For months, Zoe Saldana has been lamenting the fact that she hasn’t lost the minor amount of baby weight she was holding onto after having her twin boys, Bowie and Cy, in November, 2014. In April of this year she wrote that the weight gain from pregnancy was “a very challenging experience,” that “bouncing back feels impossible,” and that “it is slow, painful and frustrating. But it is worth it.”
Then, this September she said that “everything hurts and feels uncomfortable” compared to her pre-pregnancy body and that “I feel bad for those women who are desperate and want to bounce back three months after having a baby… I definitely took a break and trusted that my body was going to bounce back when it was ready. I never wanted to push myself.”
Well it’s been a year and Zoe can once again fit back into her Guardians of the Galaxy costume. She posted the following picture to Instagram, along with a bikini pic.
In the past two years I lost 50 lbs and got to my goal weight. I was able to lose it because I got my appendix out and that solved a lot of ongoing health issues I’d had. Plus I had the time and freedom – I work from home and have more time to exercise, and I figured out that if I count calories it’s a lot simpler than eliminating my favorite foods. (I used MyFitnessPal and a food scale. I do emotional eat but once I started counting everything it became easier to control.)
My point is that yes weight loss is achievable by us non-celebrities, and I definitely get the urge to share it and explain how you did it, but I don’t do this unless people ask and I would never presume to tell someone else that “if I can do it all moms can.” Weight loss has to be on people’s own schedule. Zoe knows this as it took her a year. Some women work 9 to 5 and then go home and have to make dinner, care for children, and clean the house. I’m not saying weight loss is impossible for anyone, it’s just that some have it much harder than others.
You would think that Zoe, who complained multiple times that it was tough for her to lose the weight from having twins, would not frame her weight loss this way. If Zoe would have posted that picture and just talked about it on her own terms that would have been fine. I just question why she addressed her post to all mothers, especially when she’s an incredibly privileged celebrity with so many advantages and resources.
On the other hand, maybe she’s talking like this because it was really hard for her and she’s trying to be encouraging. There are just shades of Maria Kang in that post.
50 pounds? Wow, congrats!
I actually find her photos weirdly inspirational, even though there’s no way I’d ever look like Zoe Saldana. I gained 40 lbs of baby weight and it never went away. I’ve started going to the gym again and using MyFitnessPal to track food/exercise but it is slow going. I always reading the accounts of real women who lose a lot of weight and how they did it. I find it inspiring.
Yes, CB, congrats. Also thaisajs, good luck. It’s better that it is slowly coming off. Usually when weight loss if fast, it comes back on much quicker.
How long ago did you have your baby? I gained 40 lbs and nothing budged on me in the first year, no matter whether I binged or starved. Around 12-14 months postpartum, weights started to shift on its own, but at almost 24 months pp, it’s not all gone by any means. My point is, at ~6 months pp I would have never believed I was going to lose any of the weight…
Wow! Congrats on all the discipline And hard worK!!!
Annnddd….there it is. She needed attention and now she has it.
Yes, weight loss is possible. However, there are many factors that can work in your favor for your goal. In Zoe’s case, I feel safe to assume she has more resources then your average person. Also, genes play a factor in weight loss. So to paint a broad brush regarding weight loss seems pretty unfair.
The stomach is the main concern. After my second pregnancy it was a mess and wasn’t going down. I got a recumbent exercise bike and did 20 minutes a day for three months. The stomach was flat and it’s stayed that way. Along with that, just watch the carbs and cut back on junk food. That’s all you have to do. If you can add in a brisk little daily walk, that’s even better.
Agreed, her resources are vastly different than the majority of new moms, she has a naturally thin frame, and is young and in good health otherwise. Maybe people in her position should just count their blessing and wish others the best.
Edit: Just read below she had other health issues. But general opinion stands.
@Lucy2 …
Zoe is 37-years-old. That’s a lot different from having your first child (and that first child turns out to be twins) at 26-years-old (I’m assuming she was 36 when the twins were born).
.
