Im sure many of you strive for that number on the scale that tells you ‘yep, your kicking ass’. Or perhaps, you dread looking at it because all that you hear is ‘you are not good enough, fatty’.
At my lowest I hit 49.8kg on the scales. Considering I am 5ft 3in thats a pretty impressive effort.. or is it? During this time I ran ridiculous lengths, ate close to 800 calories a day and worst of all I lost my menstrual cycle for 2 years. Thats right, nothing not even a spot. Still, I continued to brave the pain of exhaustion because to me that number represented strength, courage & will power.
I starved, I was a horrible person to be around and consequently I have lost many people due to the period of my life. The worst of it was that nobody stopped and asked if I were ok. Not one person offered help, services or encouragement. Instead, most judged, pushed me around and left. Now, I am in no way blaming the people in my life for their departures. Heck, I would of done the same. In hindsight though thats all I really needed.
Once I started to slip up with foods and exercise regime I blew out. So much so, that I was the heaviest I had ever been in my entire life. I tipped the scales at 62.3kg. Thats a big shock to someone who had never really gone above 56kg… And I felt like crap! I wasn’t happy with the person I saw in the mirror, but I knew that getting back to my previous weight was near impossible. For one, I had found a better relationship with foods. I wasn’t strictly counting calories and my exercise had slowed down. I found myself in nomads land.
Weight is a funny thing. It so often determines our self worth. It tells us that we are superior, and committed to the external image. I see many clients who are quite thin, yet have incredibly high body fat. Their muscle mass is minimal, and energy levels, hormones & eating habits poor at best. The hardest part for them, and myself, is ignoring what the scale tells you.
I have lost 5% body fat in 12 weeks, however my scale weight hasn’t moved. I now sit at 58kg. I battle every day with knowing this, and unfortunately this thought pattern never really leaves you, but it is what you do with it that is important. I intentionally only weigh myself once a month.. not every day. I take photos to visibly see progress, not rely on measurements or clothes. I monitor my digestion & sleep, both of which were so poor at one point that I successfully went a whole week with out bowel movements. Ladies, THAT IS NOT NORMAL.
The most important thing to seek when starting a health journey is to understand that those damn scales are not the be all and end all. Body fat is a much better indicator of a healthy functioning physique.. Plus you feel one hundred times better.
Start today -
1. Incorporate 2x weight sessions a week. Lift heavy.. No light weights! This helps build muscle mass and burn stored body fat. It also makes us a hell of a lot stronger, which is something no women (or man) should ever go through life without experiencing.
2. Have lean proteins at each meal. They are the building block for our body. Protein rich foods help decrease hunger and allow our bodies to repair at a much quicker rate.
3. Go Veg! You can never have too many veggies. They are low calorie, high nutrient and delicious. Every meal people!
4. Don’t be scared to fail. With every failure there is success. Remind yourself of how great you are and keep your head up.
H xx
