Eat the Damn Cake

So, as a relatively new mother I find myself noticing more and more Facebook posts, blogs, Tweets, Pins, etc on “fit pregnancy” or “How to Loose the Baby Weight” “How to Have A Healthy Pregnancy” “Beach Body After Baby” and the list could go on. Absolutely nothing  is wrong with any of those- But I’m here to tell you, don’t stress, it is okay! 

It’s okay if you’re not a fitness guru:

It’s okay if you don’t do crossfit, run 15 miles a day, and lift weights while you’re pregnant… or even if you’re not pregnant, honestly. While I would suggest not completely nixing physical activity- you don’t have to force yourself into some crap that you hate every single day because you don’t want to become a whale. You don’t. Find something you enjoy (zumba, riding a bike, yoga, etc..) clear it with your doctor and go for it. I’m not saying you can’t be a fitness junky while you’re pregnant either. Some people truly do enjoy torturing themselves for 2 hours at 5:00 every single morning- power to you. Just don’t ever forget- it is okay to not fit the mold, to not follow the trends, do what feels good to you. 

Let yourself have that piece of cake!

When I first found out I was pregnant I had the worst fear of becoming “that girl” who “pregnancy did not treat well.” I read blog after blog and read tips on top of tips on top of tips on how to eat while pregnant. Articles like “How to Gain only 10 or less Pounds During Pregnancy” and other ridiculous articles similar. I forced myself to ignore my hunger and pretty much survive off of lettuce and water. Guess what. I felt like crap and on top of all of that… after two glucose testing appointments- because there’s no way that first one was right, I still was gestational diabetic. It didn’t matter that I had eaten the most healthy I ever have in my life this past 4 months. It didn’t matter that I was on the lower end of “normal” gestational weight gain. It didn’t matter. And you want to know what my doctor told me? She said “You have got to stop worry about this. Don’t deprive yourself! If you want that chocolate cupcake have one- just one, but allow yourself to have it. Eat your protein and veggies, drink your water, but allow yourself your cravings. You will feel so much better.” She was right. Be healthy- don’t gorge yourself on crap. But allow yourself to indulge. Moderation is key. After we had that talk I let go a little, I allowed myself to eat until I was satisfied, I allowed myself a cup of coffee and a sweet tea here and there- and I felt- and feel so much better.

Who cares what “they” think.

Seriously. Who. Freaking. Cares? Whether you only gained 7 pounds and had the most fit pregnancy anyone has ever had and bounced back to your post pregnancy body almost instantly or if you gained 50 pounds and are still trying to shed the pounds 3 years later. Who. Cares. As long as you are healthy (key word here) and happy, what everyone else thinks is irrelevant. If the people who are important in your life won’t accept you either way- it’s time to evaluate the people you are surrounding yourself with and weed some out.

Loving yourself is a daily decision.

The ticket to loving yourself and your body is a decision you make every single day. If we’re being honest, more days than not I struggle to love myself. I struggle to love the way I look. I struggle to believe I am good enough for my husband or my child. It’s a struggle for me to ignore the little extra around my mid-section or the stretch marks on my thighs. It is hard not to doubt yourself- believe me, I know. But as long as you are either working to be better or doing the best you absolutely can do with the situation you are given. Wake up, look in the mirror, find that one positive thing about yourself that you just love- be it your eyes, hair, how freaking awesome you are at doing makeup- whatever it is. Find it. Focus on it. Let that confidence radiate through you all day. Decide to be happy. Decided to love yourself- and love the process, whatever that may be.

 

You are beautiful. You are enough…. and eat the damn cake.