Respect Your Body and Ditch the Scale.
I’ve always felt you shouldn’t determine your success from the numbers on the scale, but how you feel your body has developed. After all muscle weighs more the fat. The way I measure my body progress is measurements and photos, and I strongly encourage for you to try this road. Seeing the number on the scale can be self-doubting and a lie. The scale has brought me down so many times when I should have been proud of myself for simply putting the work in. You could love your body and your improvements, but once you see the number lying right in front of you all satisfaction is tossed right out of the window and it should not be this way. So I am here to tell you is to ditch the scale, ignore the numbers and love your body instead. Think fat loss not weight loss.
How to measure your results?
PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES. It is important to keep track of you fitness journey. You want to see your highs, your lows, improvements and meet your never ending goal. Keeping a journal or taking pictures is great because you can physically see what you like or do not like. Photos will show you more progress than the numbers on the scale ever will. You are your biggest motivator, and what better motivation then a picture of yourself.
Why you shouldn’t read the numbers?
When you start working out, your body creates muscle. (No brainer, right?) As you start to gain muscle your weight may increase, or even stay the same, even though you are burning fat. Muscle taking up less volume then fat, your overall size will decrease, that being something the scale will not include when showing you those numbers. The scale will never be able to paint you an accurate picture for you true results. You would be amazed on how many people build a very unhealthy relationship around their weight, because of the numbers they see on the scale and that person was me. Because I have ignored those numbers, I’ve learned to love my body and built a healthy relationship with my body and my workouts.
Celebrate your success.
Yes, it is so exciting to see physical change in your fitness journey, but don’t forget to celebrate other success that our happening in your journey. Becoming healthy and fit is not just about your physical appearance, but how you feel on the inside. Developing more energy, self-love and confidence is just as important at the end of it all. For me personally, I now wake up stronger physically, mentally, and happier then I have ever been. To me that is the biggest success of them all. Get the scale out of sight, out of mind, learn to love yourself and not the numbers that you think define you. Know you are more than that. Love yourself, not your numbers.
Remember that your happiness should not depend on numbers that a scaled reads back to you. Results are important, but being physically and mentally stronger is just as important. Love your journey, every step of it.
I hope you learn. I hope you laugh. I hope you never stop. And remember being fit is always in style.
-Karlee Fowler