Blissfully Domestic

Body Image and Fitness

I recently wrote a post about body image. I wrote it not to attract traffic, to say wonderful things about myself or to beg other people to say nice things about me. I said it because it's something I literally think about every day of my life. I think about what the scale said that morning or how eating these crackers are going to make me feel later. It's something I've been doing for a very long time, since puberty, and it's a very large and sensitive topic.

A sensitive topic we're going to get in to here.

A while back I confessed to having an eating disorder in college. Oh, who are we kidding? Most people had an eating disorder in college. Except they didn't. None of my roommates felt about food the way I did. None of them counted calories or exercised to ease guilt. But we all struggled in our own way.

I'm sure we can all relate on some level.

There are a lot of wonderful resources on this topic: Women's Health, Science Daily, even our very own Blogher. But the most resourceful avenue we have is each other. We can talk about it. We can laugh about it. We can look in the mirror and jiggle our muffin tops and beat the media. We can write letters. We can refuse products made for the sickly thin. We can take action.

But by far, the most important thing we can do is love ourselves for the next generation of little girls learning by watching us step on the scale. Maybe then, in another ten years, there will be a better message in the media as our children grow up surrounded by fitness and health.

This post also appears in Mrs. Flinger's Mom Friendly Fitness article on The Seattle Mom Blogs. Contribute in our forums and be a part of a movement toward a healthier generation.

PostPartum Fitness

In celebration of Mrs. Fussypant's baby shower, I thought it would be fun to write about postpartum fitness. It was the first thing I asked my doctor (if you count "how long will I be fat?" an actual postpartum fitness question) and what follows is the best information I've gathered after two children, two c-sections, and a combined total of 100 pounds gained and 90 pounds lost. (Darn those last ten. DARNTHEM, I say.)

1. Be prepared to work it off. Because you've gained weight during pregnancy doesn't mean a screaming thirty pound kiddo will come flying out of your hayhay (dang it!). Instead, a healthy weight gain of 30 pounds will include 7 pounds of maternal fat stores (source) so you know there's going to be at best a little work to do later.
2. Take it slow. There's a crazy myth out there that whatever weight you don't lose in the first three months will stay on your hips FOREVAH. Not so fast, Mrs. Judgy Skinnybottoms. Personally, I know a lot of women who continue to lose those pregnancy pounds well after the first postpartum trimester, including yours truly. Best case scenario, it took me nine months to take off what took me nine months to put on.  Worst case? I lost all but 5 pounds after 22 months with my firstborn, the majority from about 18 months on. It can happen. It WILL happen. If you work at it.
3. Research. Know what is a good plan and what's not. If you're breastfeeding, do not try diet pills. No new mother should use starvation as a form of weight loss as it contributes to Postpartum depression. Instead, be smart, think healthy, and remember rule #1: it's going to take work, no quick fix.
4. Ask your doctor. Before starting any exercise routine, be sure to ask your doctor if your body is ready. Please PLEASE listen to them. As a mom who started fast-paced walking a week prior to her 6week post-c-section exam, I started bleeding clots after two days of vigorous exercise. My body wasn't ready. Listen to me, I promise, it will happen. Let your body heal.
5. Hydrate. Like any fitness program, for any person, at any point in life, your body needs water. Remember to hydrate to prevent bloating and help your body release some of the water weight gained during pregnancy.

And, finally, if all else fails, do what the rest of us do: Find a support system.

Insert Support Gut Thingie Picture here.

And remember, you can always come to the forums for support. We're working it off slowly and healthfully, too.

Crazy Diet Stories. I know you have them.

A friend of mine and I were discussing diets we've tried. Have you ever played this game? The "Oh, I did THAT diet" and the "OH, yes! I remember eating frozen grapes for two weeks!"

No? You don't play the Diet Story game? Well, consider it your lucky day. Today? We play.

I mentioned before that I was reading the French Women Don't Get Fat book. In this book she recommends Leak Soup for a one weekend purifier to start the program. My friend and I laughed. "That reminds me of the time..." and off we started playing the Diet Stories game.

So far, to date, I've done the following diets:

• South Beach
• French Women
• Body For Life
• Low Glycemic
• High Carb, Low Fat
• Running-all- the-time-and-not-eating
• Various SELF magazine diet plans
• and writing down, daily, my consumption. For. Three. Years. (1992-1995)

Wow. I wish I had a dime for every time I said I was hungry. I'd have a lot of dimes. Which in turn would pay for my high chocolate and wine and coffee consumption now-a-days.

