A few weeks ago, my husband Zac was looking through all of his Facebook profile pictures and this one popped up.
(I know, he weird, but he loved how dorky I looked in those boots I was wearing on a whitewater rafting trip.)
The instant I saw that picture I thought, “Man I cannot wait to get my stomach to look like that again!” My ambitious wheels started turning…. “Yeah, I’m going to print this picture and hang it up for motivation!!!”
Then, it hit me. I was starting to fall victim to the good ole comparison hangover.
You know what I am talking about. It’s when you compare yourself to your old self, or other women, so much that you start to feel like you have a hangover.
Not.Fun.At.All.
Since giving birth to Wyatt, I’ve seen “Get your pre-baby body back” ads and images all over TV, social media, and magazines. I was starting to believe it was a possibility.
I had to give myself a loving reality check before I started to feel like I had drank an entire bottle the night before…
My stomach will never look exactly like that ever again. My body has changed and I need to accept that and love it for the form that it is in now.
This idea that we can somehow make our body look exactly like it has in the past is a sick joke the media plays on us.
To strive for…
…the butt you had in college.
…the skin you had before children.
…the stomach you had before menopause.
…or the boobs before pregnancy.
It’s only setting you up for disappointment and a MASSIVE comparison hangover. It’s impossible to turn back time and have your body look exactly the same as it once did.
With a mindset like this, you will constantly be searching for the next diet or exercise program trying to achieve these unrealistic goals, which will ultimately leave you feeling stuck and hopeless.
If I were to hang up that picture as motivation, it would only remind me how much my body doesn’t look like that, leading me to subconsciously sabotage myself with ice cream, too much Netflix and oh, wine. Lots and lots of wine.
I’m not trying to be Debbie Downer by telling you that you will never look good again. OF COURSE you will! Women do it all the time. But there’s a difference between being your healthiest and fittest you can be NOW vs. what you looked like in the past and constantly comparing yourself to your old body.
The goal is to be the best version of yourself you can be, right now.
When you see pictures floating around that look like this on social media:
#1 – Remember that’s THEIR best body at that time in their life, not yours.
#2 – Put down the phone so you can start taking control of your social media addition.
and #3 – Give yourself some love.
Put your hand on your heart, and ask yourself, “What’s the most loving thing I can do for myself right now?” Then, take loving action.
No more falling for the nasty comparison hangover!
And I’m right there with ya, walking my talk, striving for MY best body in this phase of my life too.
You rock,
Nichole
P.S. You also inflict this hangover onto yourself by hanging out on Facebook for entirely too long, finding all the evidence you can as to why, “her life is better than yours.” Stop that my sister! Remember, jealousy is just a sign from our body that points us towards areas in our lives where we want more. Applaud them, and you’ll attract what they have.