Mirror, Mirror...Tell me the truth

The 30-Day FFF Consistency Counts Challenge starts today!

Despite the Challenge rule that you are only allowed to weigh in on Days 1, 15 and 30, I wanted to point out that the scale can sometimes be more of a negative influence on your psyche as you progress in your fitness journey.

Take me for example. In January of 2011, I was 130 lbs and pretty soft and I had no strength or muscle tone. Fast forward to August of 2011. I was down to my lowest weight in 15 years - 113 lbs. (picture below, left). While my progress was good and my weight was close to the goal I had set for myself (110 lbs), I did not look like I wanted to.

Today I weighed in at 123 lbs (photo bottom right), but I look leaner than I did 10 lbs lighter. The roundness of my belly is noticeably flatter, the cuts in my hip area and obliques are more defined and I am also significantly stronger.

When I began my IF journey more than a year ago, I thought I would weigh 110 lbs when I got lean and mean. Hah! It looks more like I'm recomping and may even top out closer to my original weight when all is said and done in another year or so, but I will look like an entirely different person.

The moral of the story - the scale can mess with your mind. If you are looking to be strong and lean, you have to be willing to accept the fact that you may weigh more than you thought you should.

August 2011, 113 lbs.

April 2012, 123 lbs.