Weight Management During and After Pregnancy

Pregnancy triggers one of the most dramatic hormonal and metabolic shifts a body can experience — and it throws every "normal" weight loss rule out the window. Rick and Greg welcome back nurse and mother of three Lindsay Ellsworth for a candid conversation about staying active and eating well during pregnancy, navigating the postpartum "fourth trimester," and making peace with a body that's doing something extraordinary. They talk through realistic calorie guidelines, why insulin resistance rises during pregnancy, what happens when you have to pause a GLP-1 medication, and how to rebuild strength and confidence after delivery — all with a healthy dose of grace and a few Little Caesars breadstick confessions along the way.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Welcome back, everyone. Hey guys. Welcome to the Healthier Ever After podcast. We are here talking now once again about um general health and weight loss and been kind of in a niche uh the last several weeks about hormones. Today we want to talk a little bit about. We've invited back our uh our special guest, Lindsay Ellsworth, uh nurse, soon-to-be nurse practitioner, um, and mother of three. So been through pregnancy. We really wanted to kind of focus in. We talked last time, last week with Lindsay about kind of uh just this massive hormonal shift that the pregnancy and then and then the postpartum period uh causes. Uh we wanted to dive into that a little bit more about kind of what pregnancy and the post-pregnancy period does for for weight loss. We've you know, our focus has always been kind of weight loss and then and then sustainable health lifestyle things. And and and so we really wanted to dive into kind of uh how pregnancy affects that, you know, like my weight loss goals or my what is it doing to my body.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

So I think even one other way to think about this, and kind of how we wanted to separate this out, is is we kind of hit what can happen mentally with uh with pregnancy and and what happens to the mind, um, which is hormonal, and there's all kinds of uh depression or anxiety that can possibly happen as a result of this. And uh to add to that, you get to deal with the physical, the physical nature of pregnancy, which is just uh the most amazing and beautiful process that can happen uh in this world, but also one of the most challenging things a woman's body will ever go through.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

Right. Yeah, just the rapid, dramatic things that occur.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Yeah. I mean, we talked about the hormones, how they drop off. Well, they also surge uh dramatically when you do get pregnant. Um, and so let's talk about it. I mean, it's not just um, you know, we all always think of the sex hormones, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and everything else that uh that occur. But I mean, uh, we're let's we're gonna talk about what happens with your metabolic system, which we've hit on in many episodes before, unrelated to pregnancy. But there's actually a huge metabolic shift for pregnancy. So we're gonna kind of hit it all, and Lindsay's gonna help us navigate some of these waters and and uh and we'll get it done.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

All right. So, so Lindsay, um you're living your life and you got a little exercise program and you're feeling pretty good about yourself, and you get pregnant, and um, you know, it's easy for us to say, hey, that's gonna be a change in your hormone, a big hormonal surge. But like tell us a little bit about what that is firsthand.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Yeah, um, it's a wild ride. I'm still shook that every human got to the earth that way because it is a wild ride.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

Yeah, somebody went through that for every single person.

SPEAKER_02 3:11

I just I can't believe it. Um, I think I mean you get those big surges when you're pregnant and the HCG ramps up and you start feeling like crap, and no matter how active, and your exercise program, whatever you're doing, I feel like I'm a pretty avid and motivated exerciser. I love it mostly for my mental health. But when I get pregnant, I get really sick at the beginning, most a lot of women do. And it's frustrating because you don't want to gain a bunch of weight during your pregnancy, which it is normal to gain weight during your pregnancy, but it's hard. It's hard for women to accept that mentality. But it you definitely have to modify it during pregnancy when you're super sick and you're throwing up every day, like you're not gonna be doing burpees like you normally do. So you gotta do something different. And I think just remaining active through that is really important, and I think we'll talk a little bit more about that later, but just realizing, you know, you get really sick and then you've got body aches and different pains in your body where you never thought you'd have pain, and um, you know, it you've got to change things and it looks different, but you can still be active during pregnancy.

SPEAKER_01 4:28

Okay, so so but but what I'm hearing to say is that like still be active, but number one, motivation sometimes is it is uh an issue. Uh, and maybe we can talk about how to how to overcome that. I mean, yeah, I can I'm just imagining when I've you know gained an extra 10 or 15 or 20 pounds and I'm and I feel like unbelievably nauseated. I just threw up. Uh I'm just trying to imagine the things I want to do CrossFit is like not gonna be like anywhere near the wall. It's like I crawl under my covers and stay there forever is more like what I'm thinking. So, so I mean how how do you how do you get motivated to stay acting? And I'm and I'm not saying everybody does CrossFit, but but if that if you're a CrossFit person and you get pregnant, but but maybe you have to change to like a walk around the neighborhood or something. Is that reasonable?

