The Weight I’m No Longer Carrying

Why 7,000 pounds wasn’t the heaviest thing I lifted this week

Yesterday was leg day, and I lifted 7000 pounds.

But that wasn’t the heaviest thing in the room.

With one workout:

• I lifted comparison.

• I lifted self-doubt.I lifted the pressure to get my body back.

• I lifted the version of me I thought I should be.

The deadlifts, RDLs, Bulgarian split squats and all of that weight in my hands was real.

But the invisible stuff? It was heavier.

Six months ago I had major cosmetic surgery to handle what losing 125 pounds stole from me (my boobs). I naively thought I’d have a six week recovery and be back to my old self.

Six weeks after surgery, I could barely do 5 pound dumbbell curls. I could do my morning walk around the block but not much else.

The physical weakness was humbling to say the least.

But the mental comparison was harder.

“I used to be stronger.”
“This shouldn’t feel this hard.”
“Why aren’t you back yet?”

When I finally started working out again around 12 weeks post-op, the weights were embarrassingly light. My range of motion was limited. I didn’t feel like a “fit person.” I felt like all the work I had done to build up my body after weight loss was for nothing.

So I did something small and necessary.

I recalibrated.

I stopped competing with the version of me from before surgery and accepted the version of me that existed that day.

I quit thinking about how strong I used to be- I had visible muscles, y’all! I quit thinking about where I should be if I could have started working out at 6 weeks post-op like my doctor told me I could. I quit thinking about where I would be if I hadn’t had surgery.

I looked in the mirror…and got to work.

I started doing three strength training workouts a week in December. Plus one or two days of cardio with some easy running or jump rope. Plus my daily 10k steps. And some pickleball for active fun.

I still didn’t feel strong. The weights were still light. I caught myself thinking I should be doing more.

But it turns out that showing up consistently is more than enough. Little by little, strength started stacking. It didn’t feel dramatic while it was happening. Muscle building is a painfully slow process!

But I’ve still been going through the motions. Just doing the things I know I need to do even though I didn’t have anything to show for it.

Until now.

Yesterday, something finally clicked. Seven months after my surgery, I finally feel strong again!

Yesterday was just an ordinary day. There wasn’t anything special about this day or this workout.

The magic is in every single unimpressive workout I’ve done for the past few months. I could not have lifted 7,000 pounds on this day without lifting the light weights for months first.

I could not have felt strong without first allowing myself to feel weak.

And that’s the part that matters, not just in strength training, but in everything.

In weight loss.
In healing.
In maintenance.
In rebuilding your life.

We think breakthroughs come from motivation, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

They come from motion. From doing the next thing on the schedule you set for yourself…even when you don’t feel ready, inspired, or impressive.

From accepting who you are today and loving that person enough to put in the effort anyway.

My latest video on YouTube shares the story of how I lost 10 pounds in ONE week when I realized this same truth. When I finally started accepting myself for who I was and doing all the small things to care for my body, I found instant success.

What I am learning again and again on this journey of weight loss and life: Don’t wait until you feel strong; build strength by showing up while you’re still weak.

If you’re in a season where you don’t feel like you are doing enough, or if you’re frustrated with your pace, or if you’re waiting for motivation to strike…

Maybe you don’t need a new plan. Maybe you just need to recalibrate.

Start with who you are today. And do the next small thing.

One day, it will click.

And you’ll realize you’ve been lifting more than you knew all along.

Talk soon,

Meghann