Karen Conway Went From Baby Weight To Barbells

After two pregnancies, Karen Conway decided to take control of her eating habits.

TRAIN FOR HER: Why did this hit you so hard?

I took the idea of “eating for two” way too seriously. Today, after both my pregnancies, I know that you only need to eat an extra 300-500 calories a day, but I’d say I was consuming an extra 1000-2000 from bad food. I had a huge sweet tooth and I just went for it with everything from ice cream to lemonade.

What was your turning point?

I remember being so angry with myself. I felt lost and trapped inside. I was trying to tell my husband that it felt like I was inside someone else’s skin; that my outside was no longer me. I felt like I was wearing a mask.

How has your husband helped?

He’s been my biggest supporter. He constantly encourages me to do whatever it takes to be happy and healthy, and he even adjusted the way he cooks to fit my needs. He’s not a runner, but when I was scared to do my first 5K, he signed up to do it with me. Through it all, he’s always been by my side.

How did you change your diet in the beginning?

Initially, I just concentrated on cutting back to reasonable portions and figuring out what healthy portions of foods actually look like. I logged all my food on MyFitnessPal. As I went along, it started to click that eating healthier means eating more. I could eat a whole plate of broccoli instead of just a few crackers. It didn’t take too long to learn that better choices sometimes meant more food, which meant feeling fuller.

When did you get serious about training?

Exercise came into play a couple months after I changed my diet. I began by walking around my neighborhood pushing my heavy double stroller. It was hard at first, but I really grew to look forward to getting out of the house, taking in the fresh air and feeling a different sense of accomplishment that I hadn’t known in so long.

What were some of your biggest resources?

Right around the time I started going to the gym, someone on Instagram recommended Bodybuilding.com when I asked where I could find more kettlebell workouts. I binge-watched all of the kettlebell exercise videos on the site straight away. Once I saw all those videos, I started exploring the rest of the site. I got addicted to transformation articles, and then I set up my BodySpace account and started tracking my goals. It’s been a great resource.

Find transformation stories and more in every issue of TRAIN FOR HER magazine.