“I don’t want to get pregnant because it’ll ruin my body.”
Ughhhh. Somewhat embarrassing to admit that, but also a great reminder of where I was and where I am now in terms of mindset and my relationships with FOOD and FITNESS.
In my early twenties pregnancy was something I was afraid of. I truly thought that it would ruin my body.
Let me explain more about what that meant to me at the time.
Pregnancy scared me because of the thought of how my body might change.
That my body would be different than it was and never the same.
Namely, that my body would get bigger and stay bigger. That I would put on more body fat and keep more body fat. That I would have to back off the intensity of my exercise, thus not having a control mechanism to get rid of said body fat.
I was so scared and felt so out of control with the possibility of my body being bigger and not being able to change it.
Guess what?
ALL OF THOSE THINGS DID HAPPEN DURING/AFTER PREGNANCY! Ha.
But, when I went into pregnancy I was in a place where I was completely comfortable with all of those things (still am) happening because I had done the work to break my attachments with them.
I had worked, and still work, at knowing that my worth as a woman is not tied to what my body physically looks like (or doesn’t look like), the amount of body fat I do (or do not) have, or how much weight I can lift (or not lift).
If you want to shift your relationship with your body into a more positive one…
If you are interested in doing this work, in truly changing your relationship with your body, and working with a coach and a community, To Pregnancy & Beyond is the option for you.
TP&B is for pregnant and current moms who are looking for a safe, effective, progressive, and MANAGEABLE strength training workout program to follow.
Even more than that, they want a community, accountability, support, and somewhere to check-in.
This is my life now.
Last week my husband (Randy) asked me if I was feeling ok and when I responded, “Yes”, he said, “Oh, your belly just looks bloated and more round.”
Looool.
My response was, “Hmmm, well, bellies change!”
And, you know what? BELLIES DO FUCKING CHANGE.
And, so do bodies. And, so does life. And, that’s basically it. Forever. End of story 😉
You know what else? It would also be 1000000% fine if my belly was/is bigger and softer and rounded.
What would happen if it was? What would happen if I gained fat in my belly? What would happen if it stayed that way forever?
Literally nothing.
I would still continue on with my life, my mom-ing, my business, my relationships, my coaching, my exercise, the way I eat, etc.
We need to get used to the constant flux of our bodies and our bellies. This shit is just going to keep changing.
There’s no keeping it exactly as is and we’ll all lose our damn minds if we try to keep controlling it (#beentheredonethat).
Got a soft belly? Cool. Got a hard belly? All good, too. Got a belly that looks a hell of a lot different than it did 5 years ago? No stress.
This is called ‘having a body’ and living your life.
By the way, pregnancy and postpartum have been the most incredible experiences my body has ever undergone. Is my body changed? Yes and I’m grateful that I it got to change.
Jess
Ps. For more details on how to get one of the 20 available 20-minute private coaching calls with me and to begin your To Pregnancy & Beyond strength training program, click the button below.