Bethany Frankel vs. Valerie Berkowitz (Part 1)

Bethany Frankel may be going into the Guinness Book of World Records for losing 30 pounds in 3 weeks and I think it’s great. My husband actually knows her and has a lot of respect for her. I have personally never met her. But I do not hate her and am not annoyed that she lost her weight so quickly. I respect her for her honesty, she tells us the real story… she gained 35 pounds and delivered 5 weeks early so if she delivered at term she would have likely gained more and then while she was in the hospital she did not eat for 3 days. She is breast feeding and all these things figure into the mix.
Bethany says that people gain more weight than they should because they binge. And she goes on to say that if she did not lose the weight she would be ashamed and she would burn all her books, “ Your diet is a bank account, you decide on how you want to spend.” I’m sure that what she says is perfectly true for her and a few others but it is not true for me and many others. I certainly do not agree with her attitude as a role model for so many of us.
I have never really talked about the specifics of my pregnancy experiences but I am going to share them now. People need to know that not everyone will lose the “baby fat” like Bethany and they should not get upset or depressed about it and should not take what Bethany says to heart.
I am having my fourth child in a couple of weeks and refused to get the results of my weekly weigh-ins ‘cause I know I have gone up a few sizes and when I look in the mirror I look like a pregnant cabbage patch doll! I do not need to see the number on the scale.
Even though I am not “annoyed” at Bethany, I have to say that she is off target for many of us and it’s important for me to “weigh-in” on this issue. For women, like me, who have not had the “Bethany Frankel pregnancy experience”, (www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/showbiz/2010/06/10/behar.bethenny.frankel.cnn.html) it is important to know that they can lose the weight. It just may take a little more time and effort. I did and will eventually lose the weight again but many women have changes in their thyroid or metabolism during or after giving birth.  So you may need to take a medical approach to figure out if your health is different after giving birth.  Bethany is likely not a true  representative of most women. I wish she were a true representation of most of us but do not torture yourself if you have not had a similiar experience as Bethany.     
After my first pregnancy (twins), I was depressed about the amount of weight I gained. With my next pregnancy and for this one it’s all been the same-nausea and constant hunger.
I fought my hardest not to eat more than I did prior to getting pregnant. I did not want to change a single thing. I normally eat well and exercise. I have never been able to figure out why my body craves more food when I’m pregnant. I gain so much weight (likely due to hormones)!
Next time, I’ll give you a little “taste” of what I eat and how my body dictates eating more food next time.