A New Tool to Measure Progress

I recently got back on the scale after a bit of a break. The type of break where I needed to separate myself completely by removing it from the apartment. My weekly weigh-ins went from once a week to daily to multiple times a day. My moods were based on what I weighed. I felt happy and proud at good weigh-ins, sad and frustrated at bad weigh-ins. My entire self worth and view of myself was wrapped up in a number.

In order for me to improve my relationship with the scale I needed to first improve my relationship with myself. In a 6 month period of time I learned that I am not a number and that my weight does not define who I am as a person. I am a continuing work in progress, but I am learning to accept who I am as I am right now, while still working on improving my physical body. I am not basing my self worth on what my outside appearance looks like. 

Yes, I am trying to lose weight, but I am doing it for so many better reasons than before. Yes, I am trying to tone my body, but again it is for better reasons. I am doing this for my health, to be a better role model for my children, to be a better runner... It's not all entirely vanity based anymore and I believe that is why I am seeing more success this go around and why I am sticking with it.

After learning that the scale was not necessarily the enemy I decided that it was time to start tracking my progress again, but this time I wanted to use multiple tools to measure my progress. And so I have been. I find that it helps to use these tools because if one doesn't change or increases there can still be progress with others. As of right now I use the following:

Runkeeper and my own mileage log- daily

Scale- weekly

BMI- weekly

Measurements- every other week

Progress Photo- once a month

and the newest tool: Body Fat %- once a month

I decided to buy myself a body fat monitor because I wanted to track the progress I will be making in getting rid of fat and building muscle. Granted, I'm not expecting to be ripped and have an insanely small amount of body fat, but I do hope to start tracking and watching that number change. 

Today was a good day overall. Not just because I received the monitor in the mail, but also because I was able to make a lot of progress with my mileage goal. I got in two walks today at work and a run after work. I really like seeing that number increase and seeing the progress at the end of each day. 

I am definitely a visual person and I will do whatever it takes to keep me motivated. Tomorrow will also mark day 75 of my running streak and I am so close to my next mini goal I can taste it! Who would have thought that I would actually stick to something for so long. I either must be enjoying it or am really stubborn and want to prove that I can do it.. Maybe a little of both.