Coleen Garcia is known to be a fitness junkie and an "abspiration." In fact, just two months after giving birth, the first-time mom had her abs showing already! That said, Coleen shared with Preview that her motivations for getting fit have changed since giving birth to Amari. She explained, "I just want to do what I can to keep both my baby and myself as healthy as possible and a better physique just the fruit of that!"
Coleen has also been transparent on social media about her post-pregnancy bod. In between snapshots of Amari and glimpses of home life, Coleen shares mirror selfies of her physical progress. Along with these unfiltered photos are affirmations that she accepts and loves her new body. "I may not be as fit, and I will never be as young, as I used to be. I’m able to point out even more of my flaws now, but I’ve never appreciated myself as much as I do today. I’m at my most beautiful, not because I look it, but because I finally feel it," she wrote in an IG post.
In her most recent Instagram post, Coleen celebrated her stretch marks brought about by her first pregnancy. Sharing photos of her baby bump from a year ago, the actress proudly showed off not only her stylish 'fits but also her stretch marks that has sent a powerful message to new moms struggling with body image.
Coleen's throwback photos were met with loving comments from her friends and family. "My goodness the journey! You are an unbelievable mom! Strong and amazingly beautiful inside and out," her husband Billy Crawford wrote.
Among the pouring comments, one netizen asked Coleen, "Pano nawala yung stretch marks mo?" The actress then revealed that she hasn't made any efforts to get rid of them. "They’re still here! The color just faded, but they’re still kinda sunken. [smile] You can really only see them up close or in harsh lighting. Haven’t done anything to treat them," Coleen said.
Coleen talks more about her postpartum body in a YouTube video where she says that she's a lot kinder to herself when it comes to her physique. "I know I'm not as ripped as I was but I'm just really happy and I accept my body more than I ever have....Of course I still have body goals but I'm so much kinder to myself now."
She highlighted that her stretch marks actually don't bother her at all. "I didn't think I'll care so little about them. Maybe because from the start, I anticipated already and accepted that na it's inevitable," she said.
But what's more touching is Coleen's realization and deeper understanding of her body. She said, "Giving birth to our son really opened my eyes and made me see my body for what it truly is: a vessel. It's the home of my mind, my heart, my soul, and my son...As much as I appreciate my body for what it can do, I also love it for what it has brought into my life.
"So much has changed physically but not once have I even thought of feeling any resentment towards my body. The respect I have for it now is so much deeper...Beauty has a new meaning to me now," Coleen continued.
At the end of the day, Coleen reminds us that "we are more than what we see in the mirror." The proud momma shared, "Our bodies are designed to serve a purpose far beyond ourselves, and that’s the kind of beautiful you’ll never be able to physically see in your own reflection."
With that, Coleen advises other moms like her to "quit trying to prove yourself to other people and to yourself because honestly it's not healthy motivation. Embrace it for what it is and accept that you can't always change things or be in control. Whether it's your body, your baby, your parenting—you may not be the best and you know what, you don't have to be."
You go, Coleen!
