MMA Champion Angela Lee shares her take on motherhood & getting back into shape

Angela Lee (AL): Motherhood has been a beautiful journey — it is everything I imagined and at the same time, more than I could have ever imagined! I never knew I could love someone so much – that is until Ava came along and shifted my world. It is a unique and beautiful bond that we share and she has become my number 1 priority and my why.

Mum life has its downs too so there are days that I really struggle. It didn’t work out when I attempted to return back immediately to the way it was. I have since learnt to listen to my body and have been practicing patience with myself. Currently, I am in the midst of completing an eight-week training program for postpartum athletes. I also occasionally train with my husband and siblings at United MMA under my dad, who’s also my coach. I am still easing back into things and have not gone back to a rigorous training schedule like how I was used to just yet.

AL: So far… neither of us! Ava Marie can do no wrong at this age!

(Read also “MMA Fighter Angela Lee Shares Why She Married At 22“)

AL: Definitely. Motherhood has changed me completely. I never knew how much I could love someone. She really is the definition of true love. Now, my number one priority is my daughter. She is my motivation, she is my reason and my why. She makes me want to strive to be the best person that I can be.

AL: The most difficult part is to manage my own expectations and to be patient with my progress. Results are not immediate and I do have to remind myself that often. A typical day for me looks like this:

Waking up with my daughter Ava around 7 am while my husband feeds and takes care of all three of our dogs. Ava and I then got ready and changed. We have breakfast and then head to the gym where training begins at 8.30am. Sometimes I train and I’ll only drill but other days, I spend time with Ava and my sister-in-law Katie and her daughter Alia while Bruno trains with my siblings Christian, Victoria, and Adrian.

As for my diet, I am not restricting myself currently but I do try to keep to an 80/20 guideline where I eat clean for the most of it as I still love getting my sweets occasionally. I also need to make sure I’m getting enough nutrients for both Ava and I since I’m exclusively breastfeeding her and she eats a lot.

(Read also “Jacelyn Tay Explains Why Eating Salads Won’t Help You Lose Weight“)

AL: Yes, I did continue to work out during my pregnancy but I adjusted the intensity and frequency as I got further along. Every woman is different. Our bodies are different and our babies are different.

I think that we should definitely be the ones to judge what we can do and at what pace. I would only recommend that they make sure the exercises they are doing are what they feel confident doing. It is completely ok for women to want to work out, diet, and lose the baby weight but it’s also completely ok for women to be comfortable and happy with their bodies.

(Here are “10 Slimming Secrets From Personal Trainers You Didn’t Know About“)

AL: Take it slow, make a plan but be flexible. It may be hard to stick to a specific schedule because, with a baby, so many things pop up! Give yourself lots of grace and be proud of the effort you’re making!

AL: I am getting ready to be back for a fight by the end of the year.

This article was first published in The Singapore Women’s Weekly.

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