Hello there! It has been exactly 883 days since my last post here. I got lost somewhere along the way and this thing that used to bring me joy fell to the wayside.

So what have I been up to since March of 2019? WOW, it seems like it was a lifetime ago and in many ways it has been.

Let’s start with a little refresher on who I am for those who might not have been around all those years ago. My name is Mychal (pronounced Michael) and I am a wife, mother, full time employee and dog mom who seemingly runs on coffee.

I am married to one of the most amazing men on the face of the planet, he takes all my craziness in great stride. He often indulges my every whim. He is my rock and without him I would have definitely starved to death and God only knows what hole I would have ended up in.

I have two sons.

Cameron, my oldest, is about to start his sophomore year in high school…How the hell did that happen? He’s into I-racing, or is it E-racing? I’m not really sure. What I am sure of is that he has some talent with it and the paint schemes he creates for his cars are nothing short of amazing.

Logan is my soon to be seventh grader. He has the world’s biggest heart, always taking good care of the people he loves. He refuses to play organized sports but is super athletic. He enjoys Xbox and just about anything with a screen. He also has the fiercest temper (like his mother) and doesn’t always think before he chucks attitude.

I work in the death care industry. I first started out working support, I’d run errands for the funeral home, help out at services, you name it. In May of 2018 I moved into a full time role as an office manager. I spend my workdays in a house that was built around 1863 making sure that families have all they need to give their loved ones the final farewell they deserve. It’s probably not the best job for someone with high anxiety and a fear of death (but somehow not a fear of dead people), but most days I really enjoy what I do.

I have three Yorkies, they are all rescues. Cooper came to Mommyland in July of 2015, he’s now elevenish and either can’t hear for shit or gives zero fucks about what I have to say. Daisy was adopted in May of 2020, she came to us from a Lancaster County puppy mill. Daisy is six years old and very sweet, although she has some issues from spending her first five years in a rabbit hutch with very little food. Bella is our newest addition, coming to Mommyland in May of this year. She was surrendered by her owner at a kill shelter in Alabama. I can’t for the life of me figure out why, she’s amazing! Her only downside is that she is absolutely obsessed with my husband. So obsessed that she barks when I hug him and tries to get between us.

Coffee is my lifeblood. I have the vocabulary of a well educated sailer. I can’t keep a plant alive to safe my own life. I’m socially awkward as hell. I’m easily overwhelmed. On most days I feel like a hot mess.

That’s me in a nutshell. If you’d like to learn more, stick around. Questions? Feel free to drop a comment.

If you’ve been following along with Mommyland from the beginning, I’ve missed you. I’m hoping my effort to rekindle the joyful act of blogging brings a little joy to your life too.

When you’re trying to lose weight and be a healthier version of yourself, the scale can be a real jerk. For so many people the scale fools them into thinking that it’s the be all end all of your weight loss journey.

Recently a friend reached out to me because she was dealing with her scale being a jerk and I remembered a time when I let those numbers dictate my success (or failure) in losing weight. I’ve been trying to lose those last fifteen “baby weight” pounds for more than a decade now and I’ve decided that my love of food and hatered of exercise are a big factor. More on that another time though.

Don’t get me wrong, the scale has a place in the big picture, it’s an important tool, but it’s NOT the big picture…It’s just a little tree.

I weigh myself almost everyday but I’ve learned not to let the numbers get me down.

The numbers the scale shows me everyday are a guide to what’s going on and I use them to help keep me accountable. The morning after I eat like crap, the scale shows me. It helps me to say, “Ok, you had one day of eating like you’re about to be executed, it’s not a good idea to do that again today.”

Another thing to consider when looking at those sometimes depressing numbers, have you started a new workout routine? Muscle weighs more than fat, so as you replace your fat with muscule you might see an uptick on the scale. Also when working out, your muscles hold on to fluid to help repair and grow.

Have a salty meal? Maybe that number on the scale is reflecting some extra water weight that needs to be flushed out.

So if the scale can be a real jerk, how do you know if your weight loss efforts are paying off?

Simple, how do you feel?

Do you have more energy? Do your pants fit a little better? Is your shirt not hugging you where it used to? Look at your face, has it thinned out a little?

Those are the true measure of your efforts, not some number your scale spits out at you. Use if for what it is, one of many ways to keep you accountable to yourself. Look at your numbers over the course of weeks and months, not days.

Just because the scale can be a real jerk doesn’t mean you should let it derail your efforts. You got this!