losing that pregnancy weight: every little bit counts  

Hello Chai Momma readers!  My name is Parita, and I’m the blogger behind My Inner Shakti.  I am so excited to connect with all of you today!

First things first, I have to admit something.  I am not a momma (not yet anyways).  But I promise, I have some good information to share so please keep reading!

Here are a few things I am – a wife, a full-time HR professional, a blogger, a chocoholic, and a health nut, among other things.  My Inner Shakti is my little corner of the internet where I share more of who I am and the things I love.  It started out as a healthy living blog focused on food and exercise and over the last 3.5 years, it’s evolved to encompass a lot more.  It has more of a mind, body and soul flair to it now!

So why am I here today?  Well, Chai Momma (and my cousin) Shraddha asked me to share a little more about my health transformation and also a few exercise tips for all you busy mommas out there.

My transformation actually started over 10 years ago and has taken lots of twists and turns since.  I gained the freshman 15 17 and knew something had to change.  So I began exercising.  Nothing drastic – just a few elliptical sessions three times a week.  Then I started power walking, which eventually evolved into running.  Once I had the exercise thing under control, I moved onto my diet.  It needed a major overhaul.  I started being slightly pickier about what I put into my body and began to see results.  Slowly but surely I lost some weight.

Since my time in college, I’ve learned quite a few “health lessons” if you will.  For example, there is such a thing as too much exercise.  Tracking calories will only take you so far.  Fat does not make you fat.  Strength training is integral to changing your body.  But the most important lesson I’ve learned is that every little bit counts.  And that’s what I want to talk about today.

When it comes to food and exercise, you don’t need to overhaul your entire life to see change.  Trust me – I’m living proof.  Over the last 10 years, I’ve maintained a 35 pound weight loss by adhering to this philosophy.  I am not hardcore in any way, shape or form.  Long walks count as exercise and chocolate is a food group in my opinion.  But I do what I can when I can because every little bit counts!

So I love food.  Like, I-wish-I-was-a-professional-food-taster kind of love.  Sometimes it’s hard for me to make good choices when it comes to this part of my life.  I guess that’s why I try to step it up in the exercise department and aim to get some kind of movement in every day.  Even on my busiest days, I try to do something…

…and that’s where all you busy mommas come in!

Even though I don’t have kiddos of my own yet, I have enough mom friends/cousins to know that busy does not even begin to describe it.  And sometimes when life gets chaotic, the first thing to get pushed to the back burner is exercise.  Well, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way!  In between all the craziness, you can fit in some movement.

I’m going to share some of my favorite basic moves that can be done almost anywhere.  You can seriously bust out these moves in the kitchen, the bathroom, the laundry room, etc.

Without further ado, here they are.

 

 

The point is to get your body moving no matter what that looks like.  Here are a few ideas on how to incorporate these movements into your daily routine…

• With every piece of laundry you fold, do a squat.
• While waiting for something to finish baking in the oven, do 10 push ups, 20 jumping jacks, 10 push ups, 20 jumping jacks.
• During commercial breaks, bust out 30 second plank holds paired with 20 alternating punches until your show comes back on.
• Do lunges and/or squats while brushing your teeth.
• Instead of walking from one room to the next, do butt kicks.
• Don’t just stand, jog in place.

And these are just a few of the ways you can build these movements into your day!

In case you need pointers on how to complete the moves, please see links below!

Pushups

Squats             

Lunges                       

Planks             

Superman

Jumping jacks

High knees

Butt kicks

Punches

Jog in place (pretty self-explanatory!)

I hope that even for the busiest people out there this post provided some insight into how to keep moving.  Because always remember…every little bit counts!

Thank you, Chai Mommas, for this amazing opportunity to interact with your readers.  And feel free to stop by My Inner Shakti for more shenanigans from yours truly!