Patience....

It is so funny to me how everyone's weight loss jouney is different, yet the same feelings and frustrations are true with all of us. I, like Allie have been feeling a bit frustrated lately, but for a different reason. I knew last week after my weigh in post exactly what I wanted to write about today. While I feel I have been doing a good job with the food aspect, for the past month I have been back on my workout plan, and really focusing to get the last 18 pounds that I need to loose off. Despite my hard work, all I have seen is my weight fluctuate around the same place as usual.

I am a bit of a hypochondriac sometimes, and of course I think there is something wrong with me. Do I have thyroid issues? Oh my gosh.... am i PREGNANT??!!

The answer is NO. The answer is, I have to be patient with myself. I know that the first 12 pounds that I have lost have been a result of me eating better. I feel like my body has adjusted to this now, and I have to burn more calories so that I can loose more weight. I have really started to focus on workouts, and of course I think that it means that I am going to drop pounds instantly...but the truth is, the body doesn't always work like that. Here is a little bit of an article I read about this subject.

Just because you start exercising doesn't always mean your body will respond to that immediately. As Cathy Leman puts it, "...in some instances the body needs to sort of "recalibrate"' itself. Increased activity and new eating habits (taking in more or less calories) require the body to make adjustments." Cathy recommends that you give yourself several weeks or months for your body to respond to what you're doing.

So I have decided to re-focus, and be grateful for the things that my increased exercising HAS made a difference with:

More energy - I am WIRED all the time. I pop right out of bed, and have not slept in, or felt like I needed to sleep in for weeks. I have been MUCH more productive, am really happy with all the additional things I accomplish every day.

Better sleep - I am out like a light. I have had trouble falling asleep for the past year...I blamed it on stress. As soon as I started working out harder, my head can't hit the pillow fast enough.

More confidence - I feel stronger, leaner, and more flexible everyday. I like that I can make it through a run or an hour long cardio class, and feel good after...not nauseous and dehydrated.

Sometimes the scale is not the only measure of success on a weight loss journey. I am choosing to not get frustrated, but to stay consistent. I am positive that the minute that I stop STRESSING about the scale, and start enjoying the gift that I give my body by taking care of it, I will see these pounds drop and drop...