stronger than you think

McFatty Monday.  On a Tuesday.  WHOA.  :o)

This past week was good.  Great even.  It definitely had its downfalls.  I took indulging to a new level (as in, it is entirely possibly that I gained 5-7 pounds over the holiday weekend, I wouldn't be surprised).  But it is a new week, and I know what I need to do.  So I'm still feeling good.

But back to the past week being good.  Wednesday morning I met with a trainer at the gym I recently joined.  She did some fitness tests, weighed me and measured my body fat.  My BMI is in the normal range.  My body fat percentage (19.9%) apparently falls in the optimal range.  My bicep strength and flexibility are all excellent.  My body age is supposedly 18.  And she said the machine won't give you a read out any lower than that, so who knows, maybe I have the body of a 16 year old.  HA!  :o).  Essentially she told me I am in great shape.

Obviously I know I am in much better shape than I was four months ago.  I'm not sure I've ever been this physically fit.  I think I've been a little smaller, but I don't think my body was as strong.  Hearing a trained professional tell me that my fitness seems right on track was very rewarding.  We had a discussion about my future goals with my fitness, and I told her my two biggest were to lose 8-12 more pounds, and to be able to do one pull-up.  She laughed a little at my pull-up goal (just because she though it was funny that it was one of my main goals), but it is one thing I have never been able to manage.  As with the weight loss, she said based on my fitness assessment she would really suggest that I focus on body fat percentage, rather than pounds, to see the results I am looking for.

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Yes, I've heard that before.  I know the scale isn't everything.  I still want to lose five more pounds.  But my new goal is to reach a body fat percentage of 17.5%.  Fitness and exercise is slowly but surely becoming a passion, and I think I will be more motivated to reach that goal, than I would be to keep focusing on the scale.  Not to mention it is much safer to me to focus on increasing my strength, rather than dropping the weight.  I know myself, and if I keep at it the way I am, it will become an even more unhealthy obsession with the scale, and that will make life, and especially future pregnancies, difficult for me. 

Which is why I've asked Chris to hide the scale in our house.  I'd gotten in the habit of weighing myself two or three times a day.  It is ridiculous.  So I'll allow myself two weigh-ins a week.  Tuesdays and Fridays (but not today).  Because lets face it, Monday weigh-ins are usually rough!  I need the scale to keep myself in check, but I don't need it to cause me stress.  So that is my solution.  I'll definitely let you know if (when, when!!!) I reach my goal, but I'm going to try and keep scale numbers out of my posts from now on.  Instead I want to make healthy choices in my life, and share things I learn along the way with you.

Now, let me share my biggest accomplishment of the week.  Sunday morning I decided that I was going to participate in the July 4th run around the lake.  The run that I said I absolutely didn't want to do because it was hilly and would be miserable not to mention I would never make it six miles.  I had planned to run Sunday morning, but it was raining, so I didn't.  And I didn't want to go out and run Monday morning since the race would be going on.  So for some reason I decided I would sign up.  I made my mom call the guy in charge and ask what the slowest projected time was (you had to include that on your entry form).  The slowest they had listed was 80 minutes, and I was pretty sure I could beat that, so I went for it.

Monday morning rolled around.  I really didn't want to go.  But I hadn't run in two days, so I figured I should suck it up.  I got to the race with about two minutes to spare, slapped down entry form with my 72 minute projected time, pinned on a number and got in line to start.  Someone said ready set go and we were off.  I set out with my phone on week four day two of the Bridge to 10K playing.  I figured if I just followed that I'd be pretty close to the finish line, but less than a mile into the run my right leg started cramping like crazy.  I knew if I stopped to walk it would be game over, so I just kept going.  The cramping continued for THREE MILES.  I'm guessing any other logical person might have stopped to walk, or given up, or something.  But I was too embarrassed to quit.  Thankfully somewhere between 4 and 4.5 miles I started feeling pretty good.

When I checked my phone and saw that I was only about three quarters of a mile from the finish line I almost cried.  I knew I was going to make it.  And not just make it, but running the entire six miles.  When I came around the corner to finish, and saw my family standing there cheering me on, I felt so much joy and pride.  It was overwhelming.  I never got my official time (I knew I didn't win anything, so I opted to just head home), but when I turned off my app I saw 58 minutes on the total workout time.  No lies.  I ran a 10K in under 59 minutes.  No wonder I was freaking cramping.  I never knew I could run that fast and live to tell about it.  I know I was beaming with excitement.

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All of that just goes to show, that 9 times out of 10, you are stronger than you think.  Fitness and running is as much mental as it is physical, if not more.  You truly just have a to believe in yourself.  If you want to succeed, you can.  DON'T GIVE UP.