The Race From Maternity Clothes... to Skinny Jeans?
In a recent Us Weekly Magazine interview, former Bachelor star Trista Sutter talks about about her "mission" to lose her post-pregnancy weight.
“I’m definitely not pleased when I look in the mirror,” the article quotes Sutter as saying, noting that she now wears a size 4 and weighs 116 pounds. "“When I fit into my size 26 Hudson jeans, then I’ll be happy.”
Is this how most women feel after they've given birth? And it a healthy trend or sign of screwed-up priorities?
On weight loss blogs such as Back In Skinny Jeans and Sister Skinny, some women are starting to take issue with the message being sent by these kind celebrity interviews. What does it say to the average woman when famous women who are not noticeably overweight are clamoring to drop the "ugly" fat as quickly as possible? "I want to be sexy again," says Sutter, as she cradles her new baby on the magazine cover, and vows to lose more weight. Yet to many of us, she looks healthy and attractive just as she is.
But Sutter doesn't agree. “My belly... has a layer of fat, which, of course, your body has to put on, but it’s blubbery and I hate it. I want to be able to go bathing suit shopping for a vacation and not feel totally disgusted.”
While some criticize Sutter personally for her attitudes, many women say they can relate to how she's feeling. They recall their own struggles with postpartum weight and their desire to get back to "normal" as quickly as possible.
(No one, however, seems too impressed with the "help" Trista's husband Ryan is offering: "If I eat something that I shouldn’t," Trista says, "Ryan shakes his finger at me and says, ‘Uh, uh, uh!’ He’s been awesome.")
Criticism is also leveled at the media for not even questioning the idea that women who have just given birth are "disgusting" and need to get skinny as soon as possible. The web preview of Sutter's interview, for example, concludes: "Want to know the exact diet and workout plan that’s helping Trista shed the baby weight? Pick up the new issue of Us Weekly!"
But just in case your newsstand is fresh out of copies, there are other sensible approaches to shedding pregnancy weight. They may not, however, guarantee you'll fit into a pair of jeans with a 26 inch waist. But then some women might find after giving birth--that there are a few other things to do besides fretting over the size of their jeans.
For completely different take on post-pregnancy body image, you may want to visit The Shape of a Mother. It's a site where real women send in pictures of their bodies, both during and after pregnancy--stretch marks and all. (Some caution is advised as there is nudity in some of the photos).
So do any of you have any thoughts on or experience with post-pregnancy weight loss?
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Why's everyone down on Ryan I wonder? Isn't he supporting his wife in her goals?
And why be up in arms because someone wants to look and feel sexy? Who doesn't? Trista's made it a priority and to be honest, that's what it takes.
Also, as an actress, she's under a lot of pressure to look good.
Cheers
Reply~Mike
What's wrong with wanting to get your old body back after birth? I see no problem with it as long as they are not throwing up their dinner or ignoring their parental duties.
ReplyI see nothing wrong with women wanting to get back in shape after having a baby. I've had 3 myself, and feel pretty confident in the way I look.
I do take issue with the way it is presented as the ultimate goal, and that a 116 pound size 4 is saying she is not thin (enough) or sexy (enough). (This is not jealousy - I am a 115-pound size 3/4 myself.)
I also wonder sometimes how much the quest to get "back in shape" interferes with the relationship with their baby, with their time with baby. I've often heard women say they quit breastfeeding early, for example, or didn't start at all because they wanted to lost the weight or workout a lot. And in the early days, the focus should be on the baby, not on looking like you never had one. Is the baby suffering because mom wants to "look sexy" again?
What kind of father is focusing, and encouraging, moms to rush to get back into shape? A woman's body changes, for good, after she has a baby, and it will never be just the same. I can't imagine being with a man who didn't appreciate the fact that my body went through those changes to bring his child into the world.
