WLJ: Being my own best friend

 A few years ago, when I reached my heaviest weight, I realized I had to change things. A lot of things. It wasn't just because I was eating wrong or not being active enough. Sure, those things contributed, but that wasn't the real problem.  I thought they were, but during this journey, I haven't just changed how I look, I've had to really take a look at myself.

As I look at photos of me from those days, there's something missing -- confidence and self-worth.  I didn't like me.  I told people I liked me, but it's clear I didn't.  If I liked me, I would have been taking better care of me. So that's what I did.

I started eating better.


I started working out more.

But more than that ... I started loving myself. 

I made a conscious effort to be nicer to myself (internally and externally).  I stopped saying negative things to myself in the mirror and started being more positive. I studied how people treated me and got rid of those who only lived to bring me down.  If I was going to stop, so were they. 
 

Basically, I realized I needed to treat me like I treat my friends --- build up, don't tear down. I started thinking about what I say to the people I love and realized I needed to be saying those things to myself. I needed to be my own best friend instead of my own worst enemy. 

Friends and family have obviously noticed the change in my shape, but more than that, they say my confidence level has soared.  And they're right. I do have a much stronger sense of who I am and what I'm worth now. 

And my weight doesn't have anything to do with it. Even if my weight doesn't budge from where I am now, I know I'm pretty great.  I'm not giving up on my goal, but I am recognizing that reaching my goal weight isn't the end all, be all of becoming the best me.  I'm still a work-in-progress, and I always will be. I'll never be perfect, but I'm still pretty awesome. And I am worthy of good care, good food, good friendships and good love. And I won't settle for less.


Weight-loss goal: 40 lbs.
This week's progress: -1.2 lbs.
Progress to date: -26.2 lbs.
Non-scale victory: I ran a little over eight miles last week.  Accomplishing that in three consecutive days might not have been the best idea, but the weather was so nice, I just couldn't resist getting out in it.

P.S.

Speaking of being nice to ourselves, I think we could all take a lesson from young Jessica: