Starting all Over!

On March 21 at 3:57pm my baby girl, Jade, was born. It was Hell! 46 hours of hard labor, 24 hours of it with no epidural! (I was trying to go drug-free LOL) After about the first week and a half after, I finally started to feel slightly back to normal. Now Jade is 6 weeks old and I feel great. Aside from acclimating to my new crazy sleep patterns and day schedule of breastfeeding, diapers etc..I am ready to get the old Lynn back.

Visiting the studio and seeing the girls always makes my day. I am very thankful for Sara Beth, Lexi, Rachel and Anne for coming on board and taking the VIP Pole Program to a new level. Finding out I was pregnant completely shocked me. I had major anxiety about how to prepare the studio for my absence but all the new VIP team of ladies only made it better! We have grown and are even expanding into St. Augustine's Fit 4 Her gym later this summer!!

So now what? I look in the mirror and feel all the muscle I have lost. I realize I have to completely start over!

Step 1: Setting Goals! I always needed a goal to keep me focused. I cannot stand not being in good physical shape with healthy eating habits, all of which completely changed throughout pregnancy. Exercise and diet go hand in hand. I am a certified personal trainer and trained numerous clients prior to opening VIP. Hard work truly pays off you just have to commit!

Goal: June 12=International Pole Convention West Palm Beach, VIP Mavens Group Performance! OMG! I'll be on a stage and videotaped!

Step2: Action Plan! To obtain my goal, I will need to stay motivated. I know that loud, good music motivates me, as well as looking at pictures of women who inspire me. I cut out pics of fitness models and posted them in my bathroom, tore out sample weight lifting workouts from magazines and pinned them up in my garage gym. In between baby feedings I planned to workout with weights 4 days a week. Building muscle burns fat and continues to burn fat even after your workout unlike cardio alone. (which is why I love pole, its both!) My diet is based on my blood type "O". I learned that wheat, grains and sugar are my nemesis, they put weight on me. I learned this from my husband, The Pole Doc, Dr. Alvin Green, who is a holistic nutrition nut. A sample daily plan I follow is:

Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs, Spinach, & Feta Omlette

Snacks: Greek yogurt, fruit, blended smoothie, protein or lara bars

Lunch: Sweet Potato, Tilapia and side salad. Plus a few dark chocolate chips for sanity

Dinner: Steak, green beans , salad, and strawberries w/whip cream

Most days 'Im pretty good. On the weekends I slack a bit, but as long as I workout hard I know I'm getting closer to my goal.

Step 3: Keep following step 1 & 2 until the goal is reached! I took my before picture and measurements to track my fat loss. The hardest thing about losing fat is patience. Some days I eat more of the things I shouldn't. The important thing is to know how to get back on track. I usually plan for the week by preparing meals Sunday, it helps keep me successful.

I had to laugh at myself, I put heels on and went to dinner for the first time in a long, long time. I almost fell! LOL! My lack of core muscles and ankle strength struck me as I tried to walk! I also attempted to climb the pole at week 4... FAIL! Nope, not happening! I went home and continued training my core with beginner ab moves and heavy weight lifiting, by week 6 I can pull up onto the pole! YAY! To all you girls who think pole is for fit people, think again. You can do it! It's the best workout that will keep you sexy and in shape! Stay tuned for more!