I was too tired after the workout to take a selfie so you get a very accurate bitstrip instead.
I'm so excited about the progress I'm seeing in my weightlifting so far and I loved the T25 workout last night (more on that another day) but my biggest struggle now brings me to a reminder for all you Beasts and Beastesses out there - PUT. AWAY. THE. SCALE. Weight training will, without a doubt, change your body in ways you've never imagined. You'll wear different pants, you'll have more energy, you'll have issues finding clothes that fit right because they're suddenly loose in some places and tight in places that you suddenly have *gasp* MUSCLES!!! Aren't they beautiful??
But here's the "catch"... The number on the scale may not change... Especially in the first month or so and maybe never. In fact, that number may even go up. Do not panic, my friends... This is normal. When the scale comes out, you need to keep a couple things in mind.
1. Muscle is more dense than fat. How is this good news? You can fit a lot more muscle in a far smaller space than that 5 lb blob of fat that you're trying to make disappear.
3. DOMS = weight retention. For those unfamiliar, DOMS is delayed onset muscle soreness - that "I can't move my arms / legs / abs / body" you feel when you wake up after a new or especially tough workout. It's a great feeling, isn't it? Your body is undergoing a renovation but as anyone can tell you, you can't renovate a room without tearing apart the old stuff first to make room for the new. Renovating your muscles and body is no different. You need to tear up the old muscles and the strength is built in the repair phase! That repair requires a "construction crew" of extra water and nutrients which means you'll retain some weight when you're sore. TL;DR? Don't check your weight when you're sore.
4. Most importantly, how you FEEL is more important than ANY number - whether that number is on the scale, the tag in your pants, or the measuring tape around your waist. Focus on how you feel about yourself for pushing through tough workouts. Focus on the extra confidence and "can do" attitude you develop as you push through things you've never done before. Focus on the energy you've found in your renovated body. This is why you get healthy - to feel better about YOU and to be a better YOU. That is the feeling to which I've become addicted and I know many of you have experienced the same. I won't deny that losing weight is exciting and that I didn't squeal a bit when I fit in that dress I had shoved in the back of my closet for "someday, maybe, when I'm skinny enough" but I promise that those feelings are worth far more than a size 8 tag.
Have you struggled with the scale? How did you triumph over that pesky bathroom appliance??
