Numbers. They hold a lot of significance, and we associate them with countless things – from important dates to amounts of money to vacation countdowns to work deadlines to our childhood address. Some numbers bring happiness, like the ones following a point that determine whether you earned an A or a B on your thesis. Other numbers play with your emotions, like the number of days you’ve been waiting to get pregnant or the exact time on the clock when you lost a loved one. Happy, sad, positive, negative – numbers are a big deal to us.

The numbers in this picture represent not just the weight of each dumb bell, but they represent a journey. I remember when I first started using weights many years ago, those three pounders were all I could manage. But, it wasn’t long until I moved onto the next set and then the next set. The numbers here represent strength and remind me that I persevered. They show determination and dedication. They show attitude and grit. Guess what numbers don’t reflect those things? THE ONES ON THE SCALE.

The scale is a LIAR. Don’t be fooled into believing that your health, your fitness, and ESPECIALLY not your worth are decided by a machine that flashes red numbers at you. No, no, no. You, my friend, are way too precious to be devalued by your scale. This mind shift is so necessary because our weight-obsessed culture makes us feel unworthy if we can’t pull a size 4 over our thighs. We become frustrated that we’ll never be “that skinny,” and then adopt the It’s Pointless to Even Try attitude while eating a cheeseburger, sedentarily scrolling our phones, and giving into yet another meaningless number. Focus instead on fitness and nutrition. And, at the end of the day, progress over perfection is what matters

There’s still plenty of time to get on board with a lifestyle change before you go back to school this fall, teacher friend. If you need some inspiration and want to see my progress pics, read this post.

Happy Friday!