Having recently dropped almost 20 pounds and closely circling around a weight/size where I once again feel light on my feet and attractive, I'm more inspired than ever to be doing all of this for the right reason. Last time around I didn't truly embrace that. Seeing that number tick down each week (sometimes day) gave me a high and sense of satisfaction that just can't be replicated by stepping on the scale once a week or once a month to confirm that I've just maintained. So this time I'm super focused on non-scale victories and just my overall quality of life. And this is making life that much sweeter! So here are a few...
Okay, these first two are somewhat superficial but non-scale nonetheless and something I'm excited to develop upon.
First, I had almost forgotten since writing this post about loose skin that diet really REALLY matters in skin elasticity. Especially at my age and after being obese for so long and pregnant at 30. After almost two months of eating an almost perfect diet rich in vegetables and fruits, I am astounded at how firm my skin is compared to when I was this weight a couple years ago. Just like I talked about in my post, I won't claim that it's the perfect, taut skin of an 18 year old who's never been overweight but neither does my belly crinkle around my bellybutton or my cleavage have a little loose fold of skin when I bend certain ways. Everything looks mildly....firm!!
Second, I CAN SEE MY ABS AGAIN!!! Yes, I know, I warned you it was still superficial BUT seeing the definition of my abs is my tangible proof to myself that I have a strong, solid core that is FUNCTIONAL!! This goes far beyond looks and will serve me well for all my life.
Okay, on to not at all superficial stuff. I had gotten strong enough at 185 pounds to bang out three sets of eight to ten standard push ups when I was nice and fresh. The other night at the gym I was killing it. I mean I was really in the zone and had already done a couple of chest exercises with really heavy weight. I was in the middle of a back/chest super set and, without thinking, dropped to the floor to do push-ups immediately after some really heavy lat pull downs. For just a split second, once I was down there, I became suddenly aware that I was in public and possibly about to make a fool out of myself by collapsing to the ground, unable to do a single standard push-ups. My body felt shaky. I was already committed so I went for it. BAM!! THIRTEEN standard push-ups!! Toward the end I was miserable but at the beginning I was astounded at how light I felt and how easy it was!!! I hadn't realized until that moment that I was moving 20 less pounds of weight in each push-up and boy could I feel the difference!! My next two sets, I did 12 standards with not to much struggle. I felt so strong and liberated. I felt like I was "back".
My other non-scale victories are just each time I effortlessly say "no" to poor food choices. My desire to drink alcohol is gone (for the moment anyway). I haven't had any processed sugar, almost no dairy and no wheat. These are things I no longer have to white knuckle my way through resisting. I just want to FEEL GOOD, and I do!!!
My mental clarity is also amazing. Despite going through some trying times in my life recently, I feel inspired and determined. I have no doubt that I can attribute this to healthy food choices that keep my brain operating optimally.
I've also become so emotionally invested in my clients' non-scale victories:
*My 74-year-old male client that, the first time I trained him, discovered that he literally could not sit up once he was laying on the weight bench. I had to help him up for the first few weeks. The first time he sat up on his own, I LITERALLY jumped up and down. THAT is a victory that will carry him through life with much more ease.
*My 48 year old female client who once told me "I don't have a lick of upper body strength" who just graduated to 12 lb dumbbells on her single arm rows (up from the 5 pounds she started with).
*My male client who once said "I am just not a vegetable person, who now turns most of his meals into salads.
*And possibly my favorite, my client who begrudgingly came to me at his wife's urging and sat there about a year ago telling me how he didn't want to change a thing. I just saw on myfitnesspal where he had logged in for the 277th straight day! He has lost 30 pounds and maintained it. He reads labels and now eats chicken and veggies instead of the infamous 4 inch thick pizza down the road from his workplace that he used to tell me about eating once a week.
THESE are real victories when the scale isn't giving me a high. I am in this for life and I am going to drag every person I can get my hands on with me!
Comments
Post a Comment