"Encouragement"

Have you seen the movie, "Couples Retreat?" If so, you know the character Salvadore the Yoga Instructor. That scene is, by far, one of the funniest in the entire film. For whatever reason, I've had him saying "encouragement!" in my head all day. Seriously. It started in boot camp and won't get out of my head.

Maybe it's because I need to be a little more encouraging with myself, instead of so damn hard on myself all the time. We're talking 30+ years of being hard on myself, however. It isn't going anywhere overnight. And what I beat myself up about varies - these days, it mainly centers around my health and fitness goals.

Boot camp is actually going really well. I am in my second session and have plans to "join" for one year. That is how much I am enjoying it. I am also seeing results - though, of course, not as quickly as I would like to see them. In the first session, I lost 4.5 inches and 2.6 lbs working out 3x/week for 4 weeks. I also shaved 2 minutes off my timed mile from the first week to the last week. Good, right? Absolutely. To top if off, I have currently lost at least another 2 lbs and I am sure a few more inches. I can (mostly) run up the giant hill at the place we work out at.

So, what's my deal? Why am I getting frustrated?

Because I hate the number I am still seeing on the scale.

This is about SO much more than a number on a scale, I know that. Which is why it makes it doubly sad that I am getting "stuck" on what the scale says. I should just throw it out - honestly, I only just bought it last year because I was always afraid of becoming obsessed with weighing myself. And I bought it because I realized my weight was getting out of control. In the least, I need to limit my weigh ins to once/week. I won't see the fluctuations so clearly if I do. And they won't piss me off if I don't know they're happening.

So, "regard me" for a bit. I will get past this and focus on what is important - that I have made lifestyle changes and am eating far more healthfully (word??) than I ever have. That I have made a commitment to getting healthy and am sticking with it. That my kids will look to me as a role model and will be healthy themselves as a result. That I will rock some sweet, expensive WAY SMALLER jeans by mid-fall/early-winter.

"Encouragement!"