Shawn Johnson opens up about the struggles of body image, drug use and the passage of ‘110 Lbs. pregnant ‘

06/30/2020 World

Shawn Johnson East is opening up about her struggles with body image after the 2008 Olympics and how having a miscarriage and then giving birth to daughter Drew affected her journey.

, that the conclusion of the 2008 Olympics left her feeling lost and purposeless, and that the rigorous training and strict diet she had been following thus far gave her an unrealistic idea of ​​what her body should be like. “=” 13 “> Shawn, 28, explained in a new YouTube video, Body image problems: 110 Lbs. to pregnantThat the conclusion of the 2008 Olympics left her feeling lost and purposeless, and that the rigorous training and strict diet she had been following up to that point gave her an unrealistic idea of ​​what her body should be like.

Dancing with the stars and I had my period for the first time, and I had to deal with puberty on national television, I got to a very low point, “Shawn said in the video.” He had gained around 15 pounds. after the Olympics and I thought that was the worst thing in the world, that it wasn’t, it was healthy and normal. ” data-reactid = “14”> “When I continued Dancing with the stars and I had my period for the first time, and I had to deal with puberty on national television, I got to a very low point, “Shawn said in the video.” He had gained around 15 pounds. after the Olympics and I thought that was the worst thing in the whole world, which it wasn’t, it was healthy and normal. “

Shawn said that when he woke up the first morning after competing in Beijing, where he won a gold medal for his balance beam routine, he felt he had “directly hit a brick wall at full speed.”

“Every decision I made in my life up to that point, for at least 13 of my 16 years, was based on gymnastics. What I would take and what I had to do to get to the Olympics. What I ate, who I hung up on. how I dressed, “he explained. “Literally every decision I made was for the Olympics. Now that the Olympics were over, I didn’t know how to function like a normal human being.”

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The athlete said she started taking several different types of weight loss pills, as well as ephedrine and Adderall.

“I started doing everything I could to lose weight and look like I did at the Olympics,” he said, “because in my opinion everyone praised me for what I did at the Olympics, praised who I was.” as a human being when I was there. And in my mind, if I could look like this, not necessarily compete or do gymnastics, but if I could become that person again, then the world would say that it was ‘enough’ and that it was accepted. “

“I went through this kind of dark spiral of a few years with terrible medications and drugs that tried to ‘speed up my metabolism’ and did nothing, took diuretics, did all the fad diets. I remember going through a three-week phase where I didn’t I ate nothing but raw vegetables. “

Shawn recalled several low points after Beijing and, after returning to gymnastics before the 2012 Olympics, realized that he was unable to continue on his current path and finally retired in June 2012. After that decision, She hired a therapist and nutritionist who helped her learn healthier habits.

The Olympian married Andrew East in 2016 and became pregnant the following year. Then she had a miscarriage and said that she blamed herself because she thought her past decisions were to blame.

Last year, she became pregnant again, and although she feared that old habits would return, she was determined to be as healthy as possible.

“There was something that changed when I got pregnant, where it was no longer about me or my body, or vanity, or calories, or how I looked or what I weighed,” she said in the video. “I could have cared less. It was about protecting my baby. And I was so excited about that.”

Shawn concluded the video by saying that she is “proud” of what has happened and how she has handled postpartum.

The gymnast said having Drew gives her “a sense of purpose” and makes her want to be a “good influence.”

“Having cleaned myself of the medications, the prescriptions and just the obsession, it would not change anything for the world, I love that it happened, it was very difficult and I do not wish it on anyone” But I have had these difficult experiences that make me a stronger mother who will allow me to teach Drew how to be strong. “