What's Your Excuse?

So you may or may not have heard about the recent controversy with "Hot Mom," Maria Kang. A mother of three and fitness enthusiast, she recently posted this picture on her Facebook page:

Rockin' bod, three adorable kids with the caption "What's Your Excuse?" Well, Maria got so much feedback it's crazy. With over 16 million views and 17k comments, some were inspired by her photo, while others claimed she was a "fat shaming bully." That's right... a "fat shaming bully."

People from all over the world were calling her a terrible mother, saying that she was exploiting her children. They called her vain, anorexic, selfish you name it. They claimed that she must be neglecting her children and spending all her time at the gym instead.

My response: Are you kidding me? Just because this women was able to get in shape after three kids all of a sudden she's a bad mom? Not to mention "fat shaming"... has anyone watched TV recently or opened a magazine? Um, I'm sorry but there is wayyyy more "fat shaming" in the popular headline "Best and Worst Beach Bodies of 2013."

What about when Heidi Klum walked the Victoria Secret runway just six weeks post poppin' her baby out? People were giving her praise, admiring her discipline...

It certainly seems like a double standard to me. The problem is, people like excuses. They like to think "The reason why I'm out of shape is because I had a baby (or three or four or five)." The reality is that I know hundreds of women who are super fit post pregnancy. Does it happen right away? No. But almost all women I speak with who are in shape after having kids have all said the same thing, "You can't let kids be an excuse to be out of shape."

I know I'm not a mother yet. I have yet to give birth to a human being and I'm sure it will be hard, my body will change and I will have to work to get my body back. But I look forward to being in the best shape of my life post pregnancy. Whether it's through a healthy diet, buying a jogging stroller, or finding a gym with childcare, I will stay in shape post pregnancy.

I'm motivated to stay healthy for my children. To show them by example what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. After all, If I don't stay fit for my kids, who else is going to schlep all their stuff around? Who else is going to chase after them? Who else is going to feed them nutritious meals?

I wonder if Maria would have received the same criticism had she headlined the photo with "This is my motivation. What's yours?"

 What do you think about the "Hot Mom" controversy? I want to hear from you!