Weekly Weigh-In!

My weight is the same this week as it was last week. I saw some improvement in a couple of my measurements, which you can see on the Success Log on the right bar.

Having this week where I didn't lose pounds brings a lot of things to my mind. For starters, it made me feel a little bit anxious about writing this post and telling all of you that I didn't lose any weight. Knowing that between 200 and 300 people are reading the blog, I was a little bit hesitant to admit that I didn't have a great week. But I realize how important it is for me to be very honest and straight-forward in this process. A big part of this is that by being honest with you, I am honest with myself. Despite the fact that I am fighting my usual impulses to hide myself because I feel ashamed, I can remind myself that I really don't need to be ashamed. That kind of shame is only the result of thinking that I need to be perfect or that I need to live up to some arbitrary standard. I know that neither of those things are true. So that thought brings me relief from my shame and courage to write this post.

So why didn't I lose weight this week? I didn't do as good of a job at choosing my foods that I ate other than the program foods. That's one of the biggest challenges for me in this whole thing--choosing good food for myself. I didn't exercise as much as I wanted to. I didn't spend much time on personal reflection as I like to do. That really helps me a lot, I think. It helps me to focus and remember what I'm trying to accomplish. I also didn't manage my stress very well. I have a lot going on these days (as we all do), and I need to manage my stress in healthy ways. Two things I already mentioned, exercise and reflection, help a lot with stress.

So this week, some things I would like to do better include getting more exercise, spending more time in personal reflection, and planning my meals better. I think that I will also try not weighing myself until next Friday. This is a tough one for me. I'm sort of a compulsive weigher, with all of my other compulsions. I put way too much emotional stock in the number on the scale. It can change my mood for the day and affect my motivation. But I know that the number on the scale doesn't matter as much as healthy habits, so I will focus on those instead. I will also try to post more on the blog. Please feel free to comment and share. It helps! Have a great week!