Success Stories » Marisca - Bye Bye Baby Weight

The guidelines for healthy weight gain during pregnancy, issued by the Institute of Medicine in 2009, stipulate that if a woman's weight was within the healthy range when she conceived, she should gain between 11 and 16kg during the course of her pregnancy. If she is underweight then up to 18kg is acceptable, and if she is overweight, no more than 11kg should be gained.

In Marisca Cory's case, she was a petite 43kg when she found out that she was expecting a son with her fiancé, Barend. “By the time I gave birth to our healthy little boy my weight had ballooned to 65kg”, she explains. Given her lower-than-normal body mass index of 17.6 (Marisca is 1.56m tall), she had gained 4kg more than required – almost 10% of her pre-pregnancy weight.

While childbirth and the days following this amazing experience are generally filled with joy and happiness, Marisca admits to also feeling unhappy and downhearted. “I thought it would be impossible to be a fit and healthy mom, especially as most people I spoke to said that you never get your body back after having a baby. This scared me, and I truly believed it. However, I now know that this way of thinking is misguided.”

Armed with a desire to prove these people, as well as herself, wrong, Marisca took on the challenge of regaining her body. “I decided to be more disciplined in my approach, and dedicate myself to the process. However, I wasn't only motivated to do this for myself. I also wanted to show other women that it is possible to be a fit and healthy new mom, and, more importantly, I also wanted to do it for Barend, and to be an inspiration and good example for my son.”

While researching to find the best approach Marisca quickly realised that exercise alone would never be enough to deliver the weight loss she desired. “It's the food we eat that has the biggest impact on our bodies, and the quality of our lives.”

While Barend had introduced Marisca to the world of health and fitness before her pregnancy, she only started to eat 'clean', healthy food, with a greater number of smaller meals each day, after her pregnancy. “He continued to help me along the way by continually motivating me to eat correctly and remain focused on my goals. This was a very important element in my overall success.”

Under his guidance, Marisca was soon training with weights three times a week, and also included some high intensity interval cardiovascular training in her routine. “I like to lift heavy weights, so Barend developed a four-day training split where I targeted my lower body on Mondays, and my upper body on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I keep my rest periods short, under a half minute, and drink lots of water during the session.”

In terms of her diet, Marisca started eating 5–6 smaller meals, and also drank 4-5 litres of water, per day. “I kept my meals really simple and clean, which made preparing and eating the right food relatively easy.”

The real challenge, she explains, was the battle that raged within her to remain disciplined and dedicated, both physically and mentally, to the task at hand. “Sometimes I faltered, but I simply stood up and tried harder. It was a long, slow process, and progress required hard work, but I simply chose to never give up.”

The other major challenge she faced was time management. “It’s not always easy to find balance between managing a household, raising a child, work and gym. Things get very hectic and busy, especially for first-time parents, which makes it hard to cope sometimes. The fact that I love spending time with my family and don’t jeopardise it for anything made this element that much harder for me.”

However, Marisca says that she soon learnt to prioritise her time, and schedule in what was most important to her, including her family, food prep and training. “It's essential that you make time for yourself, including some time to just relax. I still don’t get that much time for myself, even to go to the gym, but when that happens I improvise and exercise at home with weights. This also means I can still spend time with my son.

And that, according to Marisca, is a key element to s
uccess. “It’s about doing the best you can and finding what works for you. Every one and everyone's situation is unique, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach.”

Since adopting this new lifestyle Marisca is happier, more confident, and eventually got back to her pre-pregnancy weight. “It feels great to live a healthy and fit lifestyle. I don’t feel so tired and drained anymore, and I have more energy to keep up with my son and take part in activities with him. In the end I proved that my fears were misplaced – it can be done, and I believe anyone can do it with the right approach and mindset. I now know, for a fact, that if you really want something and you work hard for it, you will accomplish your dreams. I'm extremely proud of what I’ve accomplished, and I derive great pleasure in showing others that it can be done”, she concludes.

Quick facts:

Favourite healthy dish: Laura D’s low carb savoury tarts
Favourite exercise: Squats, and any ab exercise
Must-use supplement: USN Body Sculpting Gel
Top diet tip: Exercise without proper nutrition is a wasted exercise

Marisca's daily meal plan:

Meal 1: Oats with cinnamon, and two egg whites
Meal 2: Chicken or tuna salad
Meal 3: Sweet potato, green vegetables and ostrich
Meal 4: Green vegetables with chicken, fish or ostrich
Meal 5: Almonds and half an avocado

Stats

Weight before: 65kg
Weight after: 43kg
Age: 24
Marital status: Engaged, and we have one sweet little boy
Occupation: Senior Document Administrator