Twin Momma Gets Fit

Wife. Mom. Sister. Soldier. Wife: I am married to my best friend and my biggest fan and supporter. I don't know where I'd be in this life without him by my side. He's my motivator, my protector, my other half <3 Mom: I am a mom of boy/girl twins (born Feb 25, 2014). I had a high-risk pregnancy and was on bedrest for over 6 months. Two+ years later I am still struggling with the uphill battle of getting my figure and confidence back. They brighten up my world <3 Sister: I am the older sister of 2 wild teenage boys. After my mom passed away on January 14th, 2016 I took guardianship over them and have been learning as I go how to be the best role model, supporter, and mentor that I can be. I want the world for them and never want them to feel as though they have less in their lives than they deserve. They are my strength and determination <3 Soldier: I served 6 years in the Indiana Army National Guard which provided me with self-confidence, determination, and the ability to adapt in difficult situations. I owe who I have become, and who I am becoming, to the valuable lessons I learned while serving this amazing country. I love lifting and have a love/hate relationship with running. God. Country. Notre Dame.

[twin-momma]

Ran 45 minutes straight last night (5.08miles). This was an amazing accomplishment for me considering on Friday it will be exactly 5 months since I was allowed to return to fitness and that first work out 20ish weeks ago I couldn't even run 10 minutes straight or a mile without stopping. 

I am at 20 miles for the month, so only half way there on my goal of 40! 10 days to go so I need to average about 2 miles a day! I've got this :)

How have I been doing on my other goals?: 

(OCTOBER’S FITNESS GOALS:

Work out at least 3x per week

Run 40 miles in the month of October (did approx. 28 in September)

At least 1 race (ran in 3 in September!)

Score a 230+ on my PT test next week

Work on Push-ups/upper body strength (definitely was my weak link at the Spartan Race)

Well, I have been meeting my goal of working out at least 3x per week, I scored over a 230 on my PT test (242), and I have been working quite a bit on my upper body strength and my push-ups.  The only goal I have not gotten close to is running a race this month... considering this weekend is the last weekend in October I should probably get on that and start searching on Active.com for a local race lol

OH! An amazing confidence booster: 

So, last night at the gym a man stopped me on my way to the locker room and asked me

Guy at Gym: "Aren't you the lady that used to be in here all the time with her husband?" Me: "Yea that's me." (my husband and I, prebabies, used to practically live at the gym) Guy at Gym: "Weren't you pregnant not that long ago?" Me: (I was honestly surprised anyone noticed at the gym, I was only allowed to work out until I was about 18-20weeks. Granted I was showing quite a bit by then already), but I answered again "Yes, that was me. I actually had twins about 8 months ago." Guy at Gym doing a quick once over: "I thought that was you! Whatever you are doing you should keep it up! You look good for just having twins!" 

What an amazing feeling to have someone recognize how much hard work I've had to put in to get to where I am already :)

So, since I am feeling confident(ish), here is how my belly is looking!

Getting there :)

[twin-momma]

Okay, so I totally suck at this whole Tumblr/blogging thing... it has been a while since I last posted! Sorry! 

So, since my last post - I scored a 242 on my PT test:

I'll take it! My goal was 230 so I am happy with a 242, but now I want a min of 270 on my next one. Bring it! 

The easiest part pre-babies were definitely the sit-ups and the hardest was the run... Oh how things change. I didn't reach my goal of 60 sit-ups but surpassed my other goals. My abs did not want to cooperate AT ALL! and the next day they were miserably sore... I am hoping with time they will heal and get stronger.  I am concerned that I have a pretty sever case of Diastasis Recti... Right after having my twins the separation was 4 or 5 fingers wide!! Now, from natural healing/time, it is down to 1.5 fingers, but it is still extremely deep... to the point my extra skin concaves inside me when I lay on my back... kind of scary/creepy looking. I hope that it starts to heal some on its own soon too... Any other moms have this issue? If so, do you have any suggestions for how to help improve it?

Moving on! Workouts have been going good lately... I will be honest I have been pretty lazy at actually doing at-home workouts, it is SO hard since I don't get that much sleep and have so much to do around the house and barely have any time to hang out with my littles... Oh, the joys of motherhood! lol But when I do make it to the gym I have been pushing myself and seeing results. This past weekend I made it to the gym Saturday AND Sunday! The two days combined I ran 7 miles and did upperbody on Satuday and Legs on Sunday.

