I see so many people stay away from working out when they're trying to lose weight due to the fact they think it'll slow the scales down, and I totally get it.
I think, especially following plans like Slimming World and Weight Watchers, we've had it drummed into us that weight loss success stems from seeing the number on the scales go down. I know that's what I've believed. Even now when the scales don't play ball I get really frustrated and want to throw them out the window/set them on fire/ roll around throwing a strop like a three year old who couldn't have a balloon at Disney World.
However, this past year I've slowly started to learn, that fitness, and being fit and healthy, is so much more important than the scales telling you that you weigh a certain number.
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter (which I presume you do as I mention it in just about every blog post I write) you'll have noticed that this year I'm really trying to take exercise seriously.
When I first started WW in July 2014, all I did was eat well and up my walking. The weight started to fall off and I was so happy. Then in that October I began the Couch to 5K programme (read all about that here) and suddenly I was bitten by the running bug. Something I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined that happening to me.
I mean, I used to get my mom to write me notes to get out of PE at all costs, and if she wouldn't I'd write them myself.
After getting my groove with running, I thought heck, let's see how I get on with Jillian's 30 Day Shred. Something I'd purchased in previous years in a futile attempt to lose weight in the past. However this time, it felt that teensy bit easier. And then the more I did it, the easier it became, and I was blown away.
Fast forward to summer 2015 and I was working out more than I ever had before. I felt great, and whilst I had gotten down to my lowest weight, I was also in the best shape I'd ever been in. No matter what the scales said, I actually felt good on the inside. I knew I was healthy and I loved the shape my body was developing.
Then I got my new job, which left me with less time to workout and I started to slack. Really badly. After I completed the half marathon in October (I still can't believe I finished a half marathon) I barely ran at all. I was the queen of finding excuses, telling myself it didn't really matter as long as I was eating right. But do you know what?
It does matter.
Whilst wallowing over the fact I was now a stone and a half heavier than my lowest whilst shoveling chocolate down my gob at Christmas I had a scroll through my Instagram, and I came to the conclusion that exercise really is super important! Whilst my eating started to de-rail toward the end of August, my body shape only started to turn back into a beach ball once I stopped the exercising. I was looking at old pictures and was so proud of how I looked back in the summer and wanted, more than anything, to get back there again.
So that's when I decided, this year I'm going to work my damnedest to get back to where I was, and continue working out whenever, and wherever possible.
I've started running again, slowly building up my distance (I can just about manage 5K again, god it goes so quickly, wah!) and I've also started doing some at home workouts. I've been doing a mixture of YouTube videos, my fave is PopSugar and have also been lucky enough to take part in Friends Fitness workouts.
So what I'm trying to drill into myself in this post is, stop dwelling on what the scales say, and start focusing on the pictures above. Working out makes me feel so much better for far longer than whatever the scales say on a Wednesday night.
