Update on the weight loss challenge

I realized that I teased an update on the 32 by 32 Challenge a few weeks ago and haven't come back to it! I've come to the conclusion that this challenge was making me crazy about my weight and causing me to have an unnatural obsession with the scale, so I've decided to forgo it.  It is fair to say that I had a slightly unnatural obsession with the scale prior to this challenge, but I definitely wasn't doing myself any favors by setting another super challenging goal.

There is a part of me that feels defeated about the challenge, because I'm not one to back down typically, but for the most part, I feel at peace with my decision.  I've drastically reduced the frequency of my weigh-ins; having shifted from a daily morning weigh-in to only weighing myself once in the past week (on Saturday).  That feels like a huge victory to me and I feel a little less crazed.  I'm still watching what I eat (for the most part; I wish I could quit you frozen yogurt!) and I definitely still want to lose weight.  However, over the next few months, I want to focus on Napa training and not obsess over the number on the scale.  I've given a lot of thought over the past few weeks to how far I've come the past year and to me, that is so much more important than the number on my scale.  I absolutely want to lose weight, but I also want to get stronger and faster and those can't be measured on the scale.

I know I could have lost 32 lbs. by my birthday in August, but at what cost?  Working out like a fiend, eating like a bird, making myself crazy over every .10 of a pound on the scale?  None of that sounds appealing to me at the moment.  Life is too short and I want to focus on being strong and healthy (both mentally and physically), so I will continue to run and watch what I eat and lose weight in a healthier, less obsessive way.

Here's to recognizing that we are strong, powerful, smart, beautiful people who aren't defined by a number on the scale!

"Although your weight may fluctuate, the way you feel about yourself doesn't have to."