Sia Cooper is a fitness blogger and social media influencer who has been running her company, Diary of a Fit Mommy, for the past several years.
On November 6, 2019, Cooper received a lot of attention when she called out a critic who had attempted to shame her for posting photos of herself in a bikini. The commenter said that Cooper should not be showing off so much skin because she is a mother.
Cooper clapped back in a post that has since received more than 33,000 likes.
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The other day, I had posted a photo of myself in this very same bikini and was told to cover up… because I am a mother. Cue the mom-shaming. Since when were moms supposed to hide their bodies? Since when were mothers no longer allowed to feel sexy? How do you think babies even got here in the first place? She went on to say that I should think about what my kids will think of my behind someday. You know what? I want my kids to see a mother who’s body positive. I want my kids to see a mother who’s confident in her own skin. Plus, they love my butt and use it as a bongo when I’m cooking dinner or awkwardly standing in line at the grocery store. ? Anyone else, no? There is no rule out there that states you can’t rock a bikini just because you pushed a baby out of your vagina at some point in your life. In fact, that should make you worthy of one and so much more. I grew up with a mom who hated her body. In fact, she also made me hate mine by nitpicking it apart and pointing out every time it had looked like I had gained weight as a teenager. I fought like hell to finally love myself and it wasn’t until a few years ago that I started wearing shorts again in public. I would’ve given anything to have a body positive mama and I make sure that my kids see and feel this positivity everyday-not just with looks but with it all. Sometimes, all a mother needs is to truly FEEL herself. Let’s face it: motherhood can make us feel less than sexy. It leaves us drained, depressed, exhausted, and staring into a mirror, looking at a former shell of ourselves that we barely recognize anymore. And don’t get me started on our postpartum bodies.. it can be harder to celebrate our bodies when they’re covered with stretches marks and loose skin. So mamas, put on your bikinis. You’ve earned it. Every woman deserves to feel comfortable in her own skin without society’s judgy opinions. Let the mom-judging stop. Motherhood is already tough as it is. We are damned if we do, damned if we don’t so stay true to yourself. ✌?
A post shared by SIA | FITNESS WORKOUTS RECIPES (@diaryofafitmommyofficial) on Nov 6, 2019 at 11:03am PST
She wrote in part, “Since when were moms supposed to hide their bodies? Since when were mothers no longer allowed to feel sexy? How do you think babies even got here in the first place?
I want my kids to see a mother who’s body positive. I want my kids to see a mother who’s confident in her own skin. Plus, they love my butt and use it as a bongo when I’m cooking dinner or awkwardly standing in line at the grocery store. ? Anyone else, no?
There is no rule out there that states you can’t rock a bikini just because you pushed a baby out of your vagina at some point in your life. In fact, that should make you worthy of one and so much more. I grew up with a mom who hated her body. In fact, she also made me hate mine by nitpicking it apart and pointing out every time it had looked like I had gained weight as a teenager. I fought like hell to finally love myself and it wasn’t until a few years ago that I started wearing shorts again in public. I would’ve given anything to have a body positive mama and I make sure that my kids see and feel this positivity everyday-not just with looks but with it all…
Let the mom-judging stop. Motherhood is already tough as it is. We are damned if we do, damned if we don’t so stay true to yourself.”
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Sia Cooper Says She Struggled With Unhealthy Eating Habits Growing Up & Was Overweight While Studying to Become a Nurse
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Dear 5 year old Sia, I want to tell you that you’re beautiful just the way you are. However, you’re going to grow up to hear things that no child or teenager ever deserves to hear. Your own mother will go on to rip your self esteem apart throughout the years and you will have to deal with the ripples for the rest of your life. Little does she realize, those words will carry weight and lead you down a dark path. By the time you’re 14 years old, you’ll develop an eating disorder because you think your thighs could be smaller. You will go hide your meals in your room so she won’t see you eat out of fear of yet another crude remark. You will binge and purge to feel better about yourself. You’ll constantly wonder if you’re thin enough to be considered worthy of beauty. By the time you’re 18, you’ll be suicidal because you haven’t found your self worth after years of emotional abuse. You’ll look for acceptance in all the wrong places and hit rock bottom. But you’ll get up again like you always do. By the time you’re 20, you will marry someone who emotionally abuses you because you weren’t taught your own worthiness and how you should be treated. You’ll eventually divorce this man and hit a new level of low. You’ll attend nursing school and learn to eat your emotions which leads you to your first actual time of being overweight. However, you’ll quickly lose the weight within a year dropping down to a mere 100lbs and wanting more. You won’t have any balance because you’ve never been taught how to do so. Your life has always been extreme one way or the other. But Sia, it gets better. By the time you’re 23, you’ll meet the man you’re meant to be with and you’ll have a little boy and girl of your own. You’ll know exactly what to say and what not to say to your own kids. You’ll learn to use your traumatic childhood to fuel your motherhood. People often don’t realize that those little words stick. Kids like you soak up these sayings like a sponge and it can either lead to a life of contentment or to a life of heartache and disaster. Let your life be a story to others along the way. Keep fighting. With love, 29 year old Sia
A post shared by SIA | FITNESS WORKOUTS RECIPES (@diaryofafitmommyofficial) on Mar 27, 2019 at 5:05am PDT
Sia Cooper has been open about her past struggles with trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. In March of 2019, she shared a letter that she wrote to her younger self.
