I’ve seen some fitness programs or sites suggest imagining the body you want or hanging pictures that motivate you. I’ve always had a slight problem with this, particularly this past year, because I have no clue what my body will look like at a healthy weight and putting up pictures of other fit people would force me to compare myself to others which would seem to only promote a negative body image. I suppose that if you were once “fit”, you might want to hang a picture of yourself at that weight to motivate you to get back to that point. However, out of all of my accomplishments and successes this past year, I most love the new sense of self I have found. You cannot go back, but you can move forward to a new place, even if it ends up looking similar, it is not exactly the same.
Personally, while I have been this weight before (10 years ago), I have never been at this level of fitness.
As you may have seen through my Instagram feed (at the bottom of this site) or the gallery to the right, I take pictures of myself post-run. This started after a few weeks of my initial C25K program. I took my first picture after a hard run and I did not feel particularly strong, but I saw my reflection in my storm door and I felt strong for trying. I knew that I was strong for already having lost 30 or so pounds, I was strong for challenging myself- I knew that even though that day I had had a bad run, I was going to go back a couple days later and try it all again. So I took a picture to remind myself of my own strength. I kept taking pictures, mostly after hard runs, but sometimes when I had beaten a personal record and was celebrating. I do not take one every time, I take them when I need to remember that, less than a year ago, I could not do what I am doing now.
On one of my somewhat recent post-run pictures, a friend created a hashtag for me on Instagram, #postrunwithemily. I then took to Facebook and started getting my friends to use it. I wanted them to experience the same kind of empowerment that comes from capturing yourself in a moment of strength. I told them they could use the hashtag for any post-workout glow, it did not have to be about running. #postrunwithemily is about being proud of accomplishments and motivating you to keep going. I think it would be pretty cool if I started seeing more pictures pop up on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook (though this might be difficult on some sites due to privacy settings) from my blog followers. Go forth and spread the #postrunwithemily love. 😉
My point in all of this is to say, if you’re going to picture or imagine anything during this journey, picture yourself. Picture yourself doing the ten full pushups you never thought you would be able to do. Picture yourself less out of breath. Picture yourself feeling energetic. Take pictures of yourself doing things now that relate to your healthy goal- pictures of your new healthy recipe, pictures of yourself having just completed burpees, or even pictures of yourself after having lost your first 5 or 10 pounds. This about you- now, not “back then when I was ‘thin'”.
Lastly, an update on me: In the last year, I have lost 90 pounds. I am currently just under 200 pounds. I am proud of myself for the success I have had with my weight loss, but along the way, I have found that it truly pales in comparison to the many other goals I have met and exceeded this year. For 2015, I will be training for and participating in my first half and full marathons. Running is also merely one facet of my fitness achievements for the year but, along with my body measurements/weight loss, it is the most quantifiable and easily presented.
Emily the Strong 