What did women do in the past though? Don’t you remember as a child that most of the mothers of your friends were a normal healthy weight after having multiple kids? I do. Many of them worked too. And I bet practically none of them went to the gym like everyone does nowadays. Something is out of whack today and I’m guessing it’s our processed modern diet.
“Something is out of whack today and I’m guessing it’s our processed modern diet”
That and also they had to walk much more than we do. It is not noticeable as it is not a separate effort like working out but it makes a huge difference when you have to walk 2-3 hours a day just to get places, and carry things. The life was much less automated.
@Farhi,
I think it’s more the processed foods. I walk 3+ miles every day, but I didn’t loose significant weight until I moved to Rome for four months. Despite eating buckets of pasta, eating out at least once a week and not exercising, I dropped from a size 11 to a size 5 in the first two months. I walked about the same distance each day. When I came back to the US, I put it all back on almost immediately.
They mopped and scrubbed their floors and kitchen appliances. They ran up and down stairs after the kids and ran around with the kids in the backyard or outside. They cooked all the meals from scratch and actually baked all cookies and cakes (many using hand mixers or the old crank egg mixers–like my mother did because we couldn’t afford a hand mixer) and did the dishes. They ran up and down stairs with laundry. They ran errands. They walked to the store and the butchers.
They were more physically active than most women today.
They also took diet pills and smoked cigarettes liked fiends instead of eating. At least that’s what my relatives from the 1950s and 1960s did to get back to pre baby weight….didn’t you guys watch Mad Men?
And no one believed in post partum depression back then. so some of these women were too depressed to eat.
I’d prefer to have the weight come off slowly than punish myself like the “good ole days”.
Sounds like she was trying to be encouraging, rather than braggy. Yeah, she’s privileged but she struggled and got there and wanted to lend support and provide a success story to others who might be In the boat she was. No different from what you see on weight loss commercials. I’m not mad at her…not for this…..
Yes, I agree that she was trying to be encouraging, and I’m not sure why this post says she gained a minor bit of baby weight. I think she gained about 70 pounds. That isn’t minor. Earlier this year, she was definitely quite voluptuous and her post-baby figure even trended on Twitter when she made a presentation at an awards show. She lost a significant amount of weight, and I do think it’s inspirational, and I haven’t even had kids.
Google pics of Zoe in her last trimester. Some women wished they looked like that. Even in her post baby pics she only looked a bit heavier than her pre-baby size.
She’s trying to be encouraging. .
Yes. I take zero offense at this, and I doubt any judgement was intended.
I agree. Plus it’s not like she bounced back in two weeks.
I hate when adults refer to women as “mommies”.
^THIS.
I even hate it when I’m taking my kids to the doctor and the nurses do it (“Mommy, go back to room 7”) because they can’t remember every parent’s name.
But to willingly call other adults “mommy” for no practical reason? Barf.
AGREED. See also: “mommy bloggers” and “baby mama”
Jeez, I too hate “baby momma” and “baby daddy”.
Thank you! That was what I came here to say. Don’t call me ‘Mommy’ unless you are my kid.
I hate when women call their husbands “my Hubby.”
ugh. Pregnant now and I’m already dreading losing the weight. It’s doable (usually) but it’s a LOT OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION!
My advice? Don’t sweat it. And don’t rush it after either. Just eat sensibly and breast feed as much as you can. In 2 years I lost the weight and more without doing anything more specific than not eating out much (if at all) and not having junk around the house. 🙂
I had a similar experience to Crumpet – takes 2 years to come off and then it might do so without extreme action. My experience with bf’ing is that I didn’t lose anything until I stopped, so don’t stress if that happens, for some people it sucks the weight off, for others it keeps you in a hormonal mess…
That breastfeeding thing does not hold for everyone. I have the most intense cravings for sugar, sugar, anything SUGAR when I’m nursing and beyond that, have almost painful hunger. And because I’m stressed, lacking sleep and the time/energy to cook normally… weight loss just does not happen at that point.
