I was talking to my trainer today about my challenges with weight loss. It occurred to me that my challenge is not really food, or exercise...I can be, and have been a Nazi about those things...my challenge is my brain, my emotions, my psyche. Sure, I can eat well, I do it all the time. Yes, I can exercise, I get up at 5:40 some days to do so. I have will power, I have a lot of will power over my BODY. Not the case with my head. I cut myself down, I get on mental trips, I stumble over myself. One of my biggest pitfalls is comparing myself to others, and getting down about my shortcomings. I also punish myself for things that are out of my control...things I have no way of changing.
So after our conversation, I sit down to eat, and open up this parenting magazine that has been sitting on my table for days. One of the articles was about celebrity moms, and how we are lied to about how easy it is for them to look good after having babies. At the end of the article was THIS pledge. I thought the timing of me reading this could not have been more perfect! I copied and pasted it here for you to read, but if you follow the link you can sign the pledge and pass it on! I am going to print this and put it on my bathroom mirror!
I PROMISE TO:
- Acknowledge that there is no such thing as the "perfect" body—or the "perfect" mommy.
- Never define my self-worth according to the number on the scale or the size of my clothes.
- Make decisions that are right for me. They don't have to be right for everyone else.
- Take care of myself and take time for myself, even if some days I can only manage one-minute increments.
- Work on developing a relationship with food that is about health, nourishment and enjoyment, not deprivation, indulging and punishment.
- Stop all body-bashing talk with my friends, my colleagues, my partner, my family, and myself.
- Ask for help when I need it. I'll make a phone call, write an email or send a text—whatever it takes to reach out for support.
- Separate the re-touched, made-up beauty fantasies in the media from what matters most to me in reality.
- Give up the mission to get my "pre-baby body" back and start focusing my energy on moving forward in my new life.
- Remember that, one person at a time, healthy beauty is a revolution—for ourselves and for our children.
