One thing that always grinds gears is the implicit pressure put on new mums to get back in shape after giving birth. You see articles all the time about how celebs and models got rid of their baby weight and got back to “normal” again in record time.
I don’t think more than a month goes by without me seeing something about it on my FB newsfeed. And as a non pregnant male, if I’m seeing it, I can only imagine how often women in the 27-45 age bracket are getting hit with articles on it.
Below is the first one that came up on a quick google of “models who got back in shape after being pregnant”
https://www.fitpregnancy.com/exercise/prenatal-workouts/the-insane-way-victorias-secret-models-stay-fit-while-pregnant
I won’t address the fitness “advice” in the article. I’m sure you know it’s terrible.
Cardio only, 16-20 reps for “muscle work” etc etc. That kinda fluff.
Claiming they don’t restrict calories either is complete bullshit – without calorie restriction they wouldn’t be losing weight.
To be fair – they’re doing it the best way possible, by eating intuitively and smashing back lots of good quality calories and nutrient dense food, and while they might not be following some crazy 900kcal diet they ARE restricting calories.
They must be.
Side note – I’ve had a few people tell me they’re “undereating” recently. And my response is always simple – “are you losing weight?”.
No?
Then you’re not under eating.
You might be eating infrequently and not eating enough kcals during the majority of the day, but I promise you you’re making up for it on the weekened, or in the evenings.
There is no way to consistently under eat long term without losing weight. The Minnesota Starvation Study proved that. Go read Lyle McDonald’s fascinating discussion on the topic here for more: https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/another-look-at-metabolic-damage.html/
Anyway… back to why it’s not impressive.
It’s not impressive for the same reason this dude’s “transformatiion” wasn’t impressive: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/05/health/drew-manning-fit2fat2fit-lessons/index.html
Being really lean and jacked, then gaining 70lb ON PURPOSE, only to lose it all again is the same as a doctor “proving” med school isn’t that hard and anyone should be able to pass it by going back to first year after working in a hospital for 5 years.
If you already know what to do, and how to do it, how the hell does that help someone starting from scratch?
It’s nonsense.
It’s like saying “sure all you need to do to lose weight is track your calories and train loads”. That’s easy when it’s second nature like it is for a bodybuilder or a model.
But for a “normal” person who’s never managed to consistently go to the gym for more than a few weeks, it doesn’t help.
My take away point?
If you’re a new mum, old mum or are planning on getting pregnant any time soon, don’t be so hard on yourself. Your body is about to do something amazing.
Instead of worrying about how quickly you can get a 6 pack back afterwards, worry about how you’re doing to savour every moment with your new miracle.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be in shape, be fit, strong or healthy. Hell, I think getting fit and healthy coming into a pregnancy is one of the most valuable things you could do…
…but if your main motivation for doing it is because you saw someone else do it and you want the instalikes…
Well, that’s fucked up!
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