We have something a little different for you this week. This is a piece written by Romina Gracia, a Mum and blogger. Take a few minutes to read her story about coming to terms with a weight problem that had never existed before. Maybe you found it easy to lose your baby weight, or maybe it was hard. Maybe you haven’t had babies and maybe you never will, but there are insights that we can all relate to. So settle in and have a read……
Before I became pregnant I never had a problem with weight. I had a fast metabolism and never had to think about food. I grew up in an Italian house hold and always ate according to the Mediterranean way of life.
I put on all of my weight while pregnant. Each time I was pregnant I had an insatiable appetite. Nothing would fill me up. It’s like I had a gaping hole in the pit of my stomach that only pizza and donuts could fill.
I remember the day I went back to work after my second child was born, and someone that I hadn’t seen in a while asked me when I was due. This rocked my world. I remember I didn’t want my husband to see me naked. It affected our marriage and my low self esteem almost caused us to split.
I also recall my eldest daughter, after seeing the movie Madagascar, likened me to Gloria the Hippo “That looks like you Mummy!”
I’d never had a problem with weight before, it quite honestly confused me. Having to actually “diet” and watch what I put into my mouth sent me on a downward spiral into depression. I didn’t feel healthy, and I didn’t like it. I knew I had to do something about it.
With my first two children, the way I lost the weight post birth was through frozen lean cuisine meals and exercising on the treadmill while the babies slept. Although being a foodie, this was not an ideal method for me. I was just too exhausted to shop and cook nutritious food for myself, that I figured it was the easiest solution. I was profoundly depressed at this stage of my life and knew that it was only a short term solution to a larger scale problem.
After I had my third child, I knew I would rather repeatedly hit my head against a brick wall than get back on that boring treadmill. A friend introduced me to the Pole Fitness, and I lost a profound amount of weight through their exercise program. The results of being active again elevated my mood and made me more confident as a person, mother, wife etc. This confidence gave me more energy, which in turn gave me more motivation to go back to basics and adopt those healthy ways of eating once again. I felt strong, and fit, and a little bit sexy. That’s when we conceived baby number four.
After my fourth child was born, it became increasingly difficult to leave the house alone (alone, what’s that word mean?), therefore I could not commit to Pole Fitness as I had in the past.
Since I had previous success with being active, I didn’t hesitate to get straight back into it. Through my children’s Karate school, I signed up to practice Muay Thai at the same dojo. Since it was a dojo for the whole family, I could practice Muay Thai with my children (at least my two eldest) present while my husband stayed with the babies.
Through Muay Thai, eating well and exercising, it has made me stronger, physically and mentally, and has shaped me into the woman I am today.
My personal 5 best motivation tips
- Don’t compare yourself to others. You are your own person. Start small and build on your fitness. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint.
- Don’t think of food as the enemy. Food is food. Just because you splurge one day, doesn’t mean you should quit your journey. That’s the beauty of being on a journey. You don’t stop when you get a flat tire. You change it and keep going until you reach your destination!
- Think of the impact your actions are having on your children. If they see you eating well and exercising, they too will inherit those good habits. If they see you eating badly everyday, these are the lessons you are teaching their fragile minds.
- Let being healthy be your motivation. Not being skinny, or being able to fit into your pre baby jeans. Being “healthy” affects you as a whole. It affects the way you see life, it affects your mood, and it affects your whole outlook on life! Personally, to me being healthy means being happy. I know a lot of miserable skinny people. I don’t believe that being skinny should be the only goal. That’s where people falter.
- Learn to love yourself. Every time you take the time to do something that will benefit your health (not your waistline, but your health – the waistline is a benefit), pat yourself on the back. Be kind to yourself. What you look like does not determine your worth. You must think you are worthwhile BEFORE you begin your journey.
And you are.
It’s time YOU start believing it.
Romina Gracia is a mum of 4 and columnist at Mum’s Lounge, the leading national website for mums. You can read more from Romina and other columnists here.
