The picture on the left is a picture that I took last year around this time.. The picture on the right is a picture I took today...
In the last post that I put up about my body image a lot of you said you don't understand why I am so uncomfortable with my body and that I wasn't even chubby. This picture shows how my body has transformed in just the last year alone and if you can believe it I was even SKINNIER than the left picture before I go pregnant. It's a major change for me. My thighs are significantly larger, as well as my butt and stomach. It's honestly really hard to look at these pictures side by side, I knew I have gained weight but I honestly didn't realize how much larger I have actually gotten. The past week or so I have actually been feeling pretty good about how I look but after comparing these pictures I'm back to where I started.. excuse me while I go eat my feelings in ice cream. Hah just kidding! That wouldn't solve anything.
A bit of random information for you;
Recently I've been baby sitting children in my home to earn some extra money and give me something to do. I've been saving the money and the other day I decided to use that money to go buy me some new clothes. I don't remember the last time I bought anything for myself. Whenever we have extra cash we always spend it on Jaiden so it was nice to get something for myself for a change :)
Step 1 to working on my body image; Revamp my closet
As I said in the paragraph before this, I went out and got myself new clothes! Since I've been gaining a lot of weight most of my pants no longer fit me. I'd try and get them on but I wouldn't be able to get them over my butt so I'd always just throw on some cute sweats or yoga pants. As you can imagine, wearing sweats all day every day really takes a toll on your self esteem after a while and it got to the point where I just stayed in my pjs all day because I was afraid to get dressed. I only had one pair of jeans that actually fit me, and even then I had to do a hop and a jump and wiggle my butt to get into them, so I decided if I want to start being more confident I need to get some clothes that actually fit me. I got 2 pairs of pants and a few shirts and I've been wearing them the past few days and it has really helped me see myself better. Today Kitt and I took Jaiden to the park and I put on my new jeans and a cute shirt and for the first time in what seems like forever, I looked in the mirror and thought to myself "I am so beautiful today" and for me to say that is HUGE! When I walked out of the bathroom and Kitt saw me in my new clothes his reaction was " damn you look good!", which boosted my self confidence even more.
Step 2 to working on my body image; Workout gear
Now I haven't done this but it is the next step that I am going to take! I don't own any sneakers or sports bras or anything so next pay day I am going to go out and get some. The apartment that I live in has a really nice gym so once I get some workout clothes and a pair of shoes I plan to start working out. I'm not really sure how often I should workout but I'm thinking every other day? I'm actually really excited to start working out again. A few months ago I was working out regularly but I didn't have sneakers so I was doing it barefoot but after a month of two I started having problems with my feet so I had to stop. Do you guys have any ideas on how often I should workout? If any of you workout now, how often do you workout and what workouts do you enjoy doing? I want to lose some weight and then tone the rest of my body, especially my thighs and butt. So that's what my next step is to work on my body image and get healthier!
Step 3 to working on my body image; Setting goals
When starting something new it's always good to set a goal to keep you motivated and when you accomplish that goal it's a really great feeling. So I've come up with 3 goals..
- Eating Healthier: I don't eat the worst but I also don't eat the best. I don't really care for fruits or vegetables because I'm an extremely picky eater and the texture really bothers me so I want to try and find ways to eat fruits and veggies without having to deal with the texture. Juicing has become really popular so I might try and make some juices or smoothies so that I'm getting the vitamins and nutrients that I need.
- Keeping positive: A huge part of becoming comfortable in your own skin is staying positive. I am generally a really positive person but when it comes to myself I am a "debby downer" and really look down on myself. I have seen a few ideas online that I am going to do to help remind myself daily to stay positive and that I am beautiful. I am thinking about putting sticky notes on my bathroom mirror and places around the house so that I am constantly being reminded to be positive and the good things about myself.
- Not caring about the number: I have tried to lose weight many times before but I always got caught up on the number on the scale and not what my body actually looked like. I've come to learn that it's not all about the number rather than how my body looks and how I feel in my own skin. I don't want to focus on getting down to a certain weight, I want to focus on being comfortable in my own skin and enjoying what I look like. Whether it's 10 lbs or 40 lbs that I have to lose, it doesn't matter to me as long as I am comfortable in my own skin. I definitely don't want to be a size 0 I just want to look healthy and feel healthy.
Quote of the day; Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.
I believe in you Maddi. And I'm proud of you for taking these first steps and making those goals,
ReplyDeleteThanks sister! <3
DeleteIm in the same boat! What i do is cut out anything white: white rice, white bread, fkour etc. I cutbout most soda ( i still sneak a few). Eat as many rraw veggies and fruits as u want. In trying to go every other day for like 30-40 mins each. And my husband neon told me that when i work out to keep doing dif excercises. Like one day u go do abs. The next day cardio etc. Its a tough thing to do because i didnt realize how much i had gained either. Its hard work but well both get there. i get discouraged because i wish i could see results right away! I know that it takes time its just frustrating !
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working out before I would switch up my workouts daily so that I worked every muscle in my body. It's going to be hard for me to eat better because I'm such a picky eater but I'm really going to try. I've heard making fruit smoothies with veggies in it are a good way to disguise the taste and texture of the veggies, so I think I'm going to try that and see how it goes. I always get really discouraged because I don't see results right away either but I'm really going to try and be patience and stick with it. I hope it works out for you, keep me updated! And I didn't know you guys got married, congrats!!
DeleteFinally read the post Maddi! lol. I think you can do it! Stay positive and focused and as long as you have a good support system you can do it! As for how often to work out, from what I hear, you should do at least 4 days of cardio a week. And if you need some kind of exercise program to follow, Eric and my sister did Insanity and they lost a lot of weight on it! It's tough but at least you can do it at home! My daughter even joined him from time to time to exercise, so maybe it can be a fun "you and Jaiden" thing to do at home! You can do it and I can't wait to see your progress! Good luck!
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