My pre-pregnancy bod, one month before we conceived.
Look, I get that we’re supposed to be all feel-good and awed by our post-partum body, but I’m going to be 100% honest. I don’t always feel that way. I’m 5’3” on a good day, and 155+ pounds on my frame is Not. Good. I won’t lie; a major part of my displeasure with my body is borne from vanity. My hips are enormous, the girls are damn near my belly button and nowhere near as perky, and my waist is a mushy blend of Tiger Stripes (stretch marks) and dimpled fat.
But most importantly, I don’t feel healthy. Pre-pregnancy, I was at the gym 6 out of 7 days for grueling 2-hour workouts. Why? Because two years before my husband snapped the above photograph, I was overweight (180 pounds) and unhealthy—my cholesterol was borderline, my triglyceride count was high, I had constant gastrointestinal problems, my resting heart rate was too fast, my blood pressure was borderline, and my migraines were unbearable. A year and 4 months ago, I went in for a physical. All of my tests showed an OPTIMAL level of health. My hard work paid off. I felt, for the first time since high school, amazing.
I developed some nasty eating habits during my pregnancy. I didn’t gain too much weight, thankfully, but I haven’t lost any of my pregnancy weight since giving birth. The reason? I don’t exercise, and I don’t eat as healthy as I used to. Now, you can’t blame a girl for not exercising when she has a newborn and a household to take care of. Also, I’ve been extremely lax about cooking healthy meals. But that’s about to change because awaiting us in Omaha are two wonderful grandparents who understand Paul’s and my dedication to fitness, and who are up for babysitting Marcel while we Go Hard, Train Hard. It’s our lifestyle—one I have neglected for the sake of Red Velvet cheesecake and candied hazelnuts enveloped in Belgian milk chocolate (damn you Eastern European provisions store down the street!).
I’m completely unapologetic about my committment to Sparklemotion my health. I realize that my body might never look like ^that^ again (I hate you, Gisele Bündchen), that it is fundamentally changed because I gave birth to a wondrous boy, but I do have to reach an optimal level of health again. Anything less is a disservice to my son and me.
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Nobody has to agree with me on this one, you know. The above is all true for my body and my goals. Everybody is different and thus comes with its own set of rules. Only you know best.
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