Body Weight: Losing the Comparison

All of a sudden, people started telling me how great I look and I started patting myself on the back for how far I've come. July was a rough month. I feel like it's been a tough year all together, but July was particularly hard with the passing of my grandma. I went almost completely off plan for weeks and lost zero pounds. I'm just grateful I didn't end up gaining weight with all the emotional eating that was going on. I'm still struggling with it. Somehow, as long as you don't look in the mirror (really look in the mirror), you can keep your head in the sand with whatever you don't want to see.

So, even with no weight loss, I was suddenly feeling great about my physical accomplishments this past week. And then one of my sisters-in-law posted this photo on Instagram:

It's not the worst picture of me, but it certainly wasn't making me feel any better about my body. I'll be honest - a few tears were shed. Here's the thing, though - I know these two beautiful women naturally tend to be thin, and naturally gravitate toward healthy portions and healthy foods (both of which can be a challenge for me). And they are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. It's hard to not be jealous and want to be more like them in all ways. So how could I combat this mental war I'm waging on myself? How can I combat the self-deprecation and appreciate myself at times when I wouldn't otherwise? 

Maggie Smith of the Super Savvy Mommy is the current spokesperson for Shaklee 180™. When I posted to the Shaklee Blogger page about what I was dealing with, Maggie responded with this:

So, it's a few days late, but here's my homework assignment:

1. I'm an athlete. Becoming a sponsored runner is probably not in the cards for me, but I enjoy being active and that's something I'm proud of. 
2. I'm a writer. I can string together words in a decent combination. 
3. I'm a fast typist. I laugh about this, but I actually won an award for this in high school. Third place in the whole county! 
4. I'm a talented baker. I enjoy baking, and I've made a few birthday cakes for my kids and cupcakes for friends that I can be proud of. 
5. I'm a good cook. My husband may not always agree, but some people do!
6. I'm good at puzzles. Sudoku, jigsaw, Lego Batman type... I like them and I'm good at them. 
7. I'm a good mom. I'll leave it at that. 
8. I'm a decent seamstress. I've designed formal dresses, aprons, curtains, doll clothes, etc. I'm no Vera Wang, but I get by and then some. 
9. I'm a researcher. When I want to know about something, I do the work to figure it out. Sometimes, I try to go the easy route and attempt to get an answer via social media, but that doesn't seem to be as successful for me as just rooting out the answers myself. 
10. I'm loyal. 

And in case you were curious - here is a picture of the cake I made for my son's 4th birthday party:

I would like to challenge you to complete this same "homework assignment." It really helps give a little perspective. And if you blog about it, I'd love for you to come back here and share the link! 

This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation blogger program.  I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating in the Shaklee Corporation blogger program. My opinions are my own.  I am also a Shaklee Independent Distributor.  

People following the weight-loss portion of the Shaklee 180™ Program can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week.