Source: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Paul Smith / Getty
Eniko Hart, just 11 days postpartum, shared that she’s lost nearly 20 pounds of the 37 she gained during pregnancy, and boy, did everybody’s insecurities jump out.
The 36-year-old gave followers a peek at her body after baby (so far) on Saturday. She talked about how proud she was of the fact that her body was bouncing back so well. She stated, “i gained 37lbs this time w/ baby girl..
down 19lbs.. & feelin’ DAMN GOOD abt it. I’m slowly but surely getting back to my old self, baby girl is happy, & healthy thank God.”
She also made sure to note that while people don’t often have the same journey, “I’ve learned over the years if you treat your body good, it’ll do the same in return.”
Some applauded her message, and her physical progress. There were a number of people, however, who criticized her for pushing what they felt were unrealistic postpartum standards, especially as a woman living the cushy lifestyle she does.
One commenter said to her, “Yeah with a private trainer, chef and no job…you ladies can snap back easily also!”
Hart would respond, saying, “i know a few women actually that aren’t as fortunate to have a chef nor trainer, still work a full time job, go to a gym while pregnant, still take care of their bodies and look GREAT!”
From there, people went back and forth, either calling her in-progress snapback unrealistic, or praising her for the hard work it took to make it happen. There were also people who swapped personal stories about how they were able to find the time amidst busy work schedules and more than one kid to get fit, or the factors that were holding them back from making it happen.
It was exhausting to see.
It didn’t seem that Hart was attempting to enforce anything unhealthy or pressure anybody. She shared a true message that has been said time and again about how taking good care of one’s self pays off when your body has to go through something substantial. It’s not a shock that it would make anyone look at their own situations and have a thought or two. However, it didn’t need to be that deep. People should be able to celebrate themselves and the successful work they do without having to worry that a picture will impact the self-esteem of others. You can look at her body without criticizing yourself for not being able to drop the pounds in 11 days or 11 months. You can see posts like this and not have to open your mouth to say that people like her only got there because they’re privileged to have assistance. You can view something like this and simply just respect what someone else was able to do for themselves, without having to see yourself in their story.
And trust me, I can relate. I’m nearly five months postpartum after delivering via C-section, and my weight has fluctuated. I’m not going to get into excuses as to why, but I just know that I’d like to get back to the size I was way before baby and boredom eating, sometime soon. I thought of my own struggles as Hart’s boomerang played, her stomach just about flat. Then I stopped. What she is and has been able to do has nothing to do with what I have and haven’t accomplished in my own postpartum journey. I could be hard on myself or try to invalidate her achievements, but I would still be in the same body dealing with the same situation I was in before seeing her in her Ugg slippers and short-shorts. Neither of those reactions would be healthy, so what’s the point?
I think as new moms and moms-to-be, many of us have felt at some point in pregnancy or after, not like ourselves. It could be because of the changes in the physical, the emotional, the sleep, relationship dynamics — you name it. So when you have a moment where you feel good, including about the body that just carried a wonderful human being into this life, it’s a major moment. While we might not all go Hart’s route and post about it on social media, the feeling is still an exhilarating one. So even if you’re not inspired, you think it was easier for her than it is for others or you started to second-guess your own body for a second because of her post, I’m sure you can understand what could be behind her desire to celebrate herself and the power of the female body. We need be kind to ourselves as we try to navigate life and body after baby. In addition to that, we also need to be kind to other moms when it comes to the ways in which they choose to do the same.
