When I was in my 20′s, I heard, “Just wait until you turn 30. Your metabolism slows waaaaaay down!”
Before I had kids, I heard, “Pregnancy does a number on your body. It’ll never be the same. Even if you lose all your baby weight. Things never go back to where they were.”
Once I turned 30, I began hearing, “You thought 30 was rough? Wait until you see what 40 has in store for you!”
Right now I’m 33 and a mother of 2.
I can tell you that I really don’t weigh any more than I did before getting pregnant, but my pants surely don’t fit how they used to.
I can tell you that I did, in fact, notice a *slow down* after turning 30 and delivering baby #2.
(Plus the start of achey knees and other “old person calamities”.)
I can tell you that tasty indulgences tend to put down roots in my midsection, which they never did before.
And I can tell you that even though my weight isn’t any different, I now have a belly that I never had before kids.
But besides verifying that what I’ve always been told, has turned out to be true, I can also tell you that I’m honestly OK with these changes.
Ever since I was young, I never understood the big deal some women made about turning a certain age. To me, your age is only one piece of who you are, and not a defining point. I choose to believe that my wider hips and squishy-belly-that-will-never-go-away-no-matter-how-many-crunches-I-do are signs of a life lived and not symptoms of a problem that needs fixing.
So, sure, things change as you age and your body may no longer be bikini-ready. But shouldn’t we women be OK with our new shapes?
I think the next time we’re standing in front of our mirrors, longing for the bodies of our 20′s to come back to us, we should instead embrace our wider hips and non-flat tummies as the battle scars of life that they are.
So true! I wish I could say my pooch and saddle bags were a result of babies, but I can say I’m more comfortable in my body now than I was in my 20s, even with it’s slightly squishier edges.
You know that they say the hips don’t lie!
That was so right and simple and a fantastic way for women to look at themselves. Thank you for sharing those really beautiful thoughts with us.
We most certainly should be okay with our shapes. Stretchmarks, cellulite, changes in the way our body stores fat. It’s all part of our life’s story. Thanks for sharing this Liz. Stumble it!
I wouldn’t mind the shape-shifting body if mine was more evenly spread out. Instead, all my weight is located in my belly. Making me look perpetually 6 months pregnant even though I gave birth to my 3rd and last baby almost 3 years ago. I can say, though, that after my 2nd child, I was the happiest I had ever been with my body, even during my super slim teen years. I just need to find a way to get myself back to that.
Love this post! I always heard the “just wait until your 30″ line and never believed it. I’m 33, and now I see that it is so true. I’m not as active as I used to be, but I’m trying. And, my clothes definitely don’t fit me the same as before, but I’m starting to be ok with it.
Good for you Liz! I had a minor break down when I turned 30 but now that that’s out of the way, it’s been smooth sailing. I think for most women, life gets more comfortable as they get older. And women are constantly reinventing themselves. None of my stuff looks the same either but the other thing that’s changed is I honestly don’t care (as much).
I’m similar to you, Liz! I actually weigh LESS now than I did before I had my first but I’m oh-so-much softer.
Like Glamamom said, I just don’t care as much either. I work out but I’m not gonna kill myself for a super flat tummy. I’d rather spend time on other things (like blogging- hehe).
I find you saying “oh-so-much softer” to be totally adorable! Ha!
I loving refer to my belly as my “mama pouch”. Cuz it really is a mushy glob of skin, isn’t it?
Love, love, love this! I am so with you about the age… our age makes us who we are. It makes us veterans at some things, and explorers on other things. Thank you so much for linking up!
Love this post. I totally embrace my new hips but I hate the belly.
That’s very much how I feel about my old-lady hands and wrinkly forehead. I earned this skin, these lines. I earned it all and – mostly – loved every minute of it!
Love this post! I have gained, with time and experience, a new perspective on my body. I am grateful to it and my sometimes large hips for what they have brought forth, namely a child. I wouldn’t trade my body’s blemishes and imperfection for anything. It’s amazing. The things that once seemed like a big deal, aren’t any more.
