Having a baby really does a number on your body. I mean, your body literally grew and entire human!

Between stretch marks, weight gain, and loose skin, I honestly don't think you ever truly feel like yourself again post baby, but there are things you can do to help make yourself feel good in the skin you're in postpartum.

I’ve always been self-conscious about my weight and size for as long as I can remember, and being pregnant only heightened some of those inner struggles. Thanks to breastfeeding, weight has fallen off, but a snap back is a work in progress. 

Looking at my body every day used to be filled with disappointment, but I’ve learned (and still learning some days) to accept that this is the mom body I have now. 

That said, here are a few tips on how to love yourself postpartum:

Remember, No One is Perfect // Seriously, no one. Even those celebrities who you think have the perfect bodies. Trust me, some of the snap back you see is nothing but angles and waist snatchers, honey! Everyone has flaws, so learn to love yourself flaws and all. Ladies, its okay that our bodies are not perfect after giving birth. And it's totally normal too! Give yourself time!

Be Kind to Yourself // While it's easy for us to look at our postpartum bodies with a critical eye, its important that we be kind to ourselves. Be grateful for all that your body has done! Your body went through this miraculous process of growing and nurturing life for 10 months. Admire your body for its strength, its power, its endurance, and its grace, not just its physical appearance. Your body is powerful, and your self-worth is not in the way your body looks. 

Stop Comparing // Social media does a great job at depicting what a woman's snap back should be after having a bay. You're flooded with images of how women, mainly celebrities, "snap back" in weeks, and sometimes days, after pregnancy. The important thing to remember is every woman is different and unique, and so are our bodies. You grew and housed a whole entire human in your womb for 9 months, so it's okay if you don't snap back weeks and even months after. Write your own narrative and stop letting the world write it for you.

Let It Go // *cue Disney's Frozen* No, seriously, let it go sis. While some women are able to get their old bodies back postpartum, most women aren't. At this point, you've already had the baby. And if you're anything like me, you've had more than one. This is your body now. The loose skin. The extra stretch marks. I've had to let go of looking like the old Danyelle, and I find a new confidence in how I look every day. 

Make an Effort // While you're adjusting to this new normal, make an effort to look and feel good in your new body. I used to wallow in how terrible I thought I looked. There was a point where I stopped caring about myself, to be totally honest. Since I've been working from home the past few months, I’m making an effort to do more with how I look so I can feel better about myself. It’s easy to walk around the house all day in a baggy t-shirt with my head scarf still on at 4 p.m. But, some cute loungewear or some cute athleisure, like this set from Katie K Active, is an instant mood booster for me and has me feeling and looking cute! And when I do go out, oh you best believe I'm making sure I look goodt  Okay?! The saying "when you look good, you feel good" really does ring true and it truly makes a world of a difference. 

Set Goals & Do the Work //  If losing the baby weight is what you want to do, don't be afraid to do the work, but do it on your own timeline and on your own terms. Don't feel pressure by the images you see floating around on social that tell you you need to be doing these things. And definitely don't feel like you need to punish yourself. Start with small goals, like working out 3-4 times a week. As much as I'd like to go ape and workout six times a week, I know it's not realistic and it's not something I'd be able to keep up with my hectic life and schedule. Start slowly, go at your own pace, listen to your body, and most importantly, be honest with yourself and remain consistent. And if you miss a day, that's totally fine too. Setting goals and crushing them will make you aware of what your body is actually capable of, making you that much more appreciative of it.  Most importantly, setting the goal and holding yourself accountable keeps you disciplined because let's be honest, you won't always feel motivated.

Learning to love your postpartum body and getting your confidence back isn't always easy. I’ve learned that feeling good and owning your body is really up to you. If you don’t feel good about something, you have the power to fix it. You can change how you feel about your postpartum body with a simple shift in perspective. 

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Summer is coming friends! Whether we're ready for it or not, its managed to sneak up on us. With everyone being home if you've found yourself gaining the #quarantine15 or are looking for an easy way to jumpstart your weight-loss, then this post is for you. 



Battling my weight has been a reoccurring struggle for me for as long as I can remember. Especially after each baby, losing the weight has been challenging to say the least. While I do believe I'm beautiful at any size, being as small as I am and carrying the extra weight just became too much for me. Not only is not just not healthy, but it's hard to keep up with three energetic toddlers when you're carrying around more weight than you should be. 

I've tried my fair share of mainstream dieting fads over the years, and I can tell you I've struggled with each and every one of them. They're all extremely restricting and are all about what you can't have, which is completely unrealistic more often than not. 

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've tried diets like this and felt absolutely miserable because of all of the restrictions, eliminating things like carbs and proteins so not to gain weight. In the end, it only led to binge eating because I had eliminated so much from my diet. I got tired of failing.

Introducing, the book Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion. I was so excited when I was offered the opportunity to review this book, especially given my history of failed fad diets.

Bestselling author, Joel Marion, is a fitness expert and nutritionist debunking the myths underlying traditional dieting and offers a simple, highly effective weight loss program. Based on surprising science, Always Eat After 7 PM debunks popular diet myths and offers an easy-to-follow diet that accelerates fat-burning and allows you to indulge in your most intense food cravings: Eating the majority of your calories at night. 

