My Story in the "Press of Atlantic City"

Gearing up for a great round at today's ShopRite LPGA Classic - thanks for the great article by Michael McGarry at Press of Atlantic City, check it out here.

So appreciative of all the love and support from you all! Wish me luck!

Trial & Error: Feeling Overwhelmed

Sorry I have been on hiatus for the last two weeks.  A lot has happened and I felt like I needed to take a few weeks off in order to gather my thoughts and just take control of my life a little bit!  This journey has been a lot more overwhelming than expected. Trying to be a good mom, dedicating myself to golf again, and figuring out what tournament schedule works for me and for our family has not been easy.  

When I started playing and traveling again I had to give up a lot of the control I had over my kids’ everyday lives.  I remember when I had Stella; I was there for every single milestone. I left her for the first time when she was around a year old.  When I was not working, I loved knowing exactly what happened in my daughters’ days even if I was not around 100% of the time.

I was away all last week and came back to my youngest, Luiza, looking so much bigger and my oldest, Stella, telling me things she had done during the week that I had no idea about.  It made me sad because I felt like I was missing out on so much. I have not taken her to school in over a week. Before I started playing I NEVER missed one day.  I don’t have time to make them a freshly cooked meal every night and I always loved to cook for them.  Nowadays there are weeks that I don’t even see a single poopy diaper from Luiza!

In addition to that, I have also had to transition into becoming a different golfer. When I played on tour before I dedicated 90% of my time into becoming the best golfer I could be. Now there are days when I only have a couple hours to practice. I am not complaining - I have just had to adapt.  I have reached out to many former players and asked them how they became more efficient in their practice routines (I will divulge some of their tips in future posts!) I feel like their advice has helped me a lot and I cannot thank them enough. 

It is all a transition. I have had to evolve as a golf player and parent and become a better working mom.  I know it will all settle down once I find my ideal routine and travel schedule.  Until then we will go through a lot of trial and error.  OH BY THE WAY DID I MENTION WE ARE MOVING???!….to be continued….

Post-Baby Body

When I decided to start playing again I knew that one of the first things I had to do was to get back in shape. I have had two C-sections and I am much older than when I started playing. I knew my body had changed, but I still had to be in shape to be able to swing the way I used to and, to be honest, I just felt bad being in my post-baby body.

When I became pregnant with my first daughter, Stella, I promised myself I would take care of my body. I ate well and I worked out about three to four times a week. I lifted weights and did cardio all the way to the end.  I remember so vividly lifting weights the day I went into labor with Stella. I gained only 23 lbs and, after six weeks, I was back to my pre-baby weight. I was that woman every girl hates.

With Luiza the story did not repeat itself.  I started working out 2 months after having Luiza.  I did not have the time or the energy to work out as much as I did with Stella. I did not gain that much more weight, only 25 lbs when all was said and done, but boy oh boy was I up for a rude awakening! At the beginning it did not matter what I did - it was like my body had frozen. It was just stuck at a certain weight.  Two months after I started working out I had not lost a single pound.

There were so many times I just wanted to give up, but I kept at it and now I am so happy I did. With a combination of working out and eating better the weight is SLOWLY going down. Luiza is 7 months old and I am still not at my pre-baby weight, but I am getting there.

Below are some of the things that have really helped me:

1. Working out first thing in the morning. If I don't do my workout in the morning the day gets away from me and I find way too many excuses.

2. Keeping it fresh: I used to lift weights and do cardio -that was it. Now I do a little bit of everything and I feel like it keeps me going. I run, spin, do bar classes, build my own work out and do some workout videos. This keeps my muscles guessing and working in many different ways which I believe has helped me to lose the weight.

3. Taking days off. I need at least two days off a week. My body just needs it.

4. Doing a workout even if I only have 20 min. I am much easier on myself because time is just limited. If I sweat for 20 minutes or so it is worth it and I just feel better.

5. I refused to buy clothes to fit the bigger me. This really kept me motivated because every time I tried something on and it did not fit I would get so mad!

6. Most of my workouts combine strength training and cardio to maximize the time I put into them.

I will post more specific workouts in the futures....oh I forgot to add that I still have 5 lbs to go. Not there yet but almost!!!!!  What are your stay-fit secrets?