Finding My Way Back: A Postpartum Body Journey

I still remember that morning vividly. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, a stranger staring back at me. Four babies in six years had transformed not just my body, but my relationship with it. Who was this exhausted woman with dark circles and a body that felt foreign?

"Just give it time," everyone said. "Be patient with yourself."

But patience felt impossible when I barely recognized myself anymore.

The Endless Cycle of Trying Everything

I was doing everything "right" – or so I thought.

My phone was filled with food tracking apps. My kitchen purged of anything that wasn't "clean eating approved." My calendar marked with workout sessions I'd squeeze in during nap times or before the house woke up.

Yet by 10am each day, I was already running on fumes.

My stomach remained bloated and uncomfortable no matter what I ate. My brain felt foggy, struggling to remember simple things like where I put my keys. And despite meticulous calorie counting, the scale wouldn't budge.

The worst part? The shame. The feeling that I must be doing something wrong. That I wasn't trying hard enough.

So I'd double down:

• Track more carefully
• Cut more foods
• Push harder
• Try to be perfect

Like so many moms I've since worked with, I was caught in an exhausting cycle that was making everything worse.

Because here's what I didn't understand then: I wasn't doing it wrong—I was doing too much of the wrong things for a body in survival mode.

When "Discipline" Becomes Self-Sabotage

For years, weight loss seemed simple: discipline and deficit. The math made sense. Eat less, weigh less.

But my body wasn't a calculator. It was a complex ecosystem of hormones and signals desperately trying to tell me something.

One night, after putting the kids to bed, I collapsed on the couch in tears. Despite "eating clean" all day, I'd just devoured half a box of graham crackers while standing at the kitchen counter. The shame was overwhelming.

"What's wrong with me?" I thought. "Why can't I just stick to the plan?"

What I didn't realize then was that my:

• Hormone imbalances were screaming for help, not calorie spreadsheets
• Constant fatigue and intense cravings weren't character flaws—they were my body's SOS signals
• Postpartum body wasn't broken—it was protective

My nervous system remained in constant fight-or-flight mode from sleep deprivation and the stress of parenting four small humans. My cortisol levels spiked with every baby cry, every missed deadline, every notification.

And my meticulously tracked "clean eating" plan? It was actually adding more stress to an already overwhelmed system.

I'd become my body's adversary rather than its ally.

The Turning Point: From Fighting to Listening

The breakthrough came unexpectedly, during a conversation with a friend who'd been through similar struggles.

"What if," she suggested gently, "your body isn't the enemy? What if it's doing exactly what it's designed to do – protecting you in what it perceives as a time of crisis?"

Something clicked. I'd been at war with the very body that had created, carried, and nourished four beautiful children. The body that was still waking at the slightest sound in the night, still producing milk, still functioning on broken sleep.

That night, I made a promise to myself: No more fighting. No more punishing. It was time to work with my body, not against it.

My Nourishment Reset: Small Changes, Profound Impact

The shift was subtle at first. Instead of tracking calories, I began asking different questions:

• "What would genuinely nourish me right now?"
• "How can I make this meal more satisfying?"
• "What would help my body feel safe and supported?"

Here's what that looked like in practical terms:

1. I Embraced Carbs—But the Right Ones

The diet world had convinced me carbs were the enemy. But when I swapped processed, quick-burning carbs for fiber-rich ones, everything changed:

• Roasted sweet potatoes drizzled with a little olive oil became my evening comfort food
• Fresh berries with breakfast helped stabilize my morning mood
• Sprouted oats soaked overnight made quick, sustaining breakfasts
• Colorful root vegetables roasted in batches gave me easy meal additions

These foods kept me full longer and supported my gut health, which I later learned was central to balancing my hormones and mood.

One busy Tuesday, I realized it was 3pm and I hadn't experienced my usual energy crash. No desperate reaching for coffee or something sweet. My energy felt... steady.

2. I Made Protein & Healthy Fats Non-Negotiable

Every meal needed quality protein and real fats. Not because some diet told me to, but because I noticed how dramatically different I felt when I included them:

• Soft-boiled eggs on avocado toast became my go-to lunch
• Grass-fed ground beef prepped on Sundays made quick taco bowls possible
• Wild-caught salmon once or twice a week improved my skin and mood
• Avocados, olive oil, and ghee made everything taste better and kept me satisfied

Two weeks in, I realized something remarkable: the constant hunger that had plagued me for months had quieted. I could sit with my children at lunch and be present, not secretly thinking about what I'd eat next.

