In short
Mari Llewellyn (almost 10 months postpartum) returns to the Pursuit of Wellness podcast with a postpartum fitness update—how she rebuilt confidence through workouts, simplified nutrition, and recovery after C-section, plus a personal “boob job” update and Q&A.
Guest backgrounds
No guests appear; it’s a solo episode with Mari answering listener questions.
Key claims
Working out is central to her mental health and identity as a mom; she’s weightlifting 3–4x/week with short, intense sessions (30–45 min) and uses a trainer when possible. She emphasizes protein-forward, simple meals (eggs, sourdough, salmon, rice bowls, meal prep) and says she doesn’t track macros. She supports peptides cautiously (third-party tested, correct dosing) and warns against extreme starvation/GLP-1 misuse. She prioritizes sleep first postpartum.
Notable examples
Hiking in Colorado with her baby in a backpack; trainer who pushes her hard; Preserve-method breast lift/implant/fat transfer with Dr. Anna Stephen in NYC; C-section core rebuilding via gradual ab work and compound moves; stopping breastfeeding around month 5 (using freezer supply to extend to 6–7 months).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOReturning to Fitness Postpartum
0:50 to 2:39
Discover the host's journey of reclaiming fitness and confidence after childbirth.
“Obviously, I don't have everything figured out, like I'm still a first time mom, but remembering the things I love.”
Prioritizing Health and Fitness
2:39 to 6:27
Understand the challenges and importance of prioritizing health as a new mom.
“I'm very proud of a lot of the information I put out there and the conversations I had.”
Finding Workout Routines That Work
6:27 to 8:12
Explore various workout routines and the benefits of weightlifting for postpartum fitness.
“And bringing it back in my life in a way that I have has really, really helped me.”
Nutrition and Meal Prep After Baby
8:12 to 14:00
Learn about the nutritional strategies and meal prep that support postpartum wellness.
“I guess I've lost, I mean, I don't really get on the scale that often, to be honest with you guys.”
Simple Family Meals
14:00 to 15:00
Learn about easy and balanced meal options for families.
Breastfeeding and Nutrition
15:00 to 16:20
Discover how breastfeeding impacts appetite and food choices.
“And then I'm also obsessed with our balloon pops.”
Peptides and Health Advocacies
16:20 to 17:40
Understand the use of peptides and the importance of informed choices.
“breastfeeding I don't think I could have lost weight breastfeeding so I get a lot of questions about peptides.”
Personal Fitness Journey
17:40 to 19:18
Hear about the speaker's fitness routine and recent changes.
“That's, I don't know where that's going to end, but that's not good.”
Cosmetic Surgery Experience
19:18 to 24:06
Listen to a personal account of breast surgery and its implications.
“I will say lately I have not been getting enough steps.”
Postpartum Fitness Tips
24:06 to 26:40
Gain insights into rebuilding core strength after childbirth.
Show all 16 chapters
Breastfeeding and Weight Management
26:40 to 28:01
Learn about the effects of breastfeeding on weight and fitness.
“Honestly, holding Kai is the best arm workout of all time.”
Postpartum Body Changes and Fitness Journey
28:01 to 29:51
Discusses the physical changes after childbirth and the challenges of postpartum fitness.
Managing Fitness with a Baby
29:52 to 31:29
Explores how to stay committed to fitness routines while managing a new baby.
“I think that's, you know, you got to say that.”
The Importance of Sleep vs. Fitness
31:30 to 33:10
Highlights the balance between prioritizing sleep and maintaining a fitness routine postpartum.
“but if you can do that, you can do anything.”
Realistic Expectations and Motivation
33:11 to 34:53
Talks about setting realistic fitness goals and the importance of changing motivations after becoming a parent.
“that seems to be okay and can benefit us, I'm open to it.”
Future Plans and Listener Engagement
34:54 to 36:21
Discusses the podcast's future direction and encourages audience feedback for upcoming episodes.
