What I love about Tuesdays around here is our serious conversations about where we are both mentally and physically in our lifelong fitness journeys.
I truly learn a lot from you - your excitement and feedback pushes me to put a little extra focus into this post. Hopefully I'm returning the favor by teaching you something about me and the way that I approach my goals that you can translate into your own life. If not - let me know how I can because this blog is all about you! (yes, you!)
Today's topic comes from some wisdom I gained over the weekend while reading one of my personal development books - Push by Chalene Johnson. The chapter that got me inspired was "Destination Fixation" and was all about creating the habit of ignoring the obstacles.
On your fitness journey it's so easy to get distracted. You have doubts, you have fears of failure and you see the million little speed bumps that stand between you and your goal. Holidays on the horizon, office parties, birthday celebrations, weekends, sporting events, co-workers with candy trays... I could go on and on.
All of these little things are nagging at you because subconsciously your doubts distract you and keep you from reaching outside of your comfort zone. The unfortunate thing is that thinking of these distractions causes you to fixate on them and you only start heading back toward them. You steer toward them the same way that you'd drive toward a cone in the road if you were staring at it. Why do you think horses wear blinders?
I know this isn't something easy and is going to take a little work, but what can you do today to get the negativity out of your head and create a crash free environment for yourself? Does it mean having a serious conversation with your family and friends about the healthy lifestyle you've chosen? Does it mean listing out all of your possible obstacles, crossing them out with a bold red marker and hang them up someplace meaningful because they don't rule you anymore?
Here's what I did recently:
I removed the scale from my bathroom. While a great measure of my relationship with gravity, the real issue is that it was telling me lies that were hurting my mental wellness. I see my body getting slimmer, more toned and more beautiful every day. For the first time ever I went to H&M and had to size down after trying something on - rather than do the walk of shame out to get a bigger size.
I know I'm getting results and I know I'm feeling amazing. So, what good does it do me to step on it every single day and watch as water weight fluctuates up and down? What good is there from worrying about a number that doesn't define my worth, my intelligence, my beauty or my strength?
Absolutely nothing - it's just a distraction. And I'm done with distractions.
Put your blinders on and race toward your goal with nothing standing in your way.All of these little things are nagging at you because subconsciously your doubts distract you and keep you from reaching outside of your comfort zone. The unfortunate thing is that thinking of these distractions causes you to fixate on them and you only start heading back toward them. You steer toward them the same way that you'd drive toward a cone in the road if you were staring at it. Why do you think horses wear blinders?
I know this isn't something easy and is going to take a little work, but what can you do today to get the negativity out of your head and create a crash free environment for yourself? Does it mean having a serious conversation with your family and friends about the healthy lifestyle you've chosen? Does it mean listing out all of your possible obstacles, crossing them out with a bold red marker and hang them up someplace meaningful because they don't rule you anymore?
Here's what I did recently:
I removed the scale from my bathroom. While a great measure of my relationship with gravity, the real issue is that it was telling me lies that were hurting my mental wellness. I see my body getting slimmer, more toned and more beautiful every day. For the first time ever I went to H&M and had to size down after trying something on - rather than do the walk of shame out to get a bigger size.
I know I'm getting results and I know I'm feeling amazing. So, what good does it do me to step on it every single day and watch as water weight fluctuates up and down? What good is there from worrying about a number that doesn't define my worth, my intelligence, my beauty or my strength?
Absolutely nothing - it's just a distraction. And I'm done with distractions.
Tell me - what are your goals? What are you going to focus on to reach them?
I love this post! I love that you removed your scale from your bathroom too. The scale is so fickle and somedays I want to throw it out the window. I went about 2 weeks without weighing myself because I was so angry with it and it helped because at the end of those 2 weeks I did lose weight and I wasn't angry anymore like I am when I (in a very unhealthy fashion) weigh myself every day.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog because it's so inspiring! Thank you!
DING DING DING! Scale watcher over here and it sucks. i don't know WHY I'm so caught up in the number, when I know I'm SOMUCH STRONGER than I was two months ago. I can bench press and squat a ton more, so obviously I've gained muscle. And obviously more muscle means more weight. DUH Pinky! But gosh darn it if I still don't FLIP out every time I see THAT number come up.
ReplyDeleteI will try and change my mindest, this week regarding that number. Thanks for the inspiration.
Great post!! For the longest time I was constantly weighing myself and getting frustrated with how much my weight fluctuated and then I decided to get rid of the scale and stop weighing myself and I feel so much better about myself. Instead of looking at a scale I listen to my body and how it feels. Distractions are the worst!
ReplyDelete<3, Pamela
sequinsandseabreezes.blogspot.com
I am so guilty of weighing myself every day and very rarely am I happy with what the scale shows - does it show on my body - absolutely not - in fact it's toned...but ever since I was a kid it was ingrained that the number is what matters and I need to get myself out of that mentality!! I honestly just want to continue to give myself little goals and be happy when i've accomplished them!!
