MY BODY AFTER 9 PREGNANCIES

MY BODY AFTER 9 PREGNANCIES

My weight loss journey actually starts as a weight gain journey. When I was pregnant for the first time, I stood on the scale at my OB's office and saw that I'd gained my very first pregnancy pounds. I stared at the number 119 and smiled. I gained three adorably cute pounds. Yay! That was the the happiest weight gain of my life. Back then, I had no idea how fast and how much weight I would collect on my small frame over the course of all my pregnancies. If you would've told me then that I 

would eventually gain and lose a total of 255 pounds over the next 16 years, and that 6 amazing new people in the world would call me 'Mom', I would've said you had the wrong mama-to-be.

I'd like to say it got easier each time to drop the pounds but, nope. I was in my twenties when I got pregnant for the first time and by the time I gave birth to baby #6, I was 44. It was waaay harder, as a middle age mommy with 6 kids, to make the scale dial move in the right direction. And before I go any further, let me call out all the mommies who sweated out bottled water, blood and tears to lose the weight and claimed "it was mostly the breastfeeding - the pounds just melted off! My boobs are kinda awesome like that." Well, my tiny boobs are kinda awesome, too, sister, but not like that. Breastfeeding did not aid my weight-loss. In fact, I think it facilitated my post baby weight gain because I was always ravenous and tired and busy, so I ate whatever I could get my hands on. And yes, hearty, healthy apples were usually within hand's reach but so were the donuts and apples are sooo heavy to lift, tho...
Within the first month, I always lost 15 pounds. The first 8-ish pounds was my actual sweet baby and the rest was placenta, blood, and amniotic fluid. I once told someone proudly that I'd lost 15 pounds soon after baby arrived and she said, "oh, well, those are the easy pounds. It's the last 15 that's the hardest." Um...I beg to differ. Laboring out those initial 15 pounds over hours of blinding pain, with NO snacks(!), was kinda hella hard. Maybe your baby rode out on a water slide to greet the world but my 9 lb. 6 oz. son decided to squeeze through a coffee straw on his way out of my 5'4" frame and it was not as easy as I made it sound right there. I'm just saying - Go, Me.
Unlike Dr.Mom, I never enjoyed a petite pregnancy. She insisted on practicing some questionable eating practices that I wisely chose to shun during my pregnancies: responsible eating and modest portions. She achieved fantastically healthy and reasonable weight gains during her pregnancies and then proceeded to shed those pounds LIKE A BOSS and was back in her jeans in what seemed like minutes after giving birth. Meanwhile, back in my closet, all things elastic and flowy still had secure jobs for at least another 8 months to 2 years.
On one particularly frustrating diet-day, I got so angry at myself for taking the looooong, ice cream riddled road to my post baby body, that I burned all of my maternity clothes in my backyard chiminea, including my treasured green dress. I immediately regretted the loss of my dress. My husband didn't take it as hard - he hated that green dress. I'd like to say that my little bonfire moment was my fight song back to my svelte self but I'm pretty sure the pounds stayed on and I might've gained a couple more before I finally accepted the fact that I had to put in the work consistently until I reached my goal. Too often I would hit the treadmill and meal prep for a few days and then I'd fall, hard, off the organic fresh fruits wagon. Then I'd guiltily hop onto the fast-foods-only wagon, land on my couch in my pjs and ask Netflix to hold me, I've had a hard day.
How did I lose the weight? ​How did I keep going when the countless reasons to give up daily were way stronger than my resolve to keep going? After all, who would blame a mom of 6 for keeping on a few souvenir baby pounds? Plus, my scotsman didn't help my cause as I knew he loved me at any shape and size. Here's the secret to losing weight and getting fit: Make it a habit and keep it simple. Yup. That's it. Simple, right? Well here's what's probably going to happen once you make the decision to put your wellness and care near the top of the family list: many daily life obstacles and some unexpected ones will pop up almost on a daily basis that'll try to bump your self-care down that to-do list. Don't let them. Dropping the pounds, tightening up those triceps and lifting that booty is not just 

about vanity.  Too often, as busy mothers, we prioritize the care and well-being of everyone else around us and put our own self-care at the bottom of the list.  I think our mates and our children would much rather see mom healthy, fit, and happy instead of tired, depressed, and discouraged about herself.  Let's face it, our greatest obstacles aren't demanding husbands who won't help out with the kids when we want to go to the gym or out for a walk.  And our children wouldn't begrudge us if we spent an hour a day getting recharged.  We are our greatest obstacle.  We make excuses for why we can't spare the time or the finances to hit the 

gym or splurge on a new pair of sneakers or take a brisk walk before the kids wake up or  after dinner and dishes.  Our family matters and we are part of that family and so moms matter, too.    Confession time:​  I actually delayed buying protein powder shake mix for over a year because I thought it would be a waste of money since I would be the only one using it.  That was a low point for me and that was how little importance I placed on my own self-care.  Don't do that!  Care about yourself, work on yourself and know that your efforts benefit your whole family to have mom feeling happy, strong, fit and well!  You are awesome, mama!  Make a plan and own your wellness, health and happiness!