3. I Tracked Nourishment, Not Restriction

Instead of obsessively counting calories, I made a simple shift: track what I was adding, not what I was taking away.

I set achievable daily targets for:

• Protein grams (starting wherever I was, adding 5-10g more)
• Fiber-rich foods (aiming for 2-3 types per meal)
• Hydration (in a cute water bottle that made me smile)

Within weeks, the most surprising change happened: my cravings began to disappear. Not through white-knuckling willpower, but because my body was finally getting what it needed.

And that constant mental math of calories in/calories out? It faded away, freeing mental space I didn't even realize I'd lost.

Finding Peace in Survival Mode

Let me be clear: I didn't suddenly have more time or less stress. I was still:

• Up at night with a baby who thought 3am was party time
• Homeschooling three other children with their own needs and schedules
• Running a business from my kitchen counter between spelling lessons

But this gentler, nourishment-focused approach required less of me, not more. It worked with my survival mode rather than fighting against it.

Small, consistent changes began cascading into unexpected benefits:

• My blood sugar stabilized, ending the afternoon energy crashes
• The knot of anxiety in my chest loosened its grip
• My midnight pantry raids stopped because I wasn't spending my days hungry
• My metabolism responded, like it had been waiting for permission to work properly
• And yes, the weight began to shift—not dramatically, but steadily and sustainably

For the first time in years, getting dressed wasn't an emotional minefield. My body and I were on the same team again.

The Birth of a New Approach

This personal transformation eventually reshaped my entire coaching practice. I couldn't keep teaching what I no longer believed in.

Now, when a new mom comes to me—eyes tired, confidence shattered, desperately clutching her phone with three different tracking apps—I see my former self. And I share what I wish someone had told me:

You don't need another app. You need alignment.

Weight loss for moms isn't about mathematical formulas or shrinking yourself into submission. It's about restoring the broken trust between you and your body. It's about creating sustainable rhythms that honor the season you're in.

Inside my coaching program, we've tossed out the diet mentality entirely. Instead, we:

• Nourish before we restrict
• Reset hormonal patterns
• Align daily habits with your body's actual needs

The results have been nothing short of transformative:

• Clients reporting weight loss that feels effortless rather than punishing
• Cravings that once ruled their lives simply fading away
• Anxiety levels dropping as their bodies leave survival mode
• Confidence returning—not just in their appearance, but in their intuition about what their bodies need

Because the truth is this: when your body feels safe, seen, and supported—especially after the massive journey of creating life—it can finally release what it's been holding onto.

Your Turn: The Path Forward

If you're nodding along, maybe seeing yourself in my story, know that you're not alone. The postpartum journey is both universal and deeply personal.

If you're tired of:

• Obsessively logging every bite in apps that make you feel worse
• Wondering why your body seems to resist your every effort
• Feeling like a stranger in your own skin

I created something with you in mind.

The 5-Step Metabolism Reset for Moms

This free guide walks you through the exact shifts I made—without complicated tracking, without restrictive dieting, and without adding to your burnout.

It's the framework I wished I'd had during those early, overwhelming days when I was trying to find my way back to myself.

DM me "RESET" on Instagram 

Ready for Personalized Support? Work With Me 1:1

For those ready for more personalized guidance, I offer limited 1:1 coaching spots where we'll create a tailored plan that honors your unique body, lifestyle, and needs.

Together, we'll help you:

• Rebuild confidence in your body's wisdom and your own intuition
• Create sustainable weight loss without sacrificing your energy or peace
• Develop a personalized blueprint for what your body specifically needs to thrive

This isn't about forcing your postpartum body to conform to unrealistic standards. It's about finding your way back to feeling at home in your skin again.

[Apply for private coaching here → https://www.mekellebrosnan.com/Apply 

I currently have just 3 openings for this month, and I carefully select clients I know I can truly help.

Let's build the plan that works for YOUR body, YOUR life, and YOUR unique motherhood journey.

Because you deserve to feel like yourself again—even if that self looks and feels different than before. Maybe even better.