Nigeria Trip // Sidebar

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So I have been in a bit of a funk since returning and feeling slightly less than perfect..why? you may ask. Well besides the normal struggle my brain has with change, adjusting to being back has gone fairly well except for the lingering negative feeling I have left over from comments that were made or not made while on the trip. If you've ever had the pleasure of meeting a Nigerian person or more specifically a Mother-figure (Mom, grandma, aunt..older cousin..or really any female who feels like she is in a place to have a say in your life) then you may have experienced the kind of brash, honesty these folks are known for. I try not to get bothered by other peoples comments anymore but because of the condensed schedule and high level of exposure this trip entailed, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the stream of comments about my weight. Its normal for these types of comments to be shared, I've grown up this way, in fact its trickles down from the top to the bottom, no one is spared and its not the kind of gentle, quiet whisper from a friend, its a loud, dramatic, public kind of comment to let let you know you've gone beyond the acceptable size for a woman. Its a cultural thing, here in the States, comments about a persons weight are a very touchy subject but in Nigeria, its just par for the course. 

I know I'm not a supermodel, I'm a mother of two (8 months old and 4 years old) who used to savor my time at the gym but has not had the time to indulge in my 2 hour daily gym sessions since I was in week 34 of my pregnancy. While everyone was happy to see us, the second (sometimes first) comment out of some of my relatives mouths was a gasp about how large I was, alternatively, they would shower my sisters with compliments on how great they looked and just look past me. I mainly shrugged it off but now a week later, I find myself feeling things I haven't felt since I was young and extremely insecure about my looks and endured similar comments from my sister-in-law and her friends (I was much skinnier then too!) It's so bad that I feel like either putting on my sneakers and running for the next week nonstop, Forrest Gump style or going on a serious detox a la celebrity Grammy's preparation neither of which would be very responsible given the circumstances.

Instead, I have decided to re-program my body by changing it's energy supply to mainly plant-based items (but not solely..who are we kidding here!) rather than anything I can get my hands on each day. I'm also going to be more responsible about eating regularly because I actually skip breakfast and lunch most days as well. I am also going to get up earlier to jog before the troops arise, I hope to lose the final 10 pounds that just won't come off post pregnancy without extreme measures, in 10 weeks. I think if I can at least start that, wean my little pumpkin in a few months and get back into the gym, then I will hopefully feel better about myself.

I found a few fun salads that I'm going to prepare this week..baby steps..if all works then I will continue this and eventually make it part of our normal diet. It shouldn't be too hard for me but with a picky 4 year old whose favorite meal is plain white rice, chicken nuggets or noodles, dinner could get more  complicated.

Some salads...

Kitchen Sink Chopped Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing
Colorful Lentil Salad with Walnuts & Herbs

Apple Chip, Gorgonzola & Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

White Bean and Kale

Arugula with Radishes and Min