How to Look Good Naked

While I was scrapbooking the other night, I was flipping through the channels for some decent background noise which I must have and came across the show “How to Look Good Naked” on the Lifetime Channel. I had seen this show advertised previously and took notice of it mostly because Carson Kressley from the “Queer Eye” show was the host and I enjoyed him on that show so I thought I would watch it.
I think this is a great show. Basically it is “What Not to Wear” mellowed out. The show teaches the woman to work with what she has when it comes to her body and dress according instead of thinking of change such as I need to lose weight, I need plastic surgery, I need to shape up, etc. The difference with this show is that the woman’s photo (body, no face) only in bra and underwear is put up on a HUGE building in New York and they stop people on the street ask them what they think of the woman. Sounds like a nightmare right? Well they show the woman what the people say (of course they only show the woman and the viewing audience positive things) but the moral of the story is our self perception of our body is much WORSE than what others think of it. This show is just as much of a confidence builder as it is here’s some tips on how to emphasize your best parts and downplay the ones you don’t want to bring attention to.
Now these woman looked pretty good to me although size 4 and 19 years old they were not but to me even though they were not super thin it was obvious they had not had a multiple pregnancy. Boy, is my stomach in poor shape. It was in pretty bad shape after the triplets. I gained a total of 69 pounds in about 19 weeks (I lost weight the first 14 weeks). I am only 5’2” so I don’t have a long torso at all. I have a lot of extra skin and stretch marks from that pregnancy but then even my 6 pound Reese made it all worse and I’m not sure how maybe because I was pregnant with her longer but I only gained 18 pounds with her. I remember when I went back to my regular OB after the triplets were born for my check up, he had been in practice for at least 20 years and probably had seen hundreds of post partum bodies but he actually gasped when he saw my stomach and then said something like “You’ve got some stretch marks, don’t you?” That makes you feel so great. At my check up the other day, my doctor asked me if I felt like I had my body back. I said “I will never have my body back” (like my sister said “That’s such a man thing to say” and it is). Not that I ever had some rockin’ body before children but I now think it was pretty great in comparison to what I currently have. I personally think if you saw Kate on “Jon & Kate plus 8” when she showed her post sextuplet tummy on TV she doesn’t have anything on me -- not quite sure how she had twice as many babies as me and mine is worse. I haven’t shown anyone my belly except gasping doctors and Aaron but heck I’d show the world my stomach if I got a free tummy tuck like Kate (plus throw in a breast lift).
Now don’t get me wrong my wrecked body is a small price to pay for having the gift of 4 wonderful and healthy kids and Aaron never says anything about how I have changed or “Cover up, you’re blinding me” but it would be nice to wear clothes that fit correctly instead of having to buy pants 2 sizes too big so they fit my stomach but then they are HUGE in the rear. I’ve had people ask me when I was due when I wasn’t pregnant LONG after the triplets were born too so shirts tend to be an issue also {I’ll spare you the issues about my chest – you’re welcome}. But I did get some good tips from this show and may try a few new types of clothing on just to see. But in the meantime, maybe I will try to think of my “flaws” as my “badges” for having children. Maybe I will just try to be more positive. People are always complementing me on how great I look after they find out I have triplets, not quite sure how to take that maybe I should be REALLY HUGE or considering I have 4 kids it's just a miracle I have clothes on and I combed my hair? After nine weeks after having Reese I am 5 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight (which was my lowest weight ever). And I am also investing in some Spanx (until I get that tummy tuck)!