase their binding materials on Amazon ( link here ) & they walk you through the rest.
Anyway, I was lucky enough that the founder, Princess, came to Austin to wrap me up & show Michael how to do it too. She is such a master of her craft – which is the Malaysian tradition of bengkung belly binding.
I first heard about belly binding from Ingrid who did it with all 3 of her kids. She swore by it. Obviously I had to do it too. Now, the difference is after Zaza I did it for 5 days, but after Townes was born I did it for 40 days.
Like I said, Michael learned to wrap me and every time we did it I was cutting off ends of the wrap because my uterus was totally shrinking. This works, guys. It’s such a commitment but my god it’s worth it.
Not only did Princess wrap me up, she also did a womb rub.
It’s like this gentle lymphatic drainage that reduces abdominal swelling and helps the uterus shrink quicker.
Anyway, @bellibind said that you produce a hormone called ‘relaxin’ during pregnancy ( it helps your body open for childbearing/birth ). Post birth, you continue to produce it to heal. Basically belly binding supports the natural healing process of the uterus & internal organs to find their pre-pregnancy place.
My posture has gotten WAY better & my stomach looks flatter.
Ok, so let’s get into exactly what Princess recommended I do.
Wear the wrap for a minimum of 13 hours a day, and up to 48-60 hours, taking it off every 2-3 days to shower & exfoliate with the kit she gave me. Which deserves a moment because it’s major. The kit includes:
+ @prosperitycandle. The queen candle hand poured by women refugees.
+ @fractalista for crystals and Palo Santo “Bellibind Ritual” pouch.
+ @laliscious_lasugar scrub.
+ @bellibindShine womb & body oil, Sitz bath blend, massage cream, cozy socks, & misting spray. It’s so luxurious you guys.
Plus, all the items are sourced from women-owned small businesses.
If anyone is interested in @bellibind, which as you can see, I fully recommend, Princess was so kind to offer TSC readers 15% with the code SKINNY at bellibind.com. Plus, she’s an author. Scope her book here to learn more about this traditional art. Because it really is in an art.
The wrap was on my for 40 days postpartum and like, I’ll just say it again, it really worked.
♡ cold plunge
Cold plunging or 3 minute freezing cold showers has really been tightening me up. It’s helps balance hormones and I just notice a real big difference in so many things.
All The Ice Bath Benefits:
+ Speeds up muscle & injury recovery
+ Reduces inflammation
+ improves fat burning
+ improves skin conditions
+ builds mental toughness
+ Supports a healthy immune system
+ Improves lymphatic circulation
+ Increases red blood cell count & growth hormone levels
+ Improves levels of endurance & recovery
+ Increases cardiovascular health
+ Improves sleep & reducing stress
If you’re new to cold plunges, it can be hard to get started. Me, I’ll do anything for beauty & health and I’m obsessed with anything ICE (I mean, that’s why the HOT MESS is here.)
If cold plunging is something you’d like to get into, here are some tips from Dr. Andrew Huberman:
♡ use it to protect yourself from stress.
To get better at dealing with stress, you can work at increasing your stress threshold. Ice baths test you physically and mentally, but by breathing, realizing you WILL feel agitated, and powering through (to a safe limit) will increase your adrenaline levels. Your body will become comfortable with adrenaline surges (hello fight or flight!) and you will be able to handle sudden, stressful situations much better. Like, there’s a reason they use cold exposure to in the special forces, guys.
♡ cold plunge early in the day.
“Why? Because it gives you a shot of adrenaline and when you’re in the cold, yes, your body temperature goes down, but when you get out, the metabolism increases due to an increase in body temperature.
An increase in body temperature wakes you up. Sauna, or any kind of hot environment, is the opposite. Soeven 20 seconds at a very cold temperature, or 20 minutes at a moderately cool temperature, causes a massive increase in epinephrine, adrenaline, and dopamine that lasts several hours. So improvements in alertness & in mood. These are healthy increases in dopamine and epinephrine and in metabolism.”
♡ ease into it.
Start slow, challenge yourself, but don’t get hypothermic.
Lauryn’s Hot Tip: start with some freezing cold showers. Just 1 minute can be really beneficial.
♡ get comfortable with the cold, but not too comfortable.
“You actually don’t want to cold adapt too much because then you won’t get the benefits. You’ll still get some benefits, but not too many. So the pain is a good thing, provided it doesn’t harm you.”
♡ end on a cold note.
If you’re doing hot/cold therapy, you’ll probably want end with the sauna. Try to end with COLD. This allows your body to heat up naturally which will stimulate your metabolism.
For more wellness tips, tricks & hacks from Dr. Huberman, be sure to check out his 2-part podcast episode here & here. I’ve literally never filled a notebook while interviewing a guest as much as I did during this 2 + hours. Must listen episodes for sure.
Our outdoor ice bath is by Blue Cube Baths and you can use code SKINNY for $500 off. The one we have indoors is The Cold Plunge and you can use code SKINNY150 for $150 off.
♡ supplements.
For supplements, again, you need to check with your own health care provider to see what is safe & what’s right for you. But for me, this is what’s working:
+ lot’s of fiber through food & Gangster Chic inulin.
You can listen to the founder, Ingrid on the podcast here.
+ Quinton minerals ( got to http://waterandwellness.com/theskinny for an exclusive discount ).
Listen to the founder & water scientist, Roberton the podcast here.
+ Cymbiotika favorites: The Omega, Topical Magnesium oil spray, Super Greens, Liposomal Vitamin C, Vitamin B12 + B6, Vitamin D3 + K2 + CoQ10( use code SKINNY for an extra 15% off your order ).
Listen to Chervin’s latest episodes here & here.
+ Sakara Detox Drops & Beauty Drops. ( Use code SKINNY for 20% off your first order ).
Listen to Whitney & Danielle’s podcast episode here.
+ Athletic Greens( use code SKINNY for a free 1-year supply of immune supporting Vitamin-D and 5 free travel packs with your first purchase ).
+ Beekeeper’s Naturals B-LXR and Brain Fuel. ( use code SKINNY for 25% off your first order ).
You can listen to the founder, Carly on the podcast here.
+ Feel Free tonic ( use code SKINNY for 25% off ).
You can listen to the founder on the podcast here.
+ Just Thrive probiotics ( use code SKINNY for 15% off ).
You can listen to the founders on the podcast here.
+ Get Off Your Acid coffee alkalizer & blood orange minerals( use this link for a special discount off a lab package ).
Listen to Dr. Gioffre’s latest episode here.
Also:
+ getting hormones tested
+ lots of protein
+ green smoothies
+ drybrushing
+ sleeping
+ meditating
+ reading
+ nature walks
+ saunas ( if you’re interested in our indoor infrared sauna & outdoor barrel sauna situation, email hilary@theskinnyconfidential.com for details ).
Like I said, there are a lot of ingredients that go in the recipe. Still a long way to go but I’m enjoying the routines & rituals that are getting me there. This year Michael & I both put a huge focus on our wellness and it’s made all the difference. Let me know what practices you’re into right now & if anything specific helped you postpartum with your mood, weight loss, mental health etc.
x, lauryn
+ for more on my specific meditation routine, stalk this post.
++ check out my favorite at-home workout equipment.
SHOP WELLNESS:
