I had an epiphany yesterday while I was at the massage
therapist. Not a zen induced euphoria,
but a true a ha moment thanks to my therapist.
I was bemoaning the fact that I had put on 25 pounds and now in the
process of losing weight I had already lost instead of continuing on my journey
to wellness. I mean, I have lost and
gained the same 50 pounds more times that I can count and it is extremely
depressing to know that I am re-doing the work… again.
She simply said “Once
I let go of the idea of the scale and what the world thinks I should weigh, it
was much easier to just work on my best self.
If I feel good in my skin, then I am good. Don’t get so hung up on that number. If I
go on a trip, I have a good time, eat what I want, and know that I will resume
my program when I get back because that is what makes me feel good.”
Wow! When I go on
vacation, I eat and play, then beat myself up when I get home and get on the
scale. Sometimes it takes me weeks to
resume my program because I am so discouraged by how quickly I can gain
weight. I am the kind of person who weighs in the morning
and evening. I can tell you how much the
average bowl movement weighs because, yup, I weighed before and after. I have been so caught up on the scale and
what it is telling me about myself, that I am missing the journey. I don’t concentrate on how my body feels and
what it is telling me.
For example, last night’s workout was upper body in the extreme. My shoulders are starting to round out and
look really good. The scale tells me I
am failing. My body is trying to tell me
that it is getting stronger and more healthy.
I want to feel good in my skin, but unless I can pay
attention to my body during this process, how am I going to know when I
do? What about that time that I have hit
my goal? How will I continue to make
healthy choices if I don’t realize how truly crappy I feel when I don’t?
I know that I personally cannot get rid of the scale. I need to see it and be accountable to
it. However, I also need to pay
attention when my body is telling me that we are making progress. Sometimes the scale takes a while to get with
the program. I need to celebrate those
little moments that keep me motivated when the scale says…”You are up!!!” Celebrate the fact that I made it to the
studio for a workout. Celebrate that I
made a healthy food choice at lunch. Celebrate
the healthy feeling. Simply Celebrate a
happy moment.
I am going to work on body awareness so that I can be more
mindful as I progress. Can you say “oooooohhhhmmmmmmm”.
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