Not convinced? Check out the below author video to learn the science behind the program:



What was surprising to me was reading about how this plan actually encourages eating carbs! Count me in!  I was also pleasantly surprised when reading about how restricting entire food groups can actually have adverse effects on your health: “Avoiding carbohydrates and restricting calories later in the day can have an adverse effect on your thyroid hormones, which play a major role in metabolism. When the thyroid fails to secrete enough of the hormones that control metabolism, this can trigger symptoms like fatigue, depression, weight gain, thinning hair, and dry skin.”

This book has really changed the way I think about food and dieting, and I'm super excited to be on this journey. It's so necessary so I can get back to feeling like my old self, and for my family. I loved reading about Joel Marion's success story, sharing how “At [his] next medical checkup, [his] doctor was shocked at how good [his] blood work had gotten, so quickly. And let’s not forget the most important part: for the first time in months, [he] had the energy to keep up with [his] little girls.”

That's what I look forward to most from following this plan. Having the energy to keep up with my children and not feel winded so easily or feel achey because of the extra weight I'm carrying for my frame. I'm excited to get started on this journey and will be taking you along with me. 

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase. Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.

Have you heard about the eating before bed myth? What is your experience with eating before bed? Let me know in the comments. 


Disclosure: I’ve partnered with “Always Eat After 7 PM” for the creation and sharing of this post. All opinions expressed below are my own.

Image via CreateHerStock

Self care is extremely important. Its more than just stealing an hour a way to get your nails done. Self care is about focusing on your physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental health because trust me - it all takes a bit of a hit once you add the role "mommy" to the equation.

As a busy mom and wife, I know first hand how easy it is to lose yourself in fulfilling these roles. Motherhood is the constant giving of yourself for the tiny humans you've created, but don't forget to show yourself a little love too. Here are some of my self-care tips for busy moms.

1.   Saying “No” // Learning to say no to taking on more than I can or want to handle – without guilt— is something that’s been a little hard for me. There's so much I want to do, and there's thing I'd like to get back to doing that I did B.K. (before kids), but right now, I can't. As parents of two little ones who also work full time, our time is extremely limited and to be honest, I'm tired yall! My life and schedule are literally full. I also can get overwhelmed rather easily sometimes when I take on way too much, so I'm not up for balancing 15 different things if I know that in this season of my life, I don't have the capacity to do so.

      Trying to do too much, something will lack, and I don't want lack to show up when it comes to quality time with my husband or my children because our time is already so limited due to our schedules. Taking on more than I can handle or more than I want to with the very limited time I have in the name of pleasing others isn’t an option. If I can’t do it, or I don’t feel up to it, I’m learning to say no and not feel guilty about it for my own sanity. I'm in a different season in my life now with two children, and we try and manage what we can when we can as best as we can. My family is my ministry, and making sure I serve my husband and my children the best way I can by being present is my top priority.

2.    Ask for Help // I must admit— asking for help is not something I’m used to doing. I’d rather just do things myself, especially when it comes to my children since 5 days out of the week, I don’t get much time with them. I try to involve myself in everything, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Good because I want my children to know that mommy is present no matter what - I mean well in that area. On the other hands, everything leads to exhaustion and overworking yourself. Ladies, ask for help when needed, even if it’s as simple as a diaper change.

3.   Eat Heatlhy // Since my schedule can be pretty busy, I'm tired....like, all the time! I try to make an effort to eat healthy to help keep my energy up, and because it's just better for my body overall.  

4.   Laugh // Since becoming a mom, I’ve become a bit more serious. I’m learning to lighten up a little and really just not take life so serious all the time. Live and laugh more, ya know? Stop being stuck on a schedule and how things should go, but being a bit more relaxed. If things don't go as planned, that's okay! Laughter is the best medicine. Laugh mamas! 


Image via CreateHerStock

5.   Unplug // I can’t tell you how important unplugging is. It’s so easy to get lost in just everything— the busyness of life, social media, etc…. For a while, I felt like I didn’t know who I was because I was just lost in everything. Mommas, do yourself a favor and take time to unplug and unwind. Turn off the TV, set the phone aside, crack open the Word, and just unplug! You'll be refreshed afterwards.



Image via CreateHerStock

6.   Schedule time for yourself // If you don’t schedule time, it’ll never happen. Literally. You're just as important as everyone else, so make time to do something you like to do. Recently, I've figured out how to squeeze in some time to blog, and fit in working out into my busy days. Make time for the things you care about!

7.   Rest // You can’t give what you need to others if you’re running on empty. Mamas’ make time to get some rest. Even if it means dropping the baby off for a few hours on your day off, or asking your husband to take the morning shift while you get in an extra hour of sleep. Get some rest so you can be better for your family and for yourself.

Remember mamas: You are just as important as everyone else. Take the time to take care of you too! It's better for everyone in the long run because you'll be less tired, overwhelmed, impatient, and just overall moody.

So tell me, what are you doing to practice self care??