'No Excuses' Fit Mom Has Gained Weight, Reveals New Body 7 Years Later

By Sarah Carri March 25, 2019 at 7:33am

Here are a few things I don’t do every day amidst being a work at home, homeschooling mom of three: I do not go to the gym, I do not go to the gym, and I do not go to the gym.

Between sending my husband off to work and getting my kids started on their math lessons, trips to the gym just aren’t a reality for me.

Could I get up earlier? Maybe. But my infant son has a sixth sense when it comes to knowing when mom is out of bed.

Also, I work until 2 a.m. nearly every night (morning?) because the graveyard shift is really the only one that makes it so I can spend the day being mom.

While I may not be pumping iron every day, I do go on walks with my kids, I do try to be health conscious, and I do my best to well… do my best.

Any other moms out there relate? One fitness mom went viral several years back for a supposed “fat shaming” photo she shared of her fit body surrounded by her 3 young sons.

“What’s your excuse?” Maria Kang’s post asks. The image and the question it posed reportedly received a lot of backlash and Kang even had a post deleted from Facebook when she vented about obesity in America.

“I am banned from Facebook,” she wrote on her blog in 2013. Kang went on to share her frustrations about having a passion for health and fitness and having those passions contradicted by celebrations of the opposite.

“I’m not bashing those who are proud and overweight,” she said. “I am empowering those who are proud and healthy to come out and be the real role models in our society.”

It seems there’s a fine line between “shaming” those who struggle with weight and finding time for fitness and loving the bodies that we’re in.

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I cried three times yesterday. . I was tired. I was premenstrual. I was frustrated. But most of all, I was disappointed because something I vied for, didn’t come into fruition. It was a hard blow. A hard No. A self-reflecting realization that I wasn’t good enough – at least not this time, and perhaps every other time I sought something and ‘failed’. . As I was sitting in my office, hands over eyes, holding back tears and asking all the whys, what’s and how’s…I was reminded of the day, years ago, when I was told our rental application was denied because our property manager was constantly unavailable to confirm our good standing. I had fallen in love with the potential rental and already envisioned where my office would be and what school the kids would attend. It was a competitive housing market and I felt frustrated, disappointed, even angry that I was in this vulnerable position of renting. . I was losing faith. Just like I was losing faith in myself, my efforts and my works when I was denied the other day. Back then I also cried while losing hope. Somewhere in-between my tears my husband reminded me to have patience, faith and discipline – and focus on a home we truly wanted, not something we could frugally afford in our earliest years together. . I think of how to play the long game often, especially as I continue to work towards lofty goals of empowering women, encouraging community, promoting health and fostering healthy friendships. I’m no stranger to rejection, but it still stings just as bad as that moment I lost the house I really wanted. And I suppose it should sting, after all, it’s better to love, hope strive and live passionately, than to not dream any dream at all. . Most recently, I was visiting my sister and drove passed a particular home on her street I had admired for years. I loved its drive-in garage towards the back. I loved the small steps leading to the front door and always imagined how grand this large house looked inside. On that day however, instead of driving by, I stopped right in front of the house in astonishment. While the outdoor paint, stonework and yard were different, I recognized the floor plan, because it was CONT…⬇️

A post shared by Maria Kang ✨ (@mariakangfitness) on Sep 12, 2018 at 9:20am PDT

While Kang seems to have a passion for motivating individuals to take care of themselves and put health first, it’s understandable that some might take offense to her “no excuse” post.

In an interview with “The Doctors” in 2016, Kang had the opportunity to express her views and even shared that she too had struggled with weight gain and even depression in more recent years.

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I have a white bed. I have a white dog. I have a tidy house and drive a decently well-kept van. While I like a clean and organized life, don’t be fooled – there’s a side of me that craves spontaneity and messiness. I cannot stay in routine too long. If any day begins with an awareness of every action that will happen within it, I feel a piece of my spirit declining. Get messy. Seek adventure. Be curious. Have FUN. Explore. Create. RENEW. #happymonday #paintball #caslerfamily #get messy

A post shared by Maria Kang ✨ (@mariakangfitness) on Sep 17, 2018 at 3:08pm PDT

“I did not realize the backlash that I would receive,” Kang shared, recalling that she had posted the photo in hopes it would be an inspiration to other moms.

But after all the backlash, years later, Kang retuned her thinking. While she still believes in making health and fitness a priority, she also takes her stance with a more empathetic viewpoint.

In the end, Kang seems to believe that moms should put themselves first, love their bodies, and love them enough to take care of them. She understands the excuses, but she also wants to motivate others to make their health a priority.

What do you think about Kang’s original “no excuse” photo? Do you find it offensive, or do you see it as motivating and inspiring?

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Tags:

Children, Health, Interview, Motherhood, Pregnancy, Social media, Viral, Women

Sarah Carri

Contributor, Lifestyle

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Sarah Carri is an avid reader and social media guru with a passion for truth and life. Her writing has previously been published in print and online by Focus on the Family and other well known media outlets. Her experience in ministry and Disney entertainment gives her a unique perspective on such topics.

Sarah's experience as a successful working stay-at-home mom and business owner has given her the chance to write and research often. She stays up to date on the latest in entertainment and offers her views on celebrity stories based on her wide knowledge of the industry. Her success as a former preschool teacher and licensed daycare provider lend to her know-how on topics relating to parenting and childhood education.

Her thoughts on faith and family issues stem from home life and ministry work. Sarah takes time to attend workshops and classes annually that help her to improve and hone her writing craft. She is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature program and her writing has been acclaimed by ACFW and ECPA.

Education

Institute of Children's Literature, Art Institute of Phoenix (Advertising), University of California Irvine (Theater), Snow College (Early Childhood Education)

Location

Arizona

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Entertainment, Faith