This is not a comeback story…
How many of you mommas out there are stressing over getting your pre-baby body back?? Maybe you feel discouraged after 9 long months of sacrificing yourself to growing an actual human and you feel that it’ll take ages to feel like yourself again! I hear this all the time from clients and friends because we feel like we let ourselves go during our pregnancy or we had health struggles that kept us from sticking to a consistent routine. For me, I had every intention on having a "fit” pregnancy. I had plans to continue my lifting program to maintain muscle mass because I didn’t want to fall behind with my progress! I wanted to continue core exercises so that I wouldn’t develop the same lower back issues I had suffered after my first pregnancy. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as I had planned. During pregnancy, I developed lower platelets which caused extremely low energy levels. So not only could I not workout, but it was a challenge even running after my toddler and working part time! I felt extremely dysfunctional and in order to get through the day, I had to rest often and nap when my son napped. Needless to say, I felt lazy and disappointed. But deep down I knew that it was the right thing to do for my body and my baby growing inside of me.
So here I am on maternity leave with my 2 year old son and my 6 week old newborn completely starting over. My weight is as low as ever due to the muscle mass I have lost. I can barely lift 10 pound dumbbells without getting fatigued. I breathe heavily as I am carrying my daughter up the stairs. But like I said, this is NOT a comeback story…
….because I’m not trying to get something back. Instead, I am building something new.
First of all, there is NOTHING wrong with wanting your pre-baby body back! It was with you for a long time. It was familiar! Your secure place. You knew that body. You felt safe with that body. However, this mindset of wanting something from a past season can lead down a long road of disappointment and frustration, especially if or when you don’t meet your goals.
I believe the missing piece to the puzzle when it comes to health, wellness and functionality is the mindset. Instead of wanting something that we used to have, why not change your perspective and strive for something better?? Our bodies change throughout the years whether we have babies, undergo health changes or even just age. But that doesn’t mean our worth changes.
So instead of choosing to feel down and discouraged that I am “starting over,” I choose to feel EMPOWERED to create something even better! I don’t necessarily want my pre-baby body back because it’s not who I am anymore. My new body brought two amazing humans into this world and now those humans get to watch me re-shape it into something pretty incredible. A new body that in time will be familiar and will feel safe.
“Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it.”
Steve Maraboli