I’m Still Here

Life is super crazy busy! I am still trudging along. No exercise has happened other a couple nights of sit-ups and push-ups. I am so tired from being a mom/homemaker/wife/carpool driver/Sunday school teacher and trying to do my best at my long term subbing assignment that I just don’t have the energy to exercise. After I start exercising again I will get back on the scale. The one good thing is that my eating has been really healthy with a little bit of rewards added.

Wow! Menstrual weight gain is real!

6 pounds have disappeared in 3 days!

I was hoping it was just hormones and water retention and it was!

  

Don’t allow the numbers to dictate your happiness?

 

As a society we get so locked into the numbers on our clothing and linking that to our happiness. I am guilty of it myself. I love wearing my a- line skirts that say size 6 or 8 even if my slacks still say 12 or 14 on them. I feel good in them. They make me stand a little taller and feel better about myself. WHY??? We buy into the myth that whatever size is written on the tag determines our value and acceptance in society. It is so very wrong but dare I say the majority of us buy into this myth or yes, a huge LIE!

The chart posted above goes even further to show how sizes vary a lot from one designer to the next. I am guilty also of shopping the stores that I know have a more generous hip and thigh area so I can buy the smaller size. We need to get over the numbers and wear what fits our bodies. We also need to strive for health rather than chasing after fitting into a certain size of clothing. No matter how thin I get my hip bones alone keep me from ever fitting into jeans smaller than a size 8 (depending on the brand). I need to be okay with that. I was there at that size once and that body was too skinny for me. I was bones walking around with saggy skin and not much else.  I was chasing after a number on the scale and on the tag  to feel accepted by society and therefore to be happy.

When I was at 175 lbs (a loose size 8-10 dress) I did question if I was still healthy. With clothes on I looked great and even while writing this one of my sons came up and said, “Wow you sure looked great then!” Point proven!!!  What the world saw was a nice looking thin woman and I really enjoyed it. I can’t lie, I loved to get dressed in the morning and going through the closet knowing everything fit nicely or was too big. The truth is under it all I looked sick.  My bones stuck out everywhere and my skin hung loosely over them. It hurt to sit very long and when I was hugged I worried if all they could feel was my ribs. I tear up a little looking at those “skinny” pictures because I still want so bad to be that size again. Even knowing that I was skin and bones I still want it. Then I look at these pictures below from just a couple years before and the number on the scale or the size 30/32 on the tag didn’t stop me from being happy. Happiness and the scale didn’t really enter into my thoughts. I lived each day without concern over eating, exercise and weight. Of course my body wasn’t at a healthy weight but I was happy.

Don’t let the scale dictate your happiness. Look toward health and make small changes each day to reach that healthy body. Use the numbers to see your progress rather than determine when you will be happy!

Happy from the last year… 

 

Happiness comes from within you not from the numbers!

 

Checking in- Reality

   

The scale is up!!! I am trying not to get down because I know it is temporary. Hormone changes with my monthly cycle can occasionally cause me to gain a lot of weight. My waist is still the same so I know the weight gain is attributed to water and bloating. Hopefully some muscle weight too!   I have started exercising 30 min morning and 30min-1 hr at night. It feels so good! My collar bones are back and the muscles are coming through again. WELCOME BACK BODY!!! Food is still hit and miss but mostly I am on with it. I am drinking my 12-16 cups of water too. I really want to see 210 again! Hoping that next week the extra 5 pounds are gone and hopefully a couple more!!! I am going to shoot for 213lbs for next week. I think I can do it!

Checking In

I stepped on the scale on Monday when I posted about being worried. I saw numbers (218.8) I wasn’t happy about but I earned every one of them by not eating right and not exercising. The body is an amazing machine and responds well to proper fuel, hydration and exercise.  I am so pleased that I was able to get myself back on track quickly and I am very happy with my numbers today! I am looking forward to keeping these numbers down through this year. Next week I hope to see a few pounds off.

 

My only goal for this year is to LOVE MYSELF MORE!