As a second time mom, and a new family of four, my postpartum experience was different than the first time. I knew what to expect and what to do, but having a toddler doesn't allow you those same newborn snuggles and constant naps as the first time. After the first few months flew by and that initial postpartum fog started to lift, I looked in the mirror one day and didn't recognize myself. I had extra weight, tired eyes, and just saw a shell of who I wanted to bounce back to. It was time to start incorporating some self care and a workout induced endorphin rush. In my eyes, a happy mom is a better mom, and a mom that my kids deserve.
Diet
After my first round, I met with a dietitian (rather than a 20 year old fitness influencer) who ran a full blood and hair panel to pinpoint my deficiencies and knew that how I felt this time around was similar so I was able to adjust my diet accordingly. It turns out I am pretty regularity low on iron, especially after giving birth and switched from mostly chicken, to a red meat heavy diet. I added minerals and electrolytes to my water, and magnesium and vitamin c to my supplement list. I counted grams of protein and never skipped breakfast. It's so intuitive but makes SUCH a difference on my anxiety and energy levels. I felt like I got out of the fight or flight mode with my kids and was less irritable, and had enough energy to make it through a workout. Oh wait, and creatine has made the BIGGEST difference on putting on muscle without any downsides.
Electrolytes | Creatine | Magnesium
What I Eat In A Day
I love reading these sections in other people's blogs to get inspo for my meals, but to be quite honest, mine is pretty boring. I like doing the same thing over and over to avoid decision fatigue and the need to track as much. It's my hyper fixation meal until I get sick of it and then switch it up. 
Breakfast
I meal prep breakfast because it's my favorite to skip. I've never been a big breakfast girl and have to force it down. I make a batch of hard boiled eggs, breakfast potatoes and onions, and keep cooked breakfast sausage in the fridge. It's simple but it does the job. I'll keep yogurt on hand for something quick, and on weekends if I'm doing a whole Saturday morning brunch situation I'll do eggs in purgatory with fresh homemade bread. I also can't survive without my coffee, so I'll do one shot of espresso, fill with water, and do 1 inch of a local flash pasteurized coffee creamer. It's not raw milk, but it's also not overly pasteurized either, it's a perfect middle ground.
Coffee Creamer | Bread Machine | Breakfast Sausage
Lunch and Dinner
These are typically the same and I'll utilize leftovers here. I love a meat bowl. I'll cook a package of ground beef and make different bowls. I'll do a burrito bowl with some salsa, avocado, cheese, the works. Or I'll do a burger bowl and add lettuce, cheese, onion, and a fry sauce. I'll do other ones too, but these two are my current hype fixations. Once a week, I'll do a roast in the crockpot to mix it up. Again, I do lots of variations of these. Sometimes it's a stew, sometimes a shredded beef taco, sometimes a classic pot roast.
Snacks
I love my snacks and don't restrict myself to them, but force myself to have some protein first. So I'm still satisfying the craving without overdoing it. I'll do a protein milk with protein power, or a beef stick for snacks. I keep beef sticks in every purse and nook in cranny. I like them more than granola bars and it's easier to find a healthy version of a beef stick than a granola bar. At night, I love love love a piece of dark chocolate and a slice of homemade bread with salted french butter. It's a healthier version of my old wine and reeces habit.
Protein Milk | Beef Sticks | Dark Chocolate | French Butter
Workouts
Now to the actual workouts. This is the hardest part in my opinion. It's easy to switch out your diet since you already have to eat, but getting to the gym can be hard, especially as a mom of young kids. I canceled by $10 a month Planet Fitness membership where I used to read college textbooks on the treadmill and updated to a fancy gym with childcare, a spa, and a smoothie bar. Knowing I can leave my kids in a safe area without having to find a babysitter or ask my husband to watch them makes it easier to get to the gym. After a workout I can take my time with an everything shower and a blowout. I'll sit in the sauna or even get a massage or a facial to maximize my time there. For the workouts themselves, I started with a goal of going once a week, once that is consistent, I'm working myself up to three times a week. During my one day right now, I'll start with 30 minutes on the treadmill, at speed 3, incline 3, while I read a book - told you I like to habit stack. Once that is done, I'll meet with a personal trainer and do an hour long weight lifting workout. Tbh, it's more like half an hour of weights, and half an hour of talking through the workouts and doing check ins. I love a trainer because I'm so new to weight lifting and can't do what I used to with this new postpartum body. Just doing a few exercises with them in so much more effective than when I would go in and wander from machine to machine. I also love a pilates class and a cycle class. Pilates helps so much with posture and the cycle classes are more about mental health and I feel amazing walking out of them. Right now, those aren't incorporated too much into my routine, but I can't wait to get to a point where I can add them back in.
Lastly, I bribe myself. I work best with motivation in the form of gifts to myself. So when I hit a big milestone in my workouts I'll buy myself a new gym outfit or something similar. Something that helps bring out confidence in myself, but also practical since I'm using it more. Big milestones can be my muscle mass,
So there you have it, loves – my journey to finding balance and bouncing back with confidence postpartum.