“But I really want to be a healthy, fit mom.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00When I first had Kai, health and fitness was not a priority. But as I've gone along on my journey, I've been able to prioritize it again. Working out does something for me that nothing else can. And bringing it back in my life in a way that I have has really, really helped me. We're going balls to the wall, people. And I just, that element of intensity, I just, it lights me up. I am absolutely dying by the end of these workouts. and those workouts, by the way, are sometimes only 30 minutes, 45 minutes because I'm always jetting back to get back to Kai. I did a Q &A a couple of days ago and I have never, ever, ever received more DMs from you guys.
0:41I don't even know how long it's been, honestly, but I'm back. A little update for you guys. I actually got my boobs done. This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn.
0:57guys welcome back to the podcast i don't even know how long it's been honestly um but i'm back i'm currently almost 10 months postpartum now and um before i headed over here my mother-in-law was like oh my god you're doing the podcast you're going to a bloom meeting you're speaking on stage in two weeks you're going to the New York City bloom event like what made you hop back into everything and I was like you know what I seriously think it took me nine months to just feel like myself again and it's been slowly but surely but I know for a fact the last time I sat in this chair and spoke on the podcast I was so not myself and maybe I sounded like myself but I know internally I was just feeling very confused very unsure of like what I wanted my life to look like unsure of what I wanted to share feeling weird about my body to be honest with you like just I mean you know classic postpartum first time mom vibes I think I was like trying to do the podcast trying to do a little bit of work but always feeling like confused about things and I'm really starting to feel much more like myself, but like better, like the version of me that's a mom now that feels more confident in motherhood.
2:26Obviously, I don't have everything figured out, like I'm still a first time mom, but remembering the things I love. And one of those things is fitness, which is what today's episode is going to be about. We're going to talk postpartum fitness journey and feeling confident again feeling healthy and strong feeling more like myself which is honestly a huge reason why i'm able to sit here right now um because i do feel so much better and i i credit that to feeling healthy and fit again um and also just giving myself some time so i appreciate the patience guys and i did a q a a couple days ago and i have never ever ever received more dms from you guys just being like please bring the podcast back i've been listening to old episodes i miss it it got me through dark times and it really made me emotional i was like oh my god i feel terrible that i kind of disappeared for a minute um but i think i was also unsure of how to come back because this show um was you know at its peak very health forward.
3:35And I'm so proud of that. I'm very proud of a lot of the information I put out there and the conversations I had. I think I had like, I don't know, 200 episodes or something crazy. So many interviews with amazing people. Pretty much everyone I admire in the health space came on this show. But at the same time, it was such a different era of my life. Like I was so into the biohacking. I was so into optimizing health. I was like in the sauna and the cold plunge every day. I was red lighting every day. I was taking so many supplements. I was like super tapped into wellness and my life just doesn't look like that anymore.
4:13And it's funny because I remember back then getting comments, which is still an annoying comment for people to be like, wait till you have kids. Just wait till you have kids. You'll never do it again. And like, those are annoying comments and I would never comment that on someone's thing but now I you know I see that perspective and as a mum now I'm definitely not like biohacking I'm not like in the sauna every day I'm sauning maybe once every two weeks I'm not cold plunging at all um I use the hyperbaric chamber every now and again like I'm definitely you know I'm lucky if I remember to take my supplements to be honest with you I take my meds and that's it um things are a little bit more real for me now a little bit more condensed a little bit more um fitting things in when I can but you know what like that's probably more realistic for majority of you guys listening um I think for a while I was like how do I come back am I going to disappoint people is it okay if it's not like a full wellness show is it okay hey, if it's a bit more of a mommy angle, like do people care about this stuff?
5:30But I think what I've realized on my journey, and you have to give yourself patience, obviously, but like when I first had Kai, health and fitness was not a priority. Like breastfeeding was a huge part of my life. Working out hardcore was challenging. Things felt awkward and I was so hungry from breastfeeding and like it was making health a priority was not a priority but as I've gone along on my journey I've been able to prioritize it again not to the degree that I used to but working out makes me feel like the best version of myself like I can be the best mom I can be the best wife I can be the best friend I can be proud of myself like it just does something to my brain.