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Yeah, I think one thing that um a lot of women don't realize is that you can keep doing what you were doing. Like some people are like, oh, I'm pregnant. I can't, I can't do burping. If you feel like you're you're you can do burpees, like if you feel up to it, go ahead and keep doing what you're doing. But for a lot of us, and and for me especially, like I am sick and I am nauseous and I'm throwing up. And I think of doing burpees while pregnant just makes me want to vomit more. So even more.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

Um it makes me want to vomit at baseline.

SPEAKER_02 5:51

So at baseline, yeah. Um, I think a big thing is just is doing something that you can do. Like some days you feel better, so do extra that day, or you don't even have to do extra, just do like what you normally would do. Yeah, um, some days you're so sick that you can barely get out of bed, and that's okay too. And I think giving yourself grace through that period um is really important, but yeah, go take a 20-minute walk instead of like a five-mile run where you normally would. I feel like a lot of people don't talk about the utter exhaustion. Like I've never felt so tired in my life at the beginning of pregnancy. That's how I first know that I'm pregnant, is I feel so, so exhausted. With my last one, I was making, I was doing a bread class and I was like, man, I am so tired. And I was like, oh shoot, like I I should be starting my period. Like, yeah. So I mean, it's it looks differently, but you if you feel up to it, continue to do what you're doing. But if not, modify and do the best you can.

SPEAKER_00 6:54

One thing I commonly talk to patients about, you know, postpartum in a lot of cases, uh, weight gain or just weight gain in general, that you know, something is always better than nothing. I think that sometimes we get in our in our minds, especially as an active person before you come become pregnant, you're like, hey, I can't do my 90-minute, you know, intense workout because I just don't feel up to it. Um, and what I'm kind of hearing you say is that, like, okay, so you know what, be okay with just 10 minutes of whatever you want to do, whatever you can do. And you'll have some days where you feel a little bit better and you can maybe go for more like 30 or 40 minutes, and you'll have other days where, geez, if you got five minutes in, you got something done.

SPEAKER_02 7:33

Yeah. I feel like in that first trimester too, it's really difficult when you do feel super sick. But if you just do something, then when you start feeling better in that second trimester, you can continue doing what you love to do during exercise, or like when you're working out. But just that first trimester, especially, just do what you can. Whether it's like you sometimes I biked or I swam, which I normally wouldn't do when I'm not pregnant.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

So yeah. So then, so as you get past that first trimester, and and a lot of times the the nausea sort of fades, but then you start to have more of these physical changes, the the the weight gain. And you talked about, you know, it's it's normal. I mean, you're you're growing another human. And so so there, you know, 15, 20, 25 pounds. I mean, normal weight gain in a pregnancy is what 25, 30 pounds?

SPEAKER_02 8:20

Yeah, 25 to 35, I think, is is the normal. But but there's a range, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

So so if you, you know, we when we say it's 25, 35 pounds and you gain 50, that's not the end of the world. Like it's gonna happen, and that's okay. And and we'll talk about kind of what to do about that as well. But but you're you're gonna gain some weight, and and that your body's gonna feel differently. And so you the burpees that you do, or the or the you know, the yeah, interval training, whatever, or the just the walking is is gonna feel it. But you mentioned hurting in places that you didn't think. So there's some physical changes later on in pregnancy that you know, with just the size of of the fetus and the growing everything, and yeah, that that your body feels differently, and and so it's gonna be a little different thing to exercise, but they just keep moving when you can.

