It has been a long time since I had a bebeh.
The Pregnancy Body
There is a reason I am not posting a picture of mine… a reason beyond it was in the pre-digital camera age. I still have some prego-body-appreciation work to do.
I was on The Mom’s View this week, where we talked about the pregnancy and post-pregnancy body.
(Trouble viewing? You can watch the video on YouTube HERE)
I gained about 60 pounds with each kid.
EACH kid.
THREE kids.
And I lost it all. Every time.
It took at least a year. After my youngest it took longer. I can’t remember.
BECAUSE HELLO 3 KIDS.
It was not healthy to gain 60 each time. But it happened.
And I learned something about me during that season of life: My food issues become magnified by ONE MILLIONBILLIONSSSES when I am pregnant.
Have I ever told you about my food issues?
I love food.
That’s my issues.
My struggle with weight started in second grade. And it wasn’t until AFTER I had my first child that I actually started living a much more healthy lifestyle.
Despite a pretty active youth.
I just loved me the food.
Matters of age may or may not have affected my flexibility, but I would venture to say I am more fit now than I was at 21.
I’m not sure where I am going with this, but in the video I shared about HOW I lost my baby weight… and through my process of training for my first and second and third and… triathlon (in between having babies) I starting living a different life.
I still struggle with food. Everyday. And I believe I always will. I just started having such a bad relationship with food so young, I don’t know that my mind can be completely rewired.
So every day I work to fight the little girl I grew up with inside. The difference is now I like spicy foods, which help satisfy… my sweet tooth isn’t quite as fierce… I’m more willing to consume vegetables without drenching them in Ranch dressing… and back then exercise was a chore. Though, nowadays it can feel chore-ish, but it has also become a mental escape.
But now there’s wine, so…
Exercise: I am less crazy-brained when I am able to get my sweat on.
I will say, my pretty determined approach to lose weight was not easy. It was a choice I had to make every day. And I could not have done it without my husband. He was (and is) amazingly supportive. I don’t take that for granted.
The weight didn’t come off magically or quickly. I actually don’t like to say I “lost” the weight. I truly believe I earned it off.
Just like I earned in on.
Oh but friends, keeping it off is not easy. Even almost 9 years later.
My body lived nearly 30 years a certain way… I’m only 12 years into my “new life”.
Funny how a conversation about pregnancy and post-pregnancy weight can really reveal one’s whole life of weight issues.
I’ve never had a flat belly.
The only time I was “skinny” was from birth to 1st grade.
Funny thought… in my adult life I have had people call me skinny.
I have never ever seen that in me.
Here’s the thing… I truly believe that even though we go buy our mirrors in the same stores… (and some really are more flattering than others) there is no mirror that will ever really reflect how we truly look. Our eye plays mean tricks on us.
So the few times I’ve had someone say, “You’re skinny…” I want to kiss them on the mouth.
For a long time. Which would not be at all appropriate.
And I desperately want to believe them.
Not that “skinny” is the end-all-be-all, but when you have never really known this *skinny* in your adult life (even at my thinnest I have always sat right at the top of the normal scale.
And right this very moment I am *just* tipping into the overweight category.
THANKS HOLIDAYS.
AND TRAVELING.
I feel like I’ve gone all over the place on this post.
If you have struggled with weight and feel doing a triathlon or 5k or half-marathon is impossible – I am here to testify IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
It’s hard.
But it’s a good hard.
And it takes time.
And it feels so awesome.
Resources:
Here’s the link to the very first half-marathon training plan I followed – Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 Half
I can’t find my original sprint triathlon training plan, but Iron Girl‘s looks similar, check it out here.
Before I started triathlon training, I did some running pre-training. I began walking the local high school track. The ran the straights and walked the curves, then gradually worked up to being able to run (jog, actually) 3 miles. I grew up swimming competetively during the summers, so swimming wasn’t an issue for me. I think the swimming tends to be the most mentally prohibitive for folks.
Don’t let it be.
The first triathlon I did was the Danskin (I complete 4 of them!), but it is called Iron Girl now. I highly recommend starting with something like this. It’s all about support and women being who they are and celebrating their can-do and encouraging each other and you will see every body shape, size and age and it is truly amazing to witness and even more to be a finisher.
My first one change my life. Forever.
It’s not about speed, it’s about the process. “The woman who starts the race is not the same woman who finishes the race.” (Danskin’s motto way back in my tri days)… AND HOLY TRUTHS IT IS SO TRUE.
So, pregnancy… post-pregnancy… I kind-of got off track. I get so inspired and excited when I think about these events and how choosing to chase after those goals has changed my life for the better in this journey since having children.
I mean, if you had asked me back in 2000 if I’d be a part of something like The Mom’s View, I’d have laughed and such ridiculousness.
(The Mom’s View moms for this segment: Miya, Angel, & Sharzad!)
But it too taking risks, and challenging myself in the personal and physical space for me to accept that I have the talent and skill to do things… like in-front of camera things.
So…. I know the pregnancy body and post-pregnancy body experience are SO different for every single woman.
I didn’t even touch on postpartum depression. I dealt with that too (and these athletic goals were key for me conquering it). If you have ever struggled with postpartum depression or think you might be, or are worried you might be… or know someone… please visit and share Postpartum Progress. It is an AMAZING resource. I am blessed to call Katherine Stone (founder) a friend and have seen the passion and heart she pours into helping women in what can be THE hardest season of life.
Remember moms, the story is different for everyone. And we are all in different seasons of pregnancy (I am NOT in pregnancy, to be clear) and post-pregnancy. It is imperative that we lift one another up and encourage.
It’s not a competition. It’s a sisterhood.
Right?
