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Weight-Part One

As I grew up, I had never been bothered about weight gain/loss, I was content. However, weight is such a big deal and whether you like it/not, whether you care/not that weight issue comes up.

Stage One
In Africa, during the wedding ceremonies, the lady is told to cook for her husband and ensure that he is comfortable. She is told the way to her man's heart is through the stomach (sincerely that is too much pressure for a young bride).The measuring stick on their happiness& comfort there after is how many kilograms have they added(Isn't that a fallacy?) .

Stage Two
When the lady is pregnant, it is loving emphasized that she should eat, eat& eat some more. I agree that we should eat but how much is enough? Should one eat for one or two? Eating a balanced diet is enough, I think the doctors agree on that on because eating for 2 has consequences.

Once the baby is born, the pressure levels go a notch higher especially if the child is breast feeding. Advice given is you need to eat and drink a lot so that you can have enough milk for the baby to grow. I agree eat enough but the pressure, I can only remember being introduced to soup by force by my lovely mothers& aunt. I didn’t like soup from childhood but I was told "you drink for the baby and not because you like it" ouch! What about me? I drank it for a few days then decided, I can’t keep up so I resorted to my favourite porridge I gobbled it down with a lot of joy to a point of addiction .

When the visitors come, you hear a few comments about your weight, especially from the older ladies. I got suggestions that I should tie a leso around my stomach to ensure it doesn't hang or stick out. Remember this mum has just got her baby, has gone through pregnancy and its hardly 2 months and people are already suggesting ways of getting rid of the stomach? Has she recovered from the pregnancy and the changes in her body that are all so confusing and new to her? Of course as a woman at that time you wonder do I look that bad? Believe me I tried for one day to tie that leso and decided that was not my portion. If the tummy remains that's ok because we have been blessed with a lovely baby and for that it’s worth it, if it were to remain there forever, that is ok with me.

So for all who are struggling with this issue,let us remember that we have been created fearfully and wonderfully. Yes we have a responsibility to eat and live healthy but do we have to beat ourselves so to please others? Until you are comfortable with who you are, only then will the world be comfortable with who you have become.

Lets enjoy life.

Comments

Ems Makuthi said…
I am so happy that you have started this conversation...i am also working on motherhood and weight part 1.
Bring it on Ems, we can never exhaust this sensitive topic. Looking forward to hearing your story.

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