Looking at these pictures sometimes it is hard to believe that it is only a year apart! The human body is so incredible and the fact that it can undergo these kinds of changes in less than a year amazes me. I am now just two weeks from my due date and while I have enjoyed being pregnant (mostly), I am so excited to meet our little girl! It's going to be such a crazy, new chapter for us.
I'm a little surprised at how much I've enjoyed being pregnant. Since I have had body issues for basically as long as I can remember (no joke, I think I was 15 when I first started calorie restriction), I wasn't sure how I was going to respond to being pregnant. Part of me even thought that maybe that was why we were having trouble conceiving in the first place. I was like, "Well, maybe God knows how I'll react and he's saving me from that."
It might sound incredibly vain but I was worried about how my mind would handle gaining weight (just being honest). I wasn't sure if I would respond with self loathing or trying to diet throughout the pregnancy to minimize weight gain. I thought I might think my body was disgusting or would just be obsessing over getting "my body back".
However, it's been almost the complete opposite. Instead I have marveled at how the body was created to perform such a task. When it comes to food, I find that fueling myself appropriately has never felt easier. I find that choosing foods that benefit me and my baby is the easiest and obvious choice. I eat to satiety and don't feel guilty if I occasionally over indulge.
Now, I am being mindful of my weight gain but that's for other reasons, not vanity reasons. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is not only unnecessary, but can also cause gestational diabetes, increases the chances that your baby will develop childhood diabetes, and is also heavily (no pun intended) correlated with higher birth weights of babies, which... let's be honest... aint no one trying to have a 10 pound baby over here. I also want to be able to heal well and quickly from my pregnancy, and less weight gain also makes that easier. So yes, I am striving to stay within a healthy weight gain but not at the detriment of me not fueling myself or my baby properly.
I am quite hopeful that my mindset about food continues on this path. I would love to say that I no longer struggle with my relationship with food, but prior to getting pregnant, that just wasn't true. There is something about an eating disorder that sticks with you and while it might not be a part of your daily life, it still manages to factor itself in every once in awhile. I feel like I have struck a new chord of balance with my relationship with food, where I enjoy what I eat, but I eat primarily for fuel (probably 90% of the time). And the best part about it? Eating healthier makes you FEEL better! And not just when I look in the mirror. But my mood is better, my sleep is better, my energy levels are better, and my digestion is better! I think often people forget that food plays an integral role in how your body FUNCTIONS, not just how it looks. Nutrition is a key component in regulating hormones, so guess what? When you fuel properly, your hormones are able to do their best job possible in the body which effects EVERYTHING, including your brain.
There is no one plan fits all when it comes to nutrition. Sometimes I wish there was because then at least it would be straight forward. But what matters is that you find something sustainable, find something that makes your body feel good, and find something that makes you feel good about YOURSELF.
Now wouldn't that be amazing? That at the end of the day as you climb into bed, you have a secret little smile to yourself because you know you just kicked ass and did something great for yourself. And... you GET to do it all again tomorrow.
Love yourself in all stages. If you're having trouble with that, let me know.
You look amazing. Congrats on Baby Girl.