I think the hardest part of this journey for me is not "seeing" the results of all my labor. I actually feel great physically and am emotionally better. Working out has produced so many feelings: feeling stronger; feeling those cut muscles underneath the flab; feeling the strong quads and hamstrings from doing a ton of squats, plyometrics, and Warrior I and II; feeling that "high" after completing a hard exercise DVD; feeling my muscles tingle the day after a weight training routine; feeling leaner muscles and flexibility from Yoga; the exhilarating feeling of keeping my body in a plank for more than 30 seconds; feeling lighter while running 5Ks; and on and on and on. But none of that makes me happy when I don't see the results on the scale or when I haven't been able to move down a size in clothing.
I am grateful and proud of my accomplishments. I will continue to make fitness a life long journey, but sometimes, I wish I could just have that size 10 jeans and dress as a byproduct of my fitness. But I know that I am still struggling with combining every element of weight loss: calories in versus calories out.
I will soon post pictures of a "not so lovely" thank you gift from a friend of ours that lost a tremendous amount of weight through diet and exercise. She has recently finished her first 1/2 marathon and asked me to run a full marathon with her and another friend next year. I haven't turned them down.
That would definately be a major goal! You probably already know this, muscle weights more than fat so it won't show on the scale. Cute little girl, love that curly hair!
ReplyDeleteIt can be really hard to know you are getting one part of this journey down but not seeing the results on the scale/size that you desire. When that happened to me I would really try and be honest/careful with my food choices. Nine times out of then that's where I was struggling.
ReplyDeleteYou can accomplish all your goals - let me know if I can help!
It's so hard to balance the feelings of gratefulness involved in changing our bodies with the impatience involved in the slow process - makes me feel like a demanding, whiny child. *blushes*
ReplyDeleteYou're not alone, dear heart. <3
I know EXACTLY what you are going through. For me, it turned out I was undereating...and not balancing my protein/carbs/fats too well. So, I went to eating 5-6 meals a day @ about 300 calories each, w/ approx 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbs. I used the Lifetime Fitness tracker for this (NOT a math person!), and within days the pounds began to melt off. Maybe this would work for you?
ReplyDelete