I got back to my original weight only AFTER I stopped breastfeeding and then it literally was only a matter of weeks (my daughter was around a year old then). It’s like my body was going to hold on to those ten extra pounds because I needed it for nursing my daughter. I agree with other advice…don’t sweat it….after my daughter was about a year old I got much more serious about working out. And I gained about 30-35 lbs while pregnant (I was also much younger then, around 31). Enjoy that little bundle of joy….mine just turned 15 last month! It goes by fast!!!
I can’t judge her. She talked about how she has thyroid disease and how, during the pregnancy, it went crazy and really did a number on her. People like her have to put in even more work than an average person to lose weight and stay healthy, so she’s entitled to some celebration of what she achieved. She also has never hid the insane amount of work that went into it – gym, etc. I’ll save my ire for the “it just falls off with nursing” crowd (maybe that helps, but don’t act like you’re not in the gym/eating well).
But is she hyperthyroid? If so, that actually makes weight loss easier. Either way, thyroid conditions are no fun, and I think she has every right to celebrate reaching her goal.
She is hypo. I had the same issue after giving birth to my second child. My first, I gained 85 lbs and dropped it within 6 months because I was healthy (and 22years old). With the second, I gained 45 lbs and at 4 months I still looked pregnant because of my thyroid. I finally got diagnosed and eventually lost the weight, but it was extremely difficult. Zoe usually gets on my nerves, but I congratulate her on this one.
Encoragement: you’re doing it wrong.
FUNNY! 😆
Agreed!
Yea. She lost me at the if she can you can statement. It can be extremely discouraging to not see results like others who claim equal difficulty. And who have built in contract resources dedicated to getting your body to fit into costumes.
Not sure she’s aware of this though as she makes these comments like she is slightly tone deaf.
Congrats? That woman has always been painfully dangerously thin and she probably had to make an effort to eat for her healthy pregnancy
Ummmm….and that’s why she had such a hard time losing it?
I wish people wouldn’t be so sensitive about weight. I had a difficult childbirth and it helped me so much to hear of other people’s difficult experiences–just knowing I wasn’t alone and being able to put mine in perspective.
She sounds like she’s saying it was hard for her and not something she was accustomed to doing, and so if she could take on the challenge (and I sense she meant mentally. Anyone can take it on physically. You don’t need to be wealthy to lose weight), anyone else in that type of position mentally could too.
That Maria Kang was sitting around being sanctimonious about abs. Zoe just seems psyched to be back to her normal weight. Find me a woman who wouldn’t be happy about that.
What bugs me the most is that her wording makes it sound like a woman isn’t worthy unless she’s a certain weight, which is horribly incorrect.
I do want to ask how she had twins but she doesn’t have stretch marks on her stomach? I wish I were that lucky!
Yeah, I wondered about that. I had twins and even though I’ve lost the baby weight, four years later my stomach is a baggy mess. I’d be very surprised if she hadn’t had a bit of extra help with tightening the skin…
you know, I think height has a lot to do with it. I carried so small when I was pregnant because I have a long torso and I’m tall. I think people who are more average height or even short tend to not really get how taller people put on weight (a few comments said Zoe hardly gained any weight. But when I look at her pregnant pics, I can def see quite a bit of weight gain. I think because I have a similar build).
Anyway, my point is if you’re tall or have a long torso, you carry differently than if you’re shorter/have a short torso. Odds are you won’t get as many stretch marks/stretched out skin since you don’t carry so prominently, if that makes sense. Your body just…has more room to carry the baby.
I didn’t get that sense at all. She talked about how she felt uncomfortable and about how hard she had to work to lose. I don’t see any judgment in this . She’s talking about herself and offering encouragement to other people who are working hard and perhaps not seeing results yet.
Genetics…my mom had twins and has never had a stretch mark. Don’t buy any expensive creams claiming to prevent or cure them…science says they don’t do anything! Really the only option is laser. They will generally lighten in their own with time though so if you’re pale they might seem to disappear.
Aspirational. I don’t think she meant it in a bad way. I like it.
