Most moms would want to go back to their “pre-baby” body, but not for Romina Amor Guerra. The mom of two tells SmartParenting.com.ph that being overweight since her elementary days has always been one of her biggest insecurities.
“I’ve been fat all throughout my adolescent life. I always get compliments na maganda ako kaso mataba, and I got tired of hearing it,” she tells Smart Parenting in an interview via Facebook messenger. “More than the genes, my eating habits were morbid for my height, which is 5’1.”
Romina weighed 156 pounds at her heaviest.PHOTO BY courtesy of Romina Amor GuerraRomina continued to gain weight throughout her two pregnancies. She immediately got pregnant a month and a half after her first child was born, so losing weight became even more difficult. Then, she saw incredible transformations from different moms who were able to stay fit despite having kids.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW“Siyempre ayaw ko rin malosyang. So I told myself, ‘After my second baby, I’ll work my ass off to have a slimmer body,” she says.
The road to a healthier body
Romina with her husband, Jasper, 25, and her kids, Christoff and Natalie.PHOTO BY courtesy of Romina Amor GuerraRomina started her weight loss journey by cutting down on sugary treats — which was an extra challenge because she was exclusively breastfeeding — and tandem feeding — her kids, Christoff, 22 months, and Natalie, 12 months.
Since she was also busy taking care of the kids on top of her job as a sales account manager in a hotel, the 26-year-old working mom also had to be smarter with her workout schedule. “Dahil mommy na ako, no time for gym so I opted na mag-workout at home. Nag-search lang ako sa YouTube ng postpartum workout — si Fit by Amy una kong ginagawa for two weeks, kaso after nadadalian na ako sa workout niya,” Romina shares.
CONTINUE READING BELOWwatch nowShe then found Emi Wong, a fitness guru based in Hong Kong. “I searched for a no-jumping workout and found Emi Wong! After nun, lahat ng workouts niya naging hobby ko na,” Romina says. “Short lang, 10 to 30 minutes, pero sobrang effective.”
“Determination and discipline talaga lalo kung ‘di ka nabiyayaan ng magic genes.”
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Because her kids were only 10 months apart, it became harder for Romina to lose weight.PHOTO BY courtesy of Romina Amor GuerraIt didn’t matter to Romina whether she was only working out for 10 minutes a day — what was more important was that she was sticking to a fitness routine.
“I always tell myself na 24 hours ang isang araw. Ano ba naman ‘yung mag-workout ako ng 20 minutes tapos tapos na,” she shares. “I work out four to six times a week, between 10 to 30 minutes.”
She also didn’t let her kids stop her from working out. “Nakikisali sila, haha,” she shares. Sometimes, she will opt to workout at the hotel gym before she starts her duty.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWThe mom slowly but surely saw results so she was motivated to continue her workouts. From a 36-inch waistline, Romina dropped down to 26 inches. She also lost almost 50 pounds — from 156 to 108 pounds. Now she’s even thinner than her pre-pregnancy weight!
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Weight loss secrets
At six weeks, this working mom could already see and feel the results of exercising!PHOTO BY courtesy of Romina Amor GuerraRomina shared her incredible weight loss journey on Smart Parenting’s Facebook group, Smart Parenting Village and instantly inspired other moms like her who were struggling with their postpartum bodies.
“I didn’t have the magical genes [where you stay] thin no matter what happens. So I promised myself that I’ll lose all the weight and gain back my confidence,” she writes. “Determination and discipline talaga lalo kung ‘di ka nabiyayaan ng magic genes!”
Here are some of Romina’s tips on how she was able to shed her pregnancy weight:
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From 36 inches, Romina's waist line went to 26 inches!PHOTO BY courtesy of Romina Amor Guerra1. Eat small, frequent meals.
A low-carb diet is a popular way of losing weight, but Romina shares that she could not live without rice or bread. She also didn’t want to lose her milk supply so she opted to eat small, frequent meals, instead.
Below is a sample of her meals in a day:
- Breakfast: Three eggs, meat, and one slice of bread
- Snack: Yogurt or fruits
- Lunch: ½ cup of rice with any viand
- Merienda: Fruits or bread
- Dinner: Sandwich (or shawarma!)
2. Don’t deprive yourself.
Romina says that she still gives in to her cravings. “Kahit ano pwede kong kainin. Portion size and the time you eat is the key,” the mom shares. “Like ‘yung mga nakakataba kinakain ko siya as much as possible [kapag] may araw pa.”
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Romina shares that since achieving a healthy body weight, her confidence level has gone way up.PHOTO BY courtesy of Romina Amor GuerraADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW3. Take care of your milk supply.
Despite the weight loss, Romina’s milk supply was not affected at all. The important thing is not to starve yourself, she says.
“I consistently and constantly pump or latch before and after workouts. I eat lactation cookies from the Weekend Goodies, I drink Lactablend and use MQT Nipple Balm to keep my milk ducts open,” she adds. “And I keep myself hydrated!”
By sharing her story, Romina hopes she can motivate other moms to be more mindful of their health as well. “Ever since I started working out, I have better milk flow and my confidence level really went up! I have more energy and happier family life,” she says.
If you’ve always wanted to lose weight, there’s no better time to do it than now. “Excuses won’t get you anywhere so work hard para ma-achieve ang desired body,” Romina says.
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