It’s time for the Week 7 Weigh-In if you’re participating in the 2019 Keto Challenge. You can post your progress in the group thread, or here on this post if you prefer. It’s never too late to join in! See the challenge details here.
Keto Weight Loss & Body Image Issues
I’ve been struggling with body image issues a bit lately. It’s kind of an odd thing because it’s all in your head (your self image, or view of yourself) and it can change dramatically from day to day – even when your body doesn’t change at all.
I’ve lost a lot of weight over the last 7 or 8 years, but I’ve also lost a lot of the muscle tone I worked so hard to build up over the last year – thanks to stress, increased workload, and a million other little things.
While I’m still around the same size and weight as I was a year ago, my body composition has definitely changed.
That makes me really self conscious, but it also REALLY motivates me to put in the work to get back where I was – so I can continue forward to my goal of being in amazing shape!
Being self conscious, or feeling anything less than HAPPY with yourself is a new/old feeling for me. One that was my daily norm for so long – and then one I totally forgot about when I was “flying high” and consistently working toward my goals and seeing great results.
It wasn’t even about reaching the goal, but that sense of accomplishment and pride in what I’d achieved already that felt SO good – that plus just feeling STRONG, inside and out.
I miss that. 
Missing that is a GOOD thing.
Knowing how GREAT it felt inspires me to feel that great AGAIN.
With all of this swirling around in my mind lately, between chastising myself for not being as active as I used to be, getting inspired and starting back, getting busy and slacking off, happy with maintaining my weight loss but not as happy with how I look anymore, yada yada yada…
I passed by a mirror recently and was surprised at what went through my mind.
“I look just fine.” 
That entire day I was feeling particularly self conscious, and then I caught myself in that big round mirror and just stood there for a minute – and decided to take a picture to remind myself how I *really* looked, and more importantly: how I felt.
It’s not a perfect picture, or even a good picture. It’s just a brief moment in my life while I was waiting for an elevator. But that moment shifted my entire day – and my attitude.
I looked at the picture as I rode down the elevator and reminded myself that I’m a size 8 now, that my dress is a size Medium – and that I look just fine (faults and all).
I walked taller and smiled bigger the rest of the day, instead of feeling fidgety and self conscious.
The scales are just as tricky as the mirrors, making us believe and feel all sorts of things. I’m doing something wrong, I’m doing something right, I have so far to go, look how far I’ve come, I’m discouraged (blah!), I’m motivated (yes!), blah blah blah.
It’s exhausting really.
It’s surprising how much those things can affect us though, from our mood to our motivation, the way we carry ourselves even.
I do know the BEST that I have ever felt was when I was focused on my health & happiness, when I was active and working toward being in great physical shape, when I was doing it for both the FUN and the fitness, and when I could FEEL the results of that.
It was less about reaching the goal, because I never did, and more about how it felt to be actively working toward the goal.
Food for thought today…
That’s what’s on my mind.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on body image, scales and mirrors, whether it discourages or ENcourages you, and if you’re like me: and can feel GREAT and totally DEflated all in the same day?! lol…
I apologize for not having some profound wisdom to impart on you today on this topic. Just scattered ramblings of thoughts!
I’d love to open the discussion though, because I think it’s a BIG one, and one that either fuels us or DERAILS us – all too often.
“The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are… for what we could become.” -Charles Du Bos
The photo above was taken at the Metabolic Health Summit a couple of weeks ago in Long Beach California. The next big keto event is KetoCon 2019 in Austin Texas, which I’m REALLY excited about.
Will You Be At KetoCon This Year?
If you want to join us in June for the next big KetoCon keto conference now is the time to get your ticket – before the price increase on March 1st.
I’ll be there! Learn More About KetoCon 2019…
It’s a 3-day event in Austin, Texas and it was TONS of fun last year!
How are things going with you?
Don’t forget to weigh in today…
Leave a comment and let’s chat!:)
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
Netrition – The Internet’s Premier Nutrition Superstore!
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