A mum who lost six stone after struggling with her self esteem after the birth of her second child is now on a mission to help other mums.
Derry native Maria Doherty, who now lives in Omagh, became unhappy with her appearance after having her second daughter in 2021, but struggled to find a suitable weight loss programme for mums.
After doing her own research, Maria found tips that worked for her and has so far lost six stone.
Read more: Christopher Quinn: Tributes to Derry man killed in crash in Australia
Speaking about her weight loss journey to MyDerry, Maria said: "I had my youngest daughter in August 2021 and I was so unhappy with my body. I tried every diet that I could think of and I was so disheartened when I didn't see any results.
"It was definitely hard work trying to make time for the gym with being such a busy mum. I managed the best I could because I was so determined to change."
"When I began to research weight loss, calorie deficit and macros kept coming up. I read more and more into this I began to understand the science. Once I put it into action and started to see changes, I really found a passion for nutrition.
"It made me happy to see the changes and I definitely had more energy. Fast forward to now, having lost 6 stone and gaining muscle mass, I realize that there isn't much information out there to help postpartum woman lose the weight and help them feel better about themselves."
Maria spoke of the pressures new mums often face to 'bounce back' after birth, particularly through social media.
She said: "I think that postpartum body confidence needs to be talked about more. It is so hard for anyone who is postpartum to look in the mirror these days and love what they see, especially with social media posts of people who seem to 'bounce back' right after.
"It's very easy to compare ourselves to others but in reality, we all have our own battles, no two are the same. The reality of a postpartum body needs to be shared more so that mum's out there don't feel ashamed of their post baby bodies."
As well as researching efficient ways of losing weight post-partum, Maria's research involved finding the safest exercises for women in post-partum, as some can be damaging.
She said: "There are also quite a few exercises that postpartum woman shouldn't do in the gym as it can do more harm than good for their abdominal muscles. There are also some exercises that they should definitely do as it will help pull their abdominal muscles tightly back together again. The problem is this information isn't easily accessible so women can end up doing more harm than good.
"I definitely think that there is a huge gap in the industry for postpartum fitness, there are so many mums out there who are looking for help and don't know where to find it, just like I was."
Mums seeking advice or wanting help from Maria can contact her on her social media page here.
READ NEXT:
- Derry business for sale after over two decades of service
- Christopher Quinn: Tributes to Derry man killed in crash in Australia
Derry restaurant to donate percentage of intake to earthquake appeal
Bereaved parents open up on baby loss in bid to help others for Derry book
To get the latest breaking news from Co Derry straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.
