I love you the way you ARE. I don’t care what you look like in a swim suit, how much cellulite you have on the back of your legs, how many stretch marks you have, how much your arm flaps when you dance, or what the scale says when you step on it. Being a good, kind, loving person is what makes me love you. But my question is this: Do YOU love you the way you are?
Do you continually wish you were somthing else? Smarter? Thinner? Stronger? That you could buy a smaller pant size? That you could be more confident naked in front of your husband? Do you wish you could be more confident in a swim suit? More often than not women look in the mirror at their physical self and wish they saw something else. They lack the ability to see anything they love, simply because they can’t see past the extra pounds.
It wasn’t until after I had my babies that I ever really struggled with loving myself. Coming home from the hospital and seeing a body that was unrecognizable to me was HARD. I’ll NEVER forget when the nurse escorted me to the bathroom for the first time after I had my first child in 2010. Hardly being able to walk and wearing what felt like a diaper(you know those mesh granny panties I’m talking about…) will really put you in what feels like a low place. When she left me there alone I remember looking down at my stomach, and then in the mirror, and just being utterly shocked. I don’t know how else to describe it, but I’m sure a lot of you know the feeling. I felt hurt, and I told myself my body was ruined. How could I possibly EVER go back to loving my body and myself again? I thought they way I looked in that moment was a new reality for me. I would just have to accept this new mom bod and the bad feelings associated with it. After all, I’ve wanted to be a mom my whole life. I asked for this, right?
Fast forward a few years later to when I returned home after having my third child, whom I gained 65 pounds with, and I was REALLY struggling to find my self worth. There was certainly no self love going on. Luckily it didn’t push me to the point of depression, but I still had those feelings and the discomfort associated with being overweight and being stuck in a body I didn’t recognize as my own. At that time I didn’t feel sexy, ever. I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. I didn’t like to put on actual clothes (other than my stretchy pants), and I honestly didn’t want to go anywhere or be around anyone else. I didn’t want people to see me that way. I lacked confidence in myself and hated the place I was at. I struggled to love myself the way I was. I really, really did.
Luckily I made the conscious decision one day to get ahold of my nutrition and start prioritizing myself. It was really quite simple. I knew if I could get in a better place physically, I would feel so much better and I would eventually find the self love I was looking for. If I could fit back into some of the jeans in my closet, if I could make it through a workout without discomfort, if I could look in the mirror without seeing so much “extra” me, I’d be happier. And guess what? It worked. I know, this is the part where you decided I must be a shallow person. But here’s the honest truth. As I started to lose the weight, I gained more and more confidence and I liked what I was seeing in the mirror again. I started to appreciate my body and all it COULD do. Little by little that voice in the back of my head saying I wasn’t good enough(my own voice) started to fade, until it was gone. After several years of focusing on fixing my physical self(becuase I WAS overweight) I became content I grew pround of my mom bod. I embrace the stretch marks, dimples, veins, and mommy pooch. I put on a swimsuit now and I don’t think twice about any of those things. Sure I still see them when I look in the mirror, but they don’t bother me. I have never been more confident in myself, EVER. If only I could go back to the moment in the bathroom so long ago and tell myself then, that with patience(lots and lots of patience) and a little hard work, I will find that love for myself and it will be stronger than ever. All it took was one step in the right direction and many months/years of creating healthy habits.
I truly believe that the first step to finding self love starts with taking care of your physical self. The way we feel when our bodies aren’t taken care of and are pushed to their limits is defeating. What if I told you the answer to your self destruction was as simple as diet and exercise? Becuase it IS. If you feel stuck in a body you don’t recognize like I did, do something about it. I promise you that if you start to take better care of the one body you’ve been gifted, you will learn to LOVE it. Stop waiting for the perfect time and letting these years pass you by. Stop dreaming of the day you feel sexy around your husband again. YOU are in control of you, and YOU are capable of so much more than you think, I promise. Give yourself the gift of love by taking care of your physical self the way you take care of everyone and everthing else in your life. Let your insecurities fade away little by little as you take control of your physical health once and for all.
You can get these adorable swim suits Tracy and I are modeling at ThePinkDesert.com. They are part of their new line, Cruise Swim Collection. They are are so adorable are we are in LOVE with these suits! Get yourself one today at 15% off with code: STAYFIT15
>>>>>Don’t forget about the Valentine’s Day Sale happening now!
If you want to see if this program can do for you what it has done for hundreds of other mamas, now’s the time to jump in! 2/10-2/16/19 we are running a great deal for our March coaching group. Enter coupon code: LOVEYOURSELF at checkout and receive $25.00 off of your purchase. Coupon code also valid for DAD BOD and the Stay Fit Mom Guide to Macros on Your Own.
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