K, I know I'm going to make some people mad.
But I feel very strongly about this.
So hate all you want, but I can't let this one go.
I'm pregnant with baby number 5. I have gained 14 pounds thus far. I'll probably gain a total of 25 pounds.
With baby number 4, I gained 25 pounds.
With baby number 3, I gained 25 pounds.
With baby number 2, I gained 40 pounds.
With baby number 1, I gained 60 pounds.
I went from 140 to 200 pounds, then back down to 160.
160 to 200, then back down to 180.
See a trend here? I usually hit about 200 pounds when pregnant.
I didn't do a lot to get back into shape after babies 1,2, and 3. With Number 4, I was finally sick of being overweight, and worked hard to lose about 18 pounds before I got pregnant with baby number 5.
I was 165 when I got pregnant. I am now 179 and growing.
NEVER once did I think of myself fat while pregnant, or in the postpartum stage.
I knew I was overweight when the year mark hit and I was still in the 180s.
I didn't hate my body, but I didn't love it either.
I'm not the healthiest person ever. I love my brownies and coke.
But I've done better. I've cut out a lot of the junk food and have started to drink more water.
But that's not the point.
The point is that I have some friends IRL and in blogging land that complain on FB, blogs, to me, that they are fat while PREGNANT or in the POSTPARTUM stage.
You are growing a baby. You are going to gain weight. You are going to have a belly that sticks out and gets in the way.
And afterwards, you are going to have this flabby belly that is going to jiggle like jello and rolls and all that fun. But I wouldn't consider you fat. You just had a baby. Do you not understand that your uterus is still about your naval for the first few weeks? Do you not understand that at least 10 pounds or more is water and extra blood? You just pushed out a 7-9 pound baby. Your organs are all up in other places and you're swelling. It's going to take time for your body to get back to pre baby weight.
Now, if you are like me, and don't do anything, but drink that extra large slurpee or have that third brownie all that jello roll is going to fill with fat. I wasn't proactive in getting back into shape. I was fat. But you, you women out there that gain the recommended about for your BMI while pregnant, that work hard to get your body back, good for you. But DO NOT look back at your pregnant body or postpartum body when things are not just where they should be, and call yourself fat. Especially on FB, a blog or to a friend that has body issues. You can never take those back.
There will be young women, little girls, out there that might come across your words and see them as having a baby is bad. That it's not worth it because you lose so much of yourself and only see the numbers on a scale. Those words "I feel fat" while pregnant. "I hate my post baby body because I don't have the pregnant excuse anymore", or "I hate feeling fat while pregnant" is degrading to women. It's just as bad as the magazines that photoshop a woman's body on a cover. It just as bad as celebs creating a poor self image of women because they are unhealthy and super skinny.
Please, this is my plea, if you are pregnant and want to share your "I feel fat woes", keep it to yourself or tell you husband. He should tell you are not and you are sexy and beautiful and glowing. Mine does. He makes me feel sexy no matter the stage my body is in.
And if you just had a baby and are done with getting your body back, or are working on it, Please don't say that you hate your postpartum body, because you're fat and don't have an excuse to use anymore. Yes you do. It's called postpartum.
Nothing is easy in this life. We all have body issues. Some of us are more motivated to work at shaping ourselves into something thats healthier. Others, haven't found it yet. But comments like those I've listed above, DO NOT HELP! They hurt. A lot. You might feel that it's nothing to call yourself fat on a diet blog, FB, personal blog or whatever, you are not promoting a HEALTHY living when you do that. That is far from it.
I am not ashamed of my body. It's prefect in every stage of my life. Yes, I have abused it and kept it unhealthy at times. And yes, I'm planning on working on getting back down to my wedding weight (140) or less (high school weight would be great...but 125 probably will never happen with a body that has grown, labored and birthed 5 beautiful children and hopefully more).
Please, stop hating your flexing body. The body is a wonderful thing and it's a miracle that you can grow a baby, and get back down to your pre-pregnancy weight in less than a year or more, depending on how motivated you are. Every woman is beautiful no matter the shape, size, or state that you are in. God loves you no matter what, and so do I!
Now, if you are like me, and don't do anything, but drink that extra large slurpee or have that third brownie all that jello roll is going to fill with fat. I wasn't proactive in getting back into shape. I was fat. But you, you women out there that gain the recommended about for your BMI while pregnant, that work hard to get your body back, good for you. But DO NOT look back at your pregnant body or postpartum body when things are not just where they should be, and call yourself fat. Especially on FB, a blog or to a friend that has body issues. You can never take those back.
There will be young women, little girls, out there that might come across your words and see them as having a baby is bad. That it's not worth it because you lose so much of yourself and only see the numbers on a scale. Those words "I feel fat" while pregnant. "I hate my post baby body because I don't have the pregnant excuse anymore", or "I hate feeling fat while pregnant" is degrading to women. It's just as bad as the magazines that photoshop a woman's body on a cover. It just as bad as celebs creating a poor self image of women because they are unhealthy and super skinny.
Please, this is my plea, if you are pregnant and want to share your "I feel fat woes", keep it to yourself or tell you husband. He should tell you are not and you are sexy and beautiful and glowing. Mine does. He makes me feel sexy no matter the stage my body is in.
And if you just had a baby and are done with getting your body back, or are working on it, Please don't say that you hate your postpartum body, because you're fat and don't have an excuse to use anymore. Yes you do. It's called postpartum.
Nothing is easy in this life. We all have body issues. Some of us are more motivated to work at shaping ourselves into something thats healthier. Others, haven't found it yet. But comments like those I've listed above, DO NOT HELP! They hurt. A lot. You might feel that it's nothing to call yourself fat on a diet blog, FB, personal blog or whatever, you are not promoting a HEALTHY living when you do that. That is far from it.
I am not ashamed of my body. It's prefect in every stage of my life. Yes, I have abused it and kept it unhealthy at times. And yes, I'm planning on working on getting back down to my wedding weight (140) or less (high school weight would be great...but 125 probably will never happen with a body that has grown, labored and birthed 5 beautiful children and hopefully more).
Please, stop hating your flexing body. The body is a wonderful thing and it's a miracle that you can grow a baby, and get back down to your pre-pregnancy weight in less than a year or more, depending on how motivated you are. Every woman is beautiful no matter the shape, size, or state that you are in. God loves you no matter what, and so do I!
4 comments:
while I agree that your body should be embraced I think for some people it's hard to not be a little nervous about it especially with your first child. I think being a little apprehensive about the weight and changes is normal. I don't always think it's as black and white as " I'm pregnant so now I don't care that I have stretch marks and a saggy butt" We're all human and wanting to feel attractive is a natural part of that. Learning to love yourself despite that and knowing that when the time is right you can work on it and in the mean time your body is not yours so you may as well embrace what an amazing job it is/has done for you and baby. Putting yourself down on facebook/blog/ other websites is an awful thing to do though, we need to respect ourselves more than that!
Great comments. Now, that I am having a little girl, I need to be EXTRA careful about how I talk about my body - even the most seemingly innocent comment can "put it down." I am not near as bad as I was in HS (when I was 130 pounds go figure!). But yes, I think you are unique among women if you seriously never complain about your body, because I think it's truly the ONE thing most women have in common - dislike for their body no matter what size they are. I like your directness and passion about this subject!
Okay. Srsly. I know someone who's pregnant right now. And she wants the baby to come early so she doesn't get FATTER.
OMGEEE!
I am guilty of complaining about needing to lose weight, but NEVER do I feel fat while I am pregnant. I love every stage of pregnancy, every.single.one! I am almost a year & 1/2 post baby so I am definitely not happy that I haven't lost what I need to but ehhh I had 3 babies back to back to back & I am NOT a super healthy, workout type person. It isn't just going to fall off (although, I sooo wish it would) My belly although way jigglier then it should be at this stage is awesome because to grew my sweet little ladies & I wouldn't for one second trade it for a thing!
I liked this post!!!
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