Celebrating The #Gains
Focus on what your body can do and its composition in spite of what the scale says.
This is my general health philosophy and, most days, I abide by it. I usually don’t play into the idea that the scale is the sole, or even primary, indicator of my health. But, a few weeks ago, I was berating myself for not weighing less.
I spent some time meditating on how to regain control of my thoughts and realign my focus. The answer hit me one night as I was looking through my Fitbit data. I was searching for a different solution. I wanted to know if there had been any major changes in my life from last year when I dropped 50 pounds in six months. As I laid in the bed and scrolled, I noticed that on my last three runs my mile pace had shortened. I was getting faster and I hadn’t even noticed it because I was too busy berating myself for how much I weigh.
The next morning, I went to Target, bought some index cards, tape, markers, a canvas, some sticky letters and started visualizing. I wrote down how much faster and stronger I had gotten before taping the cards on my wall.
Here are a few:
June 12 — Stayed with the class for the majority of SoulCycle and I took my shirt off. (Body confidence gains count too!)
June 14 — 20.7k steps
June 20 — Squat max: 225lbs
June 22 — 3 minute wall sit
I love being able to see my gains daily as it’s a helpful reminder to love my body for it can do. The cards are cheap and effective. Plus they drive home this quote from Kirsty Godso, a master trainer for Nike: “If you have a performance goal, you’re more invested in it … You’re always aesthetically going to improve — that all happens at the same time. But if you’re too invested in the aesthetic thing, you’re often feeling disappointed, because you’re determining it based on something that changes every day.”
I hope this helps y’all stay focused on things beyond the scale because what good is it to weigh whatever you think you should weigh if your body isn’t strong inside and out?
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any government entity. If there are links present, they will redirect you to studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals or other credible sources of information.
Any products mentioned in this post are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness. Furthermore, I am not a medical professional and this post is not intended to provide medical advice. Please check with your doctor before adding anything new to your daily routine, diet or exercise regimen — especially if you are taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, using recreational drugs, or are pregnant, breastfeeding or intend to become pregnant in the near future.