Post Baby Body Issues

I should have titled this post "...every BODY gets 'em" or something like that.



Post baby body issues are almost as sure to come with babies as dirty diapers and nighttime feedings (and about as welcome, too). I told myself that I wouldnt spend the rest of my life whining about my body when my body isnt all that bad (what would be considered that bad?) I also told myself that I wouldnt be one of those people who just complains about their body while eating a piece of chocolate cake and drinking a Guinness. But here we are...

I have a few issues with what going on with my body right now and I feel like I have no right to complain about any of it since Im not doing a damn thing about it. Lets start with the issues.

For starters, the stretch marks. Although not as bad as some, they are still there and visible. They are only exacerbated by tanning and they are located just as to peek out from my bathing suit in the most inappropriate fashion, drawing the eyes to where most eyes dont belong. They are, from my research, impossible to get rid of (although they will fade over time, whoop-a-dee-doo) and just the fact that they are there is a testament to my total lack of self control during the last months of my pregnancy. I think I was counting on delivering early (which I didnt end up doing). If I had realized then how much these stupid stretch marks would bother me, I probably would have been a little more diligent about gaining a reasonable amount of weight and slathering myself with oils, etc. I was trying to rely solely on my good fortune and genetics, neither of which came through for me.

Next is the loose belly skin, or as I like to call it, gut jowls. Even though Ive watched every episode of The Biggest Loser, I was still counting on my skin just snapping back into place after delivery. Big shocker - didnt happen. My diligent workouts during pregnancy resulted in my abdominal muscles remaining in great shape. I have excellent muscle tone in my abs. Unfortunately, no one would know that because I have a skin curtain flopping over my stomach. Sigh. This part bothers me the most because I keep asking Mr A how to get rid of it and he always says the same thing, "eliminate the sweets"...

...which brings me to the final issue. I am one of those people who would rather sit around and complain about it than do anything to actually fix it! I find these people to be completely reprehensible and yet, here I am, BLOGGING about this rather than getting my jiggly ass onto a treadmill and doing something about it! Mr A keeps telling me to "eliminate the sweets" and this is the same answer he has given me for the last three and a half months. Somehow I keep coming up with reasons and excuses why that wont work instead of just doing it and then saying it didnt work. Notice the subtle difference? I have become that person who is rationalizing their own terrible situation instead of acknowledging it and working through it.
Could I regain my six (ok, four) pack? Brooke Burke did it and she had FOUR kids! Could that skin eventually snap back into place? I dont see why not, unless my body really does defy biophysics and its not just "all in my head".
But if I continue down the path Im strolling along now - the path of its worth complaining about but not worth giving up Chantilly Cake for - Im going to be thirty five and have kids, love handles, stretch marks, saggy boobs (I didnt even touch on that one because Im not sure how they will recover after I wean him) and a load of resentment to go along with it.

Im not trying to nosedive into the fountain of youth here. I realize that I just had a baby and whatever my body looks like, he is well worth the price. Im excited about aging and changing and I dont want to look seventeen for the rest of my life. Im just annoyed at how post baby body has brought out the slacker in me. Its brought out this complainy side of me that makes excuses. I need to dig deep and get the motivation to eat right and exercise. Both. At the same time. Because it seems that getting back into the shape I want to be in is going to require actual work.