I don’t find Zoe’s comment annoying at all. I had a baby 6 months ago, so I appreciate a celeb who took a year to get into shape instead of looking perfect 8 weeks later and doing a Self magazine cover like it was all diet and exercise.
How condescending mommie…..bite me. Get a life.
That made me laugh. I can see how she meant to be encouraging, but come on…it was also a brag, and also saying that being a twig should be your goal in life or you’re a loser.
I agree GNAT. I’m working on losing my own pregnancy weight but I felt she was definitely assuming everyone was thin to begin with and it definitely came across as sanctimonious to me.
As the mother of twin toddlers, if she has time to sunbathe on a beach, then she has enough time to hit the gym. So yes, I expect that of her, and yes it does diminish her achievement. It’s her job to be in shape. I do the necessary extra training and work for my job, and to me, there’s no difference. This isn’t a lifestyle issue, it’s a professionalism issue in her (admittedly messed up) work environment.
I work, Mr. Fanty works almost every night, and no matter how much I want to, I don’t have the time, or baby-sitting money to justify an hour at the gym a few nights a week, and lean cuisine meals will only get me so far. Which is why I object to the tone. We can’t all do it, because, as CB points out, circumstances are different, and hers facilitate discipline. I presume that she doesn’t come home after work, STARVING because she’s been busy all afternoon, and scarfs whatever the kids are eating, because after a 9-5 that’s the only chance she’ll have to eat before the kids are in bed. I keep fruit to hand, but sometimes that’s not enough to power through on busy days. All moms are not created equal, is all I’m saying.
Also, massive congrats to CB on the weight loss. I think “regular” people who are able to do that, when it isn’t their career, are extraordinary.
Yes to all this. Her appearance is her job, as she is not an exceptional actress by any means.
Have you tried looking for a gym with child care? Mine has it, and I think it’s awesome for busy parents who just need someone to watch their kids for an hour while they work out. Membership is only 20 bucks a month and the child care is included!
I believe everyone can spare at least half an hour a few times a week for exercise. Of course it’s way easier for some, but there are ways to get it done. Even if all you can manage is doing jumping jacks and lunges while your kids are playing, it’s better than nothing.
Yes, but a few jumping jacks and lunges are not going to get one back in to pre-baby shape. My kids are older now, and a lot of my work out came from pushing strollers around, earlier, but now they’re older, it’s a whole different set of challenges. Plus, in NYC, there’s no such thing as a twenty-dollar-a-month gym, even without childcare.
I don’t believe that everyone can spare at least half an hour a few times a week. It’s quite simply not true, when one has to prioritize and balance everything. I have just completed a major work project for my job, and that involved sitting down at my computer with my books from the moment my kids went down to bed, until 11pm every night, because Mr. Fanty’s job, our financial constraints, and my kids’ lives, meant that I had to leave work to do pick up, and work my assignments around that (as I don’t need to be on site as he does). I had to quit running for a month or so, and now I’m struggling to get back now that the project has ended. @Bros makes the exact same argument below. My point is, that for some mothers, it simply isn’t feasible to give up two hours a week for something that feels like a cosmetic luxury.
I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving a baby or young child at a gym daycare. I thoroughly vet and interview any potential babysitters and I use my mom only until they’re over a year. That’s just my own comfort zone. It would be way different if I lived in the states though since your maternity leave isn’t a full year.
If you can’t spend a half hour a few times a week on yourself then clearly your life and/or your partner’s lacks balance. Addressing that issue would be desirable for all sorts of reasons. I’m not saying it’s easy or fair to deal with, but people who work themselves into seemingly impossible situations usually play some part in creating them. If you live in a super expensive city and are not super rich you have to sacrifice for it, for example. Maybe your ideal figure is one of those sacrifices.
+1 to everything T. Fanty said.
What about working out early in the AM?
I used to work out as soon as the gym opened at 4:15 AM.
