The countdown has started

I've finally made one of the hardest decisions of my life. I'm going under the knife!! 

I was at my heaviest weight when I got pregnant with my daughter in 2009 and when I had her I was 234lbs. She was a big baby and stretched out my stomach even more than my fat did. I even had the notion that since I was heavy when I got pregnant, maybe I wouldn't get stretch marks. Ha. What a joke! 

In 2012 when I started my journey to get healthy and fit I had no idea how far I would come. With the support of family, friends and my coaching team, I've become addicted (in a good way) to fitness and promoting a healthy lifestyle. I'm toned pretty much everywhere and look decent in clothes...but my stomach is not something I want people to see. No low rise jeans, no crop top shirts and no two piece swimsuits. I don't mind the stretch marks really, it's the loose skin! It's soooo loose. I walk one way and it walks the other. 

For my business, I like to make workout videos and share new ways to work certain body parts. I feel like an impostor doing ab work-my loose skin folds up into many rolls and it's just not pretty to look at. If I stand still, no problems, but as soon as I move... The loose skin also hurts when I do cardio and any type of quick movement. Jump Around by House of Pain is it's theme song. Sometimes I feel like it's high-fiving itself and clapping. I make jokes, but it makes me very sad about myself and nobody should feel this way about their body. 

My surgery is scheduled for December 3rd. Because I'm going to be out of the fitness world, I'm going to take this time to make sure my diet is on point! Any tips you have for making meals ahead of time will be great because my husband will want to eat out and my aunt who is coming down to take care of me is not allowed in the kitchen. It's safest for everyone this way! I've gone back and forth about this with my husband for at least a year now. 

One of the biggest obstacles is the fact that I can't workout at all for six weeks!!!!! Do you know how long that is for someone who works out everyday?? I keep telling myself it will fly by, but I just don't know. I am hoping for a quick and speedy recovery, but doesn't everyone want that? 

I'm going to be documenting my journey here and on my YouTube channel, so let me know what questions you have and I'll do my best to answer them. 

Until next time! 
-Bridget

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From the mouth of babes

My daughter and I always have daily discussions when I pick her up from school. The other day we were stopped at a red light and she says, “Mom, look at that woman’s HUGE belly.” I asked her to repeat what she said hoping I had misheard her, but no, I had heard what she said loud and clear.

Explaining to a four year old that it’s not nice to say things that will hurt people’s feelings isn’t as easy as it sounds. Just last week she told me how gross my belly looks and that she doesn’t like it. Well, kid, you’re the one that made it that way so tough cookies. I found out later that she isn’t so grossed out by my loose skin as she is by all the lines (AKA stretch marks.) The first time she said something about my stomach I just walked off. It’s the part of my body that I struggle with the most because there’s just nothing I can do to change it-(not the lines-the looseness.) My husband was the one to give her the talk this time, but kids are just so honest. At least at this age.

While we sat at that red light and looked at the woman who was on a walk with who I assume was her husband, I explained to my daughter that some people are just bigger than others. Some people make different choices when eating and not everyone exercises regularly. I continued to share that the woman was on a walk so perhaps she’s working on getting healthier. 

How do you help your kids understand this concept? We aren't all on the same page when it comes to health and fitness and mostly that we are all different, but that's what makes us special? 

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