So a couple of days ago I shared a Meme shared by Jillian Michaels (whom I adore) regarding the lack of my accomplishments in getting the perfect beach body I had in mind to show off on my up and coming vacation. (Someone will be staying at my house the entire time I am gone, no worries.)
The thing is, my kid is 19 months old now and as adorable as all of the posts are on Instagram from these gorgeous moms whose gorgeous children work out right beside them, the truth is, my kid acts like a wound up rubber band propelled airplane most days and has more of a desire to jump all over me while I am attempting to work out, rather than workout next to me. Really, how do these moms teach their kids to do that? I am in awe! lol
So Moms, tell me what works for you?! How do you fit in your fitness?! I would love to know! Ross and I had a YMCA membership and we just canceled it because we never made it there! We both prefer doing workouts at home. I do also go to a yoga studio when there is a class I can attend when Ross is home at night and Jackson is in bed. It's harder for me to go to my yoga classes when Jackson is still up and Ross has to work at night. :(
So Moms, tell me what works for you?! How do you fit in your fitness?! I would love to know! Ross and I had a YMCA membership and we just canceled it because we never made it there! We both prefer doing workouts at home. I do also go to a yoga studio when there is a class I can attend when Ross is home at night and Jackson is in bed. It's harder for me to go to my yoga classes when Jackson is still up and Ross has to work at night. :(
When I get on the floor to do ab work, my son sits on my stomach. I bust up laughing for a minute then I am like, no really kid mommy is trying to exercise here. I've tried everything, showing him similar moves that he can do next to me, putting on a show while I use my lab top to watch an exercise video, trying to get him to play on his own. exercise during his nap (which has worked a few times). However, I also have to make sure I get to shower. I mean sure, I can skip washing my hair for a day, but by day two, it's just gross. Heck, sometiems nap time is the only chance I get to sit down and relax for a minute.
I know what you are probably thinking, boo hoo, take a minute then get off of your butt. But...there are other things I have to get done while the little dude is down too. This house won't clean itself. Cleaning is just as difficult to accomplish as working out is with the little man in tow. If I fold the laundry and put it in the basket, Jackson takes it all out and throws it all over the place. Once again, this is what I signed up for, I know. I just never in a million years thought it would be this challenging. When I was a Nanny, I never had to worry about buying groceries with my kid in tow or doing major house chores (hell even simple house chores) with a kid following me around undoing it all. Don't get me wrong, I am very blessed and lucky to be his mommy. I love him with all of my heart. He is just very attached to me right now since I have been off for the summer.
Just maybe, if my kid would just take a decent nap, then maybe I could get all of the things done that I wanted to. But lately, he takes about an hour nap and that is it! It's very hard to do every house chore, workout, shower and get myself ready by the time he is awake. Ross travels out of the state for work a lot and it has given me such major respect for military spouses who have a spouse away and also single parents. How do ya'll do it?! Seriously, you are superheroes! I bow down to you!
So what does this blabbering about how hard it is to get anything done have anything to do with my body? Well, I had major goals for getting super fit before my beach vacation this summer and before having my second child. Yes, Ross and I have been talking about when we will want to try to have another baby.
If anyone knows how my last pregnancy went, it was rough to say the least. I had just begun a new workout routine right when I found out I was pregnant. I had read that you shouldn't start anything new so I stopped working out as hard and everything went downhill from there. Now I know I should have just kept it up and I might have had an easier pregnacny. But, I do get a redo now. I have the opportunity to get myself into much better shape to carry this next baby. Hopefully I will have a much easier pregnancy next time around if I have some muscles helping what I once thought was a small body holding up a big belly.
Usually people tell me to shut up, or get real whenever I complain about getting into shape. Most people tell me I have nothing to worry about even though I am really trying to build muscle so that I can build up strength in my back. And hey, there's nothing wrong with wanting some muscle!
Usually people tell me to shut up, or get real whenever I complain about getting into shape. Most people tell me I have nothing to worry about even though I am really trying to build muscle so that I can build up strength in my back. And hey, there's nothing wrong with wanting some muscle!
So here's the kicker. I went to my first yearly lady appointment today since I had Jackson. I asked the Nurse Practitioner how I was doing with my weight and body to prepare for getting pregnant again and if I was in a good range for my height. Her answer was "Well, you don't weigh 300lbs, and you just have your problem areas you need to work on."
Ouch! I was mortified. All I could think about was going home and ripping any bikini I bravely packed straight out of my suit case! I have felt so insecure in this new post baby body for the past year and have been working so hard to change my eating habits and workout harder that it just killed my self esteem to be told, "well you don't weight 300lbs." Really? That's it?! That's all I get. And my "trouble areas". Ouch. That stings. So basically, as women, we are expected to look like this chick?
I get it, I totally wanted to have abs like these to show off on the beach this summer.
Alas, I am left with this body, two days before my beach vacation.
And you know what, damnit?! I am going to be proud of this body I have worked so hard to get after having my son! I am not going to unpack my bikinis! I am going to be proud of this 112b body that carried a wild little boy with the heart of a lion!
I think as women we just have to be kinder to ourselves. Society tries to shove this "ideal body image" of some sickly skinny looking model in our faces and I don't mean to body shame these women, but I am sad that they feel they have to be that thin to be a model in a magazine. These women would be just as beautiful 20lbs heavier. I do believe that no matter what we look like, we need to love ourselves and be kind to ourselves. Sure, we should take care of our bodies and nurture them in a healthy way. It's never a bad thing to work on being our best selves. But that's enough. We shouldn't feel the need to be this unrealistic idea of a perfect woman that is honestly impossible to achieve. Even that super thing model is being photoshopped to look the way she does. She can't even be her.
I wanted to write this post because I was feeling really down on myself today after that appointment. I was hoping someone out there would be like, hey, that lady is crazy, you have nothing to worry about. But you know what, I realized as I was writing this that we don't need anyone else's validation for our bodies. I know there are people out there who really do need their doctor's to have serious talks with them about their weight for the sake of their health and I don't want to take away from the importance of everyone having a safe weight. But, even when we are getting to where we need to be, we have to love ourselves and be kind to ourselves as we take that journey.
So love yourself just as you are today! God Bless.
xoxo
-Ashlie
