You guys, I did it.  This is not an excited “I DID IT!,” but one I admit sheepishly.  I performed the very thing I loathe and write against.

 I placed myself on the scale.

Gulp.

 When the number popped up, I don’t know why my eyebrows raised and my mouth contorted into a weird twitch.  It was something like this but of course without clothes and not even a ponytail holder to weigh me down:

I stepped on looking for magic.  I was hoping for it to wordlessly say, “Amy, despite your uptick in sugar and wine, your terrible timing of meals, and your clothes feeling tighter, CONGRATULATIONS you have dropped ten pounds!” Then, I would have looked like this: 

Instead it silently shamed me. 

The scale is not the devil. It just feels like it.

Uuuuggggghhhh.  I really do hate the scale.  Every now and then, however, it’s a good check-point.   Honestly, I didn’t need it.  I can tell by the way my clothes fit and how my body feels when I hunch over.  Neither of these are affirming.  Luckily, I’m headed into weight-loss season.  (Insert eyeroll here.)

Do you remember this post where I said I wish I had it together?  Still true.  If you’re a new reader and going through back posts, you may sense inconsistency.  One day I’m preaching about taking our energy away from the scale and focusing on what God wants us doing.  The next I’m touting salads, and immediately after that is a picture of a juicy cheeseburger and discussion of candy corn.  

Huh.  Maybe there’s a correlation here.

I just seem to be in a conflicting place.  I would add “right now” to the end of that sentence, but the reality is “at all time” is more appropriate.  So please bear with me as I work through this.

The paradox of balanced health

I’m caught in a paradox.  I’m trying to be more balanced in my workouts.  These are less intense and more recovery-oriented.  Not only do I need them, I need to do more.  But let’s face it, shifting my workouts down has taken my caloric burn rate with it.  Yes, I know my food consumption should follow suit.  It’s declining, but not at the same pace. 

A few days ago this article arrived in my inbox.  My Fitness Pal’s articles offer balance and sustainable information on fitness and nutrition.  It’s a great read. If you don’t have time, the basic premise is you should increase your strength training to lose weight.  This is not news to me.  And the one-two-punch is that as a woman over 40, I will lose muscle mass each year if I don’t intentionally strength train.

Basically, I need to do even more strength training and work even harder while I respect my aging body.  Gotcha.  

Why don’t I stop drinking coffee each morning while I’m at it?  The probability of success feels the same.

The current plan

Last week I began training for the January 1st RunHouston 5K.  I want to see how fast I can hit the finish line.  For eight weeks, I’ll be balancing speedwork with steady state runs at a manageable mileage base.  

In other words, I’ll run faster but not as far.  

Adding in the recommended three to four days of 45-60 minutes of weights is overwhelming.  Instead, I’m committed to adding 15 minutes to three days each week.  Add another day of incorporating strength into teaching my classes.  That’s a total of four days of strength training a modest amount.  

It’s not perfect, but as we say at our house, something is better than nothing. 

Will adding a small amount of weights to my cardiovascular exercise help?  I don’t know.  It sure would be nice.  My mouth controls the other critical portion to success, and by writing this I’m committing myself to making better decisions.  

Out: M&Ms, leftover Halloween candy, fast food, and second glasses of wine.  

In: Smaller portions.  Salads stay.

I’m hoping between switching up my workout regimen and being more aware of what I eat, I can fit into my jeans better.  Magic not required.