My Secret to Staying Slim After Baby
People always ask me how I stay “so skinny.” I will refrain from delving in to how inappropriate this question is to a girl of any size by simply saying, commenting on someone else’s body is a very personal thing to do and the majority of the people posing this question are not the sort of relations that should be asking such personal questions. They may as well ask a girl about her sex life. It would most likely create the same awkward situation. But nonetheless, people see the amount of food and frequency with which I eat, they know I have a baby, and this leads to the impertinent question. They want to know what my secret it. Well, if I’m going to pretend I do have a secret, it would be three fold.
- Genetics.
Sorry to say, because this one can’t be bought, learned, or shared. It just is. My father is very tall and slim and no one believes my mother when she says she carried and birthed seven, yes seven, babies. All my sisters are petite, even after children, and my brothers WERE slim until they hit their 30s. They can probably thank good ole’ home cooking and our Italian genes for that! Before having my son, when people would comment on my size, I’d answer with something awkward like, “Just wait till I have kids. Then I’ll get fat.” but in reality, I knew I probably wouldn’t, based on my family’s track record. I’m not bragging. I had nothing to do with the genetics I was given. That’s just how they work.
- Athletics.
I’ve always been very in to being active. I played soccer all the way through college and I loved to run even after I stopped playing. I’m that crazy girl who just loves physical activities! About a year before I got pregnant, I decided that when I did finally have a little bundle of joy, I wanted to be a “fit mommy.” I wanted to bounce back quickly, strap my Little on my back, and hit the gym again! To achieve that, I knew I needed to establish those habits long before pregnancy. That’s exactly what I did! I found a workout plan that laid everything out for me day by day, exercise by exercise, and I committed to it, probably harder than I’ve ever committed to anything! I had visible abs, strong legs, and toned arms. Two days before I went into labor, there I was, 9 months pregnant, doing squats, and lifting weights with my husband. I enjoyed it. It was a lifestyle that I wanted to follow and I’m thankful I did! It taught me a lot about what our bodies can do. Oh, and muscle memory is a real thing! Now, as a mom of a one-year-old, my workouts are harder to come by, and much shorter than they used to be, but I still enjoy being active. My son loves to toddle around our home gym and grunt as he tries to pick up weights bigger than he is. One day, little man, one day.
- Breastfeeding.
Or, more specifically, breastfeeding a baby with a dairy intolerance! Have you ever read the ingredients of all your favorite high-calorie junk food snacks? I bet 90% of them contain dairy. Now, imagine you are ravenous due to a boob-sucking parasite, and you are being told you should consume more than 2000 calories a day, BUT you can’t consume any of those delicious, cheesy, buttery, baked goods or even most granola bars and trail mixes (oh, F you, chocolate chips!). You would probably drop a few pounds too! Going out to eat was like a chore. I had to ask if everything contained dairy, not just the obvious things listed with cheese – everything. “Are your grilled veggies covered in butter? Is there dairy in your bread? Does your salad dressing contain cheese? Oh, your steak is marinated in butter?” It was pretty miserable. I felt like I could not eat anything if I could not read the ingrediantes for myself. There went party Hors d’oeuvre, mindlessly raiding the in-laws’ fridge, picking up a scone with my coffee, and even office potlucks. I still ate, of course I did, but all the label-reading to check for dairy content made me more mindful of what I was eating and I began to eat better. Fruits and veggies are guaranteed to be dairy free!
So there you have it. The true, in-depth answer to how I’m, “So skinny!” and “Don’t look like I had a baby.” Now if only I could tell everyone who comments that it is super awkward and usually rude to comment on someone’s body with anything other than, “You are beautiful!” Fat or skinny.
XO Beka
Jessica says
You are so beautiful! And it is wonderful that you are dedicated to being a “fit mommy” and making a great example for your little one!