June Body

With the heat rushing in, and shorts, bathing suits, and tank tops making their way out of the closet, June has me thinking about my body journey over the past two years.

I haven’t gotten the full-on “Look at you in your HOT GIRL SUMMER!” looks.

The looks have been more like:

“Girl! What happened to you!?” 😬

Let’s talk about it.

This is about the stretch marks, the too-tight clothes, the side-eye at the mirror, the tears when nothing in the closet fits.

This is about the journey of figuring out my physical identity all over again—

after the baby came,

after the grief hit,

and after the weight just wouldn’t budge.

From the moment I gave birth, I remember looking in the mirror and wondering who was staring back at me. I expected to change—I wasn’t naive about motherhood—but I didn’t expect to gain 80 pounds or wake up to skin patches so dark they made me do a double take.

I had a 7-pound baby.

So where did the other 73 pounds come from?

It felt like they came out of nowhere—

and they didn’t leave when she came out.

People tried to be kind. Encouraging, even.

They told me:

“Be easy on yourself—it takes time.”

But that didn’t stop me from comparing.

I’d see other new moms who somehow looked exactly the same as they did before giving birth.

I’d scroll through photos of people “bouncing back” and feel like I had somehow done motherhood wrong.

Then came the comments.

Some meant well.

Others… I don’t know.

“You’re definitely having a girl—she’s taking all your beauty.”

“I didn’t even recognize you. You getting chunky huh!”

“Looks like you like tight clothes now.”

I didn’t like tight clothes.

I just didn’t fit into anything else.

And while I didn’t always get mad at people’s words, I did feel lost.

Like I didn’t know who I was—

as a mom

or as a woman

anymore.

Add in the fact that I lost my mother at eight months pregnant…

Comfort food became my bestie.

People were so loving—bringing me my favorite snacks, little comforts in a time of big pain—but y’all…

I think I had banana pudding for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that month.

I wasn’t just feeling the grief—

I ate through it.

Fast forward two years.

I’ve now lost about 60 pounds.

But more importantly, I’ve gained a whole lot more in return:

• A mindset that knows my worth isn’t tied to my weight.

• A gentler voice when I talk to myself.

• A deeper understanding that loving my body starts with caring for my emotions.

There wasn’t one magical solution.

No cleanse.

No diet.

No perfect workout.

What helped was consistency, slow growth, and small shifts:

💧 Drinking more water

🚶🏽‍♀️ Moving my body

🍽️ Paying attention to how food made me feel

🙅🏽‍♀️ Saying no to some cravings

💛 Saying yes to rest

💃🏽 Saying yes to play …and the gym 😐

🌼 Saying yes to joy

So now, it’s June.

It’s hot.

It’s swimsuit season.

But this post isn’t about showing off.

It’s about showing up.

Honey, if you’re reading this and thinking about your body journey—

especially if you’re adjusting to new life, still healing, still learning what your new body feels like—

I want to say:

✨ Give yourself grace.

✨ Play in the water with your babies.

✨ Wear the clothes that feel good right now.

✨ Breathe.

✨ And take baby steps in loving the body that has carried you through it all.

I’ve owned that my June Body is not about the size I wear—

It’s about the grace I give myself to make progress,

the softness I protect,

and the joy I’m reclaiming this summer.

This season, I challenge you to join me in:

☀️ Moving with purpose, not punishment

☀️ Nourishing our body and soul

☀️ Hydrating, resting, breathing

☀️ Showing up—not just for the world, but also for ourselves.

This is my June Body.

Not a comeback.

Just a continuation of steps forward.

Our body will tell us what it needs.

We just have to listen.

With love,

Just Gesai