Accepting your post-baby body can be hard - so let’s talk about it
Fitness guru Amanda Moroney’s priorities have shifted from bikini competitor to mother - and she’s learned many lessons along the way
WHEN women become pregnant, they see dramatic shifts in their bodies. And the truth is, the majority of us don’t snap back to our ideal pre-baby weight. Chances are, our bodies may never be the exact same as they were before children, and this can be a challenging to deal with.
It’s something Amanda Moroney, a nutritional therapist, certified fitness trainer and pre- and postnatal coach has experienced first hand. Amanda, who owns fitness business Recalobrated Bodies and runs Titan Fitness in the Algarve with her partner, Daniel Brack (who’s also a personal trainer and exercise nutritionist) went from being an international bikini competitior to being pregnant with her first daughter Mya.
The transition was quite shocking, the Sligo woman admits from their home in sunny Praia de Luz, where she lives with Daneil, Mia, who’s now four and their youngest daughter, two-year-old Ayla.
‘I went from an international bikini competitor to being pregnant six months later so I felt there was a huge change in my body shape and it’s something that ’I’ve struggled with,’ she says frankly. ‘And I would be very much saying to other women — it’s OK to not feel great about your body during pregnancy or postpartum, and I think we should be more open about that and then put things in place to help you cope with that emotionally.
‘My mum would say to me; you should be happy you’re pregnant’ and of course I was but there were other feelings about my body afterwards that I was suppressing, and some days I do feel challenged by the changes in my body,’ she reflects, adding that it didn’t help that in her industry, women are expected to almost ‘snap back’ into their pre-baby bodies.
‘And the more I researched the psychological ramifications of those changes, I realised that so many women feel like that, but we are all afraid to have those conversations.’
Amanda has helped thousands of women transform their bodies, health and lives. She has coached bikini athletes to win national titles, prepared fitness models for photoshoots and events, and helped athletes reach their best performance in sports including powerlifting, strongwoman, AFL, cricket, swimming, and GAA. As a certified pre and post natal fitness coach, however, she says there are many misconceptions about exercise and pregnancy.
‘I trained throughout both pregnancies and some of the advice from my doctor was the old advice of ‘putting your feet up’ and not lifting weights and all the rest but we know the positive effects exercise can have on mood and fitness during pregnancy. Even though my poor mother nearly had a heart attack when she saw me squatting in the gym,’ she laughs. ‘I think that generation just wouldn’t be exposed to that.’
The benefits of exercise, particularly weight training, during pregnancy are many, says Amanda, as long as they are done safely under the supervision of a trained fitness professional, you’ve been cleared to exercise by a health care professional and limitations and contraindications are considered.
‘There’s reduced lower back pain, better labour outcomes such as reduced risk of premature labour, shorter hospital stays and lower risk of c-section and maintaining muscle mass and strength makes the morphological changes (bump and boobs!) easier to deal with a shorter recovery time post-partum,’ says Amanda.
Amanda, who with Daniel is currently running Titan Fitness training in the Algarve— Europe’s biggest outdoor bootcamp —, says it’s important to manage your expectations coming out the other side of postpartum.
‘I know every woman just does too much. I was breast feeding with Mya and I was back to work two days after delivering her ,’ she reveals. ‘It was a chaotic time and I did feel that societal pressure to bounce back because of my background in fitness and having that competitive streak in me.’
Amanda admits that while she says she ‘failed’ what she was attempting to do— get her prebaby body back in quick smart time - but in retrospect this was a blessing, as it meant her thinking had shifted for her second pregnancy.
‘It made me more patient, realising where my priorities needed to be and to focus on controlling the controllable,’ she says. ‘I trained after the six week mark and in terms of getting my body back, I’m definitely more accepting,’ she says. ‘You do have to make that little bit of time for yourself while accepting that they are not going to be this small forever.’
Amanda prefers to now ‘go with the flow’ and prefers to prioritise small things like getting to bed as early as she can instead of big fitness goals.
‘Maybe it’s not sexy enough to focus on sleep and stress levels but in reality these are the really important goals to me at this stage in my life,’ she says.
‘For so long, all I’ve known is living at 100 miles an hour: working, parenting, moving, property endeavours, starting a new business, wife-ing, friend-ing, prepping for shows, and dealing with everything in between of course.‘The more time-out I scheduled, the more I got done.’
Amanda highlights the ‘five pillars of wellbeing’ for her clients prioritising nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management and community engagement.
For anyone looking to get a bit of a life reset and focus on some health goals, a trip to the sunny Algarve and the Titan fitness bootcamp might be just what you need as the weather gets colder and darker here. And one thing to remember - don’t be scared of the word ‘bootcamp’ - there’s classes for all fitness levels with plenty of rest and relaxation in between, says Amanda.
‘One of our clients at the moment is 64 years young. The classes are tailored to suit all fitness levels and there’s no barriers,’ she says. ‘We’ve had people who have never stepped into a gym before, to those who come to increase their fitness levels, or get away for a different fun holiday with family or friends,’ she says.
‘The timetable has recovery in mind with yoga, stretching and mobility, learning about nutrition and there’s a masseuse on-site. We’ve got watersports too and cliff hikes and delicious food — and we encourage people to go out for dinner and have a glass of wine with friends if they want. I’s not strict, the focus in on fun and wellness.’