Amen, sister. Couldn’t have said it better myself. We have to learn to embrace the changes as they happen… we can’t expect to have the same figure forever… and besides, our imperfections are what make us perfect. Just my two cents. I’m so glad to hear you are comfortably settled in that fantastic skin of yours–there’s no reason you shouldn’t feel like the beautiful momma you are
so true!!! Love this post! I really noticed the slow down at 35
I know, right! me too. My metabolism and my body’s elasticity just ain’t what it used to be.
I liked my body pre-kid & like my body post-kid!
This is a good post!
Amen. I still haven’t lost all the baby weight, and I often get down on myself about that. But it’s not really worth it, is it.
I worked out a lot when i was maternity leave, so i got completely back to my pre-baby body by the time i went back to work. but what I’ve found harder to combat are the changes that come just purely from AGE. After 35 my body has just not been as tight as it used to be and quite frankly, it would take way too much time that i don’t have to get back to where i was.
sign me, good enough.
I’m with you. I’m in my mid 20′s and 2 children beat the crap out of my body
But….This is a symbol of what I’ve brought into this world, and I’ll never regret that 
Oh Liz, I love this sentiment. These stretch marks, these spreading bones, a gift from our children.
But the mama pouch…ask me in a few months.
Yes, I heard all these warnings, too. And I do remember a few smart women adding that when it inevitably happened, I wouldn’t mind a bit.
They were so right.
Except about the neck skin. I mind that very much.
true true… every “scar” on my body is a symbol of something in my life. And while our bodies will change, sometimes regardless of what we do or don’t do, we should love who we are. in the same tone, we should be soooo proud of our bodies that we will continue to treat them well, not just for the sake of losing weight or belly fat, but b/c these are the only bodies we have… and there’s nothing wrong with taking care of them.
Wait, old person aches aren’t suppose to start until your thirties?
Well, frick.
I love the title of this post. And the message, of course. I even quoted you to a friend of mine earlier!
Amen sister. Amen. This was beautifully done. XO
Oh, you know I agree with you….I love to be sarcastic and lament the body that I’ve been left with in my late 40′s.
But honestly? I am so happy in this skin. Happy with the changes because they were brought about by really cool stuff.
Love this, Liz!
To me, there is nothing more beautiful than a person who embraces their body and truly lives within it. Health and happiness are what matters!
[...] feeling betrayed by my body (and feeling awful about my emotional breakdown on a beautiful post by A Belle, A Bean, & A Chicago Dog – sorry Liz!) and it struck me that I think part of my emptiness is feeling betrayed by God. [...]
I am here from Jessica’s blog…and I think I’ll stay!! I am now a follower, I definitely like what I see! Hope you will come visit:
http://childhoodmyths.net/blog
Our womanly bodies are amazing, with what they can do! I embrace mine too. Good reminder, Liz.
You are adorable.
And still very young, by the way.
When did 33 get to be “aging”???
Crap.
But I love 42. And I would NEVER say “just wait until…..” as an intro to some kind of bad-news barometer.
Instead I’ll say, “Just wait until you’re in your forties.
It’s awesome.”
For real.
Amen sister.
Though I am starting to feel old, at 36. And my jeans don’t fit the same either.
But I am grateful that I’m not young now. I’d hate to be in college these days. Can you imagine what you’d have to spend on clothes??? I got by with Gap jeans a blazer and bodysuit….much more expensive to be hip these days.
Looking back though, those Gap jeans were cut like Mom Jeans…How did I spend my hot years in mom jeans????
HAHAHA! I totally love you line about spending your hot years in mom jeans! It’s the truth though! Fashion changes are ridiculous!
Wow. Great post!
yes and amen sister!
I really needed to read this:
I choose to believe that my wider hips and squishy-belly-that-will-never-go-away-no-matter-how-many-crunches-I-do are signs of a life lived and not symptoms of a problem that needs fixing.
Wise, wise woman.
I wish more women saw themselves like this.
You’re pretty.
All women *should* see themselves like this. It’s a shame how society affects one’s view of herself.