Skip to main content

Getting Back Together with Numbers

We have had our rough patches, but you know what, we can work things out. The numbers aren't always going to tell me what I want to hear, they do, however, always tell me what I need to hear. Honestly, though, where am I getting my assumptions of what I want to hear, anyway? Why are there certain numbers that I would prefer?

Am I trying to accomplish perfect macros? I say no, and yet I check the macro chart anyway, excited to see relatively limited carbs. What are perfect macros, anyway?

 Is someone going to reward me for staying on MFP's directed target number of calories for my day? No! MFP has tons of challenges they run and there are prize winners, and let me tell you something: I complete most of those challenges, and accomplish their intended milestones pretty early on, and they don't even reward me. So, yeah, no one is giving me accolades for the numbers I accomplish here.

Look, the thing is, the numbers help me see what I am taking in. They show me the reasons why my weight is going up. They help me reflect over my days and tracking gives me the accountability and consistency of habit to return to when I feel like I'm having an off day or I don't feel like doing any of the things. This is not my only tool.

I also keep a habit journal that has nothing to do with numbers I cannot control (the scale, the caloric deficit I want to accomplish, etc). Instead, I journal my habits: tracking, reading my Bible, reading a book that I enjoy, getting in 10 minutes of movement/day, playing for 20 minutes with my kids, doing Bible study review with them, and homeschool lesson times with them, drinking 100oz of water per day, to name a few. These things don't directly change the number on the scale, but they help me to refocus on the important things in life and manage my time so I'm not revolving my day around food.

So, yes, I am back to tracking on My Fitness Pal and because I have already been paper tracking and tracking my habits, I've been able to identify when my body is hungry and it's okay to stop eating - which I have rarely done up to this point in my life (if I have a plate of food, and it's been tracked, I generally keep eating through fullness).

With this new habit of habit tracking (ha), I have also been able to watch the flow of my week and set myself up for movement success. Mondays and Saturdays are for Yoga or Yin Yoga, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are for weights, Thursdays are for core and Fridays are for cardio. Sundays are free. Do I always accomplish 6 days of working out per week? Nope. But that's okay, because you can't out-exercise a poor diet anyway. I saw a beautiful quote the other day, and I have to share, "Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment for what it can't."




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

So Much to Take On

There is an unspoken pressure in our society to have it all together and know how we want to contribute to the world. Here's a little secret: nobody has it all together and and it's actually quite challenging to know what you want out of life and how that life is going to contribute to the rest of the world. When did all the things  become something more than simple? Two of my favorite books that I plan to go back to this Fall are Grace Not Perfection and The Simplified Life  by Emily Ley. She breaks down what it is to truly make room in your life and home for the most important things. The funny part is, those things  aren't "things" at all, they are people. People, family, friends, relationships... those are the most important things  in life. So, when my work, my menu, my workout schedule, my chore list all get in the way of my kids, my husband, my family time, my fellowship at church, my friends... That is a problem.  When I was a kid and people a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Semi-Quarantined and Semi-Healthy

We're now in July and just as it seemed our lives were working themselves back into normal, businesses were ordered to close up again (with the exception of outdoor seating and to-go options in restaurants), with no sight upon salons and the like being able to re-open.  Though life outside has continued to fluctuate, we have been able to continue with schedule adjustments and family time. Praise God we don't have outside commitments, besides church and hubby's work. We have been able to keep life pretty constant here and the ability to continue to fellowship and gather together at church has been such a blessing!  That being said, I am joyful in the ability to create consistency in my fitness and health regimen. Everything I have learned from several sources has given me the ability to continue in a downward weight trend and keep up healthy habits that support the goals I have for becoming healthier and stronger.  That's not to say that I haven't had a lot of strugg...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Just Want to Eat

I like food. Whew, I'm glad I could get that out there. Has anyone who LOVES food (probably more than we should), and being "health conscious," ever fasted? It is very difficult. Sometimes, I confess, I have fasted for the most wrong of reasons (is that a phrase? Let's say that it is): because I over -indulged and I am "effectively" punishing myself for not staying on plan. Because depriving myself of EVERYTHING will get me back on plan, right? No. Here's the thing, last week, I fasted with my church for a very right reason. However, I knew that in the past (and was heading toward this again), I had the wrong mindset around food. So, I fasted from social media and main meals. This meant that I had breakfast (6:30am) and snacks (the fast was 24 hours 8am-8am). It meant that I would not deprive myself of anything, I was just going to limit my time frames and was aware of my intake. There was still an evening struggle at small group with the snack table, ...
Post a Comment
Read more