That might sound extreme but nowadays I get up at 4 AM to write my dissertation (I aim to sleep from 10PM-4AM, which doesn’t always happen. And yes, the lack of sleep is brutal but I make a point to catch up on weekends when my partner can pick up the slack). I can usually work until 8 AM, when my 2 year old gets up. Either way, I tend to fit what I need to do in early in the morning.
It also helps if you don’t think about it as something you have to do. Like a lot of people approach working out as something they have to do for their health, etc. I saw it as a way to give myself more energy. If I was exhausted/stressed/tired but went for a run on the treadmill, I always felt so much better. I treated it kind of like pouring a glass of wine for myself.
It really is about priorities. While I think I (or anyone else) don’t have any business shading someone’s particular priorities, if you yourself are not happy with them, then it can be encouraging to know how other people fit time in for X, Y or Z. I agree that it is harder for those of us without expansive resources–but I don’t think those resources are critical for success.
Puhlease……. This woman has everything. major amounts of $ equals a trainer, a nutritionist, being able to afford buying good food, etc. yes genes and disipline come into play too. Just stfu. We get it. You’re thin again. Anyone can do it, yes, but I hate people that say that
Thank you!!!!! It’s not that easy when you’re dealing with a clingy baby all day, have to feed your children, tend to the house and your only free time is after they go to bed before you go to bed! Which is when I pay bills, sweep or, dare I say, relax in front of the TV for 20 minutes!!!!!
yah she can bugger off. she’s not like average moms (like me) who have to do exactly what Celebitchy said. I have always eaten very healthy and do most of my own cooking so that’s kept me from ballooning, but I have about 7 pounds I’d like off my body but I don’t have the flexibility to exercise, with a toddler, working full time, and a very very busy husband. I get 3 or 4 hours a week to myself, and one of those is spent grocery shopping! then I have to make a decision to go to the gym, or go to the chiropractor (after a bad fall), and lately, it’s been chiro! so she with her flexible schedule, millions of dollars, personal trainer, can buzz off. she has basically had the whole year off aside from some voice work on a movie.
THIS!!!!
I even am lucky in that I have a very flexible job and can leave the office whenever I want to get my kid from daycare, go to medical appointments, etc. Some moms don’t even have this flexibility and are tied to their desks 8:30-5, so any spare time around those working hours is for Dr appointments, kids dr. appointments, shopping, etc. There is just NO comparison to Zoe Saldana’s life and a regular working mom’s. I wish these celebs would just keep their mouths shut and not humble brag about your populist accomplishments when you are in fact, 100% elite.
Or at least I would like them to simply acknowledge that it isn’t about will power and grit. And that’s why I don’t hate GOOP. She owns her privilege.
I don’t think she was trying to be mean at all nor do I think she was trying to tell mothers that they have to be as thin as she is to feel good about themselves.
I’m with you. I”m not understanding the vitriol for simply posting a pic and being happy she’s back in her old clothes.
I am short and small framed, 5’2″ and 110 lbs. (I have some junk in my trunk and I like it). After I had my son, I enjoyed him immensley and focused on being a mom, and I was tired, and I didn’t eat much, just drank alot of juice and water. I was running on adrenaline and a little scared at first, so I wasn’t in the right frame of mind yet to work on my body. But after a few months, I was over the initital stress and fear of having and taking care of my first baby, but I realized I had lost confidence in my physical self and I broke out the old Buns of Steel Step 2000 tape and worked it off. I was proud of myself for having done the work necessary to acheive my goald and just like any achievement I earned, I was happy about it. I didn’t post anything about it on social media or even really talk about it with other people. It was my personal thing – sort of intimate because I didn’t want to add any pressure by talking my goal up just to have people question me about it. But I notice when I did get back to my pre-preg weight, some people were quick to actually fault me for it, like it was too fast, or I must be shallow, or did my husband make me feel ugly and like I had to lose weight. None was true. I wanted to feel like my old self – period. And anybody having a problem with that, well, I think the problem is with them. I think they were obviously jealous and it said alot more about them than it did about me.