SPEAKER_02 9:04

Yeah, yeah. I think it's frustrating for a lot of women. Like you you deliver an eight-pound or whatever baby, and then you're like, Well, I gained 50. I think I legit gained 40 pounds.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

I gained 50 pounds for an eight-pound thing.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

I'm like, it's it's an eight-pound baby and then some fluid, but I still have all this weight, and I think that's frustrating. But um, you know, you gotta give yourself some grace and you do what you can throughout your pregnancy, stay active and do the best you can, but give yourself grace through that period because it it it can't it can be really difficult to gain that weight and to have it after the baby's out too.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Yeah. Well, and and I think it can be hard. Uh, you know, maybe you can speak to this, talk to people in the clinic, but but uh I think it can be hard uh for someone who's let's say someone's been on like a GLP1, a semaglutide, and I'm doing really well, and I've got to this my my my goal weight, I feel good, my clothes fit, whatever that is. Uh I've got a good exercise program, I'm eating healthy, uh, my portions are controlled, I mean all the things that we talk about, and and then gets pregnant and starts going through these hormone surges and weight gain, and and I can't, you know, and you don't take a GLP one when you're pregnant, like I gotta stop my semaglutide or whatever that is. And and so there are things that you have been doing that you can't do. There's expected weight gain, there's uh, you know, and then and then there's insulin resistance goes up. I mean, that your body, and that's normal and natural. Your body doesn't want to keep the all the good stuff and the glucose away from the fetus. So so so all the things we talk about, like modulating during weight loss, kind of get messed up, but but there are still things you can do during pregnancy, right?

SPEAKER_00 10:42

Yeah, but like like if you're if you're deliberate that like well, and I think I think that's the biggest thing is to recognize A, and Lindsay, you'd mentioned this on the last episode. You might even said something uh during this time, but uh having a little grace for yourself goes a long way. Um, you are growing a human being and um you should gain weight um and you're there to support uh that fetus, to grow into that eight-pound baby, and hopefully everything goes well and and deliver a healthy, happy baby. And I think that um I think the one thing about the exercise, if you can, right, if you're feeling up to it, even if that first little while is pretty tough, hopefully the pregnancy, you things calm down, you get past that first trimester. I think the um the benefits of of staying active are both, yes, to help kind of combat some of that insulin resistance, maybe even some of that extra weight gain, right? We need to gain some weight, but but maybe we're trying to keep it within that range and not trying to overdo it. That's where I think being active can really kind of help balance that out, where we know your appetite is likely going to be higher. We know that um you're gonna be dealing with metabolic resistance. And one of the ways to really kind of combat that, and and not only that, but um, Lindsay, you had hit on the head, like for your mental health, right? Just dealing with the woes of pregnancy and and what's to come, uh keeping active can help with all of that. And so I don't know. What are your thoughts on that, Lindsay, as far as uh using it as a as a tool to combat some of these things that you're gonna be going through, you know, during and after?

SPEAKER_02 12:20

Yeah, I think um, you know, my three pregnancies have been very different and and for different reasons. And I think with each one, I've learned a little bit more of how important it is to stay active. Um, with the last one, it was really important for my mental health that I just at least went on a walk. Um, in that first trimester, I remember I survived on Little Caesar's breadsticks and root bear floats. And then that's all I could handle. And you know, I normally want to eat that as my diet. Like you're you go from trying to eat protein and trying to get fruits and vegetables in to that being the most repulsive food to you. Um, and that's really hard because then you're like, oh, well, I'm eating breadsticks and root beer floats, I'm gonna get fat. Um but I think you do what you can, like you're you're growing a baby, you give yourself grace and you stay active. Like you go on a walk if you can handle a walk. And it's a short time, like it it will pass. And you feel great at uh during one of the days, then take advantage of that and and and remain active. I think it gets harder later in pregnancy to obviously you can't run and do the things like you normally want to. You're feel like a whale. But I think just doing things you can do, biking. And for me, a lot of it was mental health, but I do think a lot of it too is helping me combat like you were talking about, the insulin resistance, the the extra weight gain that you don't want. And I think it helps with delivery and postpartum recovery as well. Um, staying active throughout the pregnancy.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Sure. No, that's been shown. Yeah, that's awesome. So I'm I'm just stuck now thinking, I much would rather have little Caesars breadsticks and root beer floats than vegetables. Maybe I'm pregnant. Yeah, I know. I've been pregnant for 42 years.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

I would hope.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

Um that's a good point. I mean, yeah, you're right. Like there's some things that you just cannot eat that day or week or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

