Sunday 2 June 2013

Counting Sucess Without a Scale.....


How To.....

  Count success without using a scale or measuring tape......   


My journey to live a healthier lifestyle has been very different this time than the multiple times in my past. Any other time I have been chronic on the scale.....weekly if not daily I would torture myself by stepping on hoping for a miracle drop and ultimately end up disappointed, blaming myself, and eating those negative emotions. It was the same with measurements...I was so eager to see results THAT became my focus and not what mattered.....the positive changes both physically, and emotionally that I was making along my journey. For the past 11 months I have not once taken my measurements and only weigh myself once a month or so.

Like many of us, while losing weight, I have not wanted to buy new clothes and so I am still wearing many of my clothes from before I started losing weight. This makes it very hard to "feel" the difference in my body. So I have relied on other factors to continue feeling positive during my journey to better health. I focus on how I body feels....literally!! My hips are no longer sore when I sleep at night; going up a flight of stairs several times a day at school does not take my breath away; bending over to do up my shoes is no longer sore or awkward.

What I have noticed the most is my energy level. As long as I am working out my energy level is high. That is IF I workout! I tend to workout during the week and spend the weekends with my family (my gym is not 24 hours on the weekends). By Sunday evening I am having a hard time staying awake....I feel drained and ready for a nap. If I had ever wondered if working out on a daily basis was a NEEDED component of a healthy lifestyle....I have definitely found my answer! I FEEL great and energized as long as I am working my body.

My biggest confirmation that positive changes are happening inside this body of mine was while I was at the gym last week. I had decided to switch things up with my cardio workouts and try different machines. The treadmill I had tried when I first started and was unable to run for even a minute without shin splints forcing me to stop. Well, after walking at a quick pace for about 15 minutes I decided to see if I could run for just one minute without pain and without completely losing my breath. Well.....I ran a full 3 minutes! I was ecstatic!! A few minutes later, I thought I would try for another three minutes. To my surprise I ran for 5 minutes!! I was so happy I almost started trying right there on the treadmill! I finished my 30 minute workout and then shared my success with the VERY supportive staff at my gym. I have felt amazingly proud of how well I have been doing at the gym and love sharing my news  with friends and family who are supporting me throughout this journey.

The numbers on the scale and measuring tape do not tell of your real successes. It is how your body changes that shows your real success. A healthy lifestyle means you have energy, your skin has a healthy glow, your hair has shine and your joints are not as sore since they are carrying around less weight.

So the next time you are discouraged and don't think you are seeing changes I encourage you to try something you never used to be able to do. Maybe it is running, or a certain yoga pose, or hiking a certain trail. Whatever it is you try you will definitely receive the confirmation that your body is changing in positive ways!

Yours in Health,

Sheri

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