She’s always been super skinny. I figured she didn’t each much before she got pregnant. I don’t think anyone believed she wouldn’t bounce back after having a baby. She doesn’t have the body type of curvier women such as Drew Barrymore or Jessica Simpson. Genes play a huge role too, but we all know she likely has a private trainer and has a strict diet. It is harder for normal people to stay on track especially after a stressful day at work. I have started going to the gym again, but it’s a challenge. I hardly have time before bed to do anything else.
I had twins too. While weight loss took time it was more so the stretch marks and changes to the skin that I found hard to cope with at that time. I wish I wouldn’t have been so hard on myself and it makes me sad that so many women put immense pressure on themselves after giving birth. I think openly discussing what is difficult about body image after pregnancy could actually be beneficial. I agree that this could have been an opportunity for Zoe to do this while, at the same time, being proud of herself
I think that’s what bothers me, too. For God’s sake, you just had a baby! Or in your case, two. That’s wonderful, and beautiful and exhausting and scary and I don’t even know what else. Why do we then add the pressure of you need to fit back in your skinny jeans two weeks later? It’s so mean and unfair. That should be the least of your concerns. Everyone wants to look and feel their best, but I can’t stand the way we just act like there’s nothing else to life. I never had a baby, but I gained about forty pounds when I was trying to, and the shame and guilt I felt was so out of proportion to my “crime” of being overweight. Throw a crying, waking up in the middle of the night baby into that mix, and I don’t know how people do it. I’d be drooling in a corner eating a Milky Way.
Speaking generally: appearance and looks are over-valued nowadays.
I wish she would have touched on having patience because it’s a different journey for each individual. I also wish we could all just be honest and admit we’re afraid of not being attractive to our husband or significant other. It may be unwarranted fear, but I don’t know any woman who had a baby and gained weight or stretch marks, that didn’t worry about not turning on her man anymore. I don’t think it’s valid. Men are usually so enthralled that we just had their human prodigy, they seem to fall in love with us all over again. But the fear is still there. I don’t think hormones help that.
I am drooling in a corner because I want GNAT’s Milky Way.
I find the whole “If I can do it so can you” to be very demoralizing, because it implies if you haven’t done whatever “it” is being referenced (graduate from college, lose weight, learn a foreign language) then you haven’t tried hard enough.
In reality, all those things require the ability/resources to focus one’s attention to the task at hand. And since Ms. Saldana does not know her audience’s circumstances, her comment is simply ill-informed and incorrect.
That said, I am happy for her reaching her goal (And CB!!!!). I just don’t find her accomplishment inspiring or motivating as our circumstances have zero in common.
Congrats on the 50lbs, that’s a major feat. I did it a while ago as well and it’s still a struggle.
Having said that, I don’t need Zoe Saldana to talk about her weight loss struggles. I really don’t. Whenever celebs talk about these things, I ask myself why. And whether it’s Kate Winslet and her “I’m normal, I have curves.” shtick or the baby weight conversation, I find most of them are incapable of talking about it without sounding like a self-promoting and/or delusional a**. Everyone’s life/health/body is different and I don’t need this woman to tell me that “I can do it, too”. Why even look at others? Look at your own achievement and enjoy it. Be proud. Don’t immediately turn to us for approval and then put some “encouragement” on top of it. Encouragement my butt. “You can do it, too” only means “If you can’t, I guess I’m better than you.”
I think Zoe ment to be encouraging but it did come across slightly patronizing. One might be tempted to interpret some slight body shaming into her statement when you don’t manage to lose weight. Because if she can lose weight then anybody can do it and then logically there are no excuses for anybody not losing weight. The latter is simply not true.
That being said I think Zoe merely phrased it somewhat clumsily. I am sure she would encourage everybody to take their time when losing weight. And that is the impression I get from her when she described how hard she found it to lose weight post pregnancy.
And well, yeah, Zoe talks about these things to keep herself in public conversation: self promotion. totally fair as she works in showbusiness / acting. But that should be considered whenever she makes public statements.
