I think I expected a miracle. I only gained 28 pounds this time around and I lost so much so fast that I just expected my body would bounce right back to my pre-baby body and it hasn't. The scales say that I am only 8 pounds away but my body tells a different story. My jeans don't feel the same and it is very easy to get obsessed with that and start being hard on myself. The truth is...things are crazy right now and I am just trying to stay afloat. I would love to spend hours going for long runs or lifting weights...heck I would love to have 20 quiet moments to myself to do a HIIT but I am just not at that point in my life right now and THAT IS OKAY!!! It isn't a race! It took 9 months for my body to grow a human and I can't snap my fingers and get that pre-baby body back. I'm spending my days cuddling, feeding, cleaning, laundering, doing homework, cooking dinner, reading stories and trying to stay sane in the period of transition while building our new home! That is more than a handful!!
You may ask...But Ashley....are you really eating clean in all that chaos?? Yes...I am! I am not perfect and I still follow a 90/10 rule. I may or may not have eaten a couple of mini chocolate bars out of my kids Halloween candy! I eat really good all week so if every once in a while....I want a treat....I eat it and I don't feel bad about it. I am not eating healthy to get a 6 pack. I am eating healthy because I want to live a long healthy life....I want to be an example to my children and I want to feel good!!
There will come a time in my life...when things slow down that I can focus on adding exercise in my life and toning this flabby belly up...but that time is not right now. Right now I am perfectly happy and busy with all that I have and I refuse to be so hard on myself or my body right now. Rome wasn't built in a day....Right????
No new body pics this month because I look exactly the same as I did last update! HA! I promise to start cooking more and giving you guys some awesome recipes! I am going to try to start posting more {What I Ate Wednesday} and {Meal Planning Monday} posts! I also want to start sharing with you guys more tips about eating clean in chaos!!
Disclaimer: I am not hating on anyone that has a 6 pack or awesome abs 3 months postpartum. I am just not at that point and refuse to continue giving myself a hard time about it. This is my journey and I thank you all for following along! Just keeping it real! :)
So tell me....
Who can relate??
I'm not post-partum yet, but I still agree with your post 100% and fully support it. Society is hard on us and in turn we are hard on ourselves. But choosing to love yourself no matter what, and being realistic and focusing on what's the most important is true self love! Way to go!
ReplyDeleteI do worry about what my body will look like after my little girl makes her arrival in a month, but I need to read more post like yours that are positive and realistic. Our bodies are growing humans, a magical journey. And it took 9 months! I fully expect it to take a while to "bounce back" and it may not really bounce back to what it used to be and I have to be okay with that because it was the sacrifice I made to create that baby! :)
Absolutely!!! :)
DeleteI love this! We all need to be kinder to ourselves and our bodies. I'm 4 years and 2 months postpartum, and I still don't have a 6 pack. I love myself more than ever, though, and I believe part of that is the fact that I have never taken such good care of myself! Hang in there, this really is just a stage of life, and it's a precious stage even though it's frustrating and hard all at once!
ReplyDeleteThank you Emily!! I love the statement about how good it feels just to take good care of yourself! That's so important!!
DeleteI can relate! I am 3 months postpartum and am so over all the post pregnancy washboard abs as the before and after pictures! I keep telling myself the same thing "if it took 9 months to grow, it will take that much time to get back!" I love when woman are honest and relate able! It helps us all stick together. Thank you for the post! I was strict paleo before baby came and have loved being back on it since. While the tiny humans ARE going to notice if we don't have the energy to play and care for them, they AREN'T going to notice that I am still working to get back into my old pants! It is so important to change our mindsets to being healthy and energized vs. our pant size.
ReplyDeleteYES! I couldn't agree more! :)
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