Becoming a Mother and Being Happy with the Number on the Scale

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One thing you should know about me is, I used to be fat.  I don’t mean “girl fat” when you are a few pounds over the national recommendations.  I mean morbidly obese.  I stopped weighing myself in high school, but I was definitely over the 250 lb mark.  I was the fat friend that everyone liked, but no one wanted to date.  I wasn’t bullied, I always had friends, but I was for sure, unhappy.

Now I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but at some point in my early 20s, I decided to change all of that.  I stopped eating junk and got myself to the gym.  It took a couple years, but I managed to lose over 100 pounds.  I could be one of those people who put their whole body into just one leg of their fat pants. (Although, that is not my style.)
 
When I got pregnant with my first son, I was the smallest I had been my entire adult life.  You can imagine the mind games a scale plays on you when you continually see it go up and up.  The medical assistant in my OB’s office didn’t help either by constantly telling me to not gain another pound — she is on my list.
 
Baby Weight and Body Image
 I’d love to be one of those moms who (appear to) bounce back as soon as their kiddo exits. But, like most of us, I was not. When I got pregnant with my second little guy, my body wasn’t exactly where I wanted it to be.  I worked out almost my entire pregnancy, thank goodness for Barre classes, and really felt pretty good about where I was.  Now that my last baby is here, it’s time to get ME back. Here is my plan:
 

1. Listen to what my body wants.  

I am not one to stick to a specific diet. I feel like “being on a diet” is a set up for failure, at least for me.  I am one of those “eat intuitively” people — insert eye roll here –. In short,  I try and stick to things I know are good for me.  Fruits, a lot of vegetables, and lean protein (with the occasional delicious scone thrown in).
 

2. Get my butt moving. 

I have fallen in love with Pilates and have fallen out of love with the gym.  I am not going to do things I do not enjoy– ain’t nobody got time for that.
 

3. Don’t forget how far I’ve come. 

No matter how many times my lovely husband tells me I’m beautiful, this is probably the most difficult. I’ll continue to work on it.
 
Baby Weight and Body ImageIn actuality, being healthy isn’t intrinsically hard… it just takes some commitment. We all needed to be reminded from time to time to give ourselves a break.  My children are worth it.
 

Dear Healthy Lifestyle,

Let’s go steady, I think we’ll be good together.

 
Photography by Elina Rea Photography
 

3 COMMENTS

  1. Yes to all of this! Nikki this has been my greatest struggle with pregnancy too, I love everything about it with the exception of the long road back to where I worked so hard to get.

  2. Thank you so much for sharing your heart! So many of us women struggle with our body image and it’s important to remember to love ourselves! Women are incredible and to be blessed enough to have children, that is a miracle. Then it becomes important to stay healthy so that we can be the best mommies ever! I love your story and you and your kiddos are darling!

  3. Nikki, you have done sooo amazing!!! you were always there for me since i was not even a year old!!! i can’t believe ur now a mom af two handsome boys! (one that i still need to meet?) i could tell that you’d be an amazing mom from before you even knew about Jacob. and you’ve proven it. ilysm!! and know that you can continue to be an amazing person!!❤️❤️

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