It’s hard to believe that the day of love is upon us again. Last year at this time, I had just found out that I was going to be a mom. This year, this little munchkin is my husband and my sweet Valentine. Does it get any better? I mean, look at that silly face. What’s not to love?
But this post is not about our newly acquired love. It’s about rediscovering a once great love that I had for myself. You see, before I got pregnant, I was in the best shape of my life. I was active every single day and intentional with my eating. I was down to six percent body fat and felt like a rock star. Then all of a sudden, pregnancy took over. My body started holding onto fat like it was its job (it may have been,) the exhaustion had me on the couch whenever possible, and I made two new friends named Ben and Jerry. I remember being asked repeatedly by a family member how much weight I had gained as my pregnancy progressed. I told them over and over that I didn’t know, but the truth was that I did. I was steadily gaining weight and developing new stretch marks. At my last appointment before delivery, I was up a total of fifty pounds. Yes, five zero.
Fast forward almost four months and I’ve got about fifteen left to lose. It doesn’t sound like much, but it feels like a ton. Up until this point, the weight loss could be attributed to breast-feeding and generally decent eating. For the most part, my days and nights have been consumed by baby. This was to be expected. But now, as I’ve become more comfortable with the demands and unpredictable schedule that being a mom requires, I am ready to recommit myself to well, myself.
And so, I’ve joined a group of women on Facebook in what we call an “accountability group.” Each of us has committed to spending the next twenty-one days following a fitness program, eating healthy, and encouraging each other’s journey. It has only been one day, but I can already tell that success lies ahead.
Please don’t misunderstand. This isn’t about the percent body fat or the six pack abs. This is about the way I feel mentally and emotionally when I feel good physically. This is about not having to rotate the same three outfits because they’re all I feel confident in. I want to take my son to the lake this summer and not waste a single moment wondering what my thighs look like in my bathing suit. But most of all, this is about showing myself the same amount of love that I show everyone else in my life. I deserve that much.
In the coming weeks, I will be sharing updates on my journey with you. I hope to connect with other people who have gone through this before or are in the midst of it now.
Until next time… Happy Valentine’s Day!
Snickled Pink 