Top Tips For Becoming A Body-Positive Mama

 Throughout our lives, our bodies go through lots of changes. Sometimes we get a little taller or put on a bit of weight. After bringing children into the world, you may find that your body has changed in new and unexpected ways. As a result, you may have noticed a drop in your confidence, especially if you’re taking longer than expected to drop that post-baby weight.

In this case, the most important thing to remember is that you are beautiful the way you are. Your body has brought a new life into the world - so of course, it’s going to change a little. That does not take away from how amazing or strong you are or how good of a parent you will be. 

Photo by Alvaro Reyes on Unsplash

Following this, there are various steps you can take to become more body-positive as a parent, which, in turn, will help you feel more like yourself again. Here are some top tips to get you started! 

• We often feel more comfortable within our bodies when we are following a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, you should try to eat healthy, balanced meals wherever possible - even when you are swept off your feet taking care of your little one. 

• Returning to regular exercise is another great way to change the relationship you have with your body. If you don’t feel ready to visit the gym right away, don’t worry, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your fitness levels at home.

• Set yourself realistic, attainable goals related to health and fitness. While many choose to set themselves the challenge of losing weight - scale-based victories are not always the most practical goals. This is because they put too much pressure on losing weight and not on feeling happy and confident. As a result, it can be all too easy to give up on your fitness goals when they are not reached. Instead, set yourself goals that will affect how you feel and behave. For example, you could work out with the intention of getting stronger. 

• On days where you don’t feel like working out, look for inspiration. For example, you could read about the exercise journey of athletes such as Mitch Vanhille - whose journey is not without its ups and downs. This proves that even the most accomplished athletes have bad days - but they always get back up and running again. 

• One way in which you can boost your body positivity is by shedding the idea that you have to fit into society’s strict standards to be beautiful. After all, this is simply not the case. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes - and being smaller than somebody else does not make you any more valid or important. While this behavior can be hard to unlearn, adapting to this mindset is truly transformative. 

• Pay yourself compliments related to your body - even on days where you aren’t the biggest fan of the mirror. For example, instead of worrying about how your body looks - think about all it has achieved.