I want to lose weigth, too, but at the moment there is just too much going on work-wise. I am not going to start a diet right now and I don’t have time to exercise right now. Spring is a good time to start with some easy dieting (“easy” as in “healthy” and “just saving 500 calories a day” because that is enough savings for a day).
Oh, Zoey. She probably meant well and now there are going to be a million thinkpieces on this like “Hey ZOEY, thanks for your concern but I love my motherly curves.” And then she’s going to have to apologize or clear things up… We all know how it goes. Exhausting, predictable and boring.
Congrats on reaching her goals though. All it takes is major, permanent adjustments to your diet to see a huge difference in your kife. We eat so much crap and then realize just how bad it’s affecting our bodies, health, concentration, energy levels. Your diet influences your appearance, along with genetics, way more than exercise. Exercise every weekend if you can’t during the week. But a completely different diet is what will you what you want if you can’t go to the gym. That’s what my mom did. She can’t work out anymore like she used to because she has two bone implants on her knees. So she focused on a healthy diet and lost all the weight she needed. So that’s a tip for those who want it and can’t make it to the gym.
Weight loss is such a slough. When I was in the thick of it (lost 30 pounds a few years ago), I felt like I had to think about it every single moment of every single day, but there would be long periods during which I saw no results at all. During those periods, I really liked to look to other people’s success stories for encouragement that if I stuck with it, the results would come. I think that’s all she’s trying to offer.
Good for her if she feels good about herself, but the last sentence was really unnecessary. Not everyone loses weight easily or has the ressources to go to the gym and have someone to watch the kids at that time. Or even the energy to focus on losing a couple of pounds with two babies in the house. Seems judgmental to call people out like that. I bounced back after only 5 weeks, I just have that body type. So Zoe if I could do it so could you, right???
Haha. Love it!
Um – YUCK.
I don’t agree with shaming people who care about their health and work their butts off to get to a healthy weight. So kudos to her and if she wants to celebrate it, she should be able to!
People aren’t “shaming” her (most overused word on the Internet) for losing weight and being healthy, and you know it. She should celebrate whatever she wants. Privately. But that’s not what she did, is it? They are calling her out for:
1. Sounding like every woman’s goal in life should be thinness,
2. Pretending it’s all about encouragement when it’s also a lot about bragging and reminding us that she starred in that movie,
3. Acting as though she has the same challenges as “regular” people when she has the resources and time to dedicate herself to her fitness much more than they do,
4. Calling other grown women “mommies” which is just pukey.
But you agree with shaming people for possibly having other priorities? Because that’s what she’s doing.
It’s great to feel proud of you healthy choices so congrats to Zoe in that regard. She is dead wrong to assume that her money and resources did not help her to achieve her weight loss success.
I have known tons of mom who just can’t sleep when their baby is born – not just 6 months, but like, years on. When you don’t sleep, it’s damn near impossible to do what Zoe has done. I wish she had written, “If you have a personal chef, a maid, a nanny, and a night nurse, you can probably do it too!”
+1 How many women do I know who can devote 2-3 hours per day to working out, plus have healthy low-cal meals prepared for them? None.
The thing the astonishes me the most about celebrities who get back in shape is not the amount of weight they lost, but how their skin elasticity bounced back. I find it superhuman and nearly impossible that two big babies in her stomach wouldn’t stretch her skin in the slightest. And we all know that you can lose a sh*t ton of weight, but you can’t lose skin.
I think part of the reason is they had good skin to begin with. Celebs can afford all the expensive creams and moisturizers and she probably used them routinely before she was pregnant. And genetics. Some people’s family have good elastic skin and they don’t get stretch marks. Others get them very easily. I gained over 30 lbs when I was pregnant and I don’t have one single stretch mark. I chalk it up to the fact that I have slathered cocoa butter on my body every single day of my adult life. I did it even more so when I was pregnant. Also, the way/time in which women gain weight during pregnancy. My sister purposely tried not to gain weight when she was pregnant and she didn’t much until the last tri-mester when she ballooned and now she has stretch marks all over her body.
