The Subject of the Belly

As a self-proclaimed female jock, one of the hardest things to adjust to during pregnancy is having a big belly. I affectionately refer to it as the Buddha Belly. Even though I know there is a little life growing in there, I feel myself relating personally to fat people for the first time in my life. For example, when you have a big belly, you have to be conscious of whether or not it is hanging out of the bottom of your shirt. You can't rely on a draft to hit the underside of your belly, so you constantly pull your shirt down. I always think of Winnie of the Pooh when I do this. Also, when you have a big belly, your pants lose their grip and sag. Pooh just skipped the pants, probably to avoid the annoyance.

When I was a college athlete, I had 8% body fat; the female average was 24% for my age range. My abs were a solid 4pack. Of course, after graduation and over the course of 7 years, the 4 pack completely disappeared and let's just say I never wanted to know my body fat percentage again...Nevertheless, other than an additional 10 pounds or so, I was still a relatively fit person. Now that I'm in my seven month of pregnancy and trying to fathom losing 40 pounds after the delivery, I find a new kinship with the Biggest Loser audience.
My giant belly has motivated me to walk more regularly - I have, in fact, become a "mall walker". It has been too cold to walk outside on our greenway, so I join the elderly in the mall for some speed laps. I am also joining the Senior Citizen water aerobics class. It's the only one approved for us preggers. Should be fun!