Lately I've noticed that I have been looking in the mirror and "checking myself out" more than I have in, perhaps, my entire life. Why? As I've lost weight, I love seeing the progress I've made and being able to pinpoint exactly where the inches and flab has come off. My comments to myself are no longer along the lines of "Oh, look at that fat stomach" or "Those dimply thighs are hideous." Instead, those comments have changed into "Wow, my stomach doesn't hang over the top of my jeans as far" and "I can run two miles without stopping thanks to those strong thighs." It's absolutely amazing how one's perspective can change thanks to a mere 20 lbs. of weight disappearing.
I just hope that when I reach my goal weight, I will always be able to remind myself about the progress and what I looked like at my heaviest instead of looking for the flaws. In all honesty, I love my body now because it can do things that it couldn't before and it can do some things that "skinny" people can't do. I've realized that just because someone is skinny, they aren't necessarily healthy or in shape. I now have friends who are smaller than me who cannot run two miles, cannot lift a 50 lb. bale of hay and cannot snowshoe for over an hour without being absolutely exhausted. But guess what? I can do all of those things.
So, if looking in the mirror and admiring myself frequently is considered vanity, I can accept that because I'm not looking for flyaway hairs or to negatively critique myself. I'm looking to see how my glutes are becoming defined and how flat my stomach is becoming. I can only hope that others who are on their weight loss journey can appreciate their bodies as I appreciate mine. Remember your progress and what you CAN do now that you couldn't do before!
