Body After Baby

I started a "Biggest Loser" challenge at my school right after the new year.

BEST.  IDEA.  EVER!!!

It has really helped me stay accountable on my healthy journey.

It has helped me research new ideas to improve our family's health.

It has allowed me to branch new friendships with coworkers.

It has been amazing.  I feel like I am truly helping people.  I feel like I help kids at school all the time.  But sometimes it feels amazing to help adults too.
Obesity is a HUGE problem...huge.  Pun intended.
There are too many people that are not willing to make a change.  I don't understand this.

Maybe it's because I have never truly been overweight.  But I will say, after gaining 55lbs with Ella I was hanging on to the last 20-25lbs after baby and I DID NOT LIKE IT.  I hated getting dressed.  I felt heavy when I began working out.  And that was only with an extra 25lbs!! I can't imagine the struggles and the efforts if you have more to lose.  But, what I'm telling you is...don't give up.

Here is a picture of me 15 days before giving birth.  I was ENORMOUS. 

At the time...I thought I looked good.  I thought that I had done a GREAT job of being pregnant.  The truth was, I did NOT.  Yes you can enjoy the cravings and the "eating for two."  You can not, however, eat for eight. :) ha ha

I worked out and walked...but that was NOT enough.

When baby Ella was born the main chunk, about 30lbs, of my weight came off pretty easy.  But the last 20-25lbs hung on for dear life.  Just breastfeeding and watching what I ate was NOT even denting the baby weight that I thought would just "fall off." 

I was an athlete...I was in good shape before.   It will be so easy :)

It wasn't.

Here is a picture about a month and a half later at my niece's birthday party...still puffy and totally uncomfortable getting dressed.

Here is a picture from September, almost 4 months later...THAT BELLY!! And my sausage arms!!

But I did something about it.

I didn't crash diet.

I didn't starve myself.

I worked out and ate healthy.

It took me almost a year after Ella was born to be back to "normal."

Here I am at normal...pre-pregnancy weight just over a year after Ella was born...
(I am in the white dress in case you didn't know I was a twin)

Some of you may say when you look at my after pictures above that I didn't even need to lose any weight.  And that is fine, and that is your opinion.  But I have super high standards.  I want to be FIT and healthy...for my own kids and for my kids that I teach EVERY day.  I want to be an inspiration to them and to be able to keep up and play with them for a LONG time!!!

When pregnancy #2 came around I wanted to be better.  I did not want to go through the weight struggle again.  Having been pregnant before I knew what actual HUNGER was, and what I just WANTED to eat.  I have news for you people...there is a difference :)  I never deprived myself.  I just made better choices.  Maybe the baby doesn't need dessert EVERY night.  :)

After struggling to lose the weight after baby #1 it made me think twice before saying "yes" to every craving.  It's hard to say "no" but your body afterwards will thank you.

I can not tell you how much happier I was on pregnancy #2

I am in the pink dress at 19 weeks...

***Sidenote...how cute that four of us cousins (and my twin sister and I) were pregnant at one time :)

This picture is two weeks before giving birth to Tyler...I was so much healthier.  I only gained 30lbs...and it came off so much easier too.

 Tyler is 9 days old here...and my puffiness was already almost gone...

Two months after baby I actually got in a bikini.  It wasn't the best I've looked, but it wasn't the worst either ;)

So you can say "no" to some of the extras.  You shouldn't deprive or starve yourself by any means...but being pregnant DOES NOT mean you must give in to every temptation thrown your way :) Nor does it mean to consume everything in sight and blame it on the baby.  The baby may want that Snickers Ice Cream bar...but the baby will not be running it off for you after she or he is born. ha ha

My new goal...is to start helping more adults!!!!

That is why I started the Biggest Loser Challenge at my school.  It ends on May 1st.  So this summer I started a NEW challenge.

I have been running a summer bootcamp for my co-workers and mommy friends.

You bring your kids, and we all get fit and healthy together.

I provide the fun for the kids...and the workout for the adults.

Does it get better than that??

No stress, just workouts.

It has been amazing!!!!

The workouts are set up as an "at your own pace" kind of workout.  I will have the exercises for the day picked out and you work at YOUR own speed.

No one will judge you.
No one is timing you.

You finish when you want to finish and go home.  I love it!

At the beginning of the summer I had around 20 adults and their children.  It was amazing.
So amazing that we even split into two groups.  My friend Michelle is running the 7am class and I am running the 9am class.  If you haven't been yet please join us.

7am or 9am at the Carbondale Middle School track.

Happy Fit Summer.

Adie - T25 Beach Body Challenge

My name is Adie and I am the second born of the Four Fit Sisters. :) I squeaked by Haley in utero by three whole minutes becoming the "second oldest" of the Viefhaus girls.  Yes, I am a twin and it is by far the most defining characteristic in my life.  I am a wife to my hubby, Meade, and a mommy to my two cute boys, Meade and Cooper.  I am a kindergarten teacher - and I absolutely love my job.  I have a blessed life full of happiness in every direction I look. 

I am a sister to the three most amazing people I know.  Imagine having three best friends that can add up to being experts on literally everything you need to know about.  If I need parenting advice, I can head over to Marta's and ask her.  Having an issue with a student at school, Haley is just a phone call away.  Maggie is a perfect go-to when I need inspiration or help dressing for a big date or parent teacher conferences.  The most abundant wealth of knowledge in the most accessible means imaginable. 

Not only are my sisters inspirational in my work and home life, they are also my biggest motivators and mentors when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle.  We thrive on a healthy competition within each other that keeps us in check and motivated for successful gains, as well as offers support when we find a place with which we are struggling.  Four women who have literally tried it all and come out on top, and have so much to share with each other...and now want to share with and inspire others to be successful and healthy as well. 

I am starting the Beach Body Challenge T25 today to try to jumpstart my health and take it to the next level.  I will check in often and tell you how it is going, as well as update you with pictures and meals and let you know how everything is going.  I can't wait to see the differences in my body.  I am so ready to get rid of my baby weight from my second son, Cooper.  Can you still call it baby weight if they are two? ;) As it says on the box: Let's do this!

Thanks for checking in with us.  We look forward to being an inspiration to those who need it.  :)

***Adie

Haley - 30 Day Challenge

Welcome to Four Fit Sisters.  We are so glad you stopped by.  We hope that you have found us because you are ready to change or improve your life.  At Four Fit Sisters we want to help create the best you that you can be.  Whether you need help with nutrition, parenting, being a spouse, your job, fitness or anything, we are here to support and guide you through every struggle that we all go through.  We are here to help you along the way.

Having four girls in our family there is so much time for good conversation. We talk and discuss and share our ideas with each other. That is the basis of why we started this blog. We want to share with you what we have learned the hard way. We want to help you secure your healthy lifestyle.

My name is Haley, and I am the "third" of the four sisters.  I use "quotation" marks because I am a twin...so it's almost like we are both second or third :)  I love everything about having all sisters and everything about being a twin.  It is why I am who I am today.   I am a mother of two kiddos, Ella and Tyler.  They are the main reason I choose to stay fit.  I want to be the mom who can hang with her kids in the back yard.  I never want to be the mom who has to sit down and rest.   I am a full time PE teacher, so I naturally have a love for all things active. I enjoy teaching people how to make fitness fun (or at least as fun as it can be). I am only sister that doesn't live near home. <<Insert hearbreak here>>  I hate being away from my sisters and best friends. But we make the most of our time together and for that I am thankful.

My goal for this blog is to connect with people and help teach you what I've already learned. Like my twin sister, Adie, I have just joined a 30 day fitness challenge. I am doing the Les Mills Pump workouts. 

I am so interested to see what this does for my body. My goal is to tone and shred. I have a really hard time putting on muscle.  I can go out and run 4 miles and it would NEVER do what lifting weights has done for me.  That is why I chose Les Mills Pump.  These are some of the instructors...I will probably look just like them in thirty days :) ha ha ha ha

Thank you for showing an interest in a healthy lifestyle.  Your new you is just around the corner.


***Haley