Who You Are Is Not Determined By Your Size.....Love Your Body At Every Stage Of Life
There are so many changes going on in my body and my skin. Hormones are flying in all directions, my boobs already feel humungous and heavy and popping paracetamol every morning is becoming the norm. But then I feel this little baby move inside me and all of those changes feel so insignificant. We are going to have another little person in our family and that is so wonderful. However, it doesn't stop me from feeling like shit sometimes!! It is so hard to fully embrace your changing body and to feel like you are losing control over yourself. And this happens at many stages through life for example, the average woman's body goes through puberty, weight gain or loss, pregnancies and the menopause. That is one hell of a lot of change and most of it is completely out of our control. Obviously we can do our best to be as healthy as we can and try to put the right foods into our bodies but no one is perfect and we all enjoy a sneaky take out now and again (or for me, every friday night). The point of this is that I would love for women to understand how much change our bodies really go through and how much stress and strain our bodies carry us through and how incredible they are considering all of that. I feel women are so quick to judge other women and it is so deep rooted in our society to speculate about weight loss and weight gain. What really upsets me however is the way celebrities parade their post baby bodies on the front covers of magazines which are most probably edited and photoshopped and ultimately make real women and real people feel like absolute crap. No you are NOT supposed to get right back to your pre baby weight/shape, you may never be the same shape again....I know my body has changed shape significantly since having Gracie and it most probably will again after this little one. Oh and if you are breast feeding you need as many calories as possible in your body to make sure you can feed your baby with all the goodness he/she needs.
WHEREVER YOU ARE IN YOUR LIFE, YOUR BODY IS PERFECT, YOUR BODY IS INCREDIBLE, BECAUSE OF YOUR BODY YOU ARE ALIVE.
Some days you just have one of those days and you eat too much, it is not a big deal, don't beat yourself up just be aware of falling into the trap of "oh well, I've messed up now so I'm going to eat crap for the rest of the week". Instead of the defeatist attitude just try and accept that you had one of those days and tomorrow is a brand new start and a new chance to wipe the slate clean. Remember what is important is how your body is on the inside not on the outside. Love yourself for all that you are. Recognise how blessed we are to simply be here and then you can't go wrong. I know we live in a society where aesthetics play a huge part in our lives but imagine the power that is in your hands simply by changing your attitude when it comes to your body. Screw other peoples' opinions and judgments, the only person you need to make happy is you.
My body; no photoshop, no editing from 2010 to 2012 to present day. I haven't always been slim, it took learning moderation and practicing yoga to get my body to what felt right for me and now of course after this baby my body will be different again. One thing I have learned is that you need to find confidence and happiness at every single stage because it is the light that shines out of you that matters, the beauty within and the warmth you give to others.
Namaste
Raquelle :)