My calves are gradually coming back :) yay!:

This weekend the husband and I hope to start meal prepping... We will see how that goes. I am sure it is kind of a learn as you go type of thing, but suggestions are always welcome!!

Lastly, Chicago Super Spartan Pictures were finally posted - Love it!:

Hopefully I will get better at this and start posting more frequently! :)

[fitness-is-sexy-blog-deactivate]

Make frozen smoothie packs every Sunday to last the whole week. When you’re ready to enjoy a smoothie just pick a bag and blend! Simple and quick <3

[twin-momma]

I am definitely going to start doing this for me and the hubbie! We loooove our morning fruit smooties :)

[twin-momma]

This picture just made my day hahaha SO true!

BUT ANYWAYS! It's drill weekend, which means my first PT test post babies! I think I am nervous for the first time ever... I know I will pass, well at least I hope I do(!), but I am definitely nervous to see what my score ends up being! Normally my PT score ranges anywhere from a 265-295 (passing is 60-60-60, so minimum is a 180, and max is 300). Not sure yet if I am taking it tomorrow or Sunday but my goal this weekend is to score at least a 230 or higher. Definitely doable. What this means is I'd like to get at least the following in each section: Push-ups - 25+ (goal is usually max which is 46), Sit-ups - 60 (I am more nervous about this than any other section due to the struggles I am having regaining my core strength), and lastly I'd like to run my 2miles in sub 17minutes... I'll let you know afterwards how I end up doing! 

Since I might have a PT test in the AM I doubt I'll do any really workouts tonight, maybe 20minutes or so on the bike just to warm up my legs a bit and I plan on taking a nice long hot shower tonight :)

This is the workout I hope to do before going home on Sunday, post drill, to the little ones:

5 sets (w/1min rest between sets):

400m Run

20 Lunges

20 Sit-ups

400m Run

20 Squats

20 Push-ups

3x 1min Plank (20sec rest between planks)

Strength... Not sure yet, but maybe some weighted squats or work on cleans?

Run 1 mile

In other news, the hubby's birthday is coming up next week and I am struggle to come up with birthday gift ideas - He is currently training for his first IronMan, a 50K ultramarthon, and is 1 step away from getting accepted for the police academy... so I am thinking fitness related gifts will be a must! Any suggestions from other mommies on gifts to give him from the babies? Crafts? etc.

[twin-momma]

So much to do - So little time!

I feel as though I am not updating this as much as a should/would like due to my busy schedule, but it's nice on days like today when I have time to be able to stop by and write a quick post :)

My Spartan Super on Saturday went WAY better than expected! I preformed better than I thought I would only 7 months after having the twins, and only 4 months since being allowed to return to working out! I came in the top 7% for my age group AND out of all females and in the top 17% overall - I'll take it! I seriously can't wait for my next challenge, which quite honestly I don't know what that is yet. I was considering maybe the Spartan Sprint at Miller Stadium or the Monumental Half Marathon (both which are on November 1st - of course lol) 

OCTOBER'S FITNESS GOALS:

Work out at least 3x per week

Run 40 miles in the month of October (did approx. 28 in September)

At least 1 race (ran in 3 in September!)

Score a 230+ on my PT test next week

Work on Push-ups/upper body strength (definitely was my weak link at the Spartan Race)

I'll be back for more later - I need more coffee!

[twin-momma]

Spartan Super tomorrow!! Can't wait!

[twin-momma]

My new babies :) Can't wait to break them in!

[twin-momma]

Postpartum Progress

Picture time! My belly seems to look the best in the morning and I felt like it was looking a bit better than usual today so I decided to take & share some pictures, but first I wanted to share a pre-pregnancy picture and full-term with high risk twins pregnancy picture:

This is me approximately 1 month before finding out I was pregnant:

And here is me at 37 weeks after 17 weeks of bedrest - the day before my scheduled c-section:

That morning I measured the equivalent to 57 weeks pregnant!! No wonder my body doesn't look the same!!

Here is me this morning (tomorrow is 7 months postpartum) in this picture I have my belly relaxed:

And here is one of me flexing and holding/pulling up some of the top extra skin with my hand:

And I changed the contrast on this one a bit to accentuate my gradually reemerging abdominal muscles :) :

I feel that you can definitely see a difference from relaxed to flexed and how much the simple placement, and slight pull, of the hand can do to help the look of the excess skin...

