The Scale Sucks

I used to weigh myself every single Wednesday! I set a reminder in my phone to do so and next to it, in parenthesis, is this: you are not a number on a scale.

Yep, I was certain & determined to be about 20 pounds lighter by now, but I’m not. That’s right, since December, post holiday party pig outs, I told myself I’d be 29 pounds lighter by now. I still have a goal to lose 20 by the age of 40 (June 30th). I’ve dropped 10, but those last 10 are harder than I thought!

It is true… scales don’t lie, but dammit they sure can be deceiving. You see I’ve been snobby about my workouts for the past 8-10 years, meaning I’ve only done hot yoga at the Biltmore Studio- no interval training, no weight lifting, no running, no treadmills, & absolutely positively no ellipticals. I stuck to the same 80 minute routine & it did wonders for my legs & my mind, but I haven’t really lost much weight! This almost 40-year-old body of mine started to plateau. Hot yoga was no longer doing the trick for weight loss or toning my tummy quite as much as I’d like, so I stopped going.

I joined a local gym & decided that I needed to open up by diversifying my fitness regime & routine to other options. I do classes like Hot Yoga, Burn it Off, Barre Cardio, Cycle, & more. I want to use different muscle groups & want to challenge this aging body of mine. I lift weights, hit up the elliptical, bike, & walk on the treadmill, too, on days I don’t do a class.

The frustration is the weight hasn’t been dropping very fast. I’d eat zero bread & zero sugar, one week, & work out 5 days that week & drop a few pounds. Then, the next week, I’d eat 3 oatmeal raisin cookies, workout 4 days that week, & I’d be up 4 pounds. Then, I’d participate in a shame shit storm. I’d beat myself up & want to throw in the towel. Why can’t I eat a cookie without gaining a lot of weight back?

Here’s why: what I eat matters more than how much I move my body. I don’t eat white carbs & I don’t eat sugar & I eat very little cheese, but I indulge a smidge. I don’t drink alcohol. I add stevia to my coffee. I don’t eat fast food or fried food, but I eat a lot of lean meats, high veggies, low fruits, low quinoa, drink a lot of green tea, & I drink a lot of water.

I do what I know works for this body of mine because it is all I have. I have to take care of what I have. I have to be able to keep up with my kids for the rest of my life. I don’t want to stumble & fall & trip & struggle like my poor Parkinson’s suffering mom. God bless her. I want a straight & strong spine & a core that is solid. I want to get rid of this mommy muffin once & for all. I want zero rolls.

The scale blows. I want to throw it away. Wanna know why? I dropped a pant size. I just dropped an entire pant size & didn’t even realize it until I went to buy jean shorts this week. I was so focused on the scale, that I hadn’t even noticed. That is progress. The scale does not show that I lost a pant size. My arms are more defined. The scale will not illustrate that. My quads are stronger. My calves are much stronger. The scale will not show those things, but I know by looking in the mirror that things have shifted, that my body is defying gravity gradually, that changes have been made, & that I am a work in progress.

Sometimes working out builds muscle & muscle weighs more than fat. Every week, I cheat at least once, typically on Chipotle by eating their to-die-for lime sea salt chips with extra delicious dip cheese. I allow this because I think that one cheat meal allows me to stay on track the rest of the week.

I’ll never be what I was in high school. My body was bomb then. I’ll always have broad shoulders & that will always bug me a little, but I can’t fix or change it. I’m a strong woman & was blessed with this miraculous machine of a body. It is my job to do my personal best to care & nurture it in ways that are healthy & good for me.

I keep at it, a little each and every day. & if I fall off track, I just get back on & continue on my path to wellness & health. I’ll continue on my path. Maybe I’ll weigh myself & maybe I won’t, but I certainly will not allow that scale to define who I am because I know who I am. That can’t be taken away from me without my permission. I hold onto my truth within.

Please do not allow a scale to define who you are. Do a little each day to be a little more healthy. If you fall off track, get back on without shaming yourself. Indulge every now & again by eating that treat. Then, get back on the healthy eating train. Everybody & every body is different. What works for one may not work for another. So explore different workouts until you find your niche, but don’t get too comfortable because you may be missing out on another fitness option that you may love even more. My goal is to try every class offered at the gym until I’ve tried them all at least one time! Change it up!

Don’t compare yourself to others. Comparison is the thief of joy & it will strip you of every ounce of joy until there is nothing left. Compare you to you. A little each day goes a really long way. Apply the Slight Edge concept & your whole life will change.

Find workouts that make you happy & do those 3, or more times each week. Eat foods that grow in the ground, are colorful, that are high in nutritious value, that contain vitamins and minerals to help keep you strong, healthy, & thriving. My rule of thumb is this: the more colorful… the better.

Move your body in fun & new ways that challenge you every single day. Don’t be afraid to sweat. Focus on progress… not perfection! Look in the mirror & notice how your clothes fit & how they lay to see if progress is being made. Is your energy up & are you feeling happier & healthier?

As for me, I think I’ll wait to check my weight because, regardless of that 3 digit number, I already know I’m headed in the right direction. & the right direction is good enough for me.

Love your body, love your life! I think I’ll be working on this for the rest of my life. & that is fine with me because there is no arrival. We push towards being better by choosing to be healthy. & being healthy truly is common sense! Stay sensible & stay the course. Celebrate along the way & do just a little each day.