6:19I don't know if it's because of my anxiety or just the way that I'm built, but working out does something for me that nothing else can. And bringing it back in my life in a way that I have has really, really helped me. We have a house in Colorado and we spent most of the summer there and we were getting out the door and hiking almost every day. We put Kai in the backpack. We have a hike right outside our house and we would just go. And I think doing that, being outside, I found an amazing trainer that I love in Colorado and I was doing intense workouts. I am, I'm just an intense person. Like I'm really not a like, I'm going to ease back in and do Pilates.
7:01Like that's just not really my vibe. I'm like, we're going balls to the wall people. And I just, that element of intensity, I just, it lights me up. Like I am just an intense person. And like even the trainer I've been working with, the way she talks to me is so other people I think would be terrified and probably cry. I love it. Like she doesn't let me sit down. She's like, you have all day to sit down, get up. And if I complain even for a second, she's like, I don't want to hear another negative thing come out of your mouth. And I'm like, OK, queen. Yes. Like that is just the way I work. And the first time I lost weight in 2017, I spoke to myself like that.
7:43And I listened to content like Andy Frisella and people who are super intense. And it got me through. And I'm kind of tapping into that side of myself again. And I honestly love it. And yeah, I've really just been getting back into things and feeling like myself again. And obviously there's like nutrition, there's exercise, there's so many elements of the this that have gotten me to feeling like myself. I guess I've lost, I mean, I don't really get on the scale that often, to be honest with you guys. I just kind of forget. I really just care about how I look in the mirror. But I've probably lost, ooh, I may have lost 50 or 60 pounds now.
8:30because I, I mean, I'm 5 '10 and when I was pregnant, Kai was big. I was big. I think I was weighing like close to as much as Greg. He was looking at the scale again for me and then letting me know where I was at. But I think I've lost pretty much like 50 pounds since being pregnant or at birth. I forget the number. But anyway, it really hasn't been about that for me it's been about like looking and feeling my best and honestly I really don't like when people I mean to each their own like maybe to some people it's not as important and I totally get that but for me it kind of is important to feel fit and healthy and I like want to look and feel like myself um so you know whatever works for you um but yeah I'm tapping back into that and you guys have been very curious about it.
9:23So I have some notes here of what I wanna cover. And then I'm gonna answer some of your questions because I got a lot of those as well. Let's talk working out. So you guys know I'm a big fan of weightlifting, still am. I really think it is, if you wanna see progress, like I actually had a girlfriend text me yesterday and she was like, I'm getting married in December. Please help me. I want to look toned. people love that word toned or she wanted to gain muscle and I was like you have to weight lift like it's just the only way um you have to be tracking your weights your reps you have to be getting heavier with the weights you have to be making yourself uncomfortable I think when there's fat loss involved like there's things you can do like the type of training I've been doing is a little bit more weights with HIIT so like I'm not resting very long I'm keeping moving I'm jumping I'm doing step ups like I am absolutely dying by the end of these workouts and those workouts by the way are sometimes only 30 minutes 45 minutes because I'm always jetting back to get back to and that's fine sometimes they're an hour when I can make it work but I'm working out at a faster pace than usual but weights are always an element of it I just there's nothing better in my opinion and it's great for you in terms of longevity.
10:47So I'm weightlifting three to four times a week right now. And I do work with a trainer when I'm in Colorado, but when I'm here, I'm by myself. And sometimes I'll FaceTime her or do it on my own. I've gotten to the point where I really do better when I have someone helping me. It just, unfortunately, it just helps. What I would do is either, if you can, get a trainer, download an app, put the earbuds in, have a friend with you, go to a class, like a weightlifting class where you can be with other people. Something about it just you push yourself so much more. So the three to four times of weightlifting a week.
