Pregnancy Weight Loss Inspiration from a Mom of Four

Pregnant ladies have it tough. They're expected to go through the monumental process of growing a human being inside their body (really think about that for a second), then, because they're women, snap backto what society deems to be the "perfect" body after the baby's born. All this, just so they can continue being sexually attractive to the universe.

We say: What about what makes us happy?

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When Joanna Venditti had her first two kids, she was able to drop almost every one of the 50 pounds she gained for each pregnancy by a lot of working out and dieting. While she was happy with the end result, the journey getting there was not a fun one. "It was coming from this negative and frustrating place," she said, "a place where I felt I had to punish my body."

Then she found out she was expecting twins, and her body image was put to the ultimate test. "I couldn't wrap my mind around how enormous I was going to get," she remembers. "To be honest, I was kind of freaking out about it."

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But after she had her two beautiful twin girls, something changed. She made a decision to be kind to her body from then on, and love herself for the miracle she created. She would focus on getting stronger, not skinnier. And she would shift her priorities away from looking better for strangers, to feeling better for herself and her kids.

"I am over hurting my back when I pick up a baby," she said. "No more pulling my neck while reaching for a pacifier that has fallen under a crib."

And anytime she has doubts about her body, she looks around the room and asks herself: "How many other people in this room grew two people inside their body at once?" Amen, sister!

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