'Determined' Kate Upton Opens Up About Losing Baby Weight: 'I Have a Long Way to Go'

The 26-year-old model welcomed her first daughter, Genevieve, with husband Justin Verlander on Nov. 7

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Published on December 30, 2018 03:55 PM

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New mom Kate Upton is working towards losing her baby weight in the new year.

The 26-year-old model — who welcomed her first daughter, Genevieve, with husband Justin Verlander, 35, on Nov. 7 — opened up about the difficulty she has faced getting her post-baby body back in shape in a post shared to her Instagram account on Saturday.

“Getting in a little cardio with a family beach walk,” she captioned a sweet photo of herself carrying her baby girl on her chest and standing next to another little girl. “I’m not going to lie to you and tell you I’ve been working out and eating healthy. It’s so hard over the holidays. Traveling and enjoying time with my family! I’m trying not to get down on myself. Instead use it as motivation to get right back at it!”

She added: “I have a long way to go to lose this baby weight but feeling determined for 2019!”

Earlier this month, Upton told PEOPLE that her perspective on working out has changed throughout the years, from “wanting to fit into a certain dress size and hit certain measurements” to now “working out to feel healthy, strong and energized for my lifestyle.”

Upton said she found the right workout for her lifestyle with trainer Ben Bruno, who helped her transform her body and build serious muscle during their workouts for five to six days a week.

The two recently teamed up outside of the gym to make their workouts available to anyone by creating their program called Strong4Me, which is a 12-week fitness plan with 30-minute workouts that people can do at home with minimal equipment.

“The Strong4Me fitness program is geared towards busy women on-the-go of all ages,” Upton said. “It was important to me to share the exact program I’ve personally been using with Ben because it has been sustainable and helps me to feel strong, confident, and healthy!”

As to what health means to her, Upton said it’s “all about feeling good.”

“When I’m eating healthy and staying active, I feel the best about myself and my body,” she told PEOPLE. “That’s why consistency through a sustainable, practical program is key for me.”

Upton announced in July that she and her baseball pro husband were expecting their first child. The couple married in an ultra-posh wedding in Italy on Nov. 4, 2017.

upton-verlander-2-2000 — Marion Curtis/StarPix/REX/Shutterstock

In September, The Other Woman actress starred in a video that showed her dedication to continuing to work out during her pregnancy, which Bruno shared to Instagram.

“@kateupton showed me a new exercise where you do lunges with a kettlebell in each hand and a baby in your belly,” Bruno captioned the video, joking, “It seems really hard so I’ll probably pass, but it’s great to see her continuing to work hard.”

Also in September, Upton told PEOPLE that she had to stop working out for a month of her pregnancy because she “was so tired and there was so much travel.” But eventually she was able to get back into it.

“I’ve been completely trying to stay healthy and work out through the pregnancy, and doing the best I can,” said the star. “It makes me feel better, honestly.”

On Nov. 10, Upton announced the birth of her daughter via Instagram. She shared an adorable black-and-white photo of her baby girl seemingly sleeping with the caption, “Genevieve Upton Verlander 💗 11.7.18.”