30 Day Shred: the End and the Beginning

Summer goal: skort, size 7 and cargo pants, size 6

OK, time to wrap up the 30 Day Shred thing, and ponder some life lessons. This morning I weighed myself and the grand total of what I lost on the scale was... (wait for it!)
...about 5 pounds. I say "about" because --pursuant to my Day 12 "weightless" post-- I was not sure (to within 0.2 lb, ha ha) what I weighed at the beginning. This was because the battery on my digital scale was dead, and so I used the old (and somewhat more finicky) dial scale. I'm back to the digital scale with a new battery, but the verdict is still 5 pounds. I was frankly disappointed by that number, because I had hoped to lose 8-10 pounds. (When I was having suspected gall bladder issues last fall, I went on a low-fat diet and lost 10 pounds in a month without doing any exercise at all.) But then of course, I was not getting fit, and when I received good news (via medical tests) and resumed a "regular" diet (or rather, re-embraced gluttony), the weight piled back on and I felt horrible all through the remainder of winter and spring.

But here's the Shred result that gives me both consolation and hope: I took my measurements, and in the last 30 days, I lost 13.75 inches (4.5 inches off the area formerly known as my waist).  Some of my clothes fit (and look) better; I have more energy and feel well and strong. I have gained muscle (which may account for the less than spectacular number on the scale), and we all know that muscle is denser than fat. I have also gained some discipline with exercise and eating habits, and that's worth a lot  too.

The mere fact that I felt any disappointment indicates that I have some distance to go: not just in losing weight, but in getting my priorities straight. We should meaure our health (and sense of worth!) by various criteria, not just a number on a soulless box of springs. Further, there are many more important things than weight loss, fitness, or even bodily health. Such as eternal salvation, loving the people you were put on earth to serve, and generally being (in Miss Austen's words) "an active, useful sort of person."

So I'm going to continue pursuing a healthy lifestyle, as I'm sure God intended, and that includes looking after much more than consuming and burning calories. Thank you, Jillian, for the 30 Day Shred, which gave me a little boost in that direction!
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