Anna Duggar is a reality TV personality who first gained fame on the show 19 Kids and Counting, which followed the lives of the conservative Christian Duggar family. She married Josh Duggar, the eldest Duggar son, in 2008. Together they have 7 children. The Duggars follow strict Christian values and believe in modesty in attire as well as abstaining from alcohol, smoking, dancing, and other activities they deem inappropriate.
Anna’s Pre-Pregnancy Weight and Body Image
Anna grew up in a very structured and sheltered environment with her large family. Before getting married and having children, she was described as slim with an athletic build from enjoying outdoor activities like hiking and tennis. She had a positive body image and was confident in who she was.
Sources describe Anna as focused on her faith and future family, not necessarily on her weight or appearance. However, she was happy with her slim pre-pregnancy body and looked forward to one day starting a family.
Weight Gain During Pregnancies
Anna gained significant amounts of weight with each of her pregnancies. During her first pregnancy with Mackynzie, Anna gained 35 pounds. With her second pregnancy with Michael, she put on 30 pounds.
When pregnant with Marcus, Anna gained around 40 pounds. Her largest weight gain occurred during her pregnancy with Meredith, when she added 50 pounds. Anna’s multiple back-to-back pregnancies in a short span contributed to her steady weight gain over the years.
Motivation for Losing Weight
After having 6 children in 10 years, Anna was motivated to get back in shape and lose the excess weight she had gained from her pregnancies. She has said that after each child she struggled to lose the baby weight and would end up gaining more with each subsequent pregnancy.
With her youngest daughter turning 2 in 2018, Anna was determined to get back to a healthy weight and shape. Sources close to Anna say she was eager to feel like herself again and rebuild her confidence after so many back-to-back pregnancies. She wanted to be active with her kids again and have the energy and stamina she felt she was lacking.
Diet Changes
Anna made significant changes to her diet in order to lose weight after having children. She cut out fast food, fried foods, sugary desserts, and soda. Instead, Anna focused on eating more vegetables, fruits, lean proteins like chicken and fish, and healthy fats like avocado. She also started cooking at home more often rather than relying on takeout or pre-packaged meals.
Portion control was another key change Anna made, ensuring she didn’t overeat by controlling serving sizes and not going back for seconds. Overall, Anna made her diet much healthier through meal planning, home cooking, and focusing on nutritious whole foods.
Exercise Routine
Anna has been committed to getting more active and making exercise a regular part of her routine. She aims to walk 50 miles per month, which equates to about 1 to 2 miles per day. Walking provides great low-impact cardiovascular exercise that can be worked into a busy mom’s schedule.
Anna also does home workout videos several times per week, including Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred program. This high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout combines cardio bursts, strength training, and core work in just 20-25 minutes. Anna has said she enjoys the variety of exercises and how they target multiple muscle groups.
In addition to formal exercise, Anna stays active by chasing after her kids, doing housework, and just generally keeping busy around the home. She emphasizes that new moms should look for opportunities to move throughout the day and not feel guilty about taking time for self-care through exercise.
Lifestyle Changes
In addition to changes in diet and adopting a new exercise routine, Anna made other positive lifestyle changes that contributed to her weight loss journey. She focused on getting more sleep, as inadequate sleep has been linked to difficulty losing weight. Anna also worked on reducing stress, as high cortisol levels from chronic stress can increase belly fat storage.
She mentions making her health a priority and carving out time for self-care, such as enjoyable hobbies, relaxation techniques, and spending quality time with loved ones. This focus on overall wellbeing rather than just the numbers on the scale provides a balanced approach to maintaining long-term weight loss.
Weight Loss Results
Anna struggled with her weight after having seven children in eleven years. However, through diet and exercise she managed to lose a significant amount of weight. According to one report, Anna lost nearly 50 pounds in 2019 alone. Photos from 2019 show a much slimmer Anna compared to earlier years.
Her weight loss journey took over a year, but the results are impressive and inspiring. Anna’s dedication to improving her health through better nutrition and fitness has paid off, and she looks happier than ever.
Maintaining Her Weight Loss
Anna has done an impressive job of keeping the weight off long-term after initially losing it. She credits this to making permanent lifestyle changes that she can stick with, rather than doing overly restrictive short-term diets that aren’t sustainable.
Some of the keys for Anna in maintaining her weight loss include:
- Staying active with regular exercise like walking and yoga. She aims for at least 30 minutes of activity per day to keep her metabolism up.
- Eating plenty of lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. She focuses on nutritious and balanced home cooked meals.
- Portion control and avoiding overeating. Anna says this took discipline to learn at first but eventually became a habit.
- Drinking lots of water and staying hydrated instead of sugary drinks.
- Getting enough sleep and managing stress, which can prevent emotional or boredom eating.
- Having a strong support system with friends and family to stay motivated.
- Doing periodic weigh-ins to make sure the weight isn’t creeping back on.
By making smarter lifestyle choices and developing sustainable habits, Anna has been able to keep off the weight she originally lost through diet and exercise changes. Her case shows that with dedication and consistency, major weight loss can become a permanent success story.
Anna’s Advice for New Moms
Anna has some great tips for other new moms wanting to lose their pregnancy weight. She recommends starting slow and not being too hard on yourself – having a new baby is stressful enough! Anna suggests going for walks with the baby as much as possible, even just around the neighborhood.
This allows you to get in some exercise while also bonding with your little one. She also advises new moms to focus on making healthy swaps, like eating more fruits/veggies and lean proteins instead of processed foods. Meal prepping healthy snacks and meals ahead of time can be hugely helpful as well.
Anna stresses the importance of being patient and kind to yourself throughout the process. It takes time to lose the baby weight, so set small, achievable goals each week rather than expecting dramatic changes overnight.
Most importantly, she says to remember that you brought a beautiful new life into the world – focus on cherishing the precious moments with your baby rather than worrying about losing weight. According to Anna, “When you take it slow and steady, the weight will come off in time. Don’t be too hard on yourself!”.
