Giving Yourself Credit

On a normal morning I wake up between 4 or 5 a.m. (depending on my morning workout), I have breakfast, read my Bible, and finish off with my workout. The only change on those mornings is weighing in. I pick Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to weigh in as a check in for myself. Do I need to step it up a notch or am I doing a good job? These mornings bring a lot of excitement because I want to see my hard work pay off. It's like a game to me, sometimes I lose and sometimes I gain. On the mornings I gain, I feel defeated, as if all my hard work has been for nothing. This has happened to me more than a few times in my weight loss journey, as it has for you as well. However, a recent weight gain put some perspective on the situation for me.

It's Monday morning and I'm feeling pretty good about my odds with the scale. I went to lunch that Saturday with my mom; I enjoyed myself but didn't feel like I went out of control. So I get on the scale and I wait as it calculates, all the while I'm saying, "just let it same the same, just the same is all I want." I look down and I see that my weight has gone up .8 lbs. I don't know what comes over me bit I'm furious with myself! The whole weekend flashes before my eyes and I'm remembering everything, wishing I could take it back so I don't feel like this.

I storm out of the bathroom and start making my breakfast. I'm slamming bowls and oatmeal on the counter still steaming about my gain. I sit down to eat my breakfast and open my Bible to Matthew. I start reading about people who are blind or sick and Jesus heals them. It was like a light turned on and I stop reading and think to myself, "Bridgette, there are worse problems in the world right now besides your gain. You should not be worrying and acting so childish. Give yourself credit for what you have accomplished!"

I felt so inspired by this that I finished my breakfast and gave 100% on my workout. I worked out whatever frustration was left. I felt it leaving my body through the sweat that was dripping off my face. Every drop of sweat was weakness and frustration leaving my body, making me a stronger person.

The rest of my week goes on and I'm thrown curve balls of temptation and some I hit out of the park and the others hit me. But now when I find myself looking at a higher number on the scale I don't get mad, I stop and say, "Bridgette this is only a set back. You know what you need to do to achieve your goal, so do it!" I lift my head high and continue on with my day. I focus on what I have accomplished and look at the size 16 pants that I will never wear again, instead I look at the size 10 I wear now and say, "Damn I feel good today!"