Self-Love Through Body Changes
This blog is sponsored by Nordstrom and Shopstyle but all the opinions are my own.
s many of you know I am going through the wonderful and beautiful changes of pregnancy. This whole process has been an amazing experience. I have loved watching my body change every step and it helps when I can still feel great in activewear! Being active is a huge part of my life and it has helped me so much in all the challenging and changing times in my life. Clothes have always been important to me and when they make me feel great it can change my whole day for the better.
I love working with brands that have their customers in mind with every piece they produce. Nordstrom’s brands like Nike and Sweaty Betty are my favorite for athleisure and activewear. I have been going everywhere in the Air Max 2090 Sneakers lately, they are so comfy, and I can dress them up or down, which makes a full day on my feet while being pregnant a little easier! Speaking of easy, this Sweaty Betty Serene Sweat Dress has become a staple in my wardrobe, it’s cute, comfortable and I like to think it looks great whether you’re sporting a baby bump or not!
In this blog post, I’m going to break down an ideal weekend with a balance of movement, rest, work, relaxing, and good food!
Positive Body Image
Regardless of pregnancy, there are so many life factors that influence changes in our body. Stress, activity, age, maturation, and social influence seems to dictate that many of these changes should be seen as negative. We have been molded all our lives to believe only certain body types are beautiful and loved when in fact every BODY is beautiful and perfect in its own way. Luckily, we are seeing more awareness in the media around these issues and I applaud brands who are showing off diverse bodies on magazine covers, mannequins, runways, and social media. Nordstrom works with all different sizes of models to make everyone feel welcome to shop at their stores no matter which brands they are featuring. If you are struggling with body image during pregnancy or at any point in your life here are a few things you can do:
- Get Rid of the Scale – obviously there are certain reasons to keep the scale (especially if told by a doctor) but your value of your body should not be based on a number, but instead how you feel with and without clothes on.
- Change Your Social Media Feed – if you are following people who don’t make you feel good about yourself you are having to put in extra work to correct the mindset and physical reaction to seeing their posts then it’s probably time to hit that unfollow button. I have also found it helpful to follow other women on the same journey as me, and not ones that are ahead of me. The ones working on their postpartum body can give you all sorts of feels when you are pregnant.
- Take Lots of Pictures – not necessarily to post or compare but just to remind yourself of your growth and changes. Witnessing my body changing during pregnancy has been exciting, beautiful and a bit intimidating. I know that when I’m postpartum, I’ll be able to use these pictures to remind myself how much my body has gone through and why I don’t need to “bounce back” quickly. Plus, I’ll be able to remind myself of the nights I had way more sleep ;)
- Wear Clothes that Make You Feel Confident! Some of my favorite pieces right now that are making me feel super confident are the Good Karma Leggings, the Free People sweatsuit – sweater and sweatpants, and the Nike Swoosh Luxe Sports Bra! This bra is so simple, so it goes with everything and supportive enough to still adapt to my body.
Teaching Yourself Self Love
There is a major difference between self-love and self-care. Self-care is doing things to take care of yourself and check in on yourself. Self-love is accepting and appreciating your current self and being grateful for all the amazing things your body and mind can do for you. They are both very important but should not be confused. Everyone has to find their own way of loving themselves and as long as it is positive, there is no wrong way! If you are practicing self-care and wanting to treat yourself to some cute inspiring athletic wear, I highly suggest the One Dri-fit Shorts paired with the Harmonise Luxe Sweatshirt – who doesn’t love an all black fit!
Learning to love your body, especially when you want it to look a different way can feel impossible, but it truly is so important for our mental and physical health. You can love your body and still want to change it – in fact that is exactly the way it should be! Our bodies are forever changing and finding what works for you can be challenging but worth it. Self-love is not just about loving our bodies but also our minds and just taking care of ourselves as a whole. I have found the importance in practicing self-love every day, this started early in my fitness journey because I realized I couldn’t make as much progress if I was constantly dissatisfied with my appearance.
“I have found the importance in practicing self-love every day, this started early in my fitness journey because I realized I couldn’t make as much progress if I was constantly dissatisfied with my appearance.”
First of all, you need to feel comfortable in your clothes, I cannot stress how important this is. It is okay to hold onto clothes you want to fit into one day but don’t continue to wear clothes that aren’t your size when they make you feel uncomfortable. We all have that outfit that makes us feel great, the outfit with, feels cozy but comfortable in, and the outfit that makes us feel a little sexy. When I feel like making a statement, I love to throw on the Back Into It Cutout Hoodie because it is flattering but also has a unique vibe with the partial open back.
Dress for Success
If you don’t feel comfortable in your clothes how are you going to have any confidence? I know that I feel the most confident in athleisure! I am loving the Nordstrom athleisure lines such as Nike, Sweaty Betty and Free People right now because they stretch with me as I grow but also look super cute and on trend. Also, they feel like I am wearing my pajamas all day so that is a major bonus. Going through pregnancy for the first time (or anytime I’m sure) is quite challenging since I am used to being very active. Wearing my Nordstrom athleisure clothes from the time I get up helps me stay motivated to still get a workout in most days! Since leaving your home miiiight not happen too often it is nice to still feel put together but comfortable working and creating at home.
Nordstrom also has a rewards system called the Nordy Club, you earn points just for shopping then they turn into ‘Nordstrom Notes’ for you to use later to redeem for more amazing products and clothes! Did I mention it is free to join? – yup and the more you shop with them the higher class you move up in for even more rewards. You know, you’ve been in one of these before but honestly the Nordy Club has the best perks and it’s worth it for the seamless returns alone.
When I first started my pregnancy, I ordered a bunch of athletic wear from Nordstrom and then… I “popped” and none of them fit by the time I got them, their return policy allowed me to return them so easily and then order new ones right to my door with free shipping! The Swoosh Faux Fur Jacket is the only piece I didn’t have to return, and I love it, it is perfectly oversized and adjusted perfectly to my bump! If you do feel like leaving your house, they also offer curbside pickup at their stores! They have so many they are really a full-closet shopping location.
Surround Yourself with Support
There is no reason you need to be all alone in your journey of finding self-love. Everyone goes through it and whether you start to do the work to gain confidence at age 10 or 60 it is important to have a support system to lift you up on days you can’t lift yourself. Be that person for your loved ones – spread love and support as much as you can! Everyone needs a good support system like they need a good Stamina Sports Bra! Work together to find coping mechanisms, abolish diet culture, retrain your mindset, and accept it is not going to be easy and it does take practice. It is a constant journey and there is no perfectly right or wrong way to do it. Find what works for you, wear clothes that make you feel amazing and choose happiness every day.
Find me in an Oversize Fleece Hoodie at home, cozied up and appreciating all the amazing things my body is doing every second!
Lots of love,
