BodyBuilderMom
POWERED BY EXTOL, LAC & WHAS 11
intended or not, the offers were
offensive. This mama was focused on
learning how to parent (and finding
pockets of time to slip in moments
of sleep). What I looked like – what I
weighed – was not for others to judge.
Instead of accepting someone
else’s perception of me, I marveled
at how this body had produced a tiny
human and was now responsible
for providing her what she needed
to thrive. I knew I was, for the first
time in my life, clinically obese and
resolved to get back in shape when
I was ready – not a moment before.
Immersing myself in motherhood
was the sole priority.
A year later, however, I grew tired
of being tired. My joints hurt, my
balance was off, and I lacked energy
and stamina. I’d lost a little bit of
weight without trying, but as a doctor
gently pointed out, I was an older
mom – 41 the day I gave birth – with
a family history of obesity, high
blood pressure and diabetes. My
health needed to become a priority
in my life.
So, I started working with a trainer
and following a diet plan. But as soon
as I lost a mildly noticeable amount
of weight, I’d allow life to intrude, the
excuses to flow and give up. I’ll start
again Monday, I told myself again
and again, sometimes lasting to the
weekend but reversing any gains I
made in the matter of a few days.
I didn’t feel like a failure; I just
didn’t care. I was juggling multiple
jobs, and working hard to be a good
By Angie Fenton
PROGRESS & PRIORITIES
Before: 180 lbs.
Current: 129 lbs.
The last time I stepped on the scale
before giving birth to my daughter,
I weighed 180 pounds and stood
in awe.
I’d happily gained what I referred
to as “love weight” after meeting my
husband, an incredible cook whose
food I loved to eat. But after a year
and a half, I couldn’t fit into any of
my pants and had resorted to flowy
tops with leggings or dresses to hide
what was underneath. It was time to
get back in shape, except nothing
seemed to work. I was exhausted,
craved food I’d never been drawn to
and thought age must be the reason
my waist was thickening. It never
occurred to me I might be pregnant.
After all, I was 40 and had been on
the pill for years. Thankfully, God
had other plans.
Now here I was, hours away from
meeting the daughter I’d car ried
Before
44 EXTOL : JUNE/JULY 2018
for months, in awe. I had never
experienced such love for my own
body. I felt strong, beautiful and at
peace, all 180 pounds of me...us.
Hours after labor, I cradled Olive
in my arms while my husband slept
on a cot nearby, grateful tears rolling
down my cheeks as I looked at the
two most important people in my
world.
Less than three weeks after
becoming a first-time mother, I
was asked the dreaded post-birth
question – “When are you due?”
– while on a quick solo trip to grab
a few items at my neighborhood
grocery store. Surely, the stranger
had not meant to be rude, so I
laughed it off without correcting
her, but the comment stung.
When I began to receive
unsolicited Facebook messages
and texts from people who wanted
to help me get my “pre-baby body
back,” I was deeply hurt. Well-
After
Before
After