This was a question asked to me on Daytime.
I believe my response was "It depends on how you feel about liposuction and plastic surgery".
But all kidding aside this is a very popular question.
It's asked by moms who are are preparing to have a baby, by moms who have their little bun stretching their oven into a shape they never would have thought possible and by moms who have had one or more kids and still can't find the body they lost before having a baby.
Sometimes your body snaps back. Sometimes it snaps back from your first pregnancy and after the second it doesn't. And there are times when it doesn't go back.
You can google and look for explanations and solutions but this is what I know...
Every woman, every body and every pregnancy is unique. Having a baby is magical and sometimes a little traumatic for the body and not everyone can get back to their pre-baby shape.
Some moms can without trying, some can with a good amount of work and then some spend the rest of their lives wearing maternity jeans long after their kids have grown up.
To get back to your original shape and figure you have to be willing to work at it. But I think most importantly you have to be willing to accept the fact that you may not get there... and that's ok.
You made a baby! You have extra skin and maybe some fat and probably more than a few stretchmarks because you used your body to create a life! You made an entire person. That alone is amazing. We have pressure to be this perfect mom and yet we add to it the pressure of appearances.
We feel so much pressure as women to look good, be thin and sexy but that's not what is important. It's not about being "skinny". Skinny isn't always healthy. It's not about being thin. Thin doesn't mean fit. And it sure as hell isn't about being sexy because sexiness is in how you feel and how you carry yourself. Sexy is a state of mind if you ask me.
So eat right, be active and get HEALTHY. Not only will you being doing what's best for you but you will also be doing what's best for your child. You will be insuring that you are around for them as long as you can by implementing a healthy lifestyle and best of all... you will be setting a good example for your kids.
It is a fact that kids who watch their parents display healthy eating habits such as choosing fruits and healthy snacks over prepackaged calorie filled snacks will often opt for healthy options themselves.
It is a fact that kids who exercise with their parents will be more active and healthy themselves. You don't have to take a trip to the gym. Play! Chasing your kid around is a great work out. Go outside, play, take a walk, bike, run, even wrestling and having a tickle fight gets you and your kid moving together.
I'm not the best physical specimen. In fact I love to eat (and I have the belly to prove it). I can add bacon and ranch dressing to just about anything. But I do yoga daily and try to replace some ingredients with healthy alternatives. But I'm doing it to be a little healthier myself and to help my kids see that replacing white bread with whole grain bread is simple and easy. Now we may add a side of chips to our sandwich but still... it's all about the little steps and doing the work to get you to where you want to be.
But really... be happy with you. It is important to teach your kids by example that being confident is a decision they have to make just like being healthy is.
