TODAY'S MOTIVATION
Lately it's been hard to get back into being in the present in terms of working towards my goals. I am still moving forward but sometimes it seems like what I want to achieve is still in the future in my head, when I really need to be focusing on TODAY. You see, if I don't focus on today then I start getting back into the old thinking errors where I tell myself, "Well I am just going to have this one cupcake and then tomorrow get back into it". That can be a slippery slope which being away for a week has kind of triggered for me. On Wednesday I was visiting some coworkers and they were all like "Wow you are getting skinny", "You have lost all your baby weight", and so on. Although sometimes I feel uncomfortable with such compliments (see below), this has helped me get refocused on my goals. It has helped me to remember that I have worked hard to get rid of some of the weight and the only reason I have accomplished this is because I kept reminding myself that there is no day but today. So that is what I would like to re-focus on today.
On another note, there are many things that I have wanted to write about on here but I just can't seem to get the time to sit down and really put thought into how I want to describe what is in my head. Lately I am finding this blog a bit of a chore, but I stick with it because it is a very important part of keeping myself motivated and keeping myself accountable. So I promise that I will start writing about some more issues and topics soon in addition to my daily reasons for motivation. So just bear with me.
RANT OR RAVE
I want to talk a bit about this whole business of compliments. What I am referring to is when people comment on how I look whenever I lose weight. People say things such as, "You look great!", and "Keep it up, you are starting to look skinny". The thing is, I used to have a hard time with such comments and would often shrug it off or just say "thanks" with an awkward smile.
It used to bug me a bit because there always seemed to be an unspoken message in these comments which basically indicated that I looked like crap before and that I wasn't worthy of compliments until I lost weight. It basically insinuated that I wasn't a good person unless I was skinny. Let me put it another way. It was like getting these compliments was just a reminder of how bad I looked before and how less people thought of me before. It also bothered me because I felt that society focuses too much on losing weight and appearance and it irritated me that people only get attention when they look a certain way. I've seen this happen with many co-workers and family members who have lost a bunch of weight. All of a sudden everyone is their best friend and is being super nice to them. What about before? Also, what happens when everyone compliments someone on their weight loss only for them to gain some of it back later? Awkward. And then there are the people who say, "Wow you look great, keep up the good work!", as if to say "you still don't look good enough".
I felt this way about such comments for a long time, but recently after reflecting on it a bit more I have changed my perspective on this a bit. You see, I realize that the only reason I had a hard time with getting such compliments was because I had not yet fully come to terms with the fact that yes, I did not look well before, and yes it was putting me at risk of health problems. So when people say to me, "Wow you look great", I no longer focus on the messages that may or not be present, but instead focus on the simple fact that people notice a difference and therefore I am making progress towards my goals. Whether or not they have certain judgements about me is now irrelevant. Besides, I think people have the best intentions, they are just trying to provide encouragement. Still though, it does bother me a bit that society focuses so much on appearance when it comes to weight. But what can ya do?
That's my sister.
It used to bug me a bit because there always seemed to be an unspoken message in these comments which basically indicated that I looked like crap before and that I wasn't worthy of compliments until I lost weight. It basically insinuated that I wasn't a good person unless I was skinny. Let me put it another way. It was like getting these compliments was just a reminder of how bad I looked before and how less people thought of me before. It also bothered me because I felt that society focuses too much on losing weight and appearance and it irritated me that people only get attention when they look a certain way. I've seen this happen with many co-workers and family members who have lost a bunch of weight. All of a sudden everyone is their best friend and is being super nice to them. What about before? Also, what happens when everyone compliments someone on their weight loss only for them to gain some of it back later? Awkward. And then there are the people who say, "Wow you look great, keep up the good work!", as if to say "you still don't look good enough".
I felt this way about such comments for a long time, but recently after reflecting on it a bit more I have changed my perspective on this a bit. You see, I realize that the only reason I had a hard time with getting such compliments was because I had not yet fully come to terms with the fact that yes, I did not look well before, and yes it was putting me at risk of health problems. So when people say to me, "Wow you look great", I no longer focus on the messages that may or not be present, but instead focus on the simple fact that people notice a difference and therefore I am making progress towards my goals. Whether or not they have certain judgements about me is now irrelevant. Besides, I think people have the best intentions, they are just trying to provide encouragement. Still though, it does bother me a bit that society focuses so much on appearance when it comes to weight. But what can ya do?
RANDOMS
Ok so I promised some pictures of our trip to Nova Scotia. Here is part one.
Let's title this little diddy "My Sister"......
Who shows up at the airport with pink hair and a stuffed lobster for Maya?
My sister.
Who collects a bunch of baby stuff before our arrival and puts it in a pretty little basket?
And has fresh towels folded as if we are at a hotel?
My sister.
Who sets up a play area with baby toys, even though no babies live in their house?
My sister.
Who has a basket full of things you may need like toothpaste, hand lotion, razors, and so on?
Who has a play pen all made up?
And a baby monitor ready to go?
And a changing area with diapers in just the right size?
My sister.
My sister had everything ready for us when we got to her place on the evening of our arrival. It made our stay way easier. Can you tell that she is the eldest sibling in my family and is always taking care of others?
And if that wasn't enough, who decorated her dining room with balloons and streamers as a surprise for my 30th birthday?
My sister.
And she gave me a card with a gift certificate for a hot stone massage, which I enjoyed the next day.
And then I came back to find a napping baby, tasty spread for lunch, and noon hour cocktails.
If anyone knows my sister, knows, that's my sister.
About Maya's first plane ride...
You may remember pictures I posted yesterday of Maya's first plane ride. Well it went pretty good considering she is an eight month old baby. To tell you the truth, I wasn't that worried about the flight because it was only a few hours. We have waited at the doctor's office longer than that some days. The biggest question before we left was whether or not Maya would have a problem with her ears popping, but it didn't really bother her a whole lot. I tried to nurse her on the way up and down but it didn't seem to make a difference either way.
Travelling with a baby though is definitely a lot different than travelling on your own. I ended up with two carry-on bags, a jacket, and a stroller to lug around through security by myself. It wasn't that bad, except it was a bit sketchy when I had to hold Maya while manoeuvring all of these things at the same time, but we did it. I'd have to say, I was not impressed with the air line staff while boarding the plane. I always had this assumption that they gave special assistance to those travelling with babies, but in the end it was fellow passengers that offered to give me a hand. There was no way that I was going to be able to fold up my stroller while carrying a baby and our stuff and show my boarding pass all at the same time. So a few people walking by offered to help and I accepted it with much appreciation. Some people even offered to help carry stuff for me on and off the plane. Meanwhile the airline staff were useless, even when I asked for help. During the flight Maya was good for the most part, only a few minimal melt downs when she realized she was tired but didn't want to fall asleep. Overall, the flights there and back weren't too bad but I don't think I would be a big fan of doing a flight any longer than a few hours with an eight month old. My sister in law recently flew from Chicago to New Zealand with a three month old. I'm curious to hear about her travels when she gets back.
And to conclude my post for today here is a video that shows how Maya spent a lot of her time on the visit:
That's my sister.