11:31And then I was really doing a decent amount of cardio in over the summer. I was doing tennis some mornings. I really have gotten into tennis. haven't played in a couple weeks so I'm worried I'm going to be terrible tennis is one of those things it's so hard and at altitude I literally couldn't breathe um but I was doing that twice a week pretty much and that was insane cardio and then hiking walking with the stroller bike rides like just really mixing it up and making sure every single day I was getting a lot of movement in and I will say that was a lot easier to do in Colorado Austin is over 100 degrees every day and it's like you can't even go outside so it's been a bit more challenging um for me in terms of nutrition things are different now with Kai eating three meals a day as well uh I'm always making us both breakfast now he eats kind of the same thing as me he has scrambled eggs with fruit and he loves it I do the same thing with sourdough toast I guess I could give him sourdough toast I'm just nervous like you guys know if you're doing solids right now it's like terrifying of like them choking is always just in your head and I don't know why Brad freaks me out but he loves his eggs loves his fruit I have scrambled eggs sourdough toast with butter and fruit I'm not afraid of butter Kai loves butter I love butter I think it's great um for lunch I'm doing a rice bowl or a salad I have been getting meal prep help that has been huge for me just to have things in the fridge I can grab really quickly um usually it's like a rice bowl salad with protein if I don't have meal prep I'm ordering in just to be honest with you guys like I think the cooking aspect after having a baby has been the hardest thing like the last thing you want to do is cook and make a huge mess and put all this effort in and then your kid has to eat too and you all want to eat at the same time it's like it's hard um so I when I can I get a meal prep service where we have someone drop off meals at the house for us and sometimes for Kai for the most part I like doing Kai's food myself but now I've been accepting more help because it just got a bit crazy and I want to make sure he's getting variety and I kept making him the same thing every day um we do a lot of salmon we do a lot of ground beef slow cooked chuck roast we do rice mixed with bone marrow I can do a whole other episode for Kai's food um but for me I keep it simple dinner I mean we don't eat like insanely insanely clean we do eat like whole ingredients but we will have pasta we'll have burgers we'll have a sweet potato fries but generally they're all homemade good organic ingredients um I like going out once a week maybe with Greg and like having an upper all spritz or a skinny margarita like I do kind of live for that I've never been a big sweets person honestly like I'm very very rarely getting dessert if I do want to have a treat I'll have like um lesser the evil popcorn and I'll put like Swedish candy in it maybe and have a little bit of that.
15:00And then I'm also obsessed with our balloon pops. You guys see me drink them every night. And my new favorite is our crisp apple. I'm drinking it actually right now. This feels like a treat to me. I really like fizzy drinks and I have one of these with dinner every single night. I either do the Shirley Temple or the crisp apple I don't do a lot of snacks um if I do it's like a protein smoothie or banana that's honestly it here's the thing like food has gotten so much more annoying to me now having a baby thinking about it planning for it making it it's like such a um thing oh we're also big yogurt people and we get a2 organic yogurt I eat it Kai eats it and sometimes we mix cottage cheese in it for him but really like my nutrition hasn't changed that much guys like it's very protein forward um simple and then I'm just kind of balanced about it like I do go out fit to eat I'll I'll get pasta I'll get sushi I'll get whatever I want and I just kind of eat in moderation and like stay consistent you know like I think because I've been doing this for a long time the nutrition felt like such a bigger deal back in the day and now it feels a little bit more second nature I will say breastfeeding was tough for me to control my appetite I was just so hungry breastfeeding I don't think I could have lost weight breastfeeding so I get a lot of questions about peptides.
16:37I love peptides personally. I think you have to be really careful. I think you have to do your own research. I think you have to be your own advocate. I'm not a doctor. I really don't want anyone to run and do peptides because I said to. I'm a fan of them. Greg's a fan of them. As long as they are from a good source, as long as they are third party tested, as long as you know what you're doing and you're dosing it correctly. I think there is a massive issue with people taking peptides that have no idea the right amount for them or like what they're doing like this um starvation trend is like a bit crazy the i i just don't think it looks very good to be honest and i would imagine it doesn't feel very good i like to have muscle i i my body type is not that of like a pencil um I just don't look good very very skinny and I don't that's not my goal so although I'm watching how much I eat I'm eating does that make sense guys like just when we see these celebrities and these people on the internet who are like wasting away that those people are not eating food like there's it's just not happening they're having I don't know, a meal a day, maybe, maybe it's concerning and it's not good for you.
18:06That's, I don't know where that's going to end, but that's not good. So I eat three meals a day. I eat protein. I eat carbs. I eat sourdough bread. I eat butter. But I just watch how much of it. And I know that's easier said than done for some people. And if you do need to use a glp1 to cut your appetite a little bit then maybe look into it but i think the microdosing method is the best um yeah in terms of the peptides i'm taking i have loved taking ss31 i'm not taking it anymore but it's great for recovery it was great for muscle it was great for sleep i took it postpartum and then i also took mot c which is great for muscle building and I believe it helps with weight loss, but it's not a GLP-1.
18:55Right now I'm not taking anything at all, but I might want to look at taking BPC-157. I don't know. I'm curious about it and I definitely get professional advice before I do, but I like peptides. Yeah, that pretty much sums up my routine. It's not all that complex right now. I'm just doing the things that I know works every single day. I will say lately I have not been getting enough steps. So a little update for you guys. I actually got my boobs done. My producer is looking at me like, what? No one's really noticed. They're still getting into place, but I got a lift. I got a fat transfer, not much fat transfer.
19:40That's just something she does. And then a little reduction. So I kind of got the works, but I went to an amazing surgeon called Dr. Anna Stephen who has a particular method she does called the Preserve method. Let me just give some context. I and this everyone's probably like what the hell. I didn't post or document it because I just didn't feel like it. Honestly I was like I don't really know what this is going to entail or how I feel about it and I just want to do it. so I flew to New York last week for four days and I got my boobs done on the other side of it now I wish I did it sooner I lost 90 pounds in 2017 and I had huge boobs when I was 250 pounds and then they just kind of like deflated and got really saggy and then I breastfed and they got even more saggy to the point where guys like I had the lines which isn't there's nothing wrong with that but like I had the stretch lines happening and we went to Greece and the whole time I was just like gosh I feel so weird in a bathing suit like the boobs have just bothered me for a while and truthfully I'm not a big boob girl like I've never been like I want big boobs I want amazing boobs like I never really cared but they were affecting my confidence in a way that I don't know it was just like an everyday thing and I was like I think I'm just gonna do this and a lot of people and I know I'm gonna have this question why'd you do it before your second kid why'd you do it before your second kid um I want to feel amazing for a year I want to take a second to have my next child I'm okay with a two three year age gap and I want to feel really good because I did IVF.
21:29I tried for a baby for such a long time. I was like, it's all I thought about for so long. I want to feel like myself for a second. And in my head for the next pregnancy, at least they're high up. Maybe they'll get huge. Maybe I don't know. Maybe I'll regret it. But at least they'll be better than they were. Does that make sense? That was my decision. And I had a lot of people try to persuade me not to but one thing about me I'm gonna do it anyway um and I did it anyway and I'm really glad I did it Dr. Anna Steven in New York she works with Dr. Ninesteen who's known for doing the mommy makeovers um so she does a preservé method which is keep in mind I did a lift as well but if you just get implants with her they're over the muscle which is a faster recovery which was important for me having a young child.