I tell friends who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant to pace their weight gain. 1-2 lbs per week and to moisurize especially around the abdomen, thighs, and breasts where weight really seems to focus. No, I do not think looks are the begin and end all for women, but it is a fact we all feel better about ourselves when we feel good about how we look.
I’m sure they get tummy tucks, use lasers or some other sort of plastic surgery or cosmetic procedure. They all seem to have no stretch marks or lose skin.
She’s been really skinny her whole life so I’m sure to her gaining weight was “horrific”.
pregnancy/motherhood/body changes-all tough stuff for a woman to go through. And then weight on top of it…lots of sensitive issues. As someone who has been every weight from 89 lbs(thanks, anorexia!) to 168 lbs(thanks winning out over anorexia) all I can say is, take good care of yourself and and show yourself as much real love as you can. Your body will blossom. As for Zoe, all I can say is Marco is gorgeous.
I’ve met her in real life (back in 2009). She is naturally very skinny. You can just tell it in person she has a small frame so unless she goes crazy, losing weight is not an issue for someone with her built.
Hey CB! I don’t mean to derail any discussion, but you said you had your appendix removed after some health complications and I was wondering if you would share a little more about that. I have been having some terrible health problems (pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite for over a year) and the doctors/specialists I’ve seen have told me they can’t figure out what is wrong – even after all the exams, prescribed meds, change in diet, etc. I’m willing to try anything at this point and I really think having my appendix removed might be a step in the right direction but I don’t know who to talk to or where to go to have that done. Any help would be appreciated but if you do not want to discuss totally get that too!
You have to get a scan to see if it’s your appendix. Don’t just get it removed to see. But seriously I was sick for over a year and I had my gallbladder out and that did nothing. There’s a story over at XOJane of a woman who had chronic appendicitis. I’m NOT a doctor, many doctors will tell you chronic appendicitis is not a thing, but there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest it is. Just get a CAT scan for your appendix that will tell you if that’s the problem. Did you get a HIDA scan for your gallbladder too?
So a CAT scan showed you had a problem with your appendix? And no I have not had a HIDA scan – didn’t know that was a thing nor was it recommended to me. I’ll have to look into it. Thanks!
She’s so smug. Ugh. STFU
My kid just turned 1 and I’m about 3 kg away from my goal weight. I put on about 30 kg (60 pounds?) because I ate for Australia the whole time, mowing through buckets of ice cream, pecan pie, watermelon by the ton, toast and Vegemite and on and on.
In real life I’m very strict so I was stoked to get to eat what I wanted but losing it has been a right bitch and if I ever have another kid I’ll be waaaaaaaaaay more restrained.
For anyone that’s interested, the thing that has worked for me has been minimal carbs but lots of huge, crazy interesting salads with lots of delicious ingredients. Lettuce, tomato, capsicum, carrot, cucumber, seeds, cornichons, leek, avocado, tuna in spring water and just a little vinegar. It means you fill up and feel satisfied.
I don’t think people realize how skinny she is.
She is naturally very skinny, you can tell by looking at her wrists. Losing weight was never going to be as hard for her as the average woman because the average woman is not as skinny as Zoe.
I found her comment to be harmless, she was just trying to be encouraging, people really are overracting and I guess she hit a nerve with some people who didn’t have it as easy as her.
Even with her belly out to >>>>>>>>>>>here, in what world was Zoe overweight?
Oh yeah, Hollywood.
I think she was trying to be inspirational not mean. And I actually agree with her. With some exceptions, most people are entirely capable of losing weight. It’s a matter of committing to doing it, making good choices, and making it a priority. It’s really not that complicated. No everyone woman cannot be a size two, but being healthy isn’t just about a dress size or number on a scale. It’s about being happy with yourself and making your health a priority, which everyone should do anyway.
Yeah, but what if I don’t want to?
Is that allowed these days? To not want to be like someone else?
I’m fine being my own weight, thanks ever so much Zoe. Have a nice life.