A Mommy Story

OK, so it’s obvious that my plateau has me feeling a little down lately. More than a little down, really. I step on the scale and curse the number. I look in the mirror and wonder why my stomach isn’t flatter, why my hips are still so large, and why I still have the lumpy saddlebags hanging off the sides of my legs.

I know the self-hate does me no good. It provides no motivation. It zaps my energy. It only tears me down when I should be working towards building my self-esteem up.

So I take a deep breath. And then I look a little closer in the mirror.

My upper arms have definition when I flex them now. I can see the smooth contour of my bicep forming a small hill along my upper arm. And even with the floppy skin underneath, it’s obvious that my arms are smaller than they once were.

I need to have my wedding ring re-sized because it’s now loose enough that I worry about it slipping off when I’m not noticing.

My face looks thinner compared to the photo on my work ID badge. That photo was taken a year ago.

I’m wearing one size smaller in my favorite Lee jeans. My old “tight” jeans have become my “loose” jeans. XL shirts now look ridiculous on me.

I no longer have those bulges above or right below my bra strap. (You know, that icky back fat.)

I can go up a few flights of stairs without getting winded.

There are so many positive changes happening in me. Sometimes I need to remember to look beyond the total image and instead focus on the small details.

And if I still need something more dramatic, there’s always this: