Yesterday, I had a doctor's appointment. Just a routine check-up. The usual weight, blood pressure, blood test, heart, lungs, ears, and eyes checked. I listened while the nurse reported back on all my "numbers" and then at the end she said, "You've got a clean bill of health!" It's taken me almost 10 years to finally be okay with my "numbers."
The number on the scale used to be EVERYTHING! It was the end all, be all. You were nothing unless you were close to 100 pounds in high school. Well, hello! I was never going to be as skinny as my friends in high school unless I went back to 6th grade before I started cheerleading.
All throughout college, I still focused on the scale and the amount of calories I consumed. I even added another number to my checklist: mileage. If I could account for enough miles that I had ran during the week, I could consume more calories and therefore still be okay on the scale.
After college, I learned to balance my love for carbs and sweets but still run enough that it all balanced out. Probably not the best "diet" but I ran with it for the last four years. [Literally, ran with it.]
Then last year I was introduced to CrossFit. This Olympic lifting, gymnastics workout and I instantly fell in love. Most CrossFit gym's focus their diets around the Paleo diet. I tried it and failed miserably. Some would say I didn't give it a fair chance but after a week of feeling like I had the flu, I had to give it up.
I recently discovered a diet focused solely on counting macros: fat, protein and carbs. The results of people doing this type of diet is unbelievable... The gist: eat more calories all while focusing on your macros. This is a diet calling my name! But I still have a lot to learn.
For the last few weeks, I've been trying this diet and following it halfheartedly. Right now, I'm focusing my fitness goals on completing my third marathon and macro counting is best utilized when lifting weights. And while I would love to focus my energy on eating right, lifting weights, and finishing a marathon, there are only so many hours in the day/week.
After I got off the scale at the doctor yesterday and saw one of my heaviest weights ever, I realized that I didn't care. I realized there is more to that number. At the end of the day, I'm happy to say that I'm happier in my skin now than I was at my smallest weight. I've found a new way of "weighing" myself by visiting the Body Fat Truck every six months. This gives me my overall body composition and helps me understand why my weight is what it is. The doctor reported my blood pressure was 100/60. My body fat percentage is in the teens. And I'm stronger than I've ever been in my life.
I owe most of my new found confidence to CrossFit. It taught me a new way of fitness. What is being fit? Having a balanced workout regimen of strength, cardio, and flexibility. Having low body fat percentage, a good blood pressure, and a low resting heart rate. Being able to take anything that is thrown at you and working through it. I'd take that version of fit any day rather than counting my calories and weighing myself everyday.
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