One thing that has really struck me – especially lately – is how I react to people’s comments about my weight loss.
On the one hand, I am thrilled that people notice and comment.
On the other, I am a little uncomfortable at their attention and praise.
I started thinking about this last night. Wondering why it is so hard for me to accept praise for the progress I’ve made.
People ask me “aren’t you proud of yourself?” and I don’t know how to respond.
Am I?
I don’t know. I guess. When I stop and really think about it, yes, I guess I am.
But it has all been relatively easy and so it feels weird to think that this is something to be proud of. I mean, losing weight (in the past) has been a painful, long, arduous journey for me.
This? This has been a cakewalk. Once I recovered from the surgery and started eating “real” food, it’s been fairly simple.
I know what I can eat.
I know what I can’t.
As long as I eat what I’m supposed to and stay away what I’m not supposed to eat, I do just fine. I feel great, have tons of energy, and the weight falls off seemingly effortlessly.
I guess there is a part of me that feels like anything that is this simple shouldn’t be something to be proud of.
I mean, to me, the hard part was getting up the nerve to have the surgery. THAT was scary. THAT was difficult. This? This isn’t so bad.
But, as I stood looking at myself in the mirror last night – wearing a favorite shirt that is now half-again too big for me (you could put two of me in there) it dawned on me
I have lost a LOT of weight. Almost 100 lbs.
And that IS a pretty big deal.
Something to be proud of.
Even though I had the tool of the bypass to help me, I have still accomplished this through discipline, patience, dedication and work.
So, I’m not selling myself short anymore.
I AM PROUD.
I want to shout it from the rooftops: LOOK AT ME. LOOK WHAT I DID.
The new me is giving myself permission to love myself enough to be proud of what I’ve accomplished. And permission to look towards the future, set some new goals, and forge ahead.
Yep. It’s OK to be proud.
I’ve come a long way, baby.
Thoughts Along Life's Highway 