Look at how far you've come!

Okay, so there you are, you've shed the pounds, fit into your dream dress, the number on the magical scales reads a lot more attractively than it once did, but are you happy? of course not.

The problem with the human mind is many are never satisfied. You've smashed your initial goal and then some but still you're left with hang-ups and dissatisfaction with your reflection in the mirror. 

I think most believe weight loss is the hardest part to the journey, but I can say from experience and from the vibes I get from others in a similar position that maintenance is ten times harder than the initial loss. 



As you watch the big chunks of fat melt away, as the scales jump from stone to stone and the compliments flood in, the sense of achievement is enormous. However, there comes a time where people get used to the 'new you', those last pounds seem impossible to shift and you no longer have the initial body shock required for you to notice the littler changes. 

You stand in the mirror and instead of thinking 'I'm so fat' you begin to start to pick apart the individual parts that years ago you would have craved to be defined. 'My arms need work', 'my legs aren't as toned as I would like' 'why can't I get rid of that little flabby pouch at the bottom of my stomach' 'why does my face look chubby today'... sound familiar??!

Ask a person to pick out 3 faults with themselves, they could probably reply without hesitation and probably even think of more than three. Ask that same person 3 positives about their appearance, and that wouldn't roll quite so quickly off the tongue. 

We become so fixated on a life of self-criticism, that it becomes easy to forget the journey each and everyone of us has taken. Whether that be weight loss, weight gain, strength gain, stamina or endurance. All these small changes we have made which ultimately mean we are creating a healthier and happier life style for ourselves and our families. 

This post is a request really: for you to have a think of all the positive changes you have made which aren't a number on scale. Years ago I couldn't even run 100m and now I'm squatting more than my body weight and running 5K in June. It's the little things that people often forget: sitting comfortably next to a stranger on a bus without feeling squished, fitting into rides at alton towers, baring arms in the summer, playing football in the park with your children without getting out of breath. All these things however small have been significantly due to the positive changes we have all made to our health and fitness. 

This is always why I stress this is more than vanity for me, it's giving myself that bit of hope that I can do all the things I told myself I couldn't years ago. I may stand in the mirror and pick body parts I want to change, but as my stretch-marks start to fade, so are my demons. This is an emotional and physical roller-coaster but I think it's so important to not lose focus on how far you've come, and how far you can go now your life has more direction. 

This post is for a dear friend Dawn, who I hope will one day realise it is now her time to shine xx