Losing Weight after 4 Babies

It dawned on me the other day that I have a 7 month old baby. I don't now how he is already 7 months old, I think I had him only a few months ago. But here he is, 7 months old, and here I am, 7 months postpartum, feeling like 1 month postpartum. In all the ways, energy, brain fog, and of course, weight.

So of course my brain starts catastrophizing the situation : You are 7 months postpartum and have barely touched the weight loss, you are going to forever be a frumpy mom who hasn't lost the baby weight, etc etc

I've known this fact about weight loss for a long time: The number one enemy or ally is your brain. I know that usually by 7 months postpartum I am back to my normal weight but such is not the case this go around. So I went and re-read my old post (titled : Losing Weight After a Baby)

and first of all, so much embarrassment . Phew! Tough post to go back and read and think wow you really put this out into the world Lucia!

such is life when you have this burning desire to shout things out into the void. sometimes regret kicks you later down the road.

Lucia sharing her thoughts and feelings with the world

Second of all, it dawned on me that losing weight after having 2 babies is quite different than losing weight after 4 babies.

In this blog post, I am going to consider the following facts that make weight loss look different after more kids.

a. going to the gym with more kids

b. less brainspace with less kids

c. less vanity?

d. trauma weight loss

So first of all. Lets talk about the gym. Its a lovely thing when it works, you get childfree time to workout. But sometimes the stress of it, outweighs the benefits. Lets examine Lucia's experiences since theo's been born.

Getting 4 kids (sometimes 3 if Avery is in preschool) dressed, packed up and out the door is a much bigger feat than two.

I was trying to go once a week and was doin okay but then entered our antagonist : sick season.

A sign is put up at the gym daycare saying

Runny Nose = too sick for Kids Club.

So basically we couldn't go from November- February.

and there is another factor here that was not here with 2 kids: Limited time.

Its hard to take a whole morning to go to the gym when there is so much to catch up on. You get home after being gone for over 2 hours and feel overwhelmed with all the work there is yet to do.

b. less brainspace. How can a person prioritize eating healthy when every morning they have a herd of waterbuffaloes trample over all their brain cells? How can one mom deprive herself of a good high calorie coffee drink when there are so few ways to add self care? Day after day its like, ahh today I absolutely must go to starbucks.

c. less vanity? question mark here because vanity comes in many forms. But as far as caring how your appearance is, after 4 kids its like yo, look at my net production.

4 kids! why would you expect me to look anything less than a disheveled mess, someone who could definitely use a shower, tweezers, maybe some clothes that aren't puked on?

I suppose there was a bit of a turning point after 4 kids where its like I don't have to try to be a cute mom anymore. I mean I can still go shopping, find outfits I feel good in, but that pressure to "bounce back" - GONE. Maybe its something to do with turning 30. not sure

BUT I DID ACTUALLY FINALLY get to my normal weight. Kind of a cheat really. I started this post when theo was 7 months old. Right after that family trauma in the form of sepsis and deathbeds hit and what do you know, a person doesn't have much of an appetite when they are staring death in the face. Turns out to work better than any weight loss program, but I think weightwatchers is easier.

So that is my comparison on losing weight after 4 kids vs 2. Its a whole nother can of worms

Also- I've decided to switch up my ending credits. Because happiness isn't the goal. Really happiness is great and all but sometimes in life its just not really a main player. Instead,

we are rolling with

Hope, Joy, Kindness and Love

Potato Farmers Wife