Ep 189:   Motherhood and Weight Loss

The way we lose weight before pregnancy directly shapes the kind of mother we'll be.   Here's how:   Motherhood Starts with Ourselves When we gently nurture ourselves—shifting from self-criticism to kindness—we lay the foundation for how we show up as parents. That internal loving “mom voice” we practice while losing weight? It’s the very one our kids will hear once they arrive. When we create a more understanding, compassionate relationship with ourselves, everybody wins.   Judgment Around Food Is Just the Beginning It’s so easy to label food as “good” or “bad,” sliding right into labeling ourselves the same way. If we treat ourselves critically every time we err—whether it’s Oreos during the two week wait or skipping a walk because bed is just too cozy—we end up stuck. But when we approach those moments with honest curiosity (“Hmm, what’s really going on here?”), we finally get somewhere. The same goes for handling those classic toddler moments (hello, car seat battles!)—patience with ourselves becomes patience with our littles.   The Big Payoff: Kinder Patterns (Just When We Need Them Most) Changing our default brain pattern from judgment to understanding isn’t just good for weight loss—it’s lifesaving for motherhood. When exhaustion or frustration hits (and it will, especially with toddlers), whatever habits we’ve built for talking to ourselves take center stage. We can’t force kindness for our kids if we haven’t practiced it with ourselves. But when compassion is our go-to, we handle the messiness of real life with more creativity, love, and even fun.   We don’t need to be perfect. But we sure do deserve better than an endless loop of self-shaming. Every gentle, understanding word we give to ourselves right now is setting us—and our future families—up for an easier, more joyful ride.   Give this episode of the Weight Loss for Fertility podcast a listen—it might just change how you see weight loss, motherhood, and yourself 😍 Links:   Click the links below to lose weight now, the Weight Loss for Fertility way: Website -  stephaniefeinmd.com   -  Facebook   -  Instagram  -  LinkedIn