ReplyDeletedefinitely not a scale girl - i check my weight about every couple months, and i love it that way :)
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and your great motivation!! I am your newest follower!
ReplyDeletewww.madeintheshadeblog.com
My goal is to run a half marathon in Paris next year. So I'm working my way up to run 13.1 mile. Right now I'm at 4.1 mile. I'm sure I will get to 13 mile before next march.
ReplyDeleteMy husband in a scale obsessed person. Its bad. He used to weight him self in the morning and at night. Lucky I broke him from weighing him self at night but he still does it every morning.
Glad I read this because this is my problem, pushing through!! I need motivation more than anything to exercise and I'm finally finding it from within.
ReplyDeletethis was a fantastic post - thank you for sharing. i have such issues up in my head, and it can really damage me and my progress. glad to be back at the gym again but am going to try and ignore the scales and focus on clothes fitting. i still like to know the number, but i am better at not letting it control me.
ReplyDeleteWe have a scale in our bathroom but I stopped getting on it a long time ago, same reasons! That number is not what's important, if you're gaining muscle that number may rise a little but your pant size is dropping. Definitely best to go off of how you're feeling and not let that stupid number dictate you! Great post, as always. I wish we could be workout buddies, most of mine have quit on me!
ReplyDeleteThis post was epic.
ReplyDeleteI love that you said something, that I needed to hear.. the moment I needed to hear it.
I got to stop focusing on a number... It's the Health.. The Strength.. The Fitness.... The way I look, not the number....
You are a rockstar.
wwww.katerivonstealsnewlife.blogspot.com
Ahhh, the ever frustrating weighing scale. I haven't been on one of those willingly in a very long time! It's definitely the one thing that always derails me -- even if I HAVE been seeing changes. Good job on getting rid of your distraction, friend!
ReplyDeleteI am still guilty of stepping on that scale and having the number measure my self-worth each day! Need to ditch it as it doesn't really measure anything! The mirror and how I feel need to be made priority versus a number! Thanks for the reminder of this.
ReplyDeletecan I tell you how much I love your guest posts ;-) Girl I got rid of my scale and it was so liberating! (also my scale is so terrible I think it reads 20 lbs without even stepping on it). I always try to listen to my body if I'm not feeling a workout I don't force it. That way I can still get excited and motivated for the times my body is wanting to move and work :-)
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is the only area i struggle with- the coworkers dropping candy on my desk, the occasional splurge buy at the supermarket. I'm okay with those things, but just want to work on my attitude if I do decide to go for a treat so that I don't feel like crap afterwards!
ReplyDeleteIt's insane how much your weight can fluctuate! I've never been much of one for weighing myself because I know that every time I step on the scale it's going to be different. I think I might weigh myself once a month for shits and giggles. Oh! Or after I am sick because it always shocks me how much weight I lose, but I quickly gain it back because I'm usually hungrier than a starved wolf when I finally start feeling better.
ReplyDeleteI have recently gotten rid of my scale as well. In fact, this is my third week without stepping foot on that lying whore! All she did was hurt my feelings and I decided I am better than that number. I love how we all share our struggles and our little fixes for them! Always inspiring.
ReplyDeleteScales are the devil. I only weigh myself every week at the MOST. That way I can gauge what I CAN'T see/feel. Otherwise, I'm all about how my clothes fit and how GOOD I feel.
ReplyDeleteget outta here scale. you're not worthy.
ReplyDeletemy goal is to be back into running after baby, doing 3 miles a day but still not running all three i may stop and walk like three times. but i will keep pushing myself and getting out there and one day i will run the whole 3 miles :-)
ReplyDeleteI am SOO happy that I stopped weighing myself once I started working out 4-5 days a week in September. That number on the scale means NOTHING. It's all about how you feel in your own skin (and clothes). That's what I've learned these past 7 months.
ReplyDeleteI NEEEED to ditch it. I am weighing only once a week-2 weeks.
ReplyDeleteI need to focus on the gains and the other stuff i am excelling fitness wise instead of the scale!!
love this post!
BOOOOO the scale sucks!! Seriously though. I'm kind of petite to begin with and I learned very early that I cannot go by the numbers on the scale. When I work out, I gain weight. The number goes up, not down and it's because I'm gaining muscle not fat. And that scale can be so deceiving when we only pay attention to that number. I'm actually the heaviest that I have ever weighed and I am starting to see progress in my biceps and my thighs. I love it. But I will admit that I have some slimming down that I want to do, but I'm trying to rely on what I see in the mirror and how I feel. Thank you for this post. It was wonderful.
ReplyDeletePS.
H&M sizes are smaller than regular American sizes so sizing down is quite a feat in that store.
This post couldn't have come at a better time! This is exactly what I needed to read today. Thankfully I read it this morning before getting up and after I got your water challenge tweet. It helped me set up my day to be a good one rather than another off the wagon bad one.
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