RESET Day 2!

Well, this is day two of my 5 day RESET challenge and challenge might be putting it nicely. This morning I had to fight what I know will be a daily battle for me and ignore the burning desire to weigh myself. My biggest challenge on my journey to being Happy and Healthy is my constant battle with the scale.

For many years I have qualified myself and my worth by the number on the scale and even though I know how unhealthy this is, it continues to be an issue for me. I am constantly tempted to get on the scale to see how much I have lost because I feel that "beauty" is defined by some preconceived number that I will find there. Even worse is that because of my medical training, I know how inaccurate this number can be because our bodies, especially the female body, fluctuate in weight due to hormones and water retention. Additionally, as someone who enjoys working out and weight lifting, I have to remember that this will also cause weight fluctuations. Muscle is more dense than fat and therefore, building muscle will cause my weight loss to slow significantly. The up side of building muscle is that it uses more energy than fat and will actually facilitate the body's elimination of fat buildup.

On our journey to being Happy and Healthy, we need to remember that we are so much more than that number on the scale. We are beautiful individuals with our own unique stories, past experiences, and the most amazing genetic codes. While shedding pounds will help us to look better it is more important to focus on what that weight loss really means. The steps that we take to loosing those pounds are the building blocks to a healthy lifestyle and those changes will lead to improved health and a better quality of life. This is what should drive our need for change - to be a better and healthier me.

Many who suffer Fibromyalgia will have a harder time shedding the pounds that our lack of activity and medications have caused us to gain simply because our systems function inefficiently and slower than the average person. Additionally, many of the anti-inflammatory drugs that we take so we can function, keep the pounds hanging around (unfortunately, as much as I know about medications, I cannot adequately explain why this is).

But don't let that be the reason you remain inactive. Get up and walk. Find Chair Exercises on YouTube and get those muscles moving. Since I sit at a desk most of the day, I have started taking short walks around the block on my breaks to get the blood flowing, burn a few calories, and work the kink out of my stiff joints. This is just 10 minutes of exercise, twice a day and wow can I feel the difference.

My challenge for you, is to ignore the scale, focus on making healthy choices, and enjoy the changes in your body as they come about. We are so much more, more beautiful, more unique, more dynamic than that number on the scale. Let us take the steps to being Happy and Healthy for that is true beauty.

<3  Rachel