I have a lot to catch you up on. First off, my son and I returned home last night. We spent close to 6 weeks visiting family. It was a wonderful trip, but it's nice to be home.
So, how did I do on my 6 week "vacation"? I lost 9 pounds, bringing me down to 169.(total weight lost: 109 pounds) I'm pretty happy with those results, but even more important than the weight loss was the fitness goals I achieved.
When I left Florida I was struggling with running a mile, and on my return I can confidently run 4 miles. The increase in my fitness level means more to me than my weight loss right now.
Even though all along I have called this my "get healthy" journey I have to admit that in the beginning it was all about losing weight. Of course I enjoyed the health benefits that went along with it, but I mainly focused on the scale. Obsessed over it would be more accurate.
I'd wake up each morning just hoping that the number was lower than the day before. Yes, I weighed EVERY day. I've only given up that practice in the last few weeks. I still weigh a few times a week, but I no longer lay in bed at night obsessing about what the scale will say in the morning.
Now I lay in bed at night and plan out my run or work out for the next day. That's a huge mental shift for me. At 5'8" I still have about 4 pounds to lose to be officially in the "healthy" range on the BMI chart, but I don't need a chart to tell me I'm healthy. My body tells me I am, finally. And it's a wonderful feeling.
I look forward to seeing what my body can achieve in the future. I plan to run a 10K in January, and if my training leads to weight loss then that's icing on the cake. Is that a bad analogy to use on a health blog? :)
Why didn't I think this way all along? Instead of "trying to lose weight", why don't we all simply try to BE our best. We perform at our best when we are properly fueled and our body is properly exercised.
So instead of making your goal to lose "X" amount of pounds, try setting a health or fitness goal.
Here is the start to my list of non-scale goals:
1. I want to run a 10K.
2. I want to fall asleep at night feeling proud of myself.
3. I want to define myself by WHO I am, not how much I weigh.
4. I want to set a good, healthy example for my son.
5. I want to be kind to myself, body and soul.
6. I want to help others along their journey.
What's on your list?
(We had just completed a run... .in the rain. Welcome back to Florida)