Dear Mom

My mom has had a weight problem as long as I can remember and then some.  She was not an overly obese person but her weight did hinder her activity and played a huge part in her definition - sad but true.  I had nightmares as a child about her dying because she was "fat".   And, sadly as the effects start to take their tole, her life will be cut short because of it.   

However, as I have gone through this journey myself and met lots of people trying to make it through their own journeys,  I am so grateful for the example I had.  I never once saw my mother go on a "diet".  That may seem weird, but I would be a totally different being had I watched my mother lose, feel proud and strong, then gain and feel bad and weak - even if it was only one time.   Sure, I would have loved to see her get the mindset to be healthy but I am glad she was strong enough in herself to know that she wasn't ready. 

My mindset is directly related to hers.  A lot of motivation for my mindset comes from the desire to be an example for my daughter.  The mindset, it is sooooo important!  Diets don't work and long-term motivation does not come from a disgusting reflection in the mirror.  That reflection has so many more adjectives than ugly, fat or any other negative label.  Believing this one truth will take you further along your journey than any diet method invented.