You know, I was thinking that tracking my calories might do more harm than good these days. So I stopped. I stopped wearing the bodybugg, stopped entering all my food into MyFitnessPal…just stopped…worrying about it.
I KNOW how much I should be eating. I KNOW when I’m eating too much or eating something unhealthy. I KNOW. And I need to be responsible for what and how much food goes in my body instead of trying to trick the numbers (working out to eat more).
I also am more aware of how certain foods make me feel. Because I eat healthy most of the time, when I do have something indulgent, I can feel its effect on me. Heavily processed or sugary foods, or very unbalanced meals (heavy on carbs and fats, no protein) make me lethargic and grumpy.
I’m about 156 pounds and I’m almost 5’8” tall. So, I’m at a pretty healthy weight. Yeah, I have some vanity pounds I’d like to get rid of, but I figure they’ll come off when I stop obsessing about it.
I think I first realized this over the Christmas holiday when my mom was here. I was telling her about my struggle to get rid of the last of the pounds, and she asked if I’d had my body fat tested and that maybe I don’t have any fat lose.
Haha. So funny, Mom. Love you, but I have fat. But maybe I don’t look as “bad” as I think I do. I’m one of those people that can’t see my body accurately in the mirror. It usually takes a photograph.
I guess I’m just so used to trying to lose weight. I’m hoping triathlon and strength training will help tone my body and make it look more like how I feel.
I may not be the strongest woman in the world, but I my body can do some pretty amazing stuff, including running far and fast, and riding my bike and swimming, and doing pushups and things. There’s loooottttssss of room for improvement, of course, but I feel strong. My body is powerful.
I want the way I look on the outside to reflect what’s on the inside.
It’s not about a number anymore.
It’s about a feeling.
15 comments
Great attitude! I stopped tracking what I eat too. It can get a bit obsessive. Are you still sticking with the Skinny Rules? I’ve kind of slacked off that too.
We stick to most of the rules most of the time. Occasionally, well have a while grain carb with dinner, for example. Tonight we even had soba noodles in soup! Rebels!
I can very much relate to this. When I was in losing weight mode, I tracked what I ate, which is a very useful powerful tool to help understand food, but after a time, it wasn’t needed. Even now when I tip a little bit too much the other way, I still have the knowledge of how to reel it back in.
I can totally relate to this post. I have lost 120lbs the good old fashioned way – eating right & working out. I also developed a love for running which is how I started following your blog. I feel like I am at this in between phase where I am so sick of tracking & calculating & trying to trick the numbers. I just had my second baby & am in the process of shedding that weight. But once I do I would just like to be more intuitive about my eating & not let that scale define whether I am a success or a failure that week.
Congratulations on your baby! And good for you for losing the weight the right way! I bet you’ll be back in your pre-baby jeans in no time!
Letting go of caring about a specific number on the scale is hard. People automatically put me in a different category because I am “small” in their eyes, but it’s all how you see yourself that matters. I’ve learned that. I still am not 100% comfortable with the way I look, I always think this could be leaner and this could be tighter, but I know now it’s never going to be perfect. I have to stop obsessing over that number on the scale and just let me body tell me what it wants and needs. Learning from trial and error what food work for me and what exercises will help me feel better in that process.
I think you will get the progess and results you wanted without even focusing on just that now. 🙂
I definitely think there’s more to it than weight loss at this point. Yeah, it’s a matter of toning and tightening. I’ve seen pics of you recently, and you look fabulous!
Love it!! Kerrie you look amazing and have transformed yourself over and over in the short time I have known you.
You know what to do, but you also want to LIVE.
Kudos to you for letting yourself be healthy and happy.
HUGS- Mel
Thank you, buddy!
That is great Kerrie. Those things are just tools to help people get their weight and eating on track and it sounds like you are there. You are definitely strong and healthy, but I totally get wanting to lose vanity pounds! I am hoping the strength training I am doing will help with mine 🙂
I love this post. Intuative eating is such an important skill to learn and often tracking calories can get in the way of that. I know that whenever I track calories I gain weight because I’m so overly focused on food and what I can/can’t eat.
I’m currently struggling with this…I have been fighting one size and about 10lbs for a few years now. Even calorie counting doesn’t seem to do the trick. I haven’t been doing it as much lately either.
I’ve always related to your weight loss goals because they’re so similar to mine… I’m also 156, 5’8″ and cannot, no matter what approach I try, seem to crack that. It also takes a picture to make me realize that I’m at a good weight, or a random encounter (when I went to get an U/S because I had gall stones the technician said wow, that’s weird, you usually don’t see so many stones in someone so skinny. I just about kissed her.) Now I try to be happy that I CAN hold at 156. At least I’m not gaining & even if I slow up my exercise routine. Sure I’d still like to lose an extra five pounds to be that perfect fit size 8 but on the other hand if that day ever comes knowing me I’ll then be striving to get to the next five pounds and a perfect fit six. Maybe the drive to get to where I want to be keeps me where I am, and if I can be content to be where I am while shooting for the next goal maybe it’s all good.
And PS… you look fantastic!
Hahaha! I woulda kissed her. And, thanks. 🙂
Great post! At one point I knew that feeling. These days I’m back to logging just so I can remember what it felt like to be a *little* hungry all the time. Thanks for the motivation to get it right again!