Is My Improved Fitness Showing?

Being pregnant means it is harder for me to notice the weight coming off from me, because my belly is still growing. It is difficult for me to see the results of my weight loss except for in my face for now, at least until the baby arrives.

Today, I was walkign my daughter Gabby to school and pushing the double stroller with my two year old and three year old in it. We wound up behind a mother and toddler and they were walking really slowly. I assumed it was because of the toddler's uncertain steps, but as I came alongside them, I realized that the 20-something mother was very pregnant and the toddler was pulling against her hand trying to speed her up. We started up a conversation, and I found out that she was due just two weeks before me.

Later, after the children were dropped off at school, we ran into one another again, and she stopped to chat with me. (I was at the bus stop waiting for a bus to take my two little ones and I to the hospital for a prenatal appointment.)

First, she was amazed that I was only due two weeks after her and that this was my 7th baby. She said I just seemed too fit and energetic for that!

That comment absolutely made my day! Most days, I hobble with pregnancy-induced pain from my hip, but I am learning to ignore the pain and do my best to walk normally and quickly anyway so as to make my time spent walking shorter. And I have never before been referred to as being "fit" and definitely not "energetic!" Even in my early 20s with my first few pregnancies back in my "thin" days, I always felt tired and sluggish. I would look at other pregnant women and mothers and be jealous of how energetic they seemed!

I have noticed that, where I used to take 45 minutes or longer to walk 2 miles with my husband, I can now do the same walk in usually about 30 minutes. So, maybe even if I can't physically see the results in my body of all of this weight loss right now, at least I am starting to be shown the results that are appearing in other ways.