Health is not always our top priority. Especially when we have marriage, family and work responsibilities. Our health can take a back seat to everything else. Often at the cost of our confidence and ability to physically keep up with all of our responsibilities. 

When my husband and I were dating, I was quite trim and healthy. Then… we were married, had kids and stressful jobs. The pounds went on and I did not take the time to take back control of my health. I did not feel all that great, I was tired constantly and just could not keep up with daily life very well.

I did start to feel bad for my husband. He dated a nice looking girl in college, now he has this! It wore on my self-confidence. I worried about him finding another woman, someone that was skinny and fit. It really weighed on our marriage and trust in him, even though he did nothing to deserve distrust. It was purely that my self-image and self-confidence was out the door.

However, I had to learn that my confidence should not come from the number on the scale. But, it should come from my true worth and value. It was just hard to see that, when all I could do was focus on my weight and looks.

My husband deserved to have a healthy wife. No, not necessarily a before-marriage-skinny-wife, just a healthy one that would live a long life with him. One that would be confident in her own body and not worry about what she looked like all the time.

I wanted my husband to be proud of his the wife he had and really, wanted him to be able to show his wife off. This is not an important life quality, but just something I wanted and felt I needed.

Taking Back Control

A few years back, I finally decided that it was time to get over this hump of being stuck in an unhealthy situation. I was tired of having a few negative health challenges that was related to weight gain and wanted to feel better and have more energy. I wanted to look good for my husband again. I wanted to feel confident in the bedroom again and not hiding in the dark and under the covers with oversized flannel pajamas. Not sexy at all!!

I worked hard to focus on my health and drop weight. I set a goal. Not overly unrealistic but something I could manage and do.

After hitting my goal, not only was my confidence higher but I felt so much better. I finally was not so tired and exhausted. I wasn’t afraid to show him, me. I didn’t feel like I needed to hide under the covers or big clothes.

Keeping Up With Your Health

Yes, after a little time, I have put a little weight back on, but I never let myself get back to what I was before. I have a point that I get to, and know when I am there, it’s time to reevaluate my health and food and exercise choices. I know I feel better about myself physical and emotionally when I focus on keeping myself healthy. I feel more confident in our marriage too. I know that I have to keep up this part of our marriage, my self-confidence and health.

Taking care of yourself is an important responsibility. Taking care of yourself lets your husband know that you care about him enough to be your best for him and your family.

One of my favorite websites for keeping up with health is my friend’s blog Unprocessed Jess. She keeps it real and realistic. There are many resources out there and places of encouragement if you need a little boost.