And I think uh a lot of times it and even talking to uh patients, like I said, this is just a kind of a good rule of thumb for what we're talking about now. But rather than I think a lot of people and and obviously pregnant uh women are gonna go through this, is sometimes we can beat ourselves up a little bit if we have a bad day of eating, right? If it's just root beer and little Caesars, and then you're like, oh boy, and I feel like garbage, and oh, I probably shouldn't have ate that. But on the flip side, uh what I've asked some patients to do is is to broaden that range a little bit in these types of situations um and and start to look at their diet, like what did I eat this week? Not that I would I eat today. So because you're gonna have days where you can hopefully get some protein and get some you know fruits and veggies and things like that. So really try to take away that narrow focus of like picking apart you something you on your worst day of the week and try to broaden it out and say, what did I, how did my week go? Was I really, you know, was I getting enough water? Was I, you know, on the days I could, was I, you know, getting the protein? Uh was I, you know, was I trying to get my fruits and veggies? And I think um, I think that does help mentality-wise if you're if you can get out of that narrow focus and and broaden that, you know, broaden that and see the forest instead of the tree.

SPEAKER_02 15:33

Yeah, I think that's really helpful. And something as you were speaking, I thought of was something my mom did for me during my first pregnancy, or maybe it was my second, I can't remember. She went to Trader Joe's and bought a bunch of different freezer meals. I couldn't eat the same thing multiple times and a bunch of different things. So, like I could go to the freezer and be like, okay, well, and they were all like pretty healthy or pretty um well-rounded meals. But one I wasn't cooking because I was not capable of doing all the smells and things, but just having some options where it's not ideal, but something different every day, I think that was really helpful. Um, you know, so I I think if you can prepare that way, that that's great too.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

Yeah. No, I think I think that's a good point, is like variety and and that I I know uh for sure for my wife, like variety was key. And and there were certain certain things she just couldn't tolerate, things that she'd been eating forever, and then just during pregnancy, you know, things change, but um, and definitely having a little bit of grace for yourself when it comes to the eating and the exercise and knowing that this is a short-term state that you're in, this baby doesn't stay in there forever, and you don't feel like this forever, and just saying, like, hey, we need to just get through a day at a time and try not to beat yourself up too much, I think is is uh probably good advice for anyone.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Yeah. Yeah. So let's so maybe we talk about like uh someone who's who's been very conscious about their weight and their diet beforehand, uh, and then they're pregnant. I mean, you're you're you're going to you're expected to gain weight. There's healthy weight gain because you're pregnant. Uh and you know, the old adage is well, you're eating for two, right? Um, that doesn't that doesn't necessarily mean that you have to double your calorie intake, right? I mean, what's a good, what's a what are some good healthy numbers as a guideline for for someone in that situation? I mean, you're you're gonna you you you don't want to calorie restrict yourself to the point of being unhealthy and not not allowing the baby to grow enough, but you also don't want to just I'm gonna eat everything all day, every day, uh, because I'm pregnant. I mean, like where you know, where do we want to kind of stay on? Is are there numbers like that?

SPEAKER_00 17:46

Yeah, I mean, I I you know the the data really supports about 300 extra calories, give or take. I mean, you know, right in that range. Uh, and Lindsay, you might be able to speak to that a little bit more, but it's uh it's not well, you know, if we're saying that people are on anywhere from 1600 to 200, that 2,000 calories on an average day. Um 23. It's not four, it's not 4,000 calories. Um, and so it's it's really is uh a very modest increase in calories. Um now look, it's obviously there's going to be the logical side of you that says that's reasonable, I can do 300 calories, and then there's gonna be um, you know, the times where you just feel like you could eat any.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

Well, and there's also gonna be that day where like the only thing you can eat is a rubber flood. Yeah. Like that's it.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

Yeah, I think I think that I mean, obviously you've heard like I feel like everyone's heard you eat for two, but I think that you still can maintain and have conscious decisions about what you eat during pregnancy and try and have a well-balanced meal and diet.

SPEAKER_01 18:53

Yeah, I really like what you said, like like having that option to have a wide variety of things just because um the same thing gets super old or make you sick the next time, you know, and and so I think that's that's helpful, but but it sounds like it was very deliberate as well, as far as trying to pick out some healthy options, uh, but but are different enough that that that let you kind of yeah, moms are the best.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Moms are the best, and and it's I think it's important too to recognize that obviously your cravings uh shift. I know, yeah. I know in my experience, like my wife would sometimes feel like this or feel like that. And just having a variety actually like that is pretty genius. I've never really actually thought of it like that. But that kind of goes for, I mean, not just this, but like, right? If we're talking about our average patient that's trying to lose weight, like having that variety if you have the option to do so. Uh, to go like, hey, like what's gonna keep me from from leaving the house and going to Wendy's? Because I know that's probably not the best option today. Um, maybe having some variety at the house where these mills are kind of ready to go. So you can kind of look at which one you you are actually are you know, oh yeah, that one actually looks good. If you have 72 of the same mills sitting at the house, well, I'm gonna go to Wendy's because uh I can't eat that again.

