Looking at the bigger picture



My chart for the last 24 weeks (highest weight on chart was
204 on October 27; current is 178.8)

This morning, I went to my weekly weigh-in at WW.  I am always a little "out of sorts" on Tuesday morning.  I have a routine that I follow and all I want to do is get the weigh-in over as quickly as possible.  Today was no different...
Last week I lost 3 pounds, the week before that I lost 2 pounds, and 2 weeks before that I lost 2.6 pounds.  I should have known better than to count on losing like that again.  Today, I weight exactly the same as last week.  Disappointed is not the appropriate word to describe how I initially felt.  I felt defeated, upset, sad and was about to cry. 

It didn't take long for me to tell several people about my being on the road to being discouraged.  They all offered the same advice - you are doing great, this is a journey, keep up the good work.  When I was sitting in my car, thinking to myself that I had "failed", I didn't think of how far I have come.  Since October 27, I have lost 25.2 pounds; since November 29, I have lost 18.8 pounds.  There is something to be said about that!  Obviously, that didn't happen without my changing my behavior.

The more I thought about it, they are absolutely right!  If you are in the same boat as me and sometimes get a little discouraged, etc., please make sure you step back and take a look at the bigger picture.  Yes, I want to lose weight.  However, losing weight isn't the only important thing in this journey.  Weight is only a very small piece of the journey to a healthier me.  Each step I take in selecting healthy foods to eat or to exercise is helping me gain muscle mass, gain endurance, and become a healthier me!

Some things I will be changing:

• No more sneaking on the scale.  The hubs and I do not have a scale in our home.  I learned many years ago that I tend to be obsessed with the number on the scale versus how I feel and how my clothes fit.  There are two scales in the bathroom on my floor at work and a scale at my gym.  I have been sneaking on the scale "just to see".  I will now only weigh at my WW meetings.
• Changing up the cardio.  I have been beating the demon monster machine using the Arc trainer for the past few weeks.  I love the calorie burn and feeling that I am really doing something.  I know that I need to change it up though.  I will be rotating between the Arc trainer at the stairmill more.
• Reminding myself that it is a journey.  This is definitely a journey.  If I said I gained the weight overnight, you would know I was lying.  Allowing myself to think that I will lose the pounds in a short period of time is just lying to myself. 

Every food choice, day of exercise, 5K/8K/10K race, or other choice I make is a victory.  Sometimes you just have to be reminded to look at the bigger picture.