It is going to get raw, buckle-up! I have put on weight, I know it. Maybe not as it was happening, in the moment when I was eating that dessert I did not need or having the second glass of wine. But one day, I woke up and said, enough; this is not me, not even close to my best me. This is the first sign of truth when you are able to say it aloud and know it to be true and need to make a change.
I downloaded an app and started to track my calories, I began taking the dog on longer, faster pace walks, and I went to bed early if I was angry because I wanted another glass of wine or wanted to eat cookies. I started a 21-day workout challenge. All good.
One day, my daughter and I are walking, and I see a very fit woman who looks amazing. I say to my daughter as we pass her, “Am I fat?”. She looks at me and says, “Momma, that is not nice to say and no you’re not.” A day goes by and she comes up to me and says, “Remember the other day?”. Before she finishes the sentence, I reply, “When you said I was not fat?”. She says, “Yes, I lied, you have added some weight, but I know you’re working on it now and I am proud of you.”
It was hard for her to not tell the truth because she did not want to hurt my feelings. I learned in our conversation she was even able to communicate the last time I was comfortable in my own body.
I have two reasons for sharing this story. First, our kids see more than we realize. They see when we are hurting and not being kind to ourselves, but might not say anything because they don’t want to hurt our feelings. Second, our kids are watching us and making judgements on how they are going to live their lives. We owe it to them to be more aware.