SPEAKER_02 20:08

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Okay. So I mean, having not gone through it, just hearing you, this is kind of like just some thoughts that I'm having as we as we talk about.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

No, I'm sorry. I I I so it brings back this vivid memory. Um was my wife was pregnant, um and you know, very sick, and like you talk about the shifting cravings, right? And and so like I remember one night specifically, she's like, I really just need a pizza. I need this pizza. I'm like, okay, good. Like, I'm on the phone. This is you know, back before the internet. So I'm on the phone, order the pizza, get it delivered, like come now, you know, and in 20 minutes, we have the pizza. It like knock, knock, knock at the door. We got the pizza. It's like, honey, the pizza, you wanted a pizza. And by like in those 20 minutes, she was she was like, No, I can't don't even bring it near me. Yeah, why did you order that? And I'm like, dang it, we missed our window. We had like a 20-minute window. Um, but yeah, so those shifting things, I think that the variety is really helpful.

SPEAKER_02 21:02

Yeah, I think, I think the hardest part for me, um, and maybe this is like a shift in conversation a little bit, but I think when you're pregnant and you're gaining weight, obviously it's hard to gain that weight, but I feel like you're doing it with a purpose. Like, oh, I've got a baby, I'm growing a baby, and then you have the baby, and then you just feel like you're fat. Like you, there's no there's no longer a purpose. And I feel like that was one of the harder parts for me of this whole process is the postpartum period where there's no longer a baby growing inside of you, and you're just left with the residual fat, you know.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

So, how do you get over that? That sounds like that sounds like really you have to convince yourself that the the purpose still kind of exists, I would think, but I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 21:46

Yeah. Um, I think that I mean, definitely it's a process. And I know I've said this a thousand times, but give yourself grace, it takes time. Yeah. If you're breastfeeding, like I some people lose a bunch of weight on their breastfeeding. I don't lose the weight until I'm done breastfeeding. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

She doesn't lose a pound until she's done breastfeeding. And it's so frustrating for her. And it's interesting the statement she makes. And I'm sure most pregnant women have felt this way, besides those, the one percenters that just bounce right back immediately. But I've heard this statement over and over and over again. I've heard it from my wife. I've heard it from many patients in clinic that come and see me that are in that postpartum phase of like, hey, I'm I'm ready to start, you know, losing some weight and getting back back my body. Is I just want my body back. I am ready to have my body back.

SPEAKER_02 22:34

Yeah, I think I think that's the most frustrating thing is not fitting into the clothes like you want to fit into them. And then when you are breastfeeding, you don't want to calorie restrict either. And that's a tricky thing to navigate because you still need um to be producing the milk for for the baby.

SPEAKER_01 22:50

So you still have a purpose then.

SPEAKER_02 22:51

Yeah, you still have that.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

You gotta convince yourself that you have a purpose still.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

Yeah. Um, I think one of the biggest things, and this is just a small thing that I changed with my last pregnancy, is I went to the thrift store and I bought different size clothes because for me, you know, it it's a it's a time, it's a short time, and I will get my body back. Maybe not exactly the way that it was before. It's definitely not how it was before, but I I know that what the things I can do to help get that back, but there's a period in between that you're gonna be a different size. And I think with this last one, I was so grateful that I went and got some in-between clothes because I love that that that's that's part of it.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

That sounds that's a genius idea. Like just a thrift store, not nothing that you're gonna spend a bunch of money on, some cheap, cheap options, but but that don't feel wrong.

