Better than a mirror
Why take body measurements when striving for a fitness or health goal? Because we are our own worst judge, and what we perceive in the mirror is too often a reflection of our self-image, not the reality. We are temperamental by nature and, so far, the best tool we have created to keep our melodramatic minds in check is science. Without the scientific method, much suffering can fester.
How does scrutiny help to develop a healthy body image? You can orient your growth from objective truth and not from your ever-changing moody perception. Seeing yourself as you really are without exaggerations or mental distortions forges authentic self-acceptance. If you wish to make a modification, then from this clear view, reasonably initiate changes using the relevant tools. Now, what we want to achieve is personal to us and hopefully doesn’t come from overexposure to photoshopped photos. Also, how we look is not necessarily an indicator of health, so I highly recommend receiving the help of competent health professionals to establish your fitness goals so that it respects your overall health; both physical and mental.
Finding ways to properly track our environment and ourselves has been crucial to our development over millennia. From “how many sheep are mine” and establishing a value on a trade, we can see that the application of basic mathematics is an essential tool to establish fairness. Why would these mathematical principles all of a sudden differ when analyzing ourselves? We should treat our bodies as justly and fairly as we do for others. That’s why I take out my scale, my measuring tape and calculator on a monthly basis so I can see myself for who I really am. It’s not a matter of how I feel but where I’m at and if my choices are creating the results I seek.
My fears of failure or the lies I tell myself are for my shrink’s couch… right now, I’m addressing my physical health. I don’t for a moment doubt the inseparable fusion of mental and physical health, au contraire, it’s precisely that link that makes me rectify cognitive distortion with the help of measurable proof. I created the expression “Use your knife for butter” to show my closest friend that we choose the way we exercise power when provided with an advantage. So what are you going to do with the knife-like advantage measurements give you? I dearly hope it won’t be turned against you and that you will grab this opportunity to give yourself a break and appreciate the meticulous care you give yourself.
When I started the preparations for this journey, I intentionally chose to indulge in decadent culinary escapades. I wanted to observe how my metabolism would now take shape having reached an age where growth hormones are no longer there to help me process extra calories. Being able to track how my body processes food at this stage of my life and what minimal exercise accomplishes was a perfect starting point for my fortieth birthday experiment.
My objective was to let my anatomy be with as little control or interference as possible living a “normal” life with an average North American diet and level of exercise. I predicted that the reintegration of carbs would cause a weight gain but had no idea as to how much would accumulate over the course of 4 months. To my surprise, I lost weight in the first month as well as becoming thinner. It was partially due to my stomach still functioning in smaller quantities and the loss of muscle. I didn’t force myself to eat or to stay overly sedentary. The goal was not to harm myself to prove a point, I just wanted to see what an unmonitored me would look like and be like. I wanted to see how those changes would affect my digestion, energy levels, overall health and mood.
As predicted, by the second month the weight gain started and I slowly adopted a lovely plumper me. It felt good by the third month to be back to a softer, more feminine me and by the fourth month, I could see I had reached the point where I started being self-conscious and less comfortable in my clothes. Depending on the food I explored, my energy and mood were greatly affected. The few juvenile junk food rages were a lot of fun but the cost on my well-being was much more notable a few hours after then when I was twenty. By the time December 7th ticked, I was ready to go back to my healthy ways as the lethargy and effects on my mind were becoming heavier than my curves.
Let me then reveal the measurements I’ve gathered so far:
This first month of reshaping my health habits, the focus was getting used to my food habits and let my body adjust to my caloric intake before integrating more exercise. Luckily there won’t be much Holiday food due to COVID-19 isolation so that will help a lot staying on track. I project a mild weight loss this month but I’m not very concerned about it as measurements are more indicative at this stage. Once I rebuild my muscle mass I expect a weight gain before the muscle-fat of my body stabilizes. Thanks to my measuring tape and scale, all this will be tracked for the upcoming years.
As long as I have a nice booty to shake on the dance floor, I’m happy. Where I’ve set my body-image and self-love is a playful intersection of comforting femininity with hints of athletic care. I love yoga and am attracted to mobility but I also enjoy the sturdy builds of the countryside girls. The intersection of those two worlds is where my well-being resides emotionally and physically.