I am definitely not where I'd like to be yet, and I don't know if there will ever be anything I can do about my excess skin and diastasis recti (I'll talk about my struggle with that in a future post) except for surgery and I am not sure how I feel about that yet... I think for the time being I am going to concentrate on getting my body in the best shape I can and see what time does to help heal my poor 'twin skin'. If in say a year or two there hasn't been much improvement then I will seek out other options...

[reasonstobefit]

photo/submitted by email I must show this to my mom for motivation… 

[twin-momma]

Positivity mixed with discouragement

Sunday morning I was able to escape at sunrise for a 3 mile run (8:26/mile pace) while my amazing husband watched the babies. I felt good running and I noticed that the rest of the day I felt pretty good, but there was a lingering feeling of disappointment.  It wasn't due to poor performance, or lack of confidence, or even self-doubt; it was because the way I felt about myself afterwards wasn't reflected in what I saw in the mirror.  I felt discouraged by the fact that I have always associated the feeling of having a good workout with looking good. Having always been pretty active and having had an addiction do ab/core workouts I was always very proud of my body, especially my stomach. The fact that I often feel ashamed of it looks now is extremely disheartening, because I know that ashamed is the last feeling I should have. I should feel proud that after being told for months by several doctors that my body/cervix was 'weak' and wasn't going to be able to carry my twins to term that I was able to prove them wrong and give my kids the best chance possible for survival by making it full-term. My body did that. My belly did that. I should be proud. I should wear my new 'twin skin' with pride. I am angry at myself for not being confident with my new body, it is very unlike me. Having body insecurities is fairly new to me and I don't like it.  

That being said I want  WILL change that. Positivity, I know is key.  I know that if I stay positive and motivated that I will reach the point where I am confident again.  I need to start looking into the future, I will never look like I used to, and that is okay because I am not who I used to be anymore. I am a new person with a new body. I am proud of myself and the mom that I am and I will be proud of the body that was strong for them. 

Side Note: I am lucky that I have such an amazing husband that helps motivate me, that compliments me and makes me feel sexy and loved. I don't know where I would be without his love and support.

[twin-momma]

Long Week

Weeks are seeming longer and longer and more and more exhausting! Not sure if it is simply due to lack of sleep, (sick and teething twins will have that effect!), because the twins are getting more and more mobile, or if it is more of a psychological thing due to the fact that I haven’t been able to work out much, work has been dreadful, and I feel that I barely get to see my husband due to his demanding work hours (and when we do see eachother we both are usually tired)… I’m sure I’m not the only mom that feels this way though lol

But enough whining, Thursday, although it was the only day all week I was actually able to get a ‘real’ workout in (more on what constitues as a ‘real’ workout later) it was an amazing one! I actually got together with some old cross country friends and we ran Hill Loops - my legs and lungs were on fire!! I was excited that we improved on each .9mile loop we did :) definitely felt a little stiff/sore on Friday, but honestly not as bad as I was thinking it would be.

So, what constitutes as a ‘real’ workout? For every person it’s different and when you’re at different fitness levels your own personal definition will most likely vary also. So for me, a real workout involves the following three things:

1. at least 30minutes of being uninterrupted, 2. being able to literally feel the burn, and 3. if I reach a point where i feel as though I’ve actually accomplished something for the day.

In conclusion, lately real workouts are usually few and far between for this momma.

Bedtime.

[twin-momma]

Monday Morning

I had a phenomenal weekend! Saturday's race went way better than expected - I ran my 5K in 26:53!

That was an amazing improvement from last weekend's 5K time of 29:51,

It was more than a minute faster than my sub 28 minute goal, and

I felt great the whole entire race! 

In all honesty, I am not a huge fan of running. For me it is has always been something that takes a lot of effort, both physically and emotionally. As a Cross Country runner in High School I always felt inferior to my team mates, mainly because it always seemed like it came so easily for them and I had to work so hard for it.  And to put so much effort into something to just be mediocre can definitely be discouraging. As I have gotten older though I have realized that running is a struggle for most, if not all, even for those that 'easily' excel at it. Running takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but most of all heart. I have noticed that I view running differently than I used to; before it used to be how I compared to other runners and now I compare myself to how I did last week, or 2 months ago, or pre-pregnancy, or how I felt today running verses yesterday.

