It all started on Christmas Eve when my son said “That’s fat, Mommy!” as he slapped on my bare belly. It is a brutally honest declaration that only a 2-year old can make, and it forced the immediate prioritization of my resolutions for the coming year.
After having two children, a boy and a girl within 21 months of each other, I have a newfound pride in what my body can do. I carried my two beloved children in my belly, nurtured them with my body, and the experience of being a mother is one that is more physical and more emotional than my previously disproportionately cerebral existence. Having children changed my life and my body, and the adjustment has not been easy for me. This would be the year I need to focus on health and fitness for myself, even though (and perhaps precisely because) I have never really been a health and fitness kind of a person. I am not a trainer, never liked the gym, and never watched what I ate. That’s going to have to change to if I want to be the kind of mommy I want for my children. Such is life, and change is a natural part of life.
The term, “mommy belly” and “mommy brain” all have negative connotations. They imply that a belly, or a brain, isn’t as good as what it used to be because of motherhood. In reality, this is not necessarily true. There are scientific proof that the brain is actually improved by motherhood, and plenty of moms actually are more fit after motherhood. I call this blog Mommy Belly because this is where I pour out my guts, think out loud about my life as a mother, and deal with what is going on in my head and in my body. Being a mommy is actually what started me on this journey. This blog, which comes out of my mommy brain, is also about being fully proud of my mommy belly.
There are many reasons to get fit and healthy. Everyone has their own reasons for wanting what they want, but ultimately our success depends on our honesty with ourselves. Journaling is well known to be a great tool for good health as well as profound change. I have a lot to learn along the way to being a fit mommy and I intend to journal about it in order to keep me on track. This blog is about my journey into fit mommy-hood and it will journal my learning about the science, tools, and pitfalls that I come upon along the way. This is my way of being honest with myself.
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