Weight Ain't Nothing but a Number

We all have a love/hate relationship with the scale.  We have all these reasons why the number on the scale is bigger. 

- Muscle weighs more
- I've got a lot of water weight
- I'm on my period and bloated
- Maybe the scale is off
- I had my shoes on
- It's not the number on the scale, it's how your clothes fit
- I'm skinnier in the morning

We still beat ourselves up because the number on the scale doesn't match up to the same number we saw five years ago.

When I checked into my hotel room during my vacation last week, there was a shiny scale calling my name.  Against my better judgement, I climbed on it and was scandalized by the number. It should be much lower. Damn.

The next day, I decided I was going to go on an excursion and hike up Camelback Mountain.   I am NOT a camping/hiking type of gIrl.  At all.   Even though the description said it was for intermediate to advanced climbers,  I was going to try it.   I told my guide I had never even climbed up a hill before and I'm not even sure how far I'll be able to last.  We walked half a mile to get to the mountain, and then began the strenuous climb 1.15 miles up the steepest, rockiest terrain I had ever seen.  

That's when I realized my body was strong.  I was able to lift my body weight up over and over again, as well as balance on the rocks, jog around them, and crawl and climb down.    In some parts, I had one foot up by my shoulder and had to pull  my other foot and the rest of body up.   On the way back down, I was going the same pace as the guide, and was breezing though spots.   My guide complimented me and we made awesome time.   I even felt good!  I didn't  feel like I was going to die or that I couldn't possibly make it.  On the way down, we saw a huge buff  guy huffing and puffing slowly up the mountain.  Which goes to show, it's not always the number on the scale, it's how your body performs when you want/need it.   

As I was looking through my pictures, I  was scrutinizing myself looking to see if the picture was taken on my good side.  Then I stopped and thought, " Wait!  I just climbed a  mountain, I'm pretty badass! ". 

So, next time I look at a scale, or worry about how my stomach looks, I will remind myself that my body is a beast and can climb mountains.  So screw you scale, you don't EVEN know what my body is capable of doing.

Do you love it? My ego did.
Shells

* It doesn't have be mountain climbing.  It could be shoveling the snow from your driveway, carrying a 30 pound toddler through the mall, running two miles, or jogging around the block without stopping.  Instead of focusing what your body can't do, look at all the things it can do!