In the post, Cooper explained that she developed eating disorders as a teenager. She said that by age 14, she used to hide her meals in her room out of fear of sparking “yet another crude remark” from her mother about her weight. Cooper says she developed bulimia in her efforts to become thin. Cooper adds that she felt suicidal by age 18 because she searched for “acceptance in all the wrong places and hit rock bottom.”
Cooper’s issues with her weight continued as a college student. On her blog, Cooper says she became overweight while attending nursing school because she couldn’t find time to exercise. After watching a Netflix documentary called Food Inc, Cooper said she changed her eating habits and lost 50 pounds within a year.
Cooper does caution in the letter to her 5-year-old self that she tended to go from one extreme to the next. She explained that she dropped too much weight at one point, and weighed only 100 pounds, before realizing that she needed to gain some of the weight back in order to be healthy.
2. Cooper Blogged About Her Fitness Journeys & Registered ‘Diary of a Fit Mommy’ As an LLC In 2014
Sia Cooper began writing about her fitness experiences when she set out to drop the weight she had gained as a nursing student. But the blog didn’t become a business until she became pregnant with her first child.
Cooper explains that she returned to blogging as a way to hold herself accountable during her pregnancy. She exercised throughout all three trimesters and gained only 30 pounds. Cooper says she quit her nursing job to be a stay-at-home mother and focus on her writing. But the blog continued to attract more attention as fans reached out to Cooper for tips about workouts and her eating habits. It was during this time that Cooper became a certified personal trainer.
According to the Florida Department of State website, Cooper registered “Diary of a Fit Mommy” as an LLC in October of 2014. Her second husband, Grady Cooper, was also listed as an “authorized person” for the company. He was still listed as a member of the company on the annual LLC report, which was filed in April of 2019. But Cooper explained in September 2019 that she has begun running the business entirely on her own since she and Grady decided to get divorced.
3. Sia Cooper Says She Earns $500,000 Per Year Running the Fitness Blog
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I get bullied and harassed on a daily basis because I choose to comment on Instagram. Now I’m finally hitting back at the haters in my newest blog post at diaryofafitmommy.com/blog I get called fat, ugly, annoying, stupid, and a bad mom because I comment and interact with my favorite pages to follow. The hate that I get is so insane and hypocritical because they do the exact same. I’ve even had comments from people saying to “KYS” which stands for “kill your self” and messages saying they were going to kill my children. There was another school shooting today and I wonder why..the shooter reportedly was bullied much like this. First of all, instagram (social media) is my full time job. It’s how I connect with clients and gain new followers. It may look like I’m on here 24/7 because I have my notifications turned on. Also my kids are taken care of ? Let me ask you this.. if you know I’m everywhere doesn’t that mean you’re everywhere too? ? Honestly. But the person whom you should really be upset with is this new Instagram algorithm. They choose to highlight my comments, but this is how I always commented. ??♀️ Nothing new here folks. I make $500,000 a year and I am able to support my family of 4 so I’m happy to be here. Even when haters are trying their best to phase me. I’m so thankful for @instagram and this page of mine. It’s taken me to so many places and I’ve met so many amazing people! And I don’t care what anyone says, I’ve got the BEST followers in the world! ? I’m constantly bombarded with messages and comments from haters asking me to block them but little do they know, they’ll still see my comments regardless if they block me or I block them. I won’t be stopping anytime soon so you can either do one of the following: 1. Read my newest blog post and try to understand where I’m coming from. 2. Stop getting so triggered and simply scroll past my comments if you see them. 3. Keep hating and be a miserable presence. The choice is yours. It’s a beautiful life and at the end of the day there are more important things to be concerned with ☺️
A post shared by SIA | FITNESS WORKOUTS RECIPES (@diaryofafitmommyofficial) on May 18, 2018 at 9:14am PDT
Sia Cooper’s decision to launch Diary of a Fit Mommy proved to be a savvy business decision. Cooper claimed in a May 2018 Instagram post that she earns $500,000 per year running her blog.
She also earns income through paid endorsements on social media. For example, in October of 2019, Cooper posted a photo of herself with CBD oil and acknowledged that it was a paid partnership with Veritas Farms. Cooper says she uses CBD oil to relieve her chronic headaches.