22:23Over the muscle, the incision's smaller and the implant is teardrop shaped. So it's a bit more of a natural look and it's a smaller incision. She's very, very talented. I mean, I'm amazed by her. She has three boys and she's pregnant with her fourth. She also loves Bloom. And whenever I saw her, she was drinking a Bloom, which made me so happy she's very talented um it's an expensive procedure because of the way she's doing things I'm so happy I went with her they put you in the plaza hotel they come check on you they do lymphatic drainage like it was a pretty pleasant experience and honestly like I was so nervous and sad to leave Kai but at the same time sometimes it is nice to just like existing on your own is so weird when you're used to having a child with you all the time like going to the airport and being on the plane I was like um I have nothing to do like what do I do with my brain um yeah so I'm feeling really really good about the boobs and that's that let me know if you have any questions um but it made me feel just like they're not huge they're just higher up and I've been really having fun with them so that's that I wanted to give that update where was I going with that oh that's the reason I haven't been exercising as much lately because I have to okay I'm allowed to do body weight workouts now I can do like lunges and whatever but I can't do weights until six weeks which sucks but I'm gonna make it work I'm allowed to pick up Kai no problem now um Greg had to really step in for a few days it was kind of funny he did great Greg is crushing it right now with Kai um but yeah I did that for myself and I'm really happy and I got a new engagement ring so I'm I'm cut off for the next three years I think that trip was a bit I went a bit crazy Greg was like you you gotta calm down I was like I know but I'm glad I did it and um you know what after you have a baby you can kind of do whatever you want in my head so let's answer some questions best way to rebuild your core i had a c-section eight months ago and it's been tough um the best advice i got was just start doing abs literally just start i mean slowly right like there were certain things that i couldn't believe how shaky i was like i couldn't hang from a bar i couldn't do a plank but slowly but surely start doing those ab exercises start doing compound movements like squats and things that utilize your core and that's the best way to kind of pull everything back together um yeah just do those abs guys I need I can't wait to get back into doing my abs oh my gosh um but I still very much have a scar there it's not bad but it has that little like ridge on it and I don't really know what to do about that I've I did go to this PT guy who like vacuumed it which was crazy it like breaks up the tissue but I could probably use a little bit more work on it what month did you stop breastfeeding and pumping month five um was my breaking point guys but I had such a big freezer supply that I was able to stretch to like six or seven months so he got breast milk for six or seven months but I stopped month five which I was proud of um it was one of the hardest things I think I've ever done and I had a lot of milk but he was drinking a lot of milk so I ended up being a just enougher regardless of making a lot of milk does that make sense you look like you didn't had a kid that's so nice I'm literally gonna frame that um how to best build muscle um eat enough eat enough protein eat enough carbs lift heavy increase your weights take creatine bloom creatine on amazon take creatine every day it doesn't matter what type of day time of day put it in your water hydrates your muscles it's amazing for you and if you're bloated for two days don't worry about it it will go away um a lot of questions are with the core of a c-section um i did see a pelvic floor therapist but basically I just started working out like maybe that's not the best advice but I think just start doing core every day how to structure a workout postpartum I think when you are at the point where you get the clearance I think you just start going in and doing the things you're comfortable with like I remember feeling shocked at how weak I felt on some things and you just power through and keep doing it little by little um even if you work with a trainer like once or twice at your gym and just have them show you some things I think that's really helpful or like downloading an app um I've had a lot of requests for a postpartum part and workout plan I'm just not I don't think I'll do that guys but I'll keep I'll keep making episodes like this and explaining things um I really focus right now on a lot of legs on a lot of abs and shoulders.
27:45Honestly, holding Kai is the best arm workout of all time. That kid is heavy. My biceps be popping from him. So if you have a heavy kid, your arms are going to look great. Acotar. I know guys, October 26, I think it is. I am so excited. I haven't read in a really long time and I need to get back into it active wear oh I've been loving um patula capris they're amazing I'm loving set active bras aloe bras especially with these new boobs it's kind of fun to try these new bras I have to wear supportive ones still um but set active adenola patula aloe aloe leggings and shorts though are not the vibe on me i just they give me grandma butt in the worst way how quickly after stopping breastfeeding did you notice a difference i'm six months postpartum i mean i think everyone's different like i have friends who are breastfeeding and the weight is just like falling off of them that was not my experience um but after i stopped breastfeeding and I felt like I could really get into it I saw progress pretty quickly um yeah that's the tough that's the tough balance you know did you get loose skin or stretch marks um not on my stomach I think the fact that I'm tall helps there's just more room for everything to go I had like terrible pregnant face that was the biggest thing for me my nose got really wide my lips got huge um I what else I mean I had carpal tunnel my boobs definitely got like way more like loose skin stretch mark vibes I probably have more on my hips but um no I feel like not too too bad and I guess like it's pretty amazing how the body can like get back to baseline how do you manage to stay committed and keep to your schedule with a baby.
