Non-scale victories Pt. 2

I am hoping to be doing more regular posts here in the upcoming months, but life is always getting more and more crazy so I won't make any promises. Here's a snapshot of some non-scale victories recently. These are important for me to recognize so that I look at my overall health and habits rather than the numbers on a scale, because those numbers only give a small look at your overall health and well-being.

1. Retiring my size 12 and size 10 jeans. My size 8 jeans are too loose as well, but size 6 jeans don't fit my quads...
2. Measuring my body fat percentage and finding out I'm at an ideal percentage for my age(20%).
3. Not caring about showing my arms even with the stretch marks. I have some actual muscle definition there. Now I just have to keep working to get rid of the extra fat.
4. Being able to walk further in general and keep up with my active toddler.
5. Getting my average road pace under 11 minutes on most days.
6. That healthy and balanced eating has become the habit and I don't have to force myself to eat healthfully, it's just what I gravitate towards.
7. Running a trail 10K! And not feeling awful afterwards.

All of these little moments are what push me to continue my healthy lifestyle. For me it is all about balance and doing what works for you to be happy and healthy in your routine.
I am also super grateful to have an amazing support system that is always there to cheer me on.

Most of my team for Ragnar, plus my husband, at a 10K training race. He came in second overall!

A Major Milestone

This week has been a little bit weird psychologically. I'm at the point in my journey where this time last year I was the same weight and it is where I plateaued. I wasn't trying very hard to continue losing weight, but I was logging my foods in MyFitnessPal and exercising. I was happy with the fact that I was over 10 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight by the time Everett was 6 months old. I was fine just where I was and figured I would continue to lose weight. I quickly learned that my body doesn't work that way, which I should have known.
I quickly gained back the weight and here I am today back on the same journey as a year ago. This time around is different in many ways, which I'm sure you know if you follow this blog at all.
I have a much larger goal in mind and a ways to go before I reach it. This isn't a stopping point, this is just one battle won in a larger war. I'm proud that I've pushed past the lowest weight I had been in over a year. I'm now at the lowest weight I have been in over two years. The most comforting thing is that I haven't made some huge change to continue losing weight. I have just been sticking to my routine, eating good foods and exercising regularly. For me, this is a great motivation. There's no huge secret. Find what works for you and stick to it!
It isn't just seeing that number on the scale, because that number only tells you so much, it is the fact that my clothes fit better. That I'm able to wear things I haven't in ages because they are finally comfortable. It is wanting to take pictures with my son and husband because I don't feel so self-conscious of how fat my face looks.
It's feeling strong and healthy and craving good foods and not being hungry because I'm fueling my body and feeling happy!
I hope to continue this trend and continue to pass milestones that allow me to feel motivated and happy with the progress I'm making. Thank you to everyone who continues to cheer me on and comment on how well I'm doing. This blog has been a great way to hold myself accountable and I love being able to candidly share my journey with all of you.
Have a great weekend!

Non-scale victories pt. 1

Happy Friday!

I think a large part of any fitness journey is taking time to appreciate the little victories that don't include the number on the scale. This is vital especially because the number on the scale is just a number. It doesn't tell you what you are worth.

1. Being able to wear my wedding rings again!
2. Officially retiring my size 14 jeans
3. Wearing a medium shirt and having it fit well rather than feel tight.
4. Choosing to park further away because I know I won't get winded from the walk.
5. Upping the resistance on my recumbent bike because the lower setting was too easy.

I'm hoping to keep this series going over the course of my journey. I am amazed by how great I feel and how the choices I'm making are having serious impact.

Thank you all for following along with me and have a great weekend!