Your Feelings Matter More Than Your Weight or Looks
2 minute read
Mirrors are Everywhere. They Are Found in Bathrooms, Hair Salons, Cars, and Even Used as Decor in Homes.
Photo by Elisa Ph. on Unsplash
A mirror reflects back an image identical to what is in front of it.
However, when we view ourselves in that new dress, suit jacket, or bathing suit, that exact same mirror gives us a different look (or does it?).
Weight Scales Are Everywhere. They Are Found in Bathrooms, Doctors’ Offices, and Big Box Fitness Facilities.
A weight scale, if properly calibrated, reflects back a number that is identical to our actual weight.
However, when we see that number on the scale, somehow we say it’s “off” due to water weight or that our clothes are adding that extra 25 lbs (insert laughter here).
Your Mirrors and Scales Will Change How You Feel
Photo by Brock Wegner on Unsplash
Magazine photos are always deceptive. By now we all should know that photos are cropped, airbrushed, and that fabulous figured woman/man on the cover of Women’s/Men’s Health does not look like that in real life. This type of fake marketing still has damage to how we feel about ourselves.
According to a 2019 survey conducted by IPSOS, 79% of people are unhappy with how their body looks at times.
The keyword is ‘looks’…not feels.
Many people lose touch with how they feel and buy into what that mirror or scale is selling them (all bad thoughts).
One minute we feel great about our body, our health, and wellness but when we look in that mirror or hop on that scale, that visual “look” distorts our reality. If we are not careful, that distortion then resets our feelings about our body.
When you start working out at a local gym, picking up running/cycling/walking, or just start eating better, here are some real-life scenarios to think about:
- Did you recently join a new gym this year and you are feeling better?
- Embrace it. Lose the scale and tune into your body.
- Did your friend just make a positive comment about the way you look and asked what you have been doing to get in shape?
- Say thank you, share the knowledge about what you are doing, stop looking at the mirror, and start paying attention to how you feel better.
- Are you putting in meaningful time into your workouts and getting stronger, but do you think you should be losing more weight (if that is your goal)?
- You are changing your body composition, for the better. Muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue. You are losing weight in your body fat. Remember to trust how you FEEL from your workouts.
Mirrors and Scales will always deceive and fail you.
Working out, improving your fitness, staying committed to a healthy lifestyle, and being in tune with how you ‘feel’ will never fail you.