ReplyI wouldn't call her an actress-she's a reality tv leftover that people still seem to care about for some reason. My point is, she doesn't have to lose the weight "for work" or anything. I think women should be able to feel good about themselves after having a baby, but its sad that Trista won't cut herself the slack to wait a little while before pressuring herself to lose a bit of weight. She is healthy as she is, and her body just did something pretty amazing-create a child! Give it a break for heaven's sake!
ReplySometimes it's not about any particular size or number on the scale, it's more about how you feel.
I know that some people will never feel good about themselves no matter how thin they get, but that issue aside, as long as you are in a healthy weight range, I think it's okay to want to look and feel good.
ReplyGreat to want to be healthy again but...couldn't she talk about her child instead. Instead of moaning about not getting into a bikini or "skinny jeans", be grateful about your happy, healthy newborn.
ReplyI know that when I have kids, I'll probably want to get my prebaby body back too. However, I don't think women should put themselves on some sort of timetable. It's not a race, for crying out loud. I agree with Judy: It's more important to bond with your baby and get that relationship started than to fit into jeans that are a certain size. You have plenty of time to lose the last few pounds, but you only have a certain window of time to bond with your newborn. I feel sorry for celebrity babies that are stuck with a nanny while their moms go work out to get their prebaby body back as soon as possible. And it's not like Trista has a ton of weight to lose either. It's only like 10 lbs at the most, so it shouldn't take her that long. I think if my husband pointed at me and said "Uh uh uh!" when I was going to eat some cake or something, I think I'd paste him good. He actually thinks my body looks better when it's a little curvier and softer, so I doubt he's going to start policing my diet any time soon.
Replywe women just can't win, can we? on one hand, we're expected to put our children's interests before our own. on the other hand, we're chided if we don't lose those pregnancy pounds. it's amazing! i know of a woman who actually nursed her baby while on the stairmaster. absolutely amazing. this almost makes me afraid of having children.
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ReplyHere in Japan women don't gain that layer of fat in the first place, and they tend to be thin right after childbirth. This whole weight gain custom is sort of an American thing. There's a belief that the baby might be harmed if, say, you fainted out in the wilderness and went into a coma and your fetus had to live off your "fat stores" until your rescuers found you ... or something. Or maybe pregnancy has just become a sort of pig-out "Get out of Jail Free" card, like Thanksgiving and Christmas and a trip to the Cheesecake Factory and ...
ReplyIs she an actress? I've never heard of her. Sounds like she's got low self-esteem to me. I'm STILL trying to get rid of my "baby" weight, almost 7 years later. Good thing there's more to me than my waistline...and I'd certainly sock my DH in the nose if he had the temerity to say "uh uh uh" if I have a cookie.
Replywow, mark.
Mark said:
Here in Japan women don't gain that layer of fat in the first place, and they tend to be thin right after childbirth. This whole weight gain custom is sort of an American thing. There's a belief that the baby might be harmed if, say, you fainted out in the wilderness and went into a coma and your fetus had to live off your "fat stores" until your rescuers found you ... or something. Or maybe pregnancy has just become a sort of pig-out "Get out of Jail Free" card, like Thanksgiving and Christmas and a trip to the Cheesecake Factory and ...
not to get too feministic here, but what a fitting commen from someone who never has to think about how his body would change if men were the ones who gave birth rather than women.
suffice it to say that all women are different and all pregnancies are different. some women bounce back, some women don't, some women bounce back with one pregnancy and don't or can't with other pregnancies. considering i know a woman who took diet pills while pregnant during the 1960's (prescribed to her BY A DOCTOR), let's just contemplate the ramifications of body image and what giving birth can do to a woman's body and psyche, and that the quest to snap right back into the old clothes and NOT look like you EVER gave birth to children is not a new issue in the 21st century.
and yes! everything is better in other countries! americans are fat, lazy people who are obsessed with food and have eating disorders. yes, that is the answer for everything. if we ONLY lived like the fillintheblank people did in fillintheblank country, we'd all be better! instantly!
give me a break.
ReplyFrom my observations, it's much more common for women to gain too much weight with pregnancy than for them to not gain enough. I feel some of the newer recommendations for weight gain may be due to medical fears that our foods do not contain the nutrients that they used to. The good news is that the developing baby will ,for the most part, get the best of what the mother has to provide.