SPEAKER_00 23:44

Feel like you're trying to squeeze into pants that really you just don't aren't gonna feel comfortable in. Wear something. The most patients, the the feedback I get uh from women are like their their worst times for pregnancy and weight gainer are the time when they're in that first to second trimester when you don't quite know if they're pregnant or if they've just really kind of taken on some bad eating habits. Like you can't, you know for sure. Everything's just and then after, right? After delivery, because now you're not pregnant, but you are bigger and and but naturally, right? Like by design, but but they're in that state where you're like, hey, I I don't have a baby in my belly anymore. So now it's a fit. Yeah. So it's a it's a tough transition. And so mentally, um, you have the baby, and so obviously you're gonna be caring for this human life that, especially in the beginning, obviously is requiring a ton of attention. You're probably not getting a ton of sleep. What tips or recommendations do you have for women in this postpartum state where they're wanting to get back into it, but they don't really know what to do? Do you have anything, uh, small tips, things, uh recommendations that they could maybe somewhere to start?

SPEAKER_02 24:59

Yeah, um, I think it's it's tricky. And a lot of women, they call it like the fourth trimester. There's that six-week period. Yeah, that six-week period. Never heard that.

SPEAKER_00 25:07

I like that. I like it.

SPEAKER_02 25:08

Where you don't you can't exercise, right? You can't you can't do very much because you just delivered a baby. And I think a lot of women, there's this pressure to bounce back, to be back into your body and back to what you were, but there's this six-week period to 12 weeks that your body is healing and recovering from this major event that you just went through. And I think that's really important. I think you can like walk during that time, just start slow, start going on small walks. At least that's what I did with my last one. And then it get you can do longer walks as you can tolerate more. And then once you get that clearance, you can start working back into what you were doing before you were pregnant. And it takes time. I think with this last pregnancy, I it was hard for me. I felt really strong before I got pregnant, and then I felt pretty flaccid when I was done being pregnant because my strength wasn't as it was, but it has taken time. It I mean, I'm two years out and I still feel like I'm I'm gaining strength, but my body changes, and that is amazing. And it it continues to get better every day.

SPEAKER_01 26:18

So, so the I like that fourth trimester uh to think about that. Yeah, you talked about, you know, you've been through this experience. I mean, any if you had a major surgery, you're taking some time off, right? Like like the the the physical trauma that just occurred when you delivered a baby, um, whether that was a a natural vaginal birth or whether you had a C-section, that's a the both are a big, big thing on your body. And and maybe you could talk a little bit about um, you mentioned walking. That's that's really considered the first uh initial safe kind of thing to do is just get some movement, walk, but it's not like high intensity, stressful um before say all your pelvic muscles are. I mean, like there's some there's some good information about your pelvic floor and and and prolapse and all the things that you know we we don't want to make things worse by not letting it heal.

SPEAKER_02 27:09

Is that yeah, 100%? If you go try and do some jumping checks in that in that fourth trimester, you're gonna pee yourself, and and that's just part of it. And I think um pelvic floor therapy is huge. Um I think you know, they say do Kegels, it's kind of a joke, but it's a real thing. Like you gotta get, you gotta strengthen those muscles so that you can be strong. And I like to think of it as, you know, for so long in my life, I I fixated on a number of a scale on the scale. And for me, it's become so much more than that. It's I exercise and I work out and I eat healthy because of how I feel. And I do it for my mental health and for my my physical health. I just feel better and I'm able to take care of my children. I want to be the type of mom and the type of grandma that can be active with my children. And I think doing small steps like walking and then building up gradually, lifting weights, doing what you can every day to get back into what you were doing before pregnancy. Yeah, I think that helps.

SPEAKER_01 28:10

And and and I think what you you kind of nailed that as well, is not setting, I would call it like unrealistic timelines. Um, you know, we're not like saying I need to be back in my, you know, my pre-pregnancy pants in two weeks. Um and on our you know, the podcast here, we we just often talk about uh sustainable lifestyle change. And it sounds like that's kind of what you're talking about, is you you just you do the things that you can, you allow your body to heal, you give yourself some grace, and and you don't set these these kind of unrealistic short time frame expectations on a clock. You're just working on being a little bit healthier ever after. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:48

Yeah, I like how in the previous podcasts you guys have talked about small, simple changes, like maybe not getting like switching water for soda or doing small things. And there's a lot of that you can do during that postpartum period and throughout your pregnancy. Um, there's small, simple changes, and small, simple things you can do park far away at the at the grocery store, just simple things you can do to help maintain um Yeah, I think the um the small things, I think, I think um the small things are a huge one.

