I had a conversation this week with a friend and fellow personal trainer, Jenni Diamond, all about getting your body back after baby and the post partum journey. We talked about all the challenges that mamas face, both in the newly post partum stage as well as the later stages, and we shared some tips on how to overcome them.
It also got me thinking about the lessons I've learned, and what I want to share with you today, as I reflect on my own journey these last 5 years (omg Aiden is 5 next month and that's still WILD to me!)
I hope that no matter where you are in your own post partum journey, whether that's 3 weeks or 3 months or 3 years and beyond, that you think of these if you ever feel down about how your body looks, if you ever feel like you "should be further along" in your weight loss journey, or if you ever feel like you need a reminder of how amazing you are exactly as you are, mama.
💕 Let go of comparison
It’s easy to look at the celebrity mom who “bounced back” quickly after having a baby and feel the pressure of “getting your body back”.
Please remember that these women likely had SO much help (trainers, nutritionists, nannies etc). and many of them have careers that depend on them getting back to it quickly.
Don’t compare yourself to me, either. There are YEARS of training and consistency before, and YEARS of training and consistency after that you don’t see in this photo. Getting back to a fit body didn't take 12 weeks, it didn't take 6 months, it took well over 15 months before I felt and looked fit and strong again. It. takes. TIME.
You’re on your own path. Your pregnancy was unique, your labour/delivery were unique, you’re family life is unique. You gotta find what works for YOU, and you gotta trust that with intention and consistent effort, you’ll get “there”.
💕 Forget the timeline
There is no “there” when it comes to body transformation. There is no “after”. This isn't like a business goal where you aim to hit "x" revenue and you want to do it in "y" timeline. When it comes to your body, there’s only evolution and progress. You will always fluctuate in weight and size, and nothing is truly static.
So stop chasing one silly number (the scale). Focus on how you got stronger, how you moved more/better, how you chose healthy meals more days than not.
Yes, you can use objective measures like weight, among other measures (strongly recommended because weight is NOT your best measure of progress), but focusing more on the ACTIONS that get you there, rather than one static outcome, will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle as part of your new reality as a mama.
💕Release perfection
There is no perfect diet, no perfect workout plan, no constantly positive mindset. Just let it go. Adopt the 80/20 mantra, and give yourself flexibility for life to happen. It’s not worth trying to be 100% allll the time. Life is too short to be so restrictive and so hard on yourself. It's just unsustainable, and joyless. Focus on your goals, but also LIVE your life. It's waaay more fun!
💕Small wins matter
You only lost 1lb this week- great! Celebrate that 🥳
You had takeout only twice instead of 4x this month-great! Celebrate that 🥳
You struggled to find energy, but managed to squeeze in 3x20-min workouts this week-great! Celebrate that 🥳
Small wins keep the momentum going, and remind you it’s not just about the number or the “after”. Celebrate the crap out of everything 🥳🎉🥳🎉🥳🎉
And let others know when you win - because they want to celebrate you too (me included!) 🥳
💕Goals + fierce self-love CAN co-exist
Your goal is valid
AND
You are enough
You are worthy
You are loved
Even if you never achieve the thing.
PERIOD.
We are always are own worst critics, believe me I know. But as I navigated this new reality of motherhood, I realized that if I wanted to be the best version of myself, and be a good example for my kiddo for how to treat your body with care/compassion/love, I knew I had to embrace these lessons.
I still have my moments when I catch myself comparing or criticizing how I could have done better, but now I catch myself in that space faster, and I decide how long I want to stay there.
The trick is, not to live there.
And to just embrace the wild journey, babe.
It’s pretty incredible if you let it be.
-Crystal xo
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