I wanted to share a little bit about my personal experience with fitness and weight loss today.
The photo on the left, above, is me running the 2008 Chicago Marathon. I was ten pounds heavier than I was on the right, which is me (and Coach Kate!) finishing up our Ragnar Trail Relay this past fall.
Ten pounds might not seem like that much in the grand scheme of things, but for me, that ten pounds has equaled a world of change. In the photo on the left, I was constantly trying to lose far more than that. I wanted nothing more than to be thin. I was shocked that marathon training didn’t automatically make me skinny! I ate fat-free frankenfoods because I thought they were healthier. And then on the weekends, I ate ALL THE THINGS because I’m a runner and we can do that, right? I had zero understanding of how to fuel my body. I had zero understanding of weight training, which I avoided because I didn’t want to be bulky. I most certainly did not love or respect my body.
I started lifting weights in 2013 to cope with a family emergency. I saw a clear crossroads: I could go down a self-destructive path or I could get myself strong. I chose the latter. In the photo on right, I am fueling my body better. I am lifting weights because I love the way it feels to pick up heavy things and frankly, it makes me feel like a badass. I do not exercise because I hate my body. I do not exercise solely to burn calories or be skinny. In fact, I’ve come to respect my body so much that I am dialing back a little on the exercise to keep it healthy.
I want to make it clear that I am NOT hating on my body in the 2008 picture. Besides the nutritional mishaps, that is a healthy body running a marathon! What wasn’t healthy was my relationship with it, my relationship with food, or my relationship with exercise.
When you get discouraged by the number on the scale, think of all the things that you have gained. Your weight is just DATA. It’s helpful data if you are working toward a weight-loss goal, but it can’t measure your effort. It can’t measure that time in boot camp where you lifted more than usual or did 10 burpees in 30 seconds when you never thought you could. It can’t measure your confidence, your happiness, your worth – and it shouldn’t dictate those things, either.
If you need help with the nutrition portion of your own journey, please reach out to us. We have the tools. We want to share them. For more information on our upcoming 10-week Nutrition Program, CLICK HERE.
Please stop giving the scale the power to make or break your day. You are so much more than that number.
Best,
Coach Christy
