Mom Shares Why She Loves Her “Before” Weight Loss Photo & Her Message Is Inspiring.

brianna bell weight loss

A little over a week into the new year and you feel it everywhere: the push to make that weight loss resolution a reality.

Mom and writer Brianna Bell is no different, but perhaps her self-image isn’t what you’d expect from a woman determined to become healthier. In an effort to make some positive changes to her lifestyle, Brianna decided to take a “before” picture so she could measure her body’s changes. But what was supposed to be a simple task had her reflecting deeper than she’d expected.


Facebook

When Brianna’s husband joked that she shouldn’t smile when taking her “before” photo, it made her realize that her weight loss journey was about way more than weight. She wrote about it in a really powerful Facebook post:

“I am not pregnant; I just like cookies, and bagels, and butter chicken. This is my “before” picture. This is the picture that captures the woman I am today.

A mother of three. A wife to a husband who adores me and calls me sexy. A writer. A friend. A daughter … This is me.”

bella with daughters
Facebook

“I asked my husband to take a “before” picture. The photo of me before I start my weight loss journey. Before I start to make wiser decisions about what I eat and how I move my body.

‘Don’t smile you’re supposed to look miserable,’ my husband joked.

But am I? Am I miserable? Do I hate myself and my body? Sometimes. But that’s not what I want to remember about this moment. It’s not what I want to remember about the ‘before.'”

bella swinging daughter
Facebook

“Yes, a change is a needed. I want to lose weight. I want to feel healthier, stronger, and fitter.

But I also want to remember Before. I want to remember my round belly that appears to be carrying a baby, but is just evidence that I carried three very large babies in my tiny 4 foot 11 inch body.

Nearly 26 pounds, the combined birth weight of my three daughters, were contained inside of me.”

bella's picture
Facebook

“[This] is my ‘before.’ My body is a vessel, and this year I haven’t treated it the way it deserves.

I want to treat my body with respect and dignity, while also remembering that this ‘before’ picture does not symbolize a rock bottom or lesser version of myself.

I am me and I am beautiful.

Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.”


Facebook

If you too find yourself on a weight loss journey, let Brianna’s words inspire you. It’s okay to look back at your “before” and not feel a sense of shame or self-loathing.

It’s okay to remember and appreciate the person you once were, the person you currently are, and the person you hope to become. Not just when it comes to weight loss, but improving your mental and emotional health.

If this story gave you something to think about, please share it.

Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.