9/26: Mirror

Hi Friends:

So, I added Tuesdays to my Zumba schedule, which of course made me stoked not only to see you guys more than once a week, but also because I'm really vain and want to lose some weight. But the scale hasn't budged. What's up with that?! There's always that last, elusive five to ten pounds that I can't lose that, in my mind, prevent me from wearing skinny jeans, accomplishing what I want to accomplish, and generally being successful at life. Ever do that, look into the mirror and go, "Ugh, if it weren't for this bit, or that part, or this whole thing right here, I would be so happy"? I mean, what's the point of all this exercise if I don't lose the weight or inches I want to, if I can't see results, right?

Well, whenever I feel this way, I have to remind myself that mirrors necessarily reflect only the outside (which is good, because I wouldn't want to see my organs every time I passed by a reflective surface), and sometimes the changes--the most important changes--take place on the inside, both physically and emotionally. So, if you ever feel like Zumba or any other exercise you do on a regular basis isn't showing any results, here are some questions you can ask yourself or test yourself on:

-Am I stronger than I was before I started exercising?

-Do I have more stamina?

-Do I feel more coordinated?

-Do I handle stress better?

-Do I feel better after I exercise?

-Are my bowels more regular?

-Do I sleep better at night?

-Do I have less joint pain?

-Do I have more energy?

-Do I look forward to exercise?

-Is my quality of life better since I started exercising?

My hope is that you would answer "yes" to one or more of these questions. You can also check with your doctor to see if your blood pressure, cholesterol, and/or overall physical health is better. All of these should offer a better reflection of the benefits of exercise than the mirror.

And skinny jeans be damned! : )