Ariane
A Testimonial for Bree
I contacted Bree as she had been recommended by a friend who went from never really exercising to a “gym rat” with amazing results and shared my concerns and goals with her. Bree provided a training program I could easily follow when working out on my own and I would work out with her twice a week for a total of 3-4 work outs a week. I would typically do 20-30 mins of cardio per session and weight training focusing on a specific muscle group each time. Working out with Bree kept things fresh every time and allowed me to learn new exercises that I could add into my routine when on my own. It also kept me accountable: I knew I would show up to those two workouts, so squeezing a couple more every week was easier.
Bree also provided me with an easy to follow eating plan, based simply on tracking my macros using a smartphone app and with target macros. For the first few months, my macros were the same as if I just wanted to maintain my weight and we gradually augmented the macros for fats and carbs every other week after that until the last month of the pregnancy. This progressive augmentation helped me meet the increasing nutritional requirements for the baby’s growth while avoiding the common mistake of “eating for two”. I found it difficult at first to meet my protein macro, but once I added a few high-protein foods to my diet, it was pretty easy.
I worked out at least 3 times a week, throughout the entire pregnancy, in fact I was at the gym the day before the birth – I was almost 2 weeks overdue by then, so I was hoping I could squat myself into labour. I am certain that my work in the gym and healthy diet gave me the stamina to go through the labour naturally bringing a healthy little baby girl in the world. I am stretch marks free (moisturize religiously!) and only put on 27lbs throughout the pregnancy. I already had lost 24lbs within the first 10 days after birth without exercising or changing my diet: breastfeeding requires more or less the same increase in calories from fats and carbs as the last trimester of pregnancy. I am not to be cleared for exercising until 6 weeks postpartum so I might put on a few pounds but losing 5-7pounds and toning the belly area is definitely not a daunting task; the pounds should just melt off easily once I get back in the gym. I am very much looking forward to exercising again as I do miss all the benefits, especially the happy endorphins!
Thanks Bree!
Ariane