Mission Healthy Mom - Turtle Power!

It's been over a year since I decided to change my lifestyle and become healthier.  I've made great progress but due to set backs (hernia surgery), life events and the typical plateaus of long term weight loss I sometimes get discouraged.  Recently, a friend posts a set of pictures on Facebook from Easter 2012 - which was several months before I started my journey.  Most of the pictures were of my cute little girl interacting with baby chicks. 

Isn't she cute??? 

Then, in the mix of the photos I caught a glimpse of myself.  I'm normally the one behind the camera and the more weight I had put on the less excited I was to get in any of the pictures.  

At first, I was drawn back to that place of not liking me in pictures but then I realized - that is the OLD me.  The unhealthy Mom, standing in the background, most likely tired and out of energy.  That is not who I am today. I don't have any "official" Easter pictures of me from 2012 but this year I was excited to be in the pictures with the kids.  After seeing the old and new me I realized how much progress I have made.  

Then I thought of a turtle.  

Ok, not that turtle.. but didn't my friend do an amazing job on her son's birthday cake? But I digress.  I'm talking about the famous turtle from the Tortoise and the Hare.  

A year later, I'm not finished, I'm still in progress, some days it feels like this journey (or me) is going as slow as a turtle.  Whether it is my surgery recovery taking months longer than expected or trying to fight through yet another plateau I'm reminding myself that in the end it is the turtle that wins.  Slow and steady really does win the race.  So whether it takes me six more months or another year to reach my healthiest weight in the end if I am moving forward, I'm winning the race. 

Are you a turtle?  How do you stay motivated?