How to love your new #mombod

Are you not lovin' your Mom-bod? Let me tell you somethin'

It's not your job to be hot. 

I am paid to sell houses. Victoria Secret models are paid to look thin. Those models probably don't know squat about putting together a real estate transaction and I wouldn't expect them to. So why would I expect myself to be qualified for their job?

Do you know why those stories about celebrity Moms being in bikini shape 7 days after having a baby make the news? Because outrageous stories make the news. Some of the expectations we have on ourselves are outrageous. We play the comparison game against our friends, celebrities, and complete strangers!  The comparison game is like an escape room. Most people lose and come out frustrated. Yes some Moms instantly bounce back into shape without any effort aka unicorn Moms. You cannot become a unicorn, either you are born as one or you are not. 

You are also no longer a pony. 

If you built a rocket ship, no one would care about the condition of the lab you built it in. They would just be in awe that you built a rocket ship! Well, you built something more amazing than that, you built a human baby! Pfff rocket science schmience. Forget what the lab looks like right now, just celebrate the rocket ship! 

I am all about setting goals and fuelling your body well, but I also realize that changing your lifestyle doesn't happen overnight. It may be a long journey. You might as well try to be kind to yourself instead of being hard on yourself for the ride. It is more of a mental battle than a physical one. Tell that judgemental mean girl voice in your head to go stuff it! Just like that cheesy stuffed jalapeño popper  quinoa stuffed tomato that you are going to stuff down your pie hole.  

It took 9 months of eating cheeseburgers and lasagnas to grow the baby, so it is going to take at least 9 months of eating chia seeds and kale to lose the baby weight. So have patience with yourself!

Whether you're breastfeeding or bottle feeding, you need calories aka energy to take care of your new baby. It is hard physical work recovering from labour/major surgery AND taking care of a baby all while being sleep deprived. Don't worry about cutting calories right now. Just eat as healthy as you can and if some days you eat like crap, have a little grace with those endless fries.

Food for thought: that scripture about our bodies being a temple is often taken out of context. The presence of God is within us. (no longer in just temple buildings but within our bodies.) The point of that passage is that God's presence goes with us everywhere we go--it doesn't just exist in church buildings. So don't go and get skinny because the Bible told you to. 

Lastly, I want to encourage you to celebrate your victories. Nothing like some good ol fashion positive reinforcement. If you went for a walk, if you had a healthy snack, if you drank enough water in the day give yourself a pat on the back. Some days I feel like I should get a trophy just for keeping my children alive that day.

We are unique and we are loved by our Heavenly Father regardless of our shape. We are Moms. We are incredible creations who have been chosen to create & raise little humans. So pull up your Spanx and walk with some Mom swagger because you are an amazing person.