29:51I mean, I have help. I think that's, you know, you got to say that. I'm lucky that I can get help. I don't have family nearby, but I have a nanny who has become like family for me. So if I want to do a workout that day, she'll come early and help me because I still like to work out in the morning. But I've had to be more flexible with when I work out, you know. I always take Kai on a walk first thing in the morning. Like that's the first thing we do together. And then I'll usually work out later in the day when I have that help. I know there are some gyms like Lifetime that offer daycare, which is apparently really helpful, or having a family member come over or switch with your husband.
30:33My husband leaves the house so early I could never ask him to help me, but that's how I get it done. I'm not tracking macros. I kind of just eyeball it right now. I don't think I'll ever track macros again. I don't have enough brain space for that at this moment.
30:53What are these questions of repeats? What's more important, prioritizing sleep or fitness while postpartum? I think sleep. I think you start with sleep. Yeah, that was a struggle for a little bit. And I think I will say the days where I'm super tired and Kai had a rough night are the days where I'm like, I don't want to work out. but I feel so, so, so, so much better after I do work out. It will boost your energy. It will make you feel better. I think if you are sleepless and you don't work out, you're kind of like putting yourself in a bad position. Does that make sense? Like, I know it's so hard, but if you can do that, you can do anything.
31:33You know, like, I know it's tough to see people who don't have kids, like, getting their workouts in. It's such a different ballgame when you are like tired, stressed, have a million things going on, multitasking. While we were in Aspen, Kai had a few like really rough nights and I went to the gym anyway. And honestly, my trainer really forced me to get there, but I was so, so, so glad I did it. Now he's sleeping through the night, which is amazing. But I think if you're tired, try to do it anyway, because I think you'll end up being happy that you did. Please give your honest opinion on peptides i'm not just talking to lose weight there's certain ones for skin elasticity etc i'm curious i think there's something there i think i think it's interesting because they still feel kind of like underground and where do you get them and there's like weird sales people it's kind of a little sketch but i think there's something to it for sure the copper peptide i don't love because you have to take it every single day and it really doesn't have that much of an impact um but i think they're getting better and better i think they could really help women with their skin hormones things like that i'm very curious to see where the industry goes and i think to ignore them is silly and i also think the fact that the fda or whatever doesn't want to approve them is a bit sus because they know it's gonna like make us healthy and then we don't have to get medication whatever um i think there's something to peptides but you know what if it's not your ethos to do so, then don't worry about it.
33:10But listen, if something comes out that seems to be okay and can benefit us, I'm open to it. I think we have to be open-minded. What are your go-to meals? My breakfast is the same every single day. I really don't steer from the eggs and sourdough. I really enjoy salmon, rice, soy sauce, avocado. I really enjoy ground beef, pasta, red sauce. Love sushi. I keep things a little bit simple and I'm a bit repetitive, to be honest with you, but I like the same things every day. I try to mix it up. I try to have like sweet potatoes and um I'm not the biggest veggie person but like I sprinkle those in every now and again um yeah how to give yourself grace when you've been putting in the work but the results are taking a long time um I mean think about it like we're pregnant for nine ten months it's not it's kind of a crazy concept that we're supposed to snap right back it really is um but I think you'd be surprised if you just keep going the results that you'll see it's really about just not giving up um it's really about just continuing to show up and I remember at the beginning being like oh I just don't even care about fitness like how could I care about this I have something so much more important um but if you just keep showing up even and I had to stop comparing myself to to the version of me before because the version of me before was up every day 6 a.m training for an hour.
