For most people, especially women, we care an awful lot about the number on the scale. Our food and activity choices are often dictated by how we think it will affect the result on the scale. I have been known to skip breakfast before a doctor appointment because I thought a few hours of hunger was “worth it” to have my doctor think I was a few pounds lighter. My husband makes sure he takes off his Apple Watch before he steps onto the scale.
Weight does matter. It is one indicator of many of overall health. And for many of us, there is an appeal to be “thin” simply for the sake of appearance, unrelated to health. But, when the number on the scale is the only way we are measuring success, we are going to miss the other, richer, and even more valuable benefits to a healthy lifestyle. Here are a few of my favorites:
1. The feeling of accomplishment, success, and pride that comes from completing a workout. It doesn’t matter if I went for a run, lifted weights, or took a class. I always leave the gym knowing I made a healthy, positive choice for myself and that feels good!
2. The confidence in myself that occurs from lifting weights. There’s nothing on earth that makes me feel more like a badass than when I hold a heavy barbell over my head. Weight training gives women, specifically, a confidence in their own strength that didn’t exist before. It gives women the courage to leave their abusive husband, quit their crappy job and start a business, go back to school, go into a bank and ask for a loan, or visit a car lot and negotiate on the price of a car.
3. The physical changes that occur even when the scale doesn’t change. My favorite was when I could finally wrap my towel around my whole body when I got out of the shower. I also love seeing my collar bones again! Clothes and undergarments might fit better. Ankle and finger swelling reduces. Skin looks brighter. Muscles look bigger!
4. It provides motivation to eat better. Exercise is not a punishment for what you ate; it is a celebration of what your body can do. When I move my body well, I want to nourish it and fuel it well. I don’t have to convince myself not to eat junk, I just don’t want it anymore. I find myself intuitively craving food that makes me feel good, healthy, and strong.
5. The camaraderie and friendship between fit friends. Drinking buddies are great, but can you count on them to wake up with you at 5am to get through an 18-mile training run? Do you have people in your corner who support your health and wellness goals, even if they include going to bed early, detoxing from tech, or skipping half priced wings? I am so lucky to have found friends who support my goals and share theirs with me!
6. It supports physical health and mental health. I used to think people either have mental health problems or they don’t, and I was lucky enough to be one that didn’t. Mental health, like physical health, is an ongoing continuum. Sometimes in my physical health I am under the weather (ie the common cold) and I need rest, water, or medicine. Sometimes in my mental health I am under the weather (stressed, sad, anxious) and I need rest, water, or coping strategies. Physical exercise has been effective for me at managing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. It makes my thinking more clear and grounded. If I stop exercising, I will die a physical death slowly over a long period of time. But I will surely die a mental and emotional death much quicker!
Fresh Start Fitness 