The possibility for change is so real 🧡
I made this post not too long ago, and I wanted to re-share it again for several reasons. The main reason? Because I still sometimes can’t believe this transformation actually happened.
I struggled to put words to this caption the first time, and admittedly I find my struggling once again. It’s a challenge for me to capture in words how life has changed since the picture on the left was taken to the present day.
If you would have told me this is where I’d be nearly 7 years after retiring 🤯 I would not have believed you.
That girl on left was doing everything she thought was “right”. She was trying desperately to be “healthy”, yet was moving further and further away from health. And also from happiness.
I don’t share this for any other reason than to let you know it’s possible for you too. Because I remember when it didn’t think it was.
✨ I didn’t think I could eat food without tracking calories/macros and be healthy.
✨ I didn’t think I could take rest days without the overwhelming feelings of guilt.
✨ I didn’t think I could be confident in my body unless I saw a certain number on the scale.
✨ I didn’t think I could keep all foods in the house without feeling totally out of control.
✨ I sure as heck didn’t think I’d be the one helping people find these freedoms in life after sport now.
But I’m so grateful that I am 🙏🏼
I know what it feels like to try so many things, and none of them work for you. I’ve been in that place of feeling so defeated and frustrated.
It can be different ❤️
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Let me give you a little back story…
When I was actively training and competing, I was constantly at war with my body. It was a daily battle of trying to eat less and workout more in order to lose weight and fit the body standards set out by the culture of my sport. It was battle that I felt like I was perpetually losing.
When it came time to retire, I was so worried that my battles with food and my body would get worse (which they did). I mean, if I was struggling this much while working out all the time and controlling my food so tightly, surely I was doomed when I retired!
That’s what I thought. And that’s what kept me in a daily battle with food and my body. I was SCARED to do the exact things I had been trying to avoid my entire athletic career.
But that was the problem. I was fighting against my body, instead of working with it. And more food, and less exercise, was what my body needed.
And it was scary. But it was worth it.
These are just some of the incredible benefits and outcomes that occurred when I stopped battling my body and started working with it!
This topic is incredibly nuanced, more so than I can fit in an IG caption/post. But I wish I had seen someone say that, yes it’s scary! And yes it’s worth it. Because maybe I would have done it sooner. And maybe I wouldn’t have been at war with my body for so many years.
✨If you’re tired of feeling like you’re constantly battling against your body, and you’re ready to work with it in life after sport, I created The Fueled Former Athlete Academy just for you! To teach you how to work WITH your body, and find peace with food 🙏🏼 DM me the word FUELED and I’ll send you a discount code for enrollment✨
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We’re talking fueled physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Because we are…
MORE THAN AN ATHLETE
MORE THAN A BODY
MORE THAN ENOUGH
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I remember one specific moment where I stepped off the scale, disappointed by the number, and thinking to myself….”how the heck am I ever going to handle gaining weight in pregnancy?!” It truly felt like an impossible task at that time. My worth was still deeply tied to the number on the scale. My daily decisions were driven by fear of “letting myself go”. And despite so desperately wanting to start a family (I had not met my husband yet at this point), I also knew at that point, my relationship with my body was so stressed, I wouldn’t have been able to handle the weight gain.
And I know I’m not the only one. Fast forward several years, now I work with fellow female former athletes, and I’ve had the same conversation with them. They want to have kids but…the weight gain. The changed the body. The pressure to “bounce back”. The fear your body never will…I get it. I was there too.
And as I sit here on a park bench watching my bonus son and husband play while holding my sweetly sleeping baby, I am so grateful my body image didn’t steal these moments from me. Because it easily could have had I not done the work to improve it.
That’s what a poor relationship to your body does. It steals moments from you. And I’m just going to say it…you deserve better. Having bad body image days is unfortunately part of living in a society obsessed with appearance. But being so afraid of body changes/weight gain, to the point where the fear almost steals these moments from you…?! You deserve better.
It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it to improve my relationship to my body. So that the number on the scale no longer dictates my mood. So that a changing body didn’t hold me back from having my baby. And so that my postpartum body doesn’t stop me from enjoying these moments.
You deserve more. Don’t let your body image steal these moments. Some of them, you can never get back ❤️
#postpartummom#postpartumbodies#postpartumjourney#formerathlete#retiredathlete#lifeaftersports#postpartumathlete#femaleathlete#morethanabody#morethananathlete#morethanenough#bodypositivemom#bodypositiveathletes
I’m listening to @graciegold95 book Outofshapeworthlessloser currently, and when she discusses weight and body image, she makes mention of how a higher weight is viewed in female aesthetically focused sports as a character flaw, a moral failure, a weakness or lack of willpower.