34:50That's never going to be me again. It's never going to be my top priority. Kai will always be my top priority for the rest of my life. But I really want to be a healthy, fit mom. I want to be strong. I want him to see me work out. I want him to see me eat healthy. Greg is obviously like a great example. And that's important to me. So like I have more reasons to keep showing up now if that makes sense like you kind of have to change the motivation anything you do differently with baby number two one day yeah I feel like that's maybe a different episode but there are things I would do differently especially with the breastfeeding I think the pressure I put on myself was crazy and I like lost my mind I think I would maybe combo feed sooner and maybe wouldn't pump as much I don't know we'll talk about that on a different episode there's a lot of good questions here that I really want to answer in the future I'm really glad we did a fitness episode first because that's been top of mind for you guys and me I'd love to know what you guys would like to hear next please dm me comment on the podcast on Spotify I think you can do that right yeah you can comment on Spotify and I'm happy to be back in the chair and honestly one of the main comments I got that made me feel okay with coming back was someone was like just do what you can like don't feel like you have to have a guest every time don't feel like you have to post two times a week or every single week like just do it when you can I guess that's what Kristen Cavallari does I she has like two boys three boys I don't know but she's a mom and she records when she can when she can I think something is better than nothing um I think I'm a very all in or all out person.
36:36And I'm like, if I'm doing it, I have to win and be the best and do it three times a week and do amazing interviews. But that's not my reality right now. So I'm just going to come on when I can. And you guys said you'd be okay with a new mommy angle. So let me know what you think of the episode. Let me know what you'd like to hear about next. I'm ready. I'm actually going back to Colorado Monday, and then I'm going to LA. I'll be speaking at founderland in la and then i'll be back the week of october 5th so maybe we'll do another recording then and i want to hear your guys's feedback love you bye
37:21thank you for joining us on the pursuit of wellness podcast to support this show please rate and review and share with your loved ones if you want to be reminded of new episodes click the subscribe button on your preferred podcast or video player. You can sign up for my newsletter to receive my favorites at marilowellan.com. It will be linked in the show notes. This podcast is a Pursuit Network production. Love you, POW girls and POW boys. I will see you next time. The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider-patient relationship.
37:59As always, talk to your doctor or health team.
38:05Push your limits, train with precision, see the results. At Equinox, that's high performance loving. Everything you need to lock in and unlock your potential at Equinox. Start today at equinox.com.
38:22Fall never arrives all at once. First the air, then the light. And slowly the things you love begin to find each other. A jacket meets a dress. A hoodie slips beneath a blazer. An old cap finds a new scarf. Because you don't simply step into the season. You create it layer by layer until it finally feels like fall. Find fall your way at Ross. Thank you.
From the publisher
I'm back, guys! Almost ten months postpartum, and I finally feel like I'm getting back to myself. Motherhood has changed so much about my life, including the way I approach health and fitness, and I'm ready to share what that journey has really looked like. From navigating breastfeeding and finding time to work out to rebuilding my strength and confidence, I'm getting into everything that's helped me feel like the best version of myself again.
I'm breaking down my current workout routine, how I've incorporated weightlifting, HIIT, hiking, and tennis, and what my nutrition looks like now that I'm juggling life with Kai. We talk about losing the baby weight, rebuilding my core after a C-section, my experience with peptides, and why I've had to rethink what prioritizing wellness actually looks like as a mom. Plus, I'm sharing a personal update I haven't talked about publicly yet: my recent breast lift, reduction, and fat transfer with Dr. Anne Steve in New York, why I decided to do it before baby number two, and what recovery has been like.
I'm also answering your questions about postpartum weight loss, building muscle, balancing sleep and exercise, and staying consistent when life looks completely different than it used to. If you're navigating postpartum, trying to find your way back to fitness, or just figuring out how to make your health a priority in a new season of life, this one's for you.
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