ReplyI also think it's useful to learn as much as we can about other cultures and their ways of looking at things, whether we use 'their' way or not.
But that IS true. Not because the people are different elsewhere but generally because they are poor and live on "peasant food" which just happens to be a lot healthier.
As soon as the fast food shows up along with other western influences, the problems start. Okinawa is a case in point.
Lazy... Nooooooo! I'm not American but my feel is that USA has one of the strongest work ethics. I visited once plus I've seen stuff on TV :-)
Cheers
Reply~Mike
Oops sorry, I kinda just "assumed"... well you know what I mean... :-) er... I'm a cultural vacuum! Anyway, she's in the public eye.... erm, yep, bye...
Cheers
Reply~Mike
Hi Doc!
Do you think there's a tendancy to take "eating for two" to mean "anything goes"? I reckon... possibly, maybe--for some.
Mike.
ReplyTotally agree... and the mags know that MOST people feel the same which is why they're constantly running these kind of stories no?
Cheers
Reply~Mike
Why should X woman not get to have body issues just like every woman who posts here? No one's body is perfect and almost everyone has issues. The idea that one can't take care of ones body and take care of the baby at the same time is what leaves us with 50 extra baby pounds when the baby is heading off to junior high school, getting bitter that other women have done with their bodies what we can't or haven't.
ReplyMega-cheers!
ReplyJ
I think women worry about it because most women (most women I know, anyway) never got back into the shape they were pre-pregnancy. That's probably normal and those who are fortunate to "bounce back" are the exception.
I lost all of the weight I gained within 10 weeks (50 lbs with #1 and 40 with #2) but only because I was really careful with my portions and I walked about 5 miles a day pushing a baby stroller. If the weather had been cruddy, I'd have been in trouble.
ReplySome people "eat for two" when they are pregnant and gain a lot. My mom ate for two full grown people when she was pregnant with me and my sister and gained 60-70 lbs with each of us. Of course that was hard to lose...that's a lot of weight. But if you only eat about 300-400 calories extra a day and gain only about 24-30 lbs, it's probably going to be a lot easier to lose the weight. My sister's pregnant right now and she is gaining only the recommended amount of weight. She plans to lose it after she has the baby by starting running with me.
ReplyIt is blindingly obvious that one of the main neuroses of our age is body image. Of course it is not "healthy" when the main thing on your mind after having a baby is how you are going to get your figure back. However, I think this is an unavoidable part of the way we live now and I am going to do the exact same thing if I ever give birth. I'm not neurotic about this particular neurosis, I accept that it's part of us and I won't fight it.
ReplyHey, I won that race! I had 2 kids and still fit my jeans from high school. You have to check out my blog!! I did it by getting rid of all those awful toxins that build up in your body due to pesticides, pollution, etc..
Replyhttp://beyoncescleansingdiet.blogspot.com/)
Hi,I am 24 years old and I'm having my first baby. It's my third month already and I would just like to ask if it still advisable to wear jeans until the 5th month. My belly is still not showing up. I'm skinny type of woman.
ReplyFirst of all Trista is NOT an actress.. she had 15 minutes of fame on two reality shows. So lets just get that cleared up. Her figure has nothing to do with the money she is making now, so its not like she has to have a skinny body to be in the spotlight.... that being said.
ReplyI dont think there's anything wrong with her wanting to get back into the shape she was in before the baby. Why are we so against women who work hard to get the baby weight off? Just because someone else isnt doing it doesnt mean someone who is should be feeling guilted about it.
Plus I think its fine if Ryan supports his wifes plan and if it doesnt bother her that he wags his finger when she picks up something unhealthy than it shouldnt bother us. He's not our my husband and Trista seems to appreciate his help. We all need to get over it. Noone should feel bad if it takes them a year to get off the weight or if it happens in months... we are all different and have different priorities in life. Trista isnt working so she has the luxery. Thats nice.