Rock That Body

As a tall and lean young woman I had the body that a lot of women strive for. But the grass isn't always greener on the other side. I actually wanted to be curvier because those were the women I thought were beautiful. While women worldwide were cutting bread out of their diets I was going to the kitchen any chance I got in between meals (and I ate plenty already) to stuff my face with bread. I guess I can be thankful for my great metabolism, because it didn't work. It probably wasn't until I stopped trying to gain weight, and my boyfriend at the time (current baby daddy and long term partner) and his mother would feed me chuletas, mofongo and all manner of fried foods non-stop that I started gaining weight. And then I got pregnant and gained more weight. I had wider hips, bigger breasts and I felt sexy! AFTER giving birth though, I had the soft jelly belly and stretch marks which I didn't love, but I didn't let that stop me from wearing my bikini to the beach.

8 months postpartum

It wasn't until after my second pregnancy that I was more self-conscious of my belly (and belly button). I had diastasis recti (see previous post) and my belly was more protuberant with looser wrinkly skin. I was mostly self conscious of my belly button and bought myself a high waist bikini to cover up all that jazz. It's been almost 3 years since the birth of my second son and it's been a year of consistent yoga practice. I've seen progress in my flexibility and strength and I look forward to the time I have carved out for it, whether it be 15 minutes one day or an hour another day. I have now started taking morning walks with intermittent running to prepare myself for a hypothetical future marathon. And while my belly isn't flat and I still have a bit of that gap, loose skin, stretch marks, and I struggle some days more than others to love it, I am proud of my body for going beyond what I thought it capable of. For that I am so incredibly grateful and I am excited to see what else it can do. It's been a process, but I'm still learning to stop comparing my body to its pre-pregnancy state.
I am participating in the #MySwimsuitStyle  challenge to promote self LOVE, not self loathing, with María José Ovalle of Very Busy Mamá and sponsor Miraclesuit. Yesterday I pulled out the kiddie pool for my boys and decided to try my old low-rise bikini bottom. I might have to buy a size bigger because my butt crack was showing, but I'm done hiding my belly!  Join us by posting your own swimsuit selfie and let's make a SPLASH this summer! You can post to your Instagram, Twitter, FB and make sure to use hashtag #MySwimsuitStyle. Let's enjoy our summer no matter what shape or size, and in whatever swimwear you feel comfortable!