By Lisa Hauf
You would think after three kids, I’d have it figured out. But the truth is, the struggle has been the same for each one. All my pregnancies were the same: I gained the same amount of weight and then it slowly came off. Some women are lucky and are back to pre-pregnancy weight fast, but I think in the end, most women deal with some type of body image issue after having a baby. By baby number three, I thought it wouldn’t bother me as much, but here I am, trying to hype myself up to lose those last 10 pounds before 10 becomes 20 (I’ve been there before).
After all three of my children, I’ve had people approach me with their weight loss tips and advice. Even when I never asked for the advice, they seem to think I need it. If that doesn’t put a wrench in my self image, I don’t know what does.
Advice #1: Give up all carbs, they say. NO THANK YOU. I refuse to be cranky as a result of choosing to deprive my body of something it needs. Moderation of carbs, that I can do!
Advice #2: Exercise, they say. This one always makes me laugh. I would LOVE to exercise. It makes me feel better emotionally and physically. But exercise comes after sleep and that is something I don’t get these days. I tend to have children who don’t sleep through the night until later in life. I know my body needs sleep and energy before I start demanding more from it. But exercise is in the near future. Now that summer is here, walks with the children and playing outside are a wonderful way to get started. Realistic goals are something I can do.
Advice #3: Plan your meals. I like this idea. I will work on this one. On Sundays, if the meals are planned out for the week, it does make life easier. This may need to happen more.
Advice #4: Only eat green vegetables and drink water. If you remove the world “only” from this piece of advice, I can do it. I can eat green vegetables and drink water, but it will not be my only source of energy.
What am I getting at here? Do what works for you, but do it in moderation and be realistic. Some nights, a corn dog and a glass of wine are what’s on the menu (minus the wine for the children, even though that would maybe help with the sleeping situation). Other nights, pork chops and veggies are served at the dinner table.
Food equals energy. I am not about to give up the very thing my body needs. Energy. Thank God for the farmers and ranchers who are hard at work this summer, doing what they do best – getting food on the table for my family.
Small steps and realistic goals – those are things I can do. I’m no expert on food and diets, but I do know my body needs energy and I need to be realistic. Moderation, that I CAN do.