My point is this (hi! I have a point!) we do crazy things to "get the body of our dreams' but is the body of our dreams really worth those crazy things? Or is it worth making the healthy choice to get up, work out, drink water, fill your tummy will good food and get enough sleep?

15 years after my first diet, I'm only now starting to learn. Share what you've learned in our forums. And then? Let's start being healthy. The non-diet way.

Fitness Yoga DVD: Great For Beginners

When I asked y'all what you were looking for in the Blissfully Domestic Forums everyone was great at replying. I got a lot of great post ideas and saw a lot of similar themes. One of the themes? How do I get started??

It can seem a little intimidating to jump in to a fitness routine. You can't go from couch to 45 minutes a day tomorrow. But you can ease in to it about 20 minutes every other day in a wonderful introduction to strength training based solely on your own muscles: Yoga.

In the comfort of my own home, I was able to take up Beginning Yoga. I started at 10-15 minutes every other morning before the kiddo woke up. I worked out with Rodney Yee faithfully. I never found another teacher as great as his Total Body Workout. I got sore. I got strong. It wasn't overwhelming and it fit my schedule.

What more can you ask for? It worked

That DVD combined with a 20-30 minute walk twice a week helped me rid myself of my baby weight. It literally took 3 hours a week total. I'm working out with more intensity now, but this plan was my gateway drug to my old body. And I promise, it'll feel great once you try it. Call me your yoga pimp. One hit and you'll be hooked.

Mrs. Flinger also posts fitness tips at Seattle Mom Blogs. Be sure to stop by the Blissfully Domestic Forum and share your favorite workout videos.
 

Let's talk about sweat and sweets

The thing about having two children is that I'm always sweating. I'd like to attribute this to a change in hormones, the weather, or even the shaggy coat of fur that lines my legs. (come on, yours does, too) But no, I really believe it's because my children are just. That. Active.

Leaving the house? Twenty minute workout. Putting them to bed? Forty-five solid minutes rendering me without a voice afterward. Breakfast? It's like a marathon.

And people, I only have two.

I'd have to train for years to have another child and even then, I really don't think I have the stamina anymore.

So, tell me this, why am I not losing the baby weight? What's that? You in the back, pipe up. What did you say?

Oh, right, the nightly two glasses of wine and bar of chocolate to keep my brain from exploding after a long day of said sweating.

Right...

That.

So I've been reading French Women Don't Get Fat and she has some suggestions on how to savor food, real food, and still manage your weight. They're pretty easy to swallow so I thought today would be a nice time to share.

1. Never eat standing up. I know, this is nearly impossible with the kids, the family, the dog/cat/husband/computer/blahblah. But trust me, if you take the time to sit and eat your body will register that you've eaten. This will help fend off the hungries later.
2. Cook and eat real food. Also, you say, impossible? No way. All you need to do is plan ahead a bit. Make meals on Sunday when the husband is home to help with the kids, freeze them, and warm on the busy nights. Make lunches the night before. Take left overs for lunch instead of letting them rot in the fridge. See? Already you're eating better.
3. Treat yourself. Don't forget that we enjoy sweets or savory foods. It's OK to eat them. In moderation. (You knew I was going to say that.) But honestly, if you allow yourself to have one or two small bites of chocolate after dinner you're less likely to binge on the bag of chips after the kids are in bed. Or eat an entire bar of chocolate the next day because you've been deprived.
4. Slow down. With the 400 mile an hour schedule you never take time to eat. This isn't the only thing you're not taking time for, I'm sure. You're probably not sleeping, exercising or feeling organized. You would never think of starving your dog/cat/parents/children so why starve your body of the nutrients of fresh fruits and vegetables? Take care of yourself and your body will take care of you.

Diets don't work. Eat. Enjoy. Eat slowly, on purpose, and make it a family affair. Let your children see you eating and let them know what eat healthy means. For a culture obsessed with weight loss, we're failing miserably. I'm taking my cues from the French Women, who drink with delight and eat the richest foods, and still manage their weight.

**Find more of Mrs. Flinger's posts fitness tips at Seattle Mom Blogs.