06/02/2026
Both of these photos were taken about a year postpartum.
The difference? About 10 pounds. And a lot of life.
In the photo on the left, my focus was getting smaller. In the photo on the right, my focus was getting stronger.
What surprised me is how similar I look. I stood in the mirror and took the photo on the right the other day and instantly remembered the photo on the left.
For so long, I believed the scale would tell the whole story. But over the last year, I’ve spent less energy chasing a smaller body and more energy building a stronger, healthier one. I’ve focused on lifting, fueling my body, running, and showing up consistently instead of trying to shrink myself.
But the bigger difference isn’t what you can see.
The woman on the right has been fighting for herself. She is coming out of a long season of treading water and trying not to lose herself. Postpartum recovery. Emergency surgery. Grief. Healthcare stress. Major loss. And all of that on top of the everyday demands of motherhood and life.
The woman on the left is so proud of the woman on the right, because it started the passion to get to the one on the left.
This is a reminder that progress isn’t always measured in pounds lost.
Sometimes progress looks like more strength.
More energy.
Better habits.
More confidence.
A healthier relationship with your body.
And sometimes it looks like weighing 10 pounds more and realizing that’s perfectly okay.
I couldn’t tell you how much weight I gained during pregnancy off the top of my head. I can’t tell you my goal weight either.
But I can tell you my goals.
To be strong enough to keep up with my kids.
To build a body that supports the life I want to live.
To fuel myself well.
To keep showing up.
For the first time in a long time, I’m measuring success by those things instead.
