I have a confession...

That's right. I have a confession to make. And here it is: I am not naturally skinny. Yup, that's right. I am the size I am because I have to work hard to be skinny. And unfortunately, my working at it went on hiatus when I got pregnant and for a long time after having my son. (He'll be 3 in August for a reference for you.)

What makes this super frustrating for me is that one half of my family is what I would like to refer to as the "Land of Little People." Not that they are all really short. Although, my mom does claim to be 5' and I think she really is probably 4' 11". (Don't tell her I said that.)

Truth be told, I am the heifer in my immediate family. My mom barely weighs over 100 pounds. And on a BAD day, my sister MIGHT weigh 100 pounds. They both shop regularly in the Juniors section. This is truly frustrating for me, because when we go shopping, I wander aimlessly while they browse and just wait patiently till we can go to the grown-up section.

Now, I don't hold this against either of them. I could because it would be very easy to resent them for their genetic jackpot. But, I don't. Why? Because upon closer inspection, we are built differently. My mom and sister both have a small skeletal structure, whereas, mine is more average. Add in that I tower over my mom and have several inches on my sister just adds to my ogre-ish feeling when I am clothes shopping with them.

However, since my journey to becoming a healthier me began, I have noticed something and that is this:

No matter how skinny someone is, NEVER think they don't work at it.

That's right. My mom walks every day, golfs when she can, and eats only till she's no longer hungry. (We won't discuss her obsession with Diet Pepsi.) My sister works out probably six days a week. Her routine includes Insanity, running, weights, tennis, P90X, or whatever she can fit in. She also eats really healthy and has always practiced portion control.

So while the rest of us want to cuss the "naturally skinny" girls, more often than not, we can learn from them. Even the rest of the family on my mom's side do the things my sister and mom do.

Now my build will never let me be as small as my sister. Because if I were, I would look emaciated and gaunt. But I can still work at becoming healthier, leaner, and more energized than even now.

I know I still have a lot of work to do before I reach my "ideal" me. And that ideal may not be reflected in the number on my scale. That is why I think it is so important to measure our progress using other methods than just Trusty Rusty. This weekend, I plan on taking pictures in hopes of "seeing" a difference since I started. I took measurements over the weekend and found that I had lost more than an inch off my waist. (I know that's not a great deal...BUT, it's progress.) I had also lost from other areas, as well.

Knowing that I was improving really helped get my butt out of bed this morning to go running when I really just wanted to curl up under the covers. So if you're like me and are not naturally skinny, please raise your hand. Now, pat yourself on the back. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Having to work at it just makes the reward that much sweeter. And in this case, you will be so much stronger.