I was 85kg the night before I gave birth to my twins!

You’d probably be thinking ‘oh that’s because you were carrying twins!’ But I can tell you the twins’ weight did not even add up to 3kg! They were preemies born at 32 weeks and were tiny. So yes I inherited all that extra weight, water, fats, whatever you want to call them.

My only thought that time was – How was I ever going to get back to my 57kg self?

In my desperation to get back into shape, I did what most mummies in Singapore would do. I signed up for a jamu massage package, a program at the slimming centre, and also a program at a strength training gym.

Not an inch was lost on my waistline

Sadly, after burning a deep hole in my pocket, not only did my waistline not move an inch, my confidence level was utterly shattered.

Firstly, it was a huge sum of money that I had spent and wasted.

Secondly, it was time lost, to no avail. Mummy time has to be the most precious time on earth!

Lastly, to spend all that time and money and have my colleagues and friends see me at status quo, is such a bummer to my self-esteem.

I decided to take things into my own hands

I decided that to learn about the science of fat loss myself and get back into shape the sustainable way. I also hired a coach online who was herself a mum and could walk me through a holistic approach to finding myself again.

And within a period of 4 months, I could suddenly see light at the end of the tunnel. After persisting for a longer period, I eventually came back down to 53kg, lighter and leaner than I ever was before pregnancy. Frankly, I did not even have to weigh myself on the scale to assure myself of the progress throughout the journey. I only had to look into the mirror to see a different me over the weeks.

I became inspired to inspire other mummies to see light

I was so inspired, intrigued and motivated that I went on to pursue my career as a professional coach and became a certified personal trainer with America Council of Exercise (ACE) and National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). That allowed me to fully comprehend and dive into the physiology of fat loss, to help more mummies to find themselves again after having a baby, after finding motherhood.

The 5 most important steps I learnt and teach

As a twin mummy who had lost at least 10kg in a span of half a year, a certified personal trainer with 2 global organisations and a women’s fitness specialist, there are many aspects of fat loss to consider when it comes to achieving fat loss after a baby, especially while starting on a busy motherhood.

But I can safely say that, these are the 5 important steps that can be put in place first to start off right!

1. Muscles are built in the kitchen

It is a phrase well-known by bodybuilders, but not necessarily by many of us. And it is ever so true! You can spend many hours on the weights machines in the gym, but the muscles won’t thrive, and the fats won’t melt if your diet is predominantly made up of junk!

We essentially eat to not just survive, but to survive well. So making informed choices about your food selections will determine how well you are nourishing your body, and whether it is thriving or deteriorating.

2. Work Out Right

The top frustration from mummies lies in that they haven’t been able to shed their tummy fats no matter how much they have been exercising (jogging being the likely activity).

They then get upset with themselves and lose faith in exercising. They must understand that the problem does not lie in the workout itself, but the type of workout! For some reason, most people (especially ladies) love to hit the treadmills in the gym or go for slow jogs in the neighbourhood for this reason.

It’s time to get real and face the truth! Going on the treadmill for 15min at Level 1 intensity is not going to help you burn much calories, less to say burn fats.

And so, unless you have the luxury of spending at least an hour everyday going for long jogs, replacing your steady-state cardio workouts with a better, proven workout routines will be your best bet to achieving fat loss.

3. One New Habit at a Time

Starting a new habit is akin to re-living your life!

It’s true!

Starting a new habit involves so much effort and focus that it can take quite some energy out of you. Imagine you are a coffee person in the morning and you are trying to remove the habit of having coffee in the morning. How much energy and concentration would it take from you to make this habit successful?

I would say, it’s going to be a substantial amount of effort.

So before starting a new habit, you need to first identify what is going to be worth your time and effort. Visualise that it’s going to reap you an awesome return, that it’s beneficial, rewarding and supports your goal. But that’s not enough to get you started on a new habit.

In order for the new habit to become a ... well, “Habit”, you need to apply and practise it repeatedly until it becomes an inherent routine. If you’d like to incorporate everyday workouts in your life, you need to practise setting aside time everyday for them until it becomes a routine and part of your life, before this new habit can successfully set in and be recognised as your “new habit”.

4. Quit being a Super Mum

With a child and a noble job to handle, most mothers will dive head-long into the role of motherhood. There is no doubt that motherhood is the most challenging job on earth! It’s a 24-hour job that keeps you busy round the clock, 7 days a week.

(Trust me, I know this very well after 3 kids)

From feeding to clothing and planning for his education, motherhood easily keeps all mothers entirely occupied. Some mothers could immerse themselves completely in the role and be completely absorbed by it. Nothing wrong with that, but if you’d like to do something for yourself, be it adopting a fitness routine, or a nutrition plan, you need to first learn to stop being a super mum.

Start delegating work!

5. Celebrate Small Successes

When you do achieve results and progress, celebrate!

With all the amount of work and effort you invested in yourself, any success, no matter how puny it seems deserves some form of recognition. Success could come in the form of a centimetre off your waist, being able to survive a workout routine without feeling dizzy, fitting into an old top you loved etc … Any of it calls for a celebration!

Shout out your achievements to your loved ones, share them with your friends, everyone will be happy for you. Treat yourself to a good, wholesome meal at a reputable organic restaurant, toast to your success with a small glass of wine.

You can be Fit!

Leading a sexy fit motherhood can start right from the time you become a mother! There is no better time to get the engine and baseline fitness started the right way, than after you delivered your baby.

Every mum deserves to be a sexy fit mummy!