postpartum body Archives - Page 2 of 2

The Mommy-tummy Movement

Reflecting on this past year, I am realizing that it has been one of self-discovery. Never in a million years would I have been able to wrap mind mind around the wild year I have had. This includes being part of this exciting body-after-baby movement that has happened.

In some ways the hype has baffled me. Maybe that is just because I have always been an open book. But one thing I can say for sure, after being raw, open and honest with the world about my body’s journey, I find myself much more relaxed in my own skin.

Head to Yummy Mummy Club to read more about my thoughts on the postpartum body hype as well as my own body: Body After Baby: What’s All The Fuss About?

Stopping The Stress Eating Cycle

From close to my weight-loss goal (left) through gaining seven pounds (center) to losing six pounds.

Truth time. After rocking my healthy lifestyle like a champ at the beginning of the summer, and being within arms reach of my goal weight, I sabotaged my weigh-loss success. Stress hit in the form of my daughter going through the fretful fours, being too busy and my twin toddlers, well, being toddlers. So, true to form, I stress ate.

This is a photo of me stressed. So hot right?

I hid, and avoided blogging about my body after babies journey. It wasn’t like I was reaching for junk food, I was just eating, and eating, and eating to comfort myself. Unfortunately, I am just barely five-foot-two, so basically a hobbit, which means if I even smell a dessert, I gain two pounds.That smile on my face is very fake. If you ever see that smile, you know I am fake smiling at you.

I was starting to think I should write a blog post about how it is normal for your weight to fluctuate after having babies, which it is, but that felt like I was throwing in the towel.

So, a week ago, I looked around at our home that was full of sick kids (’tis the season) feeling stressed out of my gourd. I was about to reach for a tablespoon full of peanut butter (yes, that is my vice, my sister’s too, so I can’t be that weird) and I voice in my head said “step away from the peanut butter Joanna.” So I did.

You see, I have been stuck in a vicious cycle. Our stress dies down, I get on track with eating healthy and exercising and then BOOM! Normal family stress hits and I start saying to myself “you deserve this.” Then I feel horrible physically and emotionally and get twice as stressed as I really should.

After I walked away from the peanut butter I hopped on my blog for advice, something that I actually don’t do that often. I re-read a couple of my posts that I wrote when I was in a good-place and was immediately reminded that I too, deserve to take care of myself and I don’t always have to go down with the ship.

So, for the last week I have gone back to eating healthy, and exercising when I can, without over-thinking it. I have lost almost six pounds since making this decision.

Here is the hard part, keeping the momentum. So, I am going to blog every Wednesday about my wellness journey. I hope that this will help hold me accountable. I debated about calling it “weight-loss Wednesdays” but I want to be able to cover everything, including my struggles with anxiety.

Here is the best part, I am what some may call an over-sharer. In fact, there are times in conversations that Mike will shoot me a look and tap his nose, meaning “reel it in a bit with the details Joanna.” That is why blogging is such a perfect fit for me. I really don’t give AF.

So, I will share every gritty detail, every pound, every photo.

Want to join in on the conversation? I’d love to hear all about your journey in the comments below or on Facebook.

Stay tuned…

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Oh, Hi Scale!

I did something this week that I haven’t done in a while, I weighed myself. It was pretty much what I expected, still stuck with fifteen pounds to go, until my goal weight. I tend to not obsess too much about numbers, but go by how my clothes feel. Well, you know when things start feeling snug around your thighs? Or when you put on a piece of clothing with no stretch, like a blazer? It pinches you right in the upper arm area and you start to think… hmmmm….. time to pay a little more attention to the numbers on the scale, what I am eating and how much effort I am putting into my exercise routine.

One good thing this time around is I am not angry at myself or hating my body. I just know that I am not quite as strong or toned as I would like to be. Case in point, I threw my back out two days ago stepping over a baby gate. I was more bedridden than when I was recovering from my C-section. Reuniting with my couch yesterday reminded me how I felt during my twin pregnancy. Now I am ready to move!