As I was listening to her words, I reflected back on my own journey as an aesthetic sport athlete and thought…damn. She’s right. Thinness is viewed as being a better person in certain sport cultures. Not just a better athlete. A better person. And existing in a larger body (however the sport defines that) feels like you’re a bad person, because of your body size. How messed up is that?
But the reality is, it’s not just sport culture. Maybe the definition of what constitutes a “larger” body changes based on sport. But it’s not just sports. It’s society in general. For some reason, body size has become intertwined with work ethic, morality, intelligence and so many more human characteristics that have absolutely ZERO connection to the size of your body.
A person living in a smaller body is not better than a person living in a larger body. Body size is not a prerequisite to being a good person. And yet, our culture continues to breed this message. That thinner = better in all realms.
That’s just not true. So whoever needed to hear this reminder today, your body size, the weight on the scale, or your pant size is NOT character flaw. It’s not a moral failure. It’s not a willpower issue.
Because whether society decides to recognize it or not (we’re working on a culture shift!) you are so much more than a body.
I wish 17 year old Katie could have heard this message. It would’ve saved me years of disordered eating, obsessive exercise, and damage to my body 🙏🏼 share with someone else who may need this reminder today ❤️
Olipop taste test 🧡
With all of the controversy around Poppi and such, I figured I should give these soda alternatives a try! I passed Olipop leaving the grocery store and decided to pick it up! I’ll need to give Poppi a try too. After trying it, here are some of my thoughts 👇🏼
• If you’re looking to swap soda for a lower sugar option, these are great! I love that they are lower in added sugar and yet still delicious. That’s not to say there is anything wrong with having a regular soda if that’s what you’re craving, because there’s not! AND, if you’re looking for ways to lower added sugar intake while still maintaining flavor, this is a great option.
• let’s chat about the fiber for a second…there’s 9 grams of fiber in this can, which considering most Americans are not meeting fiber recommendations, this is A LOT of fiber. Recommended intake is 25-35 grams/day. So while I am HERE for more fiber intake 🙌🏼 I am more of an advocate for getting that through food versus added fiber in products like these. With food, you get the added benefits of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Additionally, added fiber sources like the ones in these drinks can sometimes cause an upset stomach. Even though the goal is to help gut health, the prebiotic fibers can also cause gut upset. If you’re prone to an upset stomach, proceed with caution ⚠️
• part of me feels like these products prey on consumers. They are usually pricey and use marketing tactics, in my opinion, to overstate their health effects (the whole basis of the Poppi lawsuit). That said, products like these shouldn’t be the only way you’re getting fiber and nutrients into your diet! Sure, they can be an option, but they shouldn’t be the only option. We should still focus on a variety of foods and drinks. That can include fun “healthified” options like this, AND the regular ole option like a standard soda
Nutrition should be BOTH/AND. Not all or nothing.
SAVE THIS REEL for your next busy morning breakfast idea! Coffee + fuel!
As a former athlete and now a postpartum infant mom, starting my day with a protein and energy packed, delicious and nutritious breakfast is a non-negotiable! Add in some coffee (decaf for me) and we’ve got a winner! I will be making this more often this summer ☀️
It’s the drip at the end for me 🤌🏼😋
I remember how shattered I felt after a conversation with a coach where they said I didn’t look “fit”. My body was a problem in my sport. I competed in an aesthetic sport that had a strong culture pushing a specific appearance and having that appearance would bring you success! You may have guessed…I didn’t naturally have the body type most desired in my sport. So while this convo wasn’t something that shocked me (I wasn’t oblivious to how my body looked, or didn’t look. I was probably too aware), it still shattered me.
For my entire 11 year sports career, my body was never right. It was never thin enough, small enough, long enough, you get the point. I was constantly trying to shrink my body, change my body, hate my body into an acceptable shape in the name of sports culture.
Before having a baby, I did A LOT of work to improve my body image (thank goodness because pregnancy and postpartum is a wild ride for body image). But it really hit me not too long ago while lamenting the way my body had changed after giving birth that I realized…
This body, the one I hated for years, is my baby’s safest, most secure, and comfortable place. This body. As it is right now. And that gave me a whole new appreciation and perspective on the purpose of my body. It’s not to be adorned like a Christmas tree. Its purpose is protection and safety for my little guy. And it does a heck of a job right now as is.
And with that, I felt my athlete self heal a little more. What was once shattered started to reconnect. My body is good and purposeful and right. Just ask my baby ❤️
#postpartumfitness#postpartumathlete#postpartumbody#lifeaftersports#femaleathletes#morethanabody#morethanenough#morethananathlete#stronglikeamother
