JoAnn Rivas Proves That You Can Be A Hot Mom

After she gave birth to a beautiful son, JoAnn Rivas couldn’t recognize the body she was in and resolved to transform. Here’s how she took control of her life, health and body to win her confidence back.

Why I got started

A few months after giving birth to my son, we took a family photo and the sight of it made me burst into tears. The body changes after you have a baby and I didn’t know this new body I was in. I didn’t like it either. I had been trying to get the weight off, but nothing seemed to be working. That picture ignited a fire within me that has yet to burn out. I wanted to look great on the outside and feel great on the inside. I knew I had to start making changes.

At first, my reasons to transform were solely for me and what I wanted. As I continued on my journey, I realized I was doing this for my son as well and that’s been a huge motivation for me since. I wanted to be a good influence for him – to instill the ideals of a healthy and active lifestyle in him. I also wanted to encourage my other family members and close friends to invest in their own bodies, health and future.

How I did it

The first thing I did was work on getting my nutrition under control. I started eating five meals a day and completely cut out soda – drinking only water. I lost about 10lb in my first month from clean eating alone and continued to eat very clean while still enjoying one weekly “cheat” meal. Once I was used to following a healthier nutrition plan, I made it my resolution to tackle fitness. I started with running and yoga. Within a few months, I’d lost another 30lb. My results started to plateau, so I began weightlifting, which helped me to lose 20lb more and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve seen the best results with my body since I incorporated weight training into my routine.

How Bodybuilding.com helped me

For the first five months I learned what foods did and didn’t work for my body. I created meal plans by researching on Bodybuilding.com’s forums and reading fitness plans provided by the athletes. Once I was ready to start weightlifting, I followed Jamie Eason’s 12-Week LiveFit Trainer. It’s free and the perfect online personal trainer.

Advice for others

• Work around your schedule – especially if you’re a mom. Don’t let things feel forced, or you’ll resist them. If you can’t go to the gym one day, move on and make sure you don’t completely fall off track.

• Join social media. Be active and support one another. Instagram is great for connecting with others on their own fitness journey.

• Don’t be afraid to try new things. If you’ve never weightlifted, start with bodyweight exercises, work on your form and then build your way up to dumbbells and barbells.

Find transformation articles and more in every issue of TRAIN for HER