New Day

I KNOW that doing My Fitness Pal is the way to go for lasting weight loss, it's sensible and it works.  Really, my overall goal is to change my habits for good.  I'm not on it for a diet that will get me to my goal weight so I can go back to my old way of eating.  I'm on it to develop new habits that will last me the rest of my life.  The weight loss should just be a side benefit.  But I want to be thin.  I want to be able to go to regular stores and buy what I need without looking forever. I want to try on a smaller size and have it fit perfectly.  As I write this blog I realize that clothes don't work that way.  Look at "What Not toWear" Stacy and Clinton repeatedly tell people that they need to get their clothes tailored.  As I think about this I need to remind myself that the idyllic life that I kind of expect after weight loss is a fantasy. 

All of that first paragraph leads up to the topic today - weight loss.  Today was my weigh in day and I didn't lose any weight this week.  Why do I need the validation of the scale?  It doesn't show my hard work.  It doesn't show how much better I feel.  It doesn't show that I have gone from riding the stationary cycle for 20 minutes at level one to 40 minutes at level 4.  It doesn't show that I have gone from not being able to walk at all to walking a mile and a half in less than 30 minutes.  It doesn't show how just plain great I feel. 

Why do I need the validation of the scale?  Sometimes I have a little voice in my head that tells me "it's not okay to feel good about yourself unless you are thin."  The truth is - I'm not sure you can lose weight unless you feel good about yourself.  Unless you care enough about yourself to make the sacrifices necessary.  I feel good about me.  I commit to working on this journey for another day despite my disappointment with what the scale says.  The scale will not be my judge condemning me to a week of disappointment.