SPEAKER_00 29:20

I also think when it comes to activity and exercise, most of the studies suggest, and I think that this, I've never actually seen a study that talks about this specifically for postpartum women trying to, you know, get back into exercise, but I think it it correlates, it has to correlate, right? I'll have to look into this a little bit, but um doing activities and exercises that you enjoy and that you like, because because we you really most of the research about weight loss in general says, like, hey, yeah, of course, we'd love if everyone, you know, had a good variety of cardio and and weightlifting. But in the beginning, sometimes just if you need that extra motivation and that extra help, sometimes just whatever you will do, whatever you like. Um, and I think that goes a little bit undersold because some people think that they they need to do this in order to get this. But I'm like, in the beginning, uh, I don't know what you feel about this, Lindsay, but like maybe just whatever you want to do at first, just because you will do it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:20

Yeah, 100%. I feel like it's really hard because you feel weak, like your your abdomen, literally, you have no core strength, no pelvic floor strength, and it's hard to do the things you want, like kind of like have these ambitious goals to do, but doing what you do like to do. I think one thing that helped me with this last um postpartum period was I joined Orange Theory, and I'm not currently doing Orange Theory anymore, but that was a community where I felt um supported and motivated to go to the gym. Like I felt accountable, and that was really helpful for me to have that motivation to get to the gym, I had a friend support system motivating me to be there. And that was pretty powerful. I lost like 30 pounds in like a year and a half um just going to the gym and making conscious small changes.

SPEAKER_00 31:11

So having someone to go with to motivate you was helpful as well.

SPEAKER_02 31:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:16

Accountability is huge. I mean, it it's it's in every study you can find on weight loss that looked into accountability. It's it's one of the biggest factors that will um really like the to make uh weight loss and really just any healthy lifestyle changes predictable. Uh me and Rick have talked about this uh many times and and just having an accountability partner, I love when couples come in to the clinic because now we have these accountability, you have a built-in accountability partner, and it's fantastic. And I love that. So um, yeah, I mean, if someone has that opportunity to do something like an orange theory or or or have a supportive spouse that you like to work out with and and that they can, you guys can find things that you like to do together. It sounds like just whatever you can do that you like and start incorporating back in some of those things that you know you really enjoy. And then of course, sometimes you can later on maybe start incorporating some of those things you don't love. Like I love lifting weights, I don't love doing cardio, but I know I should. And so I know I have to implement that, but maybe in the beginning it's not um, especially postpartum in that state where you feel, like you said, weaker and just even mentally, you might be be trying to like push through some things. Maybe just do what you can. Yeah, no, I like that. Any last thoughts?

SPEAKER_02 32:34

Um, just be kind to yourself. It's a short time, and you will get your body back. I mean, maybe not like it was before. You birthed a child, and that's something amazing and something to be proud of, but um, it takes time.

SPEAKER_01 32:50

Yeah, no, I like that. Uh uh, and and and and that's kind of uh one of the mantras here as well, is is that we're not talking about uh get something done this month. We're talking about your the rest of your entire life, uh be on a trajectory that that leads you to health and and feeling well. And and there's not really a time limit to that. There's it's just what we want to try and do.

SPEAKER_00 33:10

Yeah, yeah, Lindsay, thanks a lot for coming on here and just being vulnerable and letting us pick your brain about this stuff. I really think um obviously your experience as a uh a patient can help a lot of people, anyone that whatever you know watches this and has it as a resource. And then to take that into becoming um, I know you're already a nurse and practicing nurse, so to take that to your to your patients as a nurse and then eventually a provider, I think is gonna be so invaluable. I think that you're gonna, I mean, the fact that you really can predictably's lives and generations to come. And it it sounds cheesy, but it's it's when you think about it, it's really not the impact you're gonna be able to have. So thanks a lot for coming on and sharing all this with us.

SPEAKER_01 33:55

Yeah, we really appreciate it for having me. Uh and with that, um, we'll end. Remember, you know, especially when we're talking about this with pregnancy-related things, um breastfeeding, and we didn't even get into the GLP1s on that, but but you know, that's a that's a discussion that you should have with your your provider, your medical provider after you're done breastfeeding. Um, if you you know need to get back on a GLP one, that's there's a there's room for that. We can talk about that again, but but um have a conversation with your medical provider. And uh, and you know, what we talk about here, we hope is helpful. It is for educational and informational purposes only and should not replace uh your conversations with your uh regular medical provider. Uh, once again, Lindsay, thanks a ton. We really appreciate it, your expertise and your experience and being able to share with us kind of how that is. Um, so thank you. And we will see you next time. See you next week.