This thing happens to me every year. After New Year’s I start daydreaming about flip-flips, tank-tops and sundresses. I get this burst of motivation and stick to a healthier lifestyle without falter. I live in Canada and you have to daydream a little about the nice weather that is bound to arrive to get through our harsh winters. Then, when the nice nice weather arrives this laziness sets in and wine on the porch is just a little too tempting.

Time to shake things up. I am not quite sure what my game plan is quite yet, but I will most definitely be taking all of you along for the ride. If you don’t already, head on over to my Instagram account and follow me there. I will be adding lots of photos of my journey with the hashtag #mynewbodyafterbaby. I would love for any of you who are also going through your own “feel awesome with your post baby bod” journey to add your photos to Instagram with the #mynewbodyafterbaby hashtag!

Global National On Camera, In Home Interview – ‘Mom’s Uplifting Message About Her Pregnancy Body Is Going Viral’

I had the privilege of inviting Global National into our home today. I am so thankful and humbled that I am continuing to get the opportunity to talk about my viral body image after babies post and further this very important conversation. Thank you Global for providing a platform for me to speak about something I feel so passionate about!

You can watch my interview and read Global’s article here: This Canadian Mom’s Uplifting Message About Her Pregnancy Body Is Going Viral.

What Having Four Kids (Including Twins) Has Done To My Body And My Confidence

Isn’t it incredible what the human body can do? Or better yet, what a woman’s body can do? I have had four children, including twins, in the span of five years. Yes, my body did that! Today our youngest, Mia and Everly, are seven months old and I am trying to wake up every morning to work out before everyone else is up. Most days I succeed and I am actually starting to see my body come back. But it has been through a war.

Since I was young I struggled with my weight, always being a little on the heavy side. I would tend to compensate with my bubbly personality and spend a lot of time on my hair and makeup. Finally, while in college, I reached my goal weight by working out and dieting A LOT. Back then my sole purpose was to turn heads. I know, that’s pretty shallow, but it’s true. I was already dating my now husband Mike, and knew that he would love me whatever size I was, but I still craved walking into a room and having all eyes on me.

Although my weight fluctuated, I knew tricks on how to lose 10 pounds scarily fast, especially for our wedding and honeymoon. I wouldn’t say I ever had an eating disorder, but I know that my weight control was coming from a place where I felt I had to punish my body.

Getting pregnant and watching my belly grow while expecting our first two kids was so exciting and I was able to drop almost every one of those 50 lbs I gained with each pregnancy… but again it was coming from this negative and frustrating place.

When I found out I was expecting twins I couldn’t wrap my mind around how enormous I was going to get. I was already well known for having huge basketball size bellies whenever I was pregnant, but growing two babies at once??? To be honest, I was kind of freaking out about it. I finally made the decision that I would disassociate my body from my mind during my twin pregnancy and think of my body as a vessel. Guess what… that worked! In-fact anytime I’d start panicking about my size I would say to myself “you are a vessel, you are a vessel”. It became my mantra.

I must thank Mike for taking these gems.

Although I coped with my size and weight gain really well during my twin pregnancy, after having my girls was a different story. My postpartum body was literally bruised and battered. My distracting enormous but adorable baby bump had been deflated and I was left with mush, bruising, swollen ankles and healing from a c-section. I had this sadness for my body. I felt so badly for it with the state it was in and at the same time was so grateful for what it had done. It had safely created two humans and carried them for 37 weeks and 4 days. It had been touch and go at times but my body did it!

I made the decision to be kind to my body from now on. Eat healthy foods, indulge here and there and not beat myself up about it. I also wanted to get in shape again, especially knowing I was finished having children. I would take my time. But this time is different. I have simple goals that are for me and no one else. I want to be strong. I am over hurting my back when I pick up a baby. I want to be flexible. No more pulling my neck while reaching for a pacifier that has fallen under a crib. I want to go to my closet and feel good in whatever I put on. No more pulling at waistlines and being limited to leggings (although I will never entirely give up my leggings). I get it, I am the thirty-something mom now with four kids and I am really proud of that. I am so much more confident with my body than I ever have been before. Anytime I start doubting my new curves or war wounds I look around the room and ask myself, how many other people in this room grew two people inside their body at once?

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