Cooper is also a frequent target of online attacks. In the post mentioned above, when she revealed her income, Cooper was clapping back at critics who accused her of not spending enough time with her children and for spending too much time posting on Instagram. Cooper pointed out that being on Instagram is a major component of her job. She added that the app’s algorithms tend to highlight comments made by people with large followings, which is why her comments on celebrity accounts tend to attract more attention.
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? Bosu Workout ? It is still so shocking to see people who comment so negatively toward a fit pregnant woman: "She only cares about her looks and not the baby!" "All of that activity is NOT good for her unborn child." "She is taunting other mothers out there." Ok let's get some things straight: 1. Hell yeah I care about how I look. I love looking good and taking care of my body for not only my husband, but for also myself. When you look good, you feel even better. It's an instant self-esteem boost. And as far as not caring about the health of my unborn baby, don't you ever think that I workout FOR the health of my unborn baby? 2. Actuallyyyyy… working out during pregnancy results in a healthier labor, delivery, and baby AND I have my doctor's approval. 3. Nope, not taunting or bragging-just making a point that if you are up for it & are physically able to, WHY NOT? It's called motivation. Now, some facts about working out during pregnancy: FACT: Research shows you might put on 7 pounds less than pregnant women who don’t work out, while still staying within the healthy weight-gain range. FACT: Regular exercisers are 75 percent less likely to need a forceps delivery, 55 percent less likely to have an episiotomy and up to four times less likely to have a Cesarean section. FACT: You lower your gestational diabetes risk by as much as 27 percent and even if you do develop it—and many fit women do because genetics and age play a significant role—exercise may help prevent or delay your need for insulin or other medications. FACT: Your child may have a healthier heart. The developing babies of prenatal exercisers have more efficient hearts than those of non-exercisers. It's sad that we still live in a day and age where people think pregnant ladies are crippled. Well, guess what? We're not. All I am saying is if your doctor has given you the approval to workout, then why not? You may choose to workout during your pregnancy or you may choose not to-it is your choice and you have your own reasonings. But don't you dare put ME down for my choice. And do not let others put you down for yours as well.
A post shared by SIA | FITNESS WORKOUTS RECIPES (@diaryofafitmommyofficial) on Mar 30, 2016 at 12:22pm PDT
Cooper also famously faced online attacks while she was pregnant with her second child in 2016. Cooper maintained strong abs during the pregnancy and the photos went viral. She explained on Instagram at the time that she had her doctor’s approval to work out and that exercising during pregnancy can lead to healthier labor.
4. Cooper Made Headlines in 2017 For Working Out During a Trip to Target; She Told Critics She Was Demonstrating That Mothers Can Fit In Workout Routines Whenever Convenient
Sia Cooper encourages mothers by reminding them that it’s ok if they don’t have a lot of time to get to a gym. She posts suggestions to Instagram about how moms can fit in workouts whenever it is convenient. In May of 2019, she shared a video of how she fit in a few reps while playing with her children on a swingset.
In 2017, Cooper received some backlash after posting a video of a workout she did in a Target. In the video, she is seen doing squats while walking down the aisles with her child in the cart. SELF Magazine shared the post to its own Instagram account, expanding its reach. Many commenters praised Cooper for her creativity, but others were less kind. Critics called Cooper “obsessive,” remarked that what she was doing was “dumb” and urged her to take a sedative to calm herself.
Cooper told SELF, “I didn’t want everyone to go grab their shopping carts and get in people’s way and start doing obnoxious workouts in public—it was just a fun message saying ‘Hey, you can literally work out everywhere if you just put your mind to it.”
5. Sia Cooper Is Going Through Her Second Divorce
Sia Cooper has been married twice. As of this writing, the bio on the Diary of a Fit Mommy blog does not reflect that she is going through a second divorce. The “About” section still reads that Cooper is “happily married.”
Cooper first got married at age 20. She has described that relationship as having been toxic. She met her second husband, Grady Cooper, when she was 23 after moving from southern Mississippi to Florida. They moved in together after only one month and married six months after meeting. Grady is an Air Force Diet Therapist.
Cooper posted a YouTube video in September of 2019 to explain why she and husband Grady were divorcing. She talked at length about how the relationship moved quickly. She said that after giving birth to their first child, she gradually began to view Grady more as a friend rather than a husband. Cooper said she sought help from a therapist to try to “fix” her attraction to her husband, but ultimately concluded that she and Grady were not the best fit for each other. Cooper added that she felt that she stopped making her husband a priority after becoming a mother, and that contributed to them falling apart as a couple. Cooper says they now split time with their children equally.
Cooper has already moved on. She is dating Nicholas Huu Nguyen of Pensacola, Florida. Cooper first shared images of them together in August 2019 to Instagram.
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