I believe that the more I compete against myself, instead of worrying about what others are doing, the better I see myself becoming...

[twin-momma]

Good Morning! 

Blog entry number 2 here we go! Yesterday was a really good day. I was able to run 4 and a half miles on the treadmill without stopping. The longest I have done since having the twins! My time was 41:45, so 9:17/mile pace - not amazing, but certainly not terrible :) 

Tomorrow I will be running a 5K with the goal of running it in less than 28 minutes - Last weekend I ran a 5K in 29:51 - yikes! But afterwords I checked and it was 3.22 miles which is a little more than the 3.1 soooo I was fairly close, fingers crossed that I do better at this one!

Chicago Super Spartan Race is only 2 weeks from tomorrow! That will definitely be testing my strength, endurance, and will power... It will also be a useful tool to see where I stand as far as my fitness level postpartum. 

[twin-momma]

Let's give this a try...

Okay, so I am definitely new to the blogging world and am not quite sure where I'd like to start... So, I guess I will start off by giving a little background info about myself:

My name is Millie. I am 26 years old. I am married to an amazing man & soldier. I am in the Army National Guard. I work full-time as an administrative assistant. And I am a proud momma of 6 month old twins. 

Wife. Momma. Solider. 

So, why blogging? - Well, I decided to start this as a way of not only documenting my own personal progress, but also as a way to possibly help other mommas out there that are also struggling with their bodies after babies.  

I have struggled quite a bit emotionally over the past 6 months... I had a very difficult pregnancy and my 5'1" 114lb pre-pregnancy body definitely took a beating in order to bring my beautiful babies into this world. Due to this beating, my self-confidence is significantly lower and most days it's a struggle to look in the mirror and not grimace. I have found myself browsing Google images, reading blogs, and scavenging through every type of social media imaginable in search of someone who I feel has a body that looks as wrinkly, stretched, and scarred as mine with little luck.

I am sure there are other women out there that feel the same way I do, but are simply terrified to share their battle worn bodies with the world and what the world may think if they do... myself included. BUT if I can help just one other mom feel less alone in her struggle to regain confidence in herself, than it is worth the risk of criticism... So here it goes: 

Okay, so my twins were born in February and my new belly is not so great but it is gradually getting better and I am hoping that over the next 6 months it will continue to improve...

Here is a back shot... Again, not so great but I have seen a huge improvement over the past 4 months! 

What have I been doing? - Well, honestly not as much as I wish I was.  I have been running occasionally (in other words, maybe once a week), in the month of July I did the Squat Challenge:

And in August I attempted to do 50 push-ups and 50 burpees every day. This lasted for about the first 10 days then I started to slip and get lazy... not necessarily lazy but with my husband returning from a long military school and twins that are starting to move around more it got a little bit more difficult! (excuses, excuses! lol) 

I feel as though the key to success in any aspect of ones life is through goals - smaller more immediate goals, progressive goals, and then more long-term 'extraordinary' goals! So, here are my fitness goals:

September Goals (immediate) - (starting a little late since it is already the 10th but better late then never!): 

Run at least twice a week

3 at home workouts a week (body weight, stationary bike/spinning, Insanity, p90x, etc.)

Complete the Chicago Spartan Super on September 27th

Run at least one other race

Between Now and the end of 2015 (progressive) - 

Run in at least 10 races

Run first Half Marathon

Improve 5K time (goal: sub 25min)

Score above a 270 on a PT test

Attempt my 1st Triathlon next summer

December 2015 complete the Huff 50K (First Ultra Marathon)

Body Fat < 17% (current 20.3% - 1 month postpartum it was 23.4%!)

MORE...

5 Year & Lifetime Goals (extraordinary) -

Score 300+ on a PT test (5)

Complete an Ironman (5)

Run a sub 22minute 5K (5)

Run a marathon in all 50 states (life)

Run the Mount Olympus Marathon (life)

MORE... 

Non Fitness Related Goals

Finish my last 2 classes for my Bachelors 

Start Reading again

Be the best mom I can possibly be

Travel as much as our family budget allows

Enjoy life, stay positive, be motivate, and always remember to count our blessings.

I will build on these goals as time progresses but for now these are a few of the ones that I have... 

I think this is a good start and I look forward to sharing my journey of regaining my body, my fitness, and my confidence as well as my ups and downs of reaching my fitness goals while also balancing a full time job, an active/busy/motivated husband, and energetic twins.