It's time to bring sexy back

Moms hear this message all the time: you're beautiful the way you are!  Sure you're saggy and chubby, run-down and drained all the time, and have horrible self-esteem because, well, you own a mirror and can't fit into a single pair of pre-baby pants, and even in new pants you sport an unsightly muffin-top look.  But none of that matters, because you have kids now, yay!

This message is a lie.  The intent behind this is to make you feel better about your 'new' mommy-body, but in the long run (at least, for me) it re-enforces the belief that you can't repair the damage caused by carrying and birthing kids, so why bother trying?  And that could lead to resentment, depression, marital issues, and only God knows what else.

I say we need to change the message.  

And that's what I intend to do, for myself, at least, starting Monday.  I've been inspired especially by my cousin who, just 7 months post-partum, has b*tch-slapped 50 lbs right in its face.

Since I'm no longer in the military, I've been letting this lean, mean, fighting machine body turn into an atrophied blob, and after baby number four, my body is literally falling apart to the point of being seriously detrimental to my physical (and mental!) health.  I realized that my mid-section looks a lot like a Biggest Loser contestant's about 3 weeks in - that hanging skin look that indicates a significant amount of water and fat loss, but no real muscle-building yet to tighten things up.

After trying to rationalize with myself over and over with the 'my body will never be the same again, just accept it' talk, I saw this sign on a bus:

See Heidi Klum on that billboard up there?  That's Klum after four babies - that's right, she's had four, too.  I know what you're thinking - she's airbrushed, she can afford a million personal trainers, etc, etc.  But when I saw that bus ad, it inspired me.  I thought, 'heck, if she can do it, so can I!'  I've never been big on making excuses, and I certainly don't want to start now.

And after all...

So starting Monday, I'm deciding to be awesome.

I don't think I've written about it here before, but about 6 months after Patrick was born, I was still stuck 15 lbs over pre-baby weight and so I started Shredding.  It didn't take long (2-3 months? I don't remember exactly how long) before I'd shed 20 lbs (down to high school weight - what???) and had washboard abs once again.  Here's the post where I bemoan losing them on account of Maximilian.

After feeling like total crap - drained, tired, achy and weak - for the past several weeks since Reagan's birth, I'm going to Heidi Klum myself.  This time, I'm using Jillian Michaels' 6 Week Six-Pack, because my belly has seriously taken a beating and could use the extra attention.  And since it's a 6 week program, I figured what better way to keep myself honest than to check in once a week on my blog.  No one reads it anyway, so who cares?

So here's my official 'before' photo (taken on the tat side to guarantee it's authentically me), roughly 20 lbs above pre-Maximilian/goal weight:

This side view doesn't really do the damage justice.

There we go!  This pic captures the shock and awe effect of 4 babies 1.5 years apart.  And truth be told, I'm probably lucky this is all the damage there is.  And this doesn't even touch the stretch marks ALL over my body, but I care a lot less about those.

I'm counting on my loyal readers to make sure I stick to the program here, so don't let me down!

It should also be noted that aside from just trying to eat reasonably (e.g. not too many cookies, cut out my beloved Coke, that sort of thing), I'm not 'dieting.'  I may start counting calories after Reagan starts solids in a couple months, but not while she's exclusively breastfeeding.  

Hopefully, this mini-series of blog posts will inspire other mommies to join me - I could use the support, and you could always stand to be healthier, right?  I'm pretty friggin' busy - both now and the first time I ditched the baby weight - surely you can spare 30-40 minutes, right?

And if you do decide to join me, I highly recommend Jillian Michael's Shred DVD(haven't started 6 Week Six-Pack, so I won't officially recommend it yet) as well as anything by Denise Austin.  Here's my personal